Anecdote

Apr 07 2025 9 ep. 20 mins 21
Anecdote Podcast artwork

Welcome to our podcast, Anecdotally Speaking. Each week we tell a business story, talk about why it works and discuss where you might tell it at work. Our aim is to help you build your story repertoire.

  Business  Education
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244 – Building Culture with Your Bare Hands: Jeff Bezos

Apr 07 2025 16 mins  
Discover how Jeff Bezos turned a DIY desk into a powerful symbol of frugality and a cornerstone of Amazon’s culture. In Episode 244 of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares a short but powerful story from Amazon’s early days, where Jeff Bezos, faced with the need for desks, opted to build his own using doors and timber. What started as a simple, frugal choice became a lasting cul

243 – Trust Your Spider Senses: Stan Lee

Mar 31 2025 19 mins  
Listen to hear how Stan Lee’s bold decision-making and trust in his instincts turned Spider-Man into a global icon, and what you can learn for your next big idea. In episode 243 of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark shares a story from the early 1960s about comic book legend Stan Lee and the creation of Spider-Man. The story about how Lee’s now-iconic superhero almost never made it to

242 – Who’s Going to Bell the Cat?

Mar 24 2025 13 mins  
Listen to hear a timeless fable, useful in business situations where great ideas face real-world challenges and execution matters. In Episode 242 of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn and Mark discuss a classic fable, Belling the Cat, and explore its value in a business context. While fables aren’t typically at the forefront of business storytelling, this one carries a powerful lesson

241 – Turning Mistakes Into Magic: Miles Davies

Mar 17 2025 20 mins  
In Episode 241 of Anecdotally Speaking, discover how a wrong note became a moment of brilliance – and the lesson it holds. Mark shares a powerful story from the world of jazz, featuring the legendary Miles Davis and a young Herbie Hancock. During a 1963 performance in Stockholm, Davis turned a moment of mistake into magic. This story illustrates a key lesson: we can’t alwa

Episode 240 – Everyday Storytelling: The Secret to Better Communication

Mar 10 2025 28 mins  
In episode 240 of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark and Shawn give insight into everyday storytelling—what it is, why it’s so important, and how it can be a powerful tool for leaders and communicators. Everyday storytelling isn’t about grand historical events or famous business lessons; it’s about capturing and sharing the small, relatable moments that happen in daily life. The

239 – Patrick Cooley: How Stories Shape Leadership at Mars

Mar 03 2025 38 mins  
In Episode 239 of Anecdotally Speaking, Patrick Cooley, a business leader at Royal Canin, shares insights on leadership, resilience, and the role of storytelling in business. Patrick joins Shawn and Mark to discuss his experiences from the military to the corporate world, highlighting how lessons from high-pressure environments translate into effective leadership and decision-maki

238 – When Incentives Backfire: The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt

Feb 24 2025 12 mins  
Discover how well-intended incentives can backfire through the story of the great Hanoi rat hunt – a lesson in unintended consequences. In Episode 238 of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares the infamous story of the Hanoi Rat Hunt, a French colonial initiative in 1902 that aimed to curb the city’s rat problem. The government incentivised locals to turn in rat tails for paym

237 – Play Your Own Game: Josh Waitzkin

Feb 17 2025 17 mins  
In Episode 237 of Anecdotally Speaking, discover why staying true to your strengths and being selective with what advice you take is key to long-term success. In this episode of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark shares the story of Josh Waitzkin, a chess prodigy who lost his love for the game after being encouraged to change his natural playing style. This story highlights the importance

236 – Ignoring Expertise: The Vasa

Feb 10 2025
In Episode 236, hear the dramatic story of the Vasa, Sweden’s ill-fated warship, and the lessons it holds for leadership, decision-making, and engineering. In this episode of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares the remarkable story of the Vasa, a 17th-century Swedish warship that sank just one kilometre from shore on its maiden voyage due to a fatal design flaw. Mark and Shawn ex