Damian came across the remarkable Matt Bagwell via a post on LinkedIn from Matt Hardisty. Always open to synchronicity he followed the path to Mr B’s door. Despite a heavy schedule as CMO of a climate tech company, leadership coach, breathwork instructor, husband, father and writer, Matt agreed to come on a walk through the Badlands and talk about his brilliant book ‘The Clearing - a manual to avoid wasting your life’.
Along the way personal stories were shared that shaped and inspired Matt’s search for answers to the question, ‘how do you want to spend your (working) life?’
Discussing Matt’s journey through a long and varied career - including founding and selling a sneaker company - exploring the importance of identity, resilience, and the power of mantras. We dig into his experience as an ultramarathon runner and how it helped form some of his beliefs and ideas related to personal growth and overcoming adversity.
Refreshingly, Matt doesn’t use or slip into the usual vocabulary of self-help books. Nor does he purport to have all the answers. But, I have to say I’ve been thinking about little else since he chatted with Damian.
And they had fun too.
We hope you come away inspired to further reflect on what you want in life (and work) and how you might create further opportunities and or transformations.
As a seasoned cynic of the self-help industry this was somewhat of a surprise. And a reflection of Matt’s ability to reframe problems in a very human way so that one might naturally move to find an answer.
Enjoy.
Damian, Jarrod + The Badlands
11 Sept 2025
The Badlands - Damian + Mark Ratcliff
In this episode of the Badlands Podcast, our new host Damian talks with Mark Ratcliff, a qualitative researcher for nearly 3 decades, exploring the evolving landscape of qualitative research in the age of AI. They discuss the importance of nuance, intuition, and cultural context in understanding consumer behavior, as well as the challenges posed by the increasing reliance on AI in research methodologies. Through many a personal anecdote and case studies about many of the UKs most well known ads, they highlight the significance of ethnographic research and the need for a balanced approach that values human insight alongside technological advancements. We hope you enjoy.
3 Jul 2025
The Badlands - Carly Osman Holme
Carly Osman Holme shares her experiences navigating challenging career situations, including redundancy and toxic workplaces, and offers insights on redefining oneself and leveraging skills to discover new opportunities in this interview episode.
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
2,341,504
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
19
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
81
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