The Wisdom Of... with Simon Bowen

Jim Kwik: The Limitless Mind. Brain Performance, Elite Learning, and the Owner's Manual Every Leader Needs

In this episode of The Wisdom Of … Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Jim Kwik, the world's #1 brain coach, New York Times bestselling author of Limitless, and Founder of Kwik Learning. Jim's reach spans 60 million podcast downloads across 195 countries, 200,000+ annual live attendees, and three decades of elite coaching with clients including Will Smith, Oprah, Hugh Jackman, Elon Musk's SpaceX team, the X-Men cast, and executives from Google, Virgin, Nike, and the United Nations. After a childhood brain injury at age five left him labelled "the boy with the broken brain," Jim spent the next 30 years developing the methodology that would become the Limitless framework: a complete system for upgrading the mind through Mindset, Motivation, and Methods. His mission: no brain left behind. Simon builds a live visual model in the episode, 'The Limitless Learning System,' mapping the precise framework behind how Jim coaches elite performers from every domain to unlock cognitive performance they didn't know was available to them. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Welcome to The Wisdom Of … Show and introduction of Jim Kwik 03:30 The childhood brain injury and what it's like growing up labelled "the boy with the broken brain" 11:00 How X-Men comics saved Jim's life and taught him to read when conventional education couldn't 18:30 The 18-year-old moment - a mentor's two questions that changed everything 33:45 The Limitless Framework - Mindset, Motivation, and Methods 42:10 Mindset deep dive - the difference between positive thinking and genuinely transforming a limiting belief 50:30 Motivation -where passion, purpose, and energy intersect, and how to access it when it's not there 58:15 Methods - the FASTER system, B.E.F.A.S.T. memory architecture, and speed reading protocols 01:06:00 LIVE MODEL BUILD - The Limitless Learning System 01:14:30 What Will Smith, Oprah, and the SpaceX team have in common in how they use their minds 01:22:00 The X-Men full-circle story - coached by comics, then coaching the cast 01:29:45 AI, human intelligence, and why learning becomes more important, not less, in an age of machines 01:36:00 No brain left behind - the mission, Alzheimer's research, and building schools globally 01:42:30 Closing wisdom - the one capability every leader should prioritise right now ABOUT JIM KWIK Jim Kwik is the world's #1 brain coach, founder of Kwik Learning and the Kwik Brain Universe, and New York Times #1 bestselling author of Limitless (expanded edition 2024). After a childhood head injury at age five left him struggling in school for years, he developed the learning methodologies that now reach students in 195 countries, achieving 60+ million podcast downloads and serving 200,000+ people annually in live settings. Jim has coached Hollywood's most celebrated performers, Fortune 500 executives, elite athletes, and tech innovators. His clients include Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, Elon Musk's SpaceX team, and the X-Men cast. He has taught his learning techniques at Harvard, CalTech, Singularity University, NYU, and Stanford, and in organisations including Google, Virgin, Nike, GE, and the United Nations. His mission … no brain left behind. CONNECT WITH JIM KWIK: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficialhttps://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial [https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkwik/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkwik/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkwik/] Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/jimkwikhttps://twitter.com/jimkwik [https://twitter.com/jimkwik] Instagram: @jimkwik YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JimKwikhttps://www.youtube.com/c/JimKwik [https://www.youtube.com/c/JimKwik] Website: http://www.jimkwik.comwww.JimKwik.com [http://www.jimkwik.com] ABOUT SIMON BOWEN Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations. CONNECT WITH SIMON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/] Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/https://thesimonbowen.com/ [https://thesimonbowen.com/] Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs! Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletterhttps://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter [https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter]. Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact. Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass].

Michael Clark: The Accounting Problem, Collaborative Intelligence, and the Meta Decision-Making Model

In this episode of The Wisdom Of … Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Michael Clark, author of Our Moment, Next Economy Strategist, and the former Mastercard leader who built the company's first open banking product. Operating from Dubai at the crossroads of emerging markets and global innovation, Michael has spent his career building the systems of tomorrow. He has advised C-suite executives worldwide on data, AI and the future of money, and is known as the voice decision-makers trust when it's time to lead, not follow. This is a conversation about structural gaps - in accounting, in education, in how leaders make decisions - and why this specific moment in history is the window that matters. Michael reframes the entire AI conversation - the customer is no longer human, data is not undervalued but mispriced, AI is not artificial intelligence but collaborative intelligence and the biggest debate of 2026, fresh from Davos, is the role of humanity alongside the machine. Simon builds a live visual model with Michael, the Meta Decision Making Model, structured around three Cs - Context, Concept, and Consequence. A framework built for leaders who want to stop making narrow decisions and start thinking at the level of second and third order consequence. Ready to elevate your strategic thinking? Join Simon's exclusive Masterclass on The Models Method and learn how to think systemically about complex business challenges and turn insight into leverage: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass] EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Introduction: Our Moment and the urgency behind the title 05:15 Why the digital economy was never actually a new economy 11:40 The accounting problem - why data and people can't appear on the balance sheet 17:30 Data as an asset - "it's not that it's not valued, it's just mispriced" 22:00 Data ownership - what you actually own, and the question of who owns your prompts 28:10 Your customer is no longer human - what this demands of every business leader 33:50 Collaborative intelligence - why Michael refuses to use the term "artificial intelligence" 38:00 AI is exposing educational gaps that should have been addressed decades ago 42:15 Abilities-based learning - the three buckets every person and organisation needs 44:30 The 100-day CEO plan and why most leaders never make decisions that outlive their tenure 49:00 Live model build: the Meta Decision Making Model - Context, Concept, Consequence 58:00 "Clarity before consequences" and why most AI failures happen in execution, not strategy 01:02:00 There is only one strategy in any business 01:05:30 The unexpected consequence - what Michael still asks himself every day 01:08:00 The biggest debate of 2026 - the role of humanity alongside AI ABOUT MICHAEL CLARK Michael Clark is pioneering the next economy, where data becomes an asset, intelligence is shared, and new models of value and education emerge. A former Mastercard leader who built the company's first open banking product and advised C-suite executives worldwide on data, AI and the future of money, Michael is a builder shaping the systems of tomorrow, not just talking about them. He is the author of Our Moment, a groundbreaking modern fable redefining how data, AI and human potential can reshape how we learn, work and lead. He helped write data regulation in Dubai, developed a school's AI curriculum, and works globally with leaders and organisations at the frontier of next economy transformation. Known for his ability to join the dots across industries, he is the voice decision-makers trust when it's time to lead, not follow. CONNECT WITH MICHAEL CLARK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futureofmichael/https://www.linkedin.com/in/futureofmichael/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/futureofmichael/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.clarkjr/https://www.instagram.com/michael.clarkjr/ [https://www.instagram.com/michael.clarkjr/] Twitter: @futureofmichael ABOUT SIMON BOWEN Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations. CONNECT WITH SIMON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/] Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/https://thesimonbowen.com/ [https://thesimonbowen.com/] Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs! Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletterhttps://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter [https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter]. Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact. Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass].

Dr Naba Alfayadh: The Architecture of Change — Love, Cultural Safety, and the Science of Behaviour Transformation

In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Dr Naba Alfayadh, emergency medicine doctor, social entrepreneur, Stanford-trained innovator, and Founder and CEO of Rahma Health. Naba's organisation has reached over 3 million Arabic-speaking families globally, achieved 95% parent behaviour change in under 10 minutes, and in 2025 won three simultaneous national Telstra awards, including Business of the Year. A former Iraqi refugee who fled war at age 10, Naba has built a life and an organisation at the intersection of medicine, technology, and the most foundational force she's identified in human development … love. Simon builds a live visual model, ‘The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway’, capturing the precise framework behind how cultural safety becomes the gateway to real, measurable transformation. Ready to apply systematic frameworks like this in your own business? Join Simon's Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass]. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Welcome to The Wisdom Of ... Show and introduction of Dr Naba Alfayadh 04:15 From Iraq to Australia, the refugee journey that shaped everything 10:30 Founding Happy Brain Education at 22: what a student sees that institutions miss 17:45 The genesis of Rahma Health and why COVID turned out to be the moment 24:10 What "culturally safe" actually means and why it's a performance variable, not a value statement 31:55 The behaviour change data: how 5–10 minutes produces 95% change and doubled health literacy 38:20 LIVE MODEL BUILD: The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway 47:00 Intergenerational trauma, the precise mechanism by which conditional love becomes a survival programme 55:30 Unconditional love as leadership: what the research shows and why it's not soft 01:03:15 The three principles for leading across cultures: listening, respect, and love 01:10:40 Kookaburra Kindness, writing a children's book with her daughter in response to the Bondi tragedy 01:17:00 What it means to build something. Not to become a billionaire, but because there are things to be done. 01:17:53 Closing reflections and the green line ABOUT DR NABA ALFAYADH Dr Naba Alfayadh is a General Practice Registrar, emergency medicine doctor, public health leader, and serial social entrepreneur whose work has supported more than three million people globally. She is the Founder and CEO of Rahma Health, an award-winning Australian charity creating culturally and psychologically safe health and parenting resources for Arabic-speaking families worldwide. Born in Iraq, Dr Alfayadh fled to Australia in 2003 at age 10 during the Iraq War, after her school was bombed. She graduated from Monash University with MBBS/BMedSci degrees on a Merit and Equity Scholarship, and later studied Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University. She co-founded Happy Brain Education at age 22, growing it to serve 2,000+ students with 50 staff across two states, before founding Rahma Health in 2021. Under her leadership, Rahma Health has reached over 3 million users globally, partnered with 50 international organisations, and published research with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute demonstrating that health literacy more than doubled after just 5–10 minutes of platform use, with 95% of parents reporting behaviour change. She currently serves on the Governance Committee, updating Maternity and Neonatal Handbooks for Safer Care Victoria. In 2025, Dr Alfayadh was named Telstra Business of the Year, Telstra Championing Health, and Telstra Accelerating Women - three simultaneous national awards. She also received the Women's Health Medal of Distinction Australasia 2025 and the Monash Emerging Leaders Alumni Award. She is a Westpac Social Change Fellow and a Women's Agenda Leadership Awards Finalist. CONNECT WITH DR NABA ALFAYADH: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmalfayadh/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmalfayadh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmalfayadh/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrahmahealth/https://www.instagram.com/myrahmahealth/ [https://www.instagram.com/myrahmahealth/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myrahmahealth/https://www.facebook.com/myrahmahealth/ [https://www.facebook.com/myrahmahealth/] Website: https://rahma.health/about-rahma-health/https://rahma.health/about-rahma-health/ [https://rahma.health/about-rahma-health/] ABOUT SIMON BOWEN Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations. CONNECT WITH SIMON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/] Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/https://thesimonbowen.com/ [https://thesimonbowen.com/] Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs! Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletterhttps://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter [https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter]. Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact. Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass].

Lindsay Davis: Building Asia's FemTech Ecosystem and the Art of Mission-Driven Movement Creation

In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Lindsay Davis, Founder & CEO of FemTech Association Asia, the region's first and largest femtech network representing 80+ companies across 10 countries. From her global expansion leadership at Quintessentially to building an ecosystem that didn't exist, Lindsay shares profound insights on courage, ecosystem orchestration, and what it takes to drive systemic change in women's health across vastly different cultures and markets. Ready to systematically capture your leadership wisdom and turn it into scalable frameworks? Join Simon's exclusive Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass] EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Introduction and the mission to advance women's health in Asia 04:32 The career pivot from luxury brand expansion to femtech ecosystem building 12:18 Why women's health receives only 4% of global R&D funding 19:45 Building something that doesn't exist: October 2021 to 80+ companies across 10 countries 28:36 The courage question - where resilience comes from 35:52 Having a high threshold for shame and being happy failing 42:28 The leadership lesson from someone who put aside their book 49:15 Orchestrating founders, investors, corporates, governments around a single mission 56:47 The UN ESCAP commission and defining transformational change 01:03:22 FemTech Connect Asia: Creating the region's first femtech conference 01:11:08 The suffragette movement insight and being part of the continuum ABOUT LINDSAY DAVIS Lindsay Davis started her career in multicultural advertising in the USA, then was recruited by the world’s leading luxury lifestyle management brand, Quintessentially in the UK, to lead global expansion into 25 countries and oversee 60 offices worldwide, with secondments in NYC, China and Qatar. Davis was honoured on the Luxury Daily list of “Luxury Women in Watch” because of her global impact in the luxury sector. As the Founder & CEO of Singapore-based One Bee Consulting, Davis works with brands to develop and elevate loyalty solutions, customer experience and brand affinity through product development, content and programming, PR, community engagement and strategic partnerships. With a vision of available, accessible and affordable healthcare for all women in Asia, Davis founded FemTech Association Asia in October 2021 as the region’s first and largest industry network for founders, professionals, and investors with the core focus on improving women’s health through technology solutions. The organisation represents 80+ companies across 10 countries in Asia. FemTech Asia was a Finalist in the GIOF – 2022 Business Inclusivity Awards and is a member of the UNFPA Equity 2030 Alliance and a Founding Member of the Milken Institute Women’s Health Network. In 2023-24, Davis was commissioned by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) as a thought leader and researcher to define what is required to drive transformational and catalytic change in femtech in Southeast Asia. Davis is a contributor for the Milken Institute and sits on the Advisory Board for Women in Global Health – Singapore and Ovy Health in Indonesia. CONNECT WITH LINDSAY DAVIS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-davis-2584812/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-davis-2584812/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femtechasia/ Website: www.femtechassociation.com [http://www.femtechassociation.com] ABOUT SIMON BOWEN Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations. CONNECT WITH SIMON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/] Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/https://thesimonbowen.com/ [https://thesimonbowen.com/] Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs! Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletterhttps://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter [https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter]. Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact. Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass].

Diana Williams: The Unplanned Empire and the Power of Relentless Improvement

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Diana Williams, Founder and Chair of the Board at Fernwood Fitness, Australia's pioneering women-only health and fitness franchise. Diana shares profound insights on building businesses without business plans, franchising with purpose, and why 98% of what we worry about never happens. Discover how a stay-at-home mum with no industry experience created an entirely new category and became the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame. Ready to systematically capture and codify your own business wisdom? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass] EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Introduction and how an abandoned classroom became a national franchise 05:18 The conviction that drove category creation in women's fitness 12:42 Why having no business plan sometimes works better than having one 18:52 From critical mess to critical mass - the early franchising chaos 25:36 The ownership solution - why franchisees brought what employees couldn't 33:44 Getting legal exemptions after creating the category, not before 40:08 Choosing succession from within - why Belinda was the right choice 41:00 The 98% rule - why most worries never materialise 52:57 Baby steps philosophy - putting brush strokes on the canvas ABOUT DIANA WILLIAMS Diana Williams is the Founder and Chair of the Board of Fernwood Fitness, Australia's leading women-only health and fitness franchise. Over 36 years, she transformed a single makeshift gym in an abandoned school classroom in Bendigo into a national powerhouse with 73 clubs, 90,000 members, 2,200 employees, and $75M+ annual turnover. Recognised as a category creator who changed the landscape of health and fitness for Australian women forever, Williams is the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame. She has received numerous honors including the 2005 Telstra Australian Businesswoman of the Year and multiple Hall of Fame inductions. In 2025, Diana transitioned from CEO to Chair, remaining actively involved in guiding the company's strategic direction. CONNECT WITH DIANA WILLIAMS LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/diana-williams-b39b456 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianawilliamsofficial/?hl=en Fernwood Fitness: https://www.fernwoodfitness.com.au/ [https://www.fernwoodfitness.com.au/] ABOUT SIMON BOWEN Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations. CONNECT WITH SIMON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/] Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/https://thesimonbowen.com/ [https://thesimonbowen.com/] Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs! Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletterhttps://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter [https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter]. Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact. Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclasshttps://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass [https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass].