Davis Guggenheim on What Makes a Story Worth Telling

In the final episode of season 4, Richard Russell, the English record producer, musician, and owner of the record label XL Recordings, talks to Damian about what makes good music, how he built a different kind of record label, and how to work with the world’s biggest artists.He also argues that having only one strong skill can be an advantage—and help you do what you love—if you can build a strong team around you.Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/richardInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dame Stephanie Shirley CH (the CH is for Companion of Honour) — a German-British software pioneer, businesswoman, and philanthropist — chats with Damian about making an entirely new kind of business for an untapped category of worker (women with household and caretaking responsibilities) before there was a model for either. And, as remote work proliferates now, she shares what she learned from designing a remote workforce 70 years ago. She also talks about prioritizing mental health, how to better support employees, and how she fought for a future that’s more fair.Dame Stephanie Shirley's great autobiography is called Let it Go: My Extraordinary Story.Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/damesteveInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the award-winning illustrator and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton discusses the power of art. She talks about how her graphic journalism seeks to create policy and social change, how her work teaching kids to make art builds their confidence and creativity, and how drawing and sharing stories brings us closer together. Or, as Wendy says, “Pencils up! Everything is better when we draw together.”Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/wendyInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Damian talks to the renowned English architect Thomas Heatherwick about collaboration, creativity, making spaces that last. Thomas’ approach to architecture is emotional, human, and visceral. His projects unfurl, sprout, and float, delighting and connecting the people they serve. From his limited edition Christmas cards to his dandelion-like UK Pavilion to Google’s brand new Bay View Campus in Mountain View, Thomas and his firm Heatherwick Studio redefine what’s possible.Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/thomasInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the Years and Years actor Russell Tovey shares how he leaned into his love for art. He talks about how his passion grew into a well-loved and well-listened to podcast (Talk Art) and then a contemporary art book of the same name. Damian and Russell also discuss the elitism in the art world and what Russell is doing to make art accessible for everyone. Also: Russell introduces his upcoming documentary about British artist and poet David Robilliard (in partnership with WeTransfer).Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/russellInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Damian talks to the UK-based fashion designer Harris Reed about how his bold gender-fluid designs are expanding the possibilities for who can wear what. His clothes have been on the cover of Vogue, been featured at the Met Ball, and worn by Beyonce, Harry Styles, Adele, and Lizzo, to name a few. He talks about how being his authentic self not only guides his business but is changing the model for how one can succeed in fashion. Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/harrisInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Damian talks with actor, writer, and producer Riz Ahmed about his two films nominated for Oscars this year—Flee, an animated documentary, and The Long Goodbye, a live-action short produced by WeTransfer. (That means we're up for an Oscar, too. Ahem!) He shares how having doors repeatedly closed on him opened up his whole acting career, how story can function like a body-swap technology, and how truth in a character is more important than relatability. Riz also talks about his extraordinary work elevating Muslim voices in film.Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/rizInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Damian talks with the acclaimed director and founder of Concordia Studio, Davis Guggenheim. Davis shares the story of how he turned Al Gore’s dry slide deck about global warming into an Academy Award-winning film that transformed the public’s understanding of climate change with his documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006). He also explains the ingredients of a good documentary, breaks down how they’re realized in his films about Malala and U2, and talks about how storytelling, when done right, has the power to unite us. Influence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isha Datar is on a mission to change the way we eat. On this episode, she shares what she's learned from more than a decade at the forefront of "cellular agriculture," a term she coined. She talks about how lab-grown meat could not only reshape and reimagine the future of food, but also how it could dramatically scale back farming's environmental impact.Influence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian interviews the founder of Parley for the Oceans Cyrill Gutsch about his journey from product designer to environmental leader. Focusing on plastic, Cyrill talks about using art to inspire action, upcycling plastic collected from the ocean, and pioneering new materials that are better for the earth. But his vision is bigger than that. Cyrill has found a way to capture our attention, and by bringing ocean plastic to the forefront, has given us a path to a better future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.