Curiosity and Command

About Curiosity and Command

A guest-led podcast exploring how thoughtful people build discipline, lead themselves and others, and make sense of work, life, and growth. Curiosity and Command is a guest-led podcast about leadership, discipline, growth, and the ideas that shape how we live and work. Supported by Kaizen Summit, the show brings together founders, thinkers, operators, athletes, and high performers for honest conversations about self-leadership, resilience, philosophy, mastery, and personal development. Each episode explores how thoughtful people make decisions, build discipline, lead others, and continue to grow

Publisher

Ben Newton

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Apr 2026

Latest episode

6 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Nov 2026

   I've done my activism on the front line | Tip Cullen

   Tip Cullen, former Royal Marines commando turned actor and writer, on growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, serving the story rather than the ego, and Brothers, the one-man play he wrote for the comrades he lost. Ad: Join the Kaizen community: https://portal.kaizen-summit.com/communities/groups/kaizen-community/about?am_id=bennewton644 I earn a commission when you join through this link. Thanks for supporting us. This episode is sponsored by Josh Does Finance. Josh's firm, Clarity Wealth Management: https://claritywm.co.uk/ Tip grew up in Belfast and joined the Royal Marines as a junior. After serving as a regular, he joined the Royal Marines Reserve and trained as an actor, and he now writes, produces and performs Brothers, a play that brings to life the men he served with and lost. This is a conversation about telling a true story with integrity, what the military and the theatre have in common, why vulnerability is a strength, and what good leaders understand about their people. What's inside: trying to join the Royal Marines at seven; growing up through the Troubles; "I've done my activism on the front line"; why you serve the story and leave the ego out; what a film set shares with a military operation; the film Sunray and how Brothers began; what brotherhood means, and why it includes sisters; why people don't reach out, and how to listen when they do; strength in vulnerability; leading people through fear; unpacking the hard drive; why veterans are a valuable bit of kit in creative teams; and why a leader's people are the most valuable thing they'll ever own. This conversation includes discussion of suicide, grief and death in combat. If anything in it has affected you, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. Veterans and their families can also call Combat Stress on 0800 138 1619. Chapters 00:00 Cold open 00:26 Meet Tip Cullen 00:48 Growing up in Belfast 02:43 Wanting to be a commando at seven 04:55 Community and the Troubles 06:52 Activism on the front line 07:30 Actors, politics and the story 11:44 You serve the story 13:00 What film can learn from the military 14:14 Stage, screen and the actor's craft 19:43 Our sponsor, Josh Does Finance 20:42 Sunray and the start of Brothers 28:44 What brotherhood means 32:05 Brothers and sisters 35:59 Why people don't reach out 41:34 Is there strength in vulnerability? 43:25 Grief and the mission 45:58 Leading through fear 47:26 War doesn't pause for grief 49:23 Unpacking the hard drive 50:30 Command, theatre and veterans in creative teams 54:28 It's the people 56:47 How to support Brothers 58:59 Closing thoughts Find Tip and Brothers Tip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipcullen/ Brothers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brothers_theplay/ Tickets and tour dates: https://linktr.ee/TipCullen The Kaizen Assessment, the two minute leadership diagnostic: https://kaizen-summit.com/assessment?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tip-cullen Brought to you by Kaizen Summit https://kaizen-summit.com

2. 

   30 Oct 2026

   The injury was the best thing to happen to my career | James Murphy

   James Murphy, Director of Veterans and Families Employment at the Forces Employment Charity, on an injury that changed his direction and the five-year plan that got him ready to leave. Ad: Join the Kaizen community: https://portal.kaizen-summit.com/communities/groups/kaizen-community/about?am_id=bennewton644 I earn a commission when you join through this link. Thanks for supporting us. James leads the charity's employment services department, which delivers UK-wide, tailored employment programmes for Armed Forces veterans and the families of those serving or who have previously served. In the Army he served in the infantry and then the Intelligence Corps. After leaving he was Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence at the Government Digital Service (GDS), before becoming the first CEO of TechVets and bringing it into the charity in 2020. This is a conversation about turning a setback into a new direction, planning a career change years before you need to, and leading people with humans at the centre, including in the age of AI. What's inside: how an injury on operations changed James's direction; moving from the infantry to the Intelligence Corps; asking "what more?"; why he believes in probability rather than luck; the five-year exit plan he built before leaving the Army; building a network before you need one; the veteran community that's ready to help; the value of a mentor; keeping AI human-led; why "you can't deliver an AI output without a human"; leading when you're on your own; what "you're only as strong as the weakest person" meant in the military; and balancing ambition and family life. Chapters 00:00 Cold open 00:30 Meet James Murphy 01:05 From infantry to intelligence 03:37 Leaving the Army, grabbing chances 05:05 Becoming the first CEO of TechVets 07:07 Rebuilding after the injury 11:40 Finding purpose in helping others 14:33 Setbacks and staying positive 18:12 Luck or probability? 21:17 How his identity shifted 27:19 The five-year exit plan 31:46 Looking beyond the job title 34:20 Finding a mentor 38:09 Introducing AI at work 42:57 AI for early-stage founders 43:46 Career advice in the age of AI 46:17 What human-centred leadership means 48:01 Leading after the Army 52:52 Building the right culture 55:50 Balancing ambition and family life 1:00:28 The people who shape us 1:03:47 Closing thoughts Find the Forces Employment Charity Forces Employment Charity: https://www.forcesemployment.org.uk/ Forces Employment Charity on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forcesemploymentcharity/ Forces Employment Charity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forces-employment-charity/ Forces Employment Charity on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@forcesemploymentcharity The Kaizen Assessment, the two minute leadership diagnostic: https://kaizen-summit.com/assessment?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=james-murphy Brought to you by Kaizen Summit https://kaizen-summit.com

3. 

   23 Oct 2026

   The answer is yes. What's the question? | Shaun Pascoe

   Shaun Pascoe, CEO of the Lest We Forget Association, on combat medicine and leading by purpose. Ad: Join the Kaizen community: https://portal.kaizen-summit.com/communities/groups/kaizen-community/about?am_id=bennewton644 I earn a commission when you join through this link. Thanks for supporting us. Shaun Pascoe flew with the Medical Emergency Response Team in Afghanistan. He set up and ran the sailing charity Turn to Starboard, set up The MERT Club and set up and ran Take Point Training, and today he leads the Lest We Forget Association, which gives veterans and serving personnel free respite stays in Falmouth and is building a farm for them in Cornwall. This is a conversation about learning at speed, building teams around a purpose and making it easy for people to ask for help. What's inside: the advances Shaun saw in combat casualty care; debriefing after every mission; the lines on the resus room floor; where the name Turn to Starboard came from; why you should stop the boat; get your ducks in the race, not in a row; social isolation and why he'd rather you just made the call; "the answer is yes, what's the question?"; and seven ex-Royal Marines who booked a stay together and worked on the farm. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:56 Retirement's off: taking on a charity 07:24 Inside MERT in Afghanistan 11:25 Learning at speed on the front line 17:51 Every role in the system matters 21:21 How sailing started 25:18 Why "Turn to Starboard" 27:47 A boat for a pound 36:30 Ducks in the race, not in a row 40:18 How Lest We Forget began 41:18 Social isolation: just make the call 44:51 Building a farm for veterans 48:59 Learning together on the farm 51:46 Closing thoughts Find Shaun and Lest We Forget Lest We Forget Association: https://www.lestweforgetassociation.org.uk/ Free respite stays (Coastal Breaks): https://www.lestweforgetassociation.org.uk/general-1 Get in touch: https://www.lestweforgetassociation.org.uk/get-in-touch The organisations Lest We Forget supports: https://www.lestweforgetassociation.org.uk/service-support Turn to Starboard: https://www.turntostarboard.co.uk/ Shaun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-pascoe-942804bb/ The Kaizen Assessment, the two minute leadership diagnostic: https://kaizen-summit.com/assessment?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shaun-pascoe Brought to you by Kaizen Summit https://kaizen-summit.com

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact Curiosity and Command

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.