FreshMinds Podcast
The game of work is changing. Are you still playing by the old rules?
Hosted by Mitch Simon alongside Ronen Gafni and Simcha Gluck, creators of the business game FreshBiz and authors of The New Entrepreneurs, FreshMinds is where leadership meets creativity in the age of AI.
Every episode, we dig into what it really means to lead, contribute, and create value when machines are handling more of the work. We talk about entrepreneurial thinking, finding your art, and building a mindset that thrives on collaboration and imagination rather than just efficiency.
This is not a tech show. This is a human show, for leaders, teams, and individual contributors who want to show up differently.
New episodes every week. Follow us and start playing a better game.
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14 - Leaders Are Living in an AI Bubble and Workers Are Paying the Price
73% of executives believe their organization is deploying AI in a way that puts people first. Less than half of workers agree.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck explore the findings of the Humans at Work Barometer and ask the harder question: what would an AI rollout look like if it were designed the way a great FreshBiz workshop is designed? With everyone in the room, everyone's needs on the table, and AI as a source of inspiration rather than anxiety. One of the most relevant episodes in the FreshMinds series for anyone navigating organizational change right now.
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28 Sept 2026
13 - What Drives Us to Do This: The Real Why Behind the FreshMinds Podcast
What if instead of starting with mission statements and KPIs, you started with the questions that actually matter?
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck turn the lens on themselves and their own podcast, asking why they really do this, what each of them personally needs from it, and what makes it one of the best parts of their week. A warm, honest, and surprisingly strategic conversation about what a genuine collaborative quest looks like when people who care about each other build something together.
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21 Sept 2026
12 - You Cannot Hope for Collaboration. You Have to Design It.
Hope is not a strategy. Every time Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck open the FreshBiz game and tell people to collaborate, most people do not. Not because they are selfish, but because nothing in the system is designed to make collaboration the obvious choice.
In this episode, they explore what it actually looks like to design collaboration rather than simply encourage it. From captured knowledge bases to cross-departmental rituals to the Wall Street Journal's confirmation that humans are still essential, this is the most practical episode in the collaboration series.
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14 Sept 2026
11 - Why You Still Do Not Collaborate (Even Though You Know You Should)
Knowing that collaboration works is not enough. If the system were designed to reward individual performance, people will keep performing individually no matter what the culture deck says.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck unpack the cultural, institutional, and psychological forces that quietly block collaboration in even the best teams. From corporate suit-and-tie identity to media-trained individualism, this is the honest conversation about what it really takes to get people working together. Built on FreshBiz principles and entrepreneurial thinking.
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7 Sept 2026
10 - Stop Winning Alone: How Smart Teams Help Each Other Win
Collaboration is not something humans need to be taught. It is what we are built for.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck explore why teams default to individual performance even when collaboration would get them there faster. From the Messi assist record to Ram Dass, this conversation reframes what winning actually looks like in a world where collective intelligence outperforms individual productivity every time. Grounded in the FreshBiz philosophy and entrepreneurial thinking.
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28 Jul 2026
09 - Work Smarter Together | How Smart Teams Turn AI Time into Human Breakthroughs
AI is giving your team back time. But if that time just gets filled with more work, nothing has changed. You have become the machine.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck introduce the Pause and Think practice and the powerful question: what is possible now? Drawing on FreshBiz game insights, real community-building experiments, and honest observations about how teams behave under pressure, this episode offers a practical framework for turning AI efficiency into genuine human collaboration. One of the most actionable episodes in the FreshMinds series.
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6 Jul 2026
08 - Stop Playing the Game That Got You Here | The New Rules for Work and Value in the Age of AI
If you are still playing the same game you played five years ago, AI is not your opportunity. It is your threat.
In this one-on-one episode, Mitch Simon and Ronen Gafni explore what it means to stop clinging to the game that built your career and start designing the one that will carry it forward. They cover how companies are measuring collaboration wrong, why individual KPIs are killing collective performance, and what working smarter, not harder, actually looks like when AI is handling the labor. A sharp, honest, and highly practical episode built on FreshBiz philosophy and entrepreneurial thinking.
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29 Jun 2026
07 - Why Humans Must Gamify to Stay Relevant | Creativity, Humor, and the Skills AI Cannot Touch
AI cannot be funny. It cannot gamify the way a human can. And it cannot break a room full of people out of their own limiting beliefs the way a great game experience does.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck explore why gamification and humor are two of the most powerful and uniquely human tools available to leaders today. Recorded during a period of real tension and danger for Ronen and Simcha in Israel, this conversation is also one of the most honest explorations of what entrepreneurial thinking and the FreshBiz mindset look like when life gets genuinely hard.
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22 Jun 2026
06 - How to Unleash Your Creativity | Why What Drives You Crazy Is Your Creative Gold
AI is great at telling you what has already been done. Creativity is about what has not been done yet, and that starts with the things that frustrate you most.
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck share how their biggest creative breakthroughs were born from friction, not inspiration. From Ronen's frustration with Monopoly to Simcha's rethinking of real estate to Mitch's rejection of classroom-only leadership, this episode gives you three sharp questions to unlock your own creative edge. Entrepreneurial thinking in action.
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16 Jun 2026
05 - How to Master Your Art in the Age of AI | Experiments, Failure, and Finding Your Genius Zone
AI is forcing every professional to ask a hard question: what is actually yours?
In this episode, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni, and Simcha Gluck share personal stories of experimentation and failure that led them to discover their unique art. From bombing in front of 500 people to building platforms through vibe coding, this conversation explores why finding your genius is a lifelong pursuit and why the cost of failing has never been lower. Practical, honest, and deeply human.
Powered by entrepreneurial thinking and the FreshBiz philosophy.
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12 Jun 2026
04 - How We Found Our Genius Zone: Personal Stories of Passion, Pushback & Purpose
How do you actually find your art? And what do you do when the world tries to shut you down?
In this episode of FreshMinds, Mitch Simon, Ronen Gafni (creator of the FreshBiz game and TEDx speaker), and Simcha Gluck (co-author of The New Entrepreneurs) get personal. They share their own stories of discovering their genius zones, the obstacles they faced along the way, and how to know when you've truly locked into your art.
From bosses threatening to shut down retreats, to lawsuits over a board game, to unlearning what "responsibility" means, this conversation reveals the real, messy journey of claiming your unique value in the world. And why, in the age of AI, owning your art is no longer optional.
In this episode:
The two telltale signs you've found your art: passion and energy
Why does doing your art never feel like a task, and leave you more energized than when you started
Mitch's story: leading transformational retreats while his bosses tried to stop him
Ronen's story: fighting all the way to the Supreme Court of Israel to protect his art
The danger zone of passion: underpricing your work and letting others take advantage
Simcha's radio dial analogy: scanning through static until you lock into your station
How limiting beliefs show up right when you hit your genius zone
Being pushed by your past vs. being pulled by your future
Why presence is the key to hearing the voice that guides you to your art
A sneak peek at next episode: AI agents have now played one MILLION games of FreshBiz
Whether you're stuck doing what everyone else expects or standing at the edge of something you know is yours, this episode will give you the courage to turn the dial until you find your signal.
If this episode sparked something for you, follow us and share it with someone who needs to find their signal.
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4 Jun 2026
03 - Finding Your Art in the Age of AI | Your Genius Zone, Creativity & Unique Value
Most people think art is for painters, musicians, and creatives. But what if your art is actually the unique way you create value in the world?
In this episode of FreshMinds, Mitch Simon is joined by Ronen Gafni and Simcha Gluck to explore one of the most important questions of the AI era: What is your art?
As AI takes over more tasks, the value of human creativity, perspective, imagination, and self-expression becomes more important than ever. The conversation dives into the concept of your "genius zone," how to discover it, what prevents people from expressing it, and how AI can become a powerful tool to amplify your unique contribution rather than replace it.
What You'll Learn:
- What "your art" really means beyond painting, music, or traditional creativity
- How to identify your unique genius zone and natural strengths
- Why do many people struggle to recognize and express their true value
- The role of passion in uncovering meaningful work
- How AI can help eliminate busywork and create more space for creativity
- Why entrepreneurial thinking starts with understanding what makes you unique
- The difference between your job title and your true contribution
- How organizations can help people operate in their zone of genius
The Big Idea:
AI is making skills more accessible than ever before. The competitive advantage is no longer just what you can do—it's the unique perspective, creativity, passion, and humanity you bring to the work. The future belongs to people who understand their art and use technology to amplify it.
Questions to Reflect On:
- What activities make me lose track of time?
- What unique perspective do I bring to my team or organization?
- What would I do more of if AI handled my repetitive tasks?
- How can I invest more deeply in my own genius zone?
Follow us for new episodes of FreshMinds and join the conversation about leadership, creativity, entrepreneurial thinking, and thriving in an AI-powered world.
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26 May 2026
02 - Unlocking Entrepreneurial Thinking in an AI-Driven World
Most people think entrepreneurial thinking is for founders and startup CEOs. It is not. And in a world where AI can write your business plan, draft your emails, and generate your next product idea, the leaders and contributors who thrive will be the ones who figured that out first.
In this episode, host Mitch Simon sits down with Ronen Gafni and Simcha Gluck, creators of the FreshBiz business simulation game and co-authors of The New Entrepreneurs, to break down what entrepreneurial thinking actually means and why it now applies to every single role, from the VP of accounting to the newest person on the team.
What You Will Learn:
- Why entrepreneurial thinking has nothing to do with starting a business
- How AI makes it easier to turn ideas into reality, but only if you already have the skill
- What multidimensional thinking looks like in practice, and why most organizations accidentally kill it
- Why your first idea is always an underdeveloped baby, and how to keep it alive long enough to become something real
- How one shipping problem became a viral PR moment, and what that has to do with your job right now
The Big Idea:
AI is not going to make you more entrepreneurial on its own. But if you already have the instinct to connect dots, include more people, and turn a mundane task into a multi-dimensional win, AI becomes rocket fuel. The question is not whether your role requires creativity. The question is whether you are using the time AI is freeing up to actually do something with it, or just filling it back up with more tasks.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself This Week:
- What game am I playing right now, and what does winning actually look like?
- How can I upgrade my own performance in this role today?
- How can I, from where I sit, help my whole team level up?
Subscribe to a new episode every week and share this with one person on your team who keeps saying they are too busy to think creatively.
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13 Apr 2026
01 - Why AI is Forcing You to Be More Human | The Old Game of Business Is Over. Here Is How to Play the New One.
Most people are using AI to do the same work faster. Write emails faster. Build decks faster. Summarize meetings faster. But that is exactly the wrong move, and it is going to cost people more than they realize.
In this opening episode, host Mitch Simon sits down with Ronen Gafni and Simcha Gluck, creators of the FreshBiz business simulation game and co-authors of The New Entrepreneurs, to lay the foundation for the entire season.
What You Will Learn:
- Why using AI to do the same work faster is a trap
- The difference between the old zero-sum game of business and the new one
- What makes humans genuinely irreplaceable in an automated world
- Why the cost of failure has dropped and how to use that to your advantage
- Three behavioral shifts you can apply this week
The Big Idea:
Every time a major technology arrives, the first instinct is to use it to do old things faster. AI is no different. But the leaders who win are the ones asking a different question: not how can AI help me do my work better, but how can AI help me express my art more fully.
Collaboration and creativity are the two things that made humans dominant on this planet. AI is not threatening those skills. It is raising the stakes for them.
Three Shifts to Start This Week:
- Get radically honest in your communication, with people and with your tools
- Name your specific creative contribution, the thing only you bring to the table
- Start failing faster and cheaper, use AI to experiment without the old emotional and financial cost
FreshBiz Game: https://freshbizgame.com/
Watch Full Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fxk8MsSKiBU
About the Show:
Fresh Leadership is for leaders and contributors who know the game at work is changing and refuse to be left playing by the old rules. New episodes every week.
Follow us for a new episode every week and share this with one person on your team who needs to hear it.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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