Courage, Commitment, and Legal Excellence: Navigating Extremes in Business and Life with Megan Harrington the founder and CEO of HJW Attorneys

Courage, Commitment, and Legal Excellence: Navigating Extremes in Business and Life with Megan Harrington the founder and CEO of HJW Attorneys

In this episode of Risky Business, host Bryan Hattingh welcomes Megan Harrington-Johnson, the founder and CEO of HJW Attorneys, marking her first appearance on the show in nearly a decade. Harrington-Johnson shares her multi-faceted life story, from her days as an elite open-water swimmer completing world-first Guinness record attempts to building a highly successful legal practice that has expanded well beyond its boutique origins. The conversation explores the intersections of self-leadership under pressure, the shifting dynamics of the legal landscape in South Africa, and the profound personal lessons she learned when her daughter successfully fought infant leukemia. Find more at https://riskybusiness6.wordpress.com/ or https://www.cycan.co.za/

Tamara Lane: How Policy-Bound AI is Rewriting the Rules of Lending

In this episode of Risky Business, host Bryan Hattingh and co-host Jonathan Shaw sit down with Tamara Lane, CEO and founder of the New York-based fintech company MPWR. Transitioning from a high-profile career as an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist and financial news anchor, Lane shares her journey into the tech startup ecosystem. The conversation digs deep into the limitations of current generative AI, contrasting basic prompt-bound chatbots with Empower's proprietary, "policy-bound" AI agents. By helping lenders automate manual workloads and safely analyze unconventional data, Lane explains how her platform is successfully expanding credit access for the underbanked while driving massive operational efficiencies for banks. Recommended music listening with this podcast: * Mike & The Mechanics - "The Living Years" * Golden Earring - "Twilight Zone" * Free - "Little Bit Of Love" Find more at https://riskybusiness6.wordpress.com/ or https://www.cycan.co.za/

The View from the Summit: Shifting Perspectives to Overcome Corporate Obstacles with Louis Castens

In Episode 24 of the Risky Business podcast, host Bryan Hattingh and co-host/sound engineer Jonathan Shaw sit down with business leader Louis Castens to explore what it takes to navigate high-stakes corporate environments. The discussion centres around the evolution of modern leadership, focusing on how executives can maintain agility and cultivate a "thrival" mindset when facing industry challenges. Castens shares personal insights into balancing organisational growth with the cultural health of a team, emphasising that a business's true resilience lies in its human connections and authentic communication. By looking closely at how leaders manage risk, humility, and strategic pivots, the trio provides an actionable roadmap for staying grounded while steering enterprises through economic uncertainty. Recommended music listening with this podcast: * Joe Bonamassa "Mountain Climbing" * Travis "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" * Puddle Of Mudd  "Blurry" * Randy Pie "Highway Driver" * Memory Lain, Hugh "Headloss" * Collective Soul "Run" * Snow Patrol "Run" Find more at https://riskybusiness6.wordpress.com/ or https://www.cycan.co.za/

Love and Leadership: The Cycan Story of Purpose-Driven Partnership

In this heartfelt episode of Risky Business, regular host Bryan Hattingh steps into the guest seat alongside his wife and business partner, Zee Hattingh, and their head of customer experience, Nuru Adams. With sound engineer Jonathan Shaw taking the lead as guest host, the conversation moves from the technical world of business leadership into the personal realm of "couples in business". The trio explores the 44-year journey of the Hattinghs, revealing how their shared values specifically the mission to "sustainably enrich" the lives of everyone they meet have transformed Cycan from a specialised recruitment firm into a global leadership and coaching powerhouse.  Find more at https://riskybusiness6.wordpress.com/ or https://www.cycan.co.za/

The Global Corporate Jungle: Leadership, Mergers, and the Tortoise Mindset with Michael Franklin

In this episode of Risky Business, host Bryan Hattingh sits down with international business leader Michael Franklin to trace his expansive career across multiple continents and industries. From his early days leaving South Africa in the 1980s to leading major acquisitions and diverse business units globally, Franklin shares a wealth of knowledge on the evolution of leadership. The discussion centers on the importance of agility, the "entrepreneurial" mindset within large corporate structures, and the unique opportunities found in the wake of corporate mergers. By examining both successes and the necessity of "failing forward," Hattingh and Franklin provide a masterclass in staying resilient and keeping one’s "head out of the shell" to spot the next big break. Find more at https://riskybusiness6.wordpress.com/ or https://www.cycan.co.za/