The Reinventor's Mindset with Ashton Jones

Ashton Jones
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Monthly

Most people think transformation means leaving. New job, new city, new identity. But the hardest reinventions happen where you already are. The Reinventor's Mindset is for people who want to transform themselves and the systems they live in from within. Each episode, host Ashton Jones sits down with executives, founders, and changemakers who've done exactly that. They share the frameworks, the failures, and the moments when conviction had to carry them through without consensus. Featuring leaders from Maker's Mark, IBM, Deloitte and more.

Episodes

  1. Sep 9

    The White House Was My PhD with Michael Green | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Dr. Michael Green was in the White House on the morning of September 11, 2001. He spent five years on the National Security Council running Asia for George W. Bush — across 9/11, a near nuclear war between India and Pakistan, North Korea, Taiwan, tsunamis, coups. Twenty-five years on, he's the first to tell you the playbook was wrong. Both administrations that followed wrote new ones. Both were wrong too. Now CEO of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, Michael has spent a career at the intersection of geopolitics, strategy and leadership — and four years living in Australia watching the alliance from the inside. We talked about why the toolkit the West built over seventy years is no longer fit for purpose. What it takes to make decisions under pressure when there is no right answer — and when the crisis you're handed is one you've never seen before. What cognitive intelligence actually means and why even the most capable leaders struggle with it in a world of compounding complexity. And how he got a black belt in Japanese sword and was told by his sensei he was still nothing. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction — Dr Michael Green & the United States Studies Centre 0:47 The old world is dying — Australia and the US in a new era 7:04 The 1950 car — why the old toolkit is broken 9:52 Leadership is the answer — but what kind? 11:43 Cognitive intelligence — knowing when your plan isn't working 13:51 Why leaders need hybrid experience across domains 15:03 Cognitive sovereignty and Australia's fourth challenge 21:16 The birth of the United States Studies Centre 25:30 What Washington gets wrong about Australians 30:10 Stories from the White House — leadership under pressure 30:38 A PhD every six months 31:51 Lower your voice — what Condoleezza Rice taught him 34:13 Bagpipes in North Korea and a black belt in Japanese sword 37:22 The word that means everything — appreciation 📩⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter ⁠⁠⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

    The White House Was My PhD with Michael Green | The Reinventor's Mindset

  2. Aug 19

    The World's Oldest Youngest Academic with Craig Gilliver | The Reinventor's Mindset

    A good career is supposed to look like a ladder. The most interesting ones look like a scrapbook. Craig Gilliver spent more than 25 years backstage at the country's biggest arts festivals — looking after Elvis Costello and Lou Reed when they came to town. Then came a redundancy at an age where the interviewers stop calling back. "Your next job is not going to come from a job application. Your next job is going to come from a contact." He was right. A contact at Sydney University who'd seen him work opened a door. Craig walked into a business school with no business degree and started teaching leaders how to lead through story. It only looks random until you find the thread. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction — Craig Gilliver & backstage life 3:22 Studying literature — "Will that help you get a job?" 6:41 25 years backstage — arts festivals and artists 9:04 What business leaders can learn from artists 11:28 The night it nearly fell apart — Lou Reed and the Hare Krishnas 14:53 From arts to academia — how COVID changed everything 17:12 What it felt like to be made redundant 18:10 Your next job won't come from an application 22:04 What we misunderstand about how Gen Z learns 24:50 The children's book exercise 28:07 How do you make it through writing? 32:20 What childhood belief did you have to let go of? 📩⁠⁠Join the newsletter ⁠⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

    The World's Oldest Youngest Academic with Craig Gilliver | The Reinventor's Mindset

  3. Jul 15

    Knowing When To Jump with Kellie Nuttall | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Dr Kellie Nuttall holds a PhD in psychology and nudge - the science of how people actually make decisions. She spent thirteen years at Deloitte building the AI Institute and becoming one of Australia's most recognised voices on AI. Then she resigned with nothing to go to. She signed a contract to build a house. No job. And she refused to job-hunt until she knew what she was running toward. "Don't run from something. Run to something." A conversation about AI coworkers, the authenticity researcher who feels like a fraud, and what it actually takes to commit before you're capable. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in.Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction — Dr Kellie Nuttall & Future Secure AI 1:50 What are AI coworkers? 3:24 Leaving Deloitte — an identity decision 5:39 Resigned with nothing to go to 5:59 The most risk-averse person who leapt into the unknown 7:01 What she was looking for in her next chapter 8:14 Landing at Future Secure — the stars aligned 12:51 Thirteen years at Deloitte — three careers in one 15:41 Authenticity as a nudge — the PhD research 17:53 AI amplifies a human expert — but erodes confidence 24:07 What people misunderstand about how she got here 26:24 Massive introvert. Massive overthinker. 28:26 The cuddle punch 30:32 What childhood belief did you have to let go of?📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Knowing When To Jump with Kellie Nuttall | The Reinventor's Mindset

  4. Jun 24 ·  Bonus

    What I've learned building a podcast | Ashton Jones

    Halfway through Season 1 of The Reinventor's Mindset, I stepped away from the interview chair and answered the hard questions myself. In this episode I reflect on what's surprised me most about building this project, the moments of self-doubt, what I'd do differently, and the guests I'm still dreaming of having on. And I answer the question I ask every single guest to close: what childhood belief did you have to let go of to become who you are today? My answer goes back to growing up in housing commission in Northwest Sydney - and the one belief that shaped every career decision I made for twenty years. The Reinventor's Mindset is a podcast, newsletter and framework series about transformation as a learnable skill. New episodes monthly. 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on LinkedIn Timestamps: 0:00 Mid-season reflection  1:08 My biggest revelation 2:28 Lowlights or challenges  4:07 What I would do differently 5:48 Guest moments that stuck with me 7:40 What I'm most excited about looking ahead? 8:38 My dream guests 10:25 The childhood belief I had to let go of

    What I've learned building a podcast | Ashton Jones

  5. Jun 22

    Unlearning Fear with Corinna Galliano | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Dr Corinna Galliano is a researcher at the University of Sydney Business School whose work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, paradox theory, and how founders experience the tensions most business schools teach as strategy problems. Born in Italy, trained as a structural civil engineer, then a management consultant - she left everything behind at 35 and started over in Australia. A Vedic meditation teacher trained under Thom Knowles, including three months in the Himalayas. Corinna has an unusual range. A conversation about transformation you can't see while it's happening, the identity paradox hiding inside every startup, and the childhood belief that worry keeps you safe. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Dr Corinna Galliano  1:20 How transformation actually feels from the inside 3:04 Teaching entrepreneurship as a process, not a trait  9:14 How to connect students with their why  13:15 Corinna's story - engineering, Italy, and the plan that collapsed  19:42 The loneliness that clarifies - arriving in Australia at 35  25:10 Vedic meditation & what stillness gave her  32:18 Leading with a hypothesis - effectuation in practice  39:37 The identity paradox hiding inside every startup  41:21 What childhood belief did you have to let go of? 📩Join the newsletter where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on LinkedIn 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on YouTube

    Unlearning Fear with Corinna Galliano | The Reinventor's Mindset

  6. Jun 16

    Think In Chapters with Mat Keeley | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Mat Keeley grew up on a fifth-generation sheep and wheat farm in rural New South Wales. He didn't finish his exams. He tried to be a professional footballer. Then he spent a decade as a financial planner before co-founding a fintech startup that ended up inside one of the world's largest fund managers. An encounter in Florida left him with a question: would you keep reading a book that keeps telling the same story? A conversation about discovering that anything can be learned, identity after achievement and backing yourself in a world you weren't born into. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Mat Keeley 1:07 Growing up on a fifth generation farm 4:02 Journey into financial planning and industry insights 7:27 Pivoting from financial advice to fintech innovation 9:24 Understanding the backend of financial fystems 10:14 Pitching to Vanguard as a 30-person startup 12:39 Building culture - A-plus players and ownership 14:31 What sport taught me about leadership 17:52 How to back yourself in a world you weren't born into 21:11 Identity after achievement - shifting from outcomes to process 23:34 The power of life chapters and future aspirations 29:37 Current focus: building, advising and exploring AI opportunities 31:42 Rituals for reflection - how to capture learnings when moving fast 35:28 What people misunderstand about how you got here 40:16 What childhood belief did you have to let go of? 📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Think In Chapters with Mat Keeley | The Reinventor's Mindset

  7. Apr 29

    Sev 1 Thinkers with Monty Hamilton | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Monty Hamilton co-founded UBank inside NAB, Australia’s first digital bank, then built Belong inside Telstra in just eight weeks, from brief to launch. He has spent his career launching new ventures from inside large organisations and has since led digital transformation at PwC and TELUS Digital across 30+ countries. A conversation about creating space for change, corporate innovation and why progress beats perfection. This is The Reinventor’s Mindset. Let’s dive in. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Overview of TELUS Digital 01:52 The Rapid Launch of Belong: A Case Study 05:11 Building New Ventures Within Large Organisations 09:45 The Importance of Speed in Transformation 13:39 Navigating Crisis: UBank's Launch During the GFC 19:47 The Evolution of Digital Banking and Compliance 22:58 Innovation in Banking: The Australian Experience 25:54 Leadership and Empowerment in Change Management 30:35 The Importance of Relationships in Professional Growth 34:36 Cultural Insights from Global Business Practices 38:56 Childhood Beliefs and Professional Optimism 📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Sev 1 Thinkers with Monty Hamilton | The Reinventor's Mindset

  8. Apr 1

    Portfolio Careers with Nicholle Lindner | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Nicholle Lindner has built a portfolio career across CBA, NAB, Westpac, AT Kearney, Capgemini, Gartner and Unisys. She completed a Masters in AI before it was fashionable and her innovation philosophy is grounded in giving people "room to roam" - think Western Plains, not Taronga. A conversation about portfolio careers, the GFC as a teacher, and why success is a journey, not a ladder. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - Nicole Lindner & the portfolio career 5:07 Career identity and the moments that disrupt it 9:24 From banking to consulting - going down and across to go up 13:12 Did you plan it, or did you follow what you liked? 17:08 The open plains zoo - room to roam as the condition for innovation 21:26 More frame, more freedom - innovating inside large organisations 26:31 How to decide what to let go of 31:03 Proud and difficult moments - navigating the GFC with a newborn 35:19 AI before it was fashionable - what Nicole learned then that matters now 46:08 Letting go of the ladder - redefining success 📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Portfolio Careers with Nicholle Lindner | The Reinventor's Mindset

  9. Mar 10

    The Un-Merger with Gareth Jones | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Gareth Jones built a talent consulting firm, sold it to Mercer, and spun it back out as Revolve Partners. A talented golfer, he treats business like a season: you can't play at 100% every round and expect to be sharp for championship moments. A conversation about growth through subtraction and managing energy for when it counts. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:49 The Journey of Revolve Partners 05:57 Childhood Influences and Personal Growth 08:57 The Role of Luck and Relationships in Success 11:57 Lessons from the Mercer Acquisition 14:54 Navigating Business Cycles and Transformation 17:53 Building Momentum in Change Initiatives 20:55 The Mental Game of Business and Leadership 24:00 High-Performing Teams and Leadership Qualities 26:47 Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions 29:53 Final Thoughts on Growth and Transformation 📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    The Un-Merger with Gareth Jones | The Reinventor's Mindset

  10. Feb 17

    Nature is the Maker with Rob Samuels | The Reinventor's Mindset

    CEO Rob Samuels is 8th generation at Maker's Mark. His grandparents walked away from 160 years of family whiskey to start fresh - then didn't profit for 25 years. Now Rob is pioneering regenerative agriculture, rebuilding soil health while making bourbon. A conversation about legacy, purposeful inefficiency, and why nature is the real maker. This is The Reinventor's Mindset. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction & Reimagining what bourbon could be 3:46 Holding the vision before the payoff 5:57 Growing without losing authenticity 8:37 The people behind the brand 14:47 The infinite mindset 16:20 Regenerative farming & nature as the maker 25:07 Suntory - same side of the moon 30:52 Scaling purpose 36:48 Legacy, letting go & being invited back 📩⁠Join the newsletter ⁠where I go deeper: framework deep dives, interviews with leaders who’ve transformed from within and reflections on what transformation actually costs 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes 💻Follow The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 💻Watch The Reinventor’s Mindset on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Nature is the Maker with Rob Samuels | The Reinventor's Mindset

  11. Trailer

    Introducing | The Reinventor's Mindset

    Conversations about transformation with leaders who are still in the arena. The guests here aren't theorists. They're practitioners who've transformed themselves, transformed systems, and know what it costs to do both. Host Ashton Jones grew up in housing commission, learned to swim at 34 to compete in triathlons, and is now a director at Australia's largest wealth manager. He's writing Bold Water - a book about transformation as reclamation. First episode coming soon.

Trailer

About

Most people think transformation means leaving. New job, new city, new identity. But the hardest reinventions happen where you already are. The Reinventor's Mindset is for people who want to transform themselves and the systems they live in from within. Each episode, host Ashton Jones sits down with executives, founders, and changemakers who've done exactly that. They share the frameworks, the failures, and the moments when conviction had to carry them through without consensus. Featuring leaders from Maker's Mark, IBM, Deloitte and more.

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