Inside The Maverick Mind

Afanti Media
  • 0.0 (0)
  • 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 weekly on YouTube, with audio available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.Subscribe and back your own Maverick mind.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 22 | Jane Richardson | The Maverick Leading Wales's Museums Into the Future

    What does it take to lead a national institution through budget cuts, crumbling buildings, and a crisis of relevance - and come out the other side with a bolder vision than ever? Jane Richardson, Director General of Amgueddfa Cymru / National Museum Wales, joins Emyr Afan on Inside the Maverick Mind for a conversation that's as surprising as it is inspiring. From a 400-year-old clam that witnessed the Sistine Chapel being painted, to tiny marine worms tracking climate change in real time, to a Welsh hip-hop exhibition sitting next to Turner - Jane is rewriting the rules of what a national museum can be. In this episode: 🐚 Why Wales's national museum isn't "distinctively Welsh enough" - yet 🔬 The marine worm researchers whose skills could disappear forever 🦣 Tom Bones the mammoth - and why he's actually 3D printed 🎤 Hip-hop next door to Turner, and why that matters 🌍 New international partnerships with Japan and why Wales needs to be round the table 🏛️ The vision for a cultural quarter in Cardiff 💛 Be curious, be brave, be kind - and what those mean when everything's falling apart 🏓 Pickleball, biscuits, and the China trip she'll always regret Jane is a leader who steers by her own North Star. This one will stay with you. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Inside the Maverick Mind.

    Ep 22 | Jane Richardson | The Maverick Leading Wales's Museums Into the Future

  2. Jul 13

    Ep 21 | Nicola Venetia Steele | The Boutique That Belonging Built

    She started with £5, two puppies, and a husband who'd just left. That's not a crisis - that's a maverick opening line. Nicola Venetia Steele is the founder of Venetia Steel Boutique in Bridgend, South Wales - a woman who turned dyslexia, redundancy, hand-me-downs, heartbreak, and a garden shed into one of the most distinctive boutique brands in Wales. But this isn't really a story about clothes. It's a story about identity. About what happens when a little girl grows up feeling overlooked, underdressed, and underestimated - and turns all of that into style, grit, commercial instinct, and fierce self-belief. In this episode, Nicola talks about: • Growing up as the youngest of four, excluded and in hand-me-downs that didn't fit • Turning up to school in her uniform on wear-your-own-clothes day - because she had nothing else • How dyslexia became her greatest business superpower • The mentor who gave her wings - and the lesson that changed how she handles people forever • Building from a kitchen table to a garden shed to a standalone store • The dream that told her to sign the lease • Why she built a boutique specifically for women over 40 who feel invisible • Losing her dog Zosia - and what that taught her about love and priorities • Why independence has been both her greatest strength and her greatest cost CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction - "£5, two puppies, and a dream" 01:10 Were you born a maverick or did life force you to be one? 05:30 The Fiat Panda - what freedom really looks like 10:30 Wear your own clothes day 14:00 Fashion as control, confidence, and belonging 17:00 How dyslexia became a superpower 22:30 The mentor who changed everything -Linda 28:00 Dreams, instinct, and signing the lease 33:00 From kitchen table to garden shed to boutique 38:00 The redundancy - and protecting her team 43:00 Building Venetia Steel Boutique 50:00 Women over 40 - visibility, style, and confidence 56:00 Zosia 1:02:00 Maverick Maxims - quick fire 1:08:00 "A maverick is someone who..." ABOUT INSIDE THE MAVERICK MIND A podcast hosted by Emyr Afan exploring the minds of unconventional thinkers, builders, and creators. Each episode goes beyond the business story to ask what really drives the people who refuse to play it safe.

    Ep 21 | Nicola Venetia Steele | The Boutique That Belonging Built

  3. Jul 6

    Ep 20 | Lucia Rowe | Fear Doesn't Get the Final Word: Surviving a Dictator & Leukaemia

    What does it take to survive a dictatorship, build a career across five continents, beat leukaemia - and then run 270 kilometres across the Sahara? In this episode of Inside the Maverick Mind, host Emyr Afan sits down with Lucia Rowe - linguist, travel industry leader, cancer survivor, and ultramarathon runner -to explore one of the most extraordinary life stories you'll ever hear. Lucia grew up in Ceaușescu's Romania, where the knock on the door in the night was a constant terror. Two of her school friends were killed in the street during the revolution. And yet, from those dark beginnings, she built a 25-year career in the travel industry, helped launch and scale A-Rosa River Cruises in the UK and beyond, and became a powerful voice for breaking down barriers in business. Then came the diagnosis nobody wants - leukemia, during COVID. With no immunity and a global pandemic raging, Lucia chose to fight. She made a plan. She drew on something bigger than herself. And five years later, she is in full remission. Not content with that, she took on the Marathon des Sables - one of the world's toughest ultramarathons - was medically withdrawn the first time, and went straight back to finish it in 2026. This is a conversation about fear, endurance, sunshine moments, solidarity in the sand, and what it really means to keep moving towards the light. Topics covered: Growing up under Ceaușescu and the lasting trauma of the Securitate Building A-Rosa River Cruises from scratch in the UK market Facing a leukemia diagnosis during COVID and choosing to fight Running 60+ marathons and 15 ultramarathons post-illness The camaraderie and raw humanity of the Marathon des Sables Raising £50,000+ for Ruben's Retreat and the Family Holiday Charity What success, freedom, and resilience really mean Ruben's Retreat: Family Holiday Charity:  Inside the Maverick Mind - conversations with people who do things differently. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    Ep 20 | Lucia Rowe | Fear Doesn't Get the Final Word: Surviving a Dictator & Leukaemia

  4. Jun 29

    Ep 19 | Nick Hounsfield | 230 Rejections, One Stroke, and a £30M Wave

    Nick Hounsfield didn't set out to build a tourist attraction. He set out to build the kind of medicine you can't prescribe. A former osteopath, Nick spent 18 years treating the symptoms of stress, burnout, and disconnection — until he realised the real problem wasn't in the treatment room. It was in the environment people were returning to. So he left his practice, made a promise to his dying father, pitched to over 230 investors, fought for planning permission on greenbelt land, and built The Wave — the UK's first inland surf destination, just north of Bristol. A place designed to make people healthier, happier, and more connected, without them even knowing. Then, just months after opening, Nick had a major stroke. In this episode, we explore what it means to build a place of recovery and then become the person who needs it most — and how that experience reshaped everything Nick thought he knew about ambition, resilience, and what actually matters. We cover: * Why Nick walked away from a thriving osteopathy practice to build something "impossible" * The 10-year journey from £500 and a sketch to a £30 million destination * What 230 investor rejections taught him about vision, timing, and personality fit * The stroke that stopped everything — and the clarity that came with it * Blue health: the science of why water makes us happier and healthier * His new mission, One Blue World, and why it goes far beyond surfing * The difference between stubbornness and vision * Why pause is as important as push Nick's story is a masterclass in maverick thinking — and a timely reminder that sometimes the boldest thing you can do is build the world you think people need.

    Ep 19 | Nick Hounsfield | 230 Rejections, One Stroke, and a £30M Wave

  5. Jun 22

    Ep 18 | Andy Middleton | The Man Who Sacked His Biggest Client — and Never Looked Bac

    Andy Middleton is a pioneering force in sustainability, ecologic thinking, and biomimicry - and he happens to be based in one of the most breathtaking corners of the world: St Davids, West Wales. As founder of the TYF Group, co-creator of the World Freestyle Kayaking Championships, and a key contributor to Wales' groundbreaking Future Generations Act, Andy has spent decades helping individuals, communities, and businesses think - and act - differently. In this conversation, we explore how growing up on the Pembrokeshire coast shaped his worldview, why he believes shareholder capitalism is in its "death days," what biomimicry and ecologic thinking can offer a world in crisis, and why the most powerful conversations happen not in boardrooms but in nature. We also dig into the DO Lectures, the dangers of AI singularity, legacy, family, and what it truly means to be a maverick. 🌊 Topics covered: Growing up in St Davids & founding TYFCoasteering, kayaking & being #2 in the worldFrom adventure business to sustainability pioneerThe Future Generations Act & Wales as a global modelBiomimicry, ecologic thinking & the rules of physicsThe DO Lectures & community on the edgeAI, singularity & upgrading our "maverick quotient"Legacy, George Bernard Shaw & being "fully used up"

    Ep 18 | Andy Middleton | The Man Who Sacked His Biggest Client — and Never Looked Bac

  6. Jun 15

    Ep 17 | FRANKIE JAMES | From Door-to-Door Sales to Glastonbury for Business

    From 100% commission door-to-door sales to co-creating a Glastonbury for Business - Frankie James joins Emyr Afan on Inside the Maverick Mind. Frankie is the force behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Ideas Fest, an outdoor business festival that blends entrepreneurship with music, wellbeing, and genuine human connection. Co-created with economist Dylan Jones Evans, Ideas Fest has grown into one of the UK's most distinctive spaces for founders to think, connect, and be inspired. In this episode, Frankie shares: How brutal door-to-door commission sales shaped her approach to people and businessWhy she went to university after working - and what she'd do differentlyThe real story behind launching Ideas Fest during the pandemicWhy community beats competition and how collaboration supercharges growthThe importance of honest founder spaces - not just highlight reelsHer Maverick Moment: taking over a field and throwing thousands of entrepreneurs into itHow to scale something special without losing what makes it humanWhether you're a founder craving connection, someone building community around a bold idea, or just looking for permission to do things differently — this one's for you. 🎙️ Inside the Maverick Mind - the show where unconventional thinkers share what really goes on behind the business. 📌 Find Frankie James: Ideas Fest: ideasfest.co.ukGreat British Entrepreneur Awards: greatbritishentrepreneurawards.comInstagram/LinkedIn: @FrankieJames | @IdeasFest📌 Subscribe for more maverick conversations every week. #Entrepreneurship #IdeasFest #MaverickMind #BusinessPodcast #GreatBritishEntrepreneurAwards #Founders #CommunityOverCompetition #Wales #StartupUK

    Ep 17 | FRANKIE JAMES | From Door-to-Door Sales to Glastonbury for Business

  7. Jun 8

    Ep 16 | John Parr | The Man Behind the Anthem St Elmo's Fire - Betrayed Twice & Silenced for 20 years

    The Voice Behind the Anthem: John Parr on Fame, Betrayal & Never Giving In In 1985, a song exploded out of a Hollywood cinema and never really stopped playing. That song was St. Elmo's Fire — and its writer and singer, John Parr, joins Emyr Afan on Inside the Maverick Mind for one of the most honest, surprising and inspiring conversations you'll hear this year. Born on the wrong side of the tracks in a Nottinghamshire mining town, John Parr spent 20 years grinding his way to a room with David Foster — then wrote a number one anthem in three attempts on a single afternoon. But what came next wasn't the fairy tale the world imagined. In this episode, John opens up about: The real story behind "St. Elmo's Fire" — and the wheelchair-bound hero who inspired itWhy his record label hated the song and refused to promote itThe betrayal that cost him 20 years of his career — and how he survived itWhat it was really like touring with Tina Turner, Toto, The Beach Boys and JourneyWorking with Mutt Lange and the lesson that changed how he createsHis growing obsession with Welsh culture, Hedd Wyn, and a film that could change everythingWhy he believes the next great anthem needs to be about mental healthAnd the uncanny sign that made him certain he was on the right pathThis is the story of a man who never gave in — even when everything gave out. 🎵 "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" | 🎬 Filmmaker | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Friend of Wales --- 📩 Subscribe for more conversations with maverick thinkers, creators and disruptors. 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss an episode of Inside the Maverick Mind.

    Ep 16 | John Parr | The Man Behind the Anthem St Elmo's Fire - Betrayed Twice & Silenced for 20 years

  8. May 25

    Ep 15 | HENRY ENGELHARDT CBE| The Man Who Proved Happy People Build Better Companies

    Henry Engelhardt didn't just build a successful company. He built one of the most loved workplaces in British corporate history - and did it by betting everything on a single, radical idea: that happy people build better businesses. Starting as a complete outsider to the insurance industry - a Chicago kid who'd worked a hotdog stand, the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and McDonald's on the Champs-Élysées - Henry co-founded Admiral Insurance in 1993 from a standing start, without offices, without a name, and as the seventh player in a market already crowded with giants. By the time he stepped down as CEO, Admiral was a FTSE 100 company employing over 10,000 people across four continents, had been named one of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For more times than most businesses even try, and had made its entire workforce shareholders. On his final day as CEO, hundreds of staff lined the car park wearing T-shirts printed with his face. That's not a corporate valediction. That's a movement. In this conversation, Henry talks candidly about growing up in 1970s Chicago, the mentors who shaped him, why being an industry outsider was his greatest competitive weapon, how he turned culture into a hard financial advantage, the four pillars that drove everything Admiral became, and why - even now - he writes down what he's grateful for every single day. This is one of the most honest, warm and genuinely useful conversations about leadership, people and business we've ever recorded. Inside the Maverick Mind is the podcast that goes beyond the boardroom and behind the breakthrough. Each episode, host Emyr Afan sits down with the entrepreneurs, leaders and rule-breakers who didn't just build successful businesses — they changed the game entirely. These aren't polished corporate interviews. This is real talk: about failure, obsession, instinct, culture, and what it actually takes to build something that lasts. From startup scars to FTSE 100 boardrooms, from Chicago hotdog stands to Cardiff Bay — every guest has one thing in common: they refused to play it safe. New episodes every [frequency]. Subscribe and join us inside the minds of the people who dared to think differently. Until next time — remember, the world doesn't change by playing it safe.

    Ep 15 | HENRY ENGELHARDT CBE| The Man Who Proved Happy People Build Better Companies
See All (22)

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 weekly on YouTube, with audio available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.Subscribe and back your own Maverick mind.

Information

  • Creator
    Afanti Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Inside The Maverick Mind
  • Show Website
    Inside The Maverick Mind

You Might Also Like