Design Thinking and the Power of Anecdotes: A Conversation with Bryony Hancock

In the latest episode of Conversations in Depth, host Doug Keith talks with Bryony Hancock, Senior Strategist at Eighth Day, an independent strategy consultancy based in London. Bryony discusses her journey from industrial designer to innovation strategist, and how design thinking, imagination, and carefully crafted anecdotes can help qualitative researchers uncover deeper insights and inspire meaningful action.

Originally trained in industrial design, Bryony began her career designing products before transitioning into strategy and innovation consulting. Today, she works with multidisciplinary teams to help organizations solve complex business challenges, redefine problems, and develop new products, services, and propositions rooted in qualitative research. Drawing from both design and strategy, she shares how creative exploration, thoughtful analysis, and the willingness to challenge assumptions can lead to stronger recommendations and more impactful research outcomes.

In this conversation, Bryony explores how researchers can move beyond simply validating existing ideas to helping clients imagine new possibilities. She explains why memorable anecdotes often have greater impact than lengthy stories or isolated data points, how to identify the moments that can truly change the direction of a project, and practical ways to incorporate these powerful human examples into presentations and strategies that resonate with clients long after the research is complete.

https://www.8th-day.com/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryony-hancock/

https://bryhancock.substack.com/?r=28svyk&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist

https://www.qrcaviews.org/

https://www.qrcaviews.org/features/podcasts/

https://www.qrca.org/

Understand Your Motivational Style and How to Adapt Your Communication Approach: A Conversation with Beka Shea

In the latest episode of Conversations in Depth, host Doug Keith talks with Beka Shea, Founder & Executive Advisor of Magnetic Consulting. Beka discusses her path from Naval officer and mechanical engineer to client and business advisor, and how behavioral analytics can help both individuals and teams understand their own communication styles and be better communicators as a result.

With ambitions to be a pilot, Beka completed an undergraduate ROTC program and joined the Navy, serving as the Assistant Training Officer on an aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington. She finished an advanced degree in mechanical engineering and moved into the private sector as an engineer at NORESCO, a carrier company focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. She's since led one consulting firm and founded another, created a real estate investment business, and has become an in-demand public speaker. With her team at Magnetic, she helps growth-stage companies align their leadership teams, improve decision-making, and scale with confidence.

In this conversation, Beka will share what she's learned about key types of motivational factors that typically define team members—Sharks (autonomy), Sunshines (social) and Shepherds (knowledge)—so you can think about what motivates you and how this influences your own communication approach. Through this assessment you can learn how to adapt your communications as a consultant with both respondents and clients, while avoiding letting your best traits become your Achilles heel.

https://www.magneticconsulting.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bekashea/