Listen Up: Diary of a CEO
At CN&CO, we believe in the power of stories, ideas and conversations that challenge, inspire and educate. That’s why we launched the CN&CO “Listen Up” podcast recommendation series, where our team – and sometimes even our friends and clients – share standout podcasts that sparked our curiosity.
Whether it’s an insightful deep dive, a laugh-out-loud moment, or a perspective-shifting experience, we want to bring you podcasts that leave a lasting impression. Expect a diverse mix of topics, from business and leadership to science, philosophy and beyond.
This Listen Up recommendation comes from Blake Dyason.
Over the festive season, I intentionally took a break from podcasts, news, online content and work. I focused instead on disconnecting, being present and creating space to reflect. It’s something I try to do every year – looking back on what the year held and thinking about what I’d like to work towards in the year ahead. Some of those reflections are big-picture goals, while others are small behavioural shifts (like not having my phone in my bedroom).
The first podcast I listened to in 2026 was Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, featuring Chris Williamson. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything discussed, I really appreciated Chris’s perspective on reflection and the kinds of questions we should be asking ourselves if we want to grow, learn, and move closer to our goals.
Chris is the host of the Modern Wisdom podcast, one of the top-ranked podcasts of 2025. He’s also created the Modern Wisdom Annual Review Template. It’s a refreshingly simple and practical framework designed to help people reflect honestly, ask better questions and consciously move forward. Reflecting can often feel daunting, and goal-setting can swing between overwhelming and “so small it’s not even worth writing down.” This podcast, along with the annual review, does a great job of putting both into perspective.
At CN&CO, we’re big believers in learning from different voices, sharing useful tools and supporting one another’s growth, which is why we wanted to share this with you.
Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YuJBWn7IWMCb32MyVuyQ8
Explore the Modern Wisdom Annual Review Template: https://chriswillx.com/review/
As always, if you’ve listened to something recently that made you think, laugh, or see things differently, we’d love to hear about it.
Podcasts: where are we going?
When we start thinking about the future, do we pay enough attention to where we are going or do we l
Podcasts – Black Friday, Cyber Monday and decision making
In thinking about the frenzy that is caused by this day of shopping, it prompted me to think about t
Podcasts: rebooting and building your brain
Human brains are arguably the most powerful piece of software on the planet and need to be upgraded
