Podcast by Michelle Edmondson
21 October 2025
SEASON FIVE: This week, I welcome back the wonderful Wendy Goucher, Cyber Consultant at Arcanum and author of the Netta in Cyberland and Eesha series for children, and the Canon Doyle stories for our older relatives. We chat about just how much the tech landscape has changed in the past three years since her first appearance, and how we can continue to protect our families in these increasingly complex digital times.
About our guest:
Wendy Goucher is a Cyber Security Consultant at Arcanum Cyber where she gets to work in teams with some brilliant folks. She specialises in risk and assurance because her perspective primarily is business focused.
She has also written textbooks and cyber safety books for both lower and upper primary school age and also short cyber safety stories for the retired. These same skills also help her to design policies, although they generally have fewer pictures.
Wendy is proud to be a Chartered Fellow of the BCS, and on the committees of BCS Women, ISSG and DiversIT and is hugely honoured to be part of the BCS Council and the BCS Community Board, and also on the CIISec Inclusion by Design Steering Group. All of which means that she has to roll up her sleeves and work for people outside as well as inside work.
Nettie in Cyberland - https://amzn.eu/d/dtIAKrP
Nettie in Cyberland Book Two - https://amzn.eu/d/4xtIYZ6
Take Care How You Share - book 3 - https://amzn.eu/d/22FvLuX
Canon Doyle's Collaboration with a Vampire - Canon Doyle Book 1
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47:01
01 October 2025
SEASON FIVE - In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to Ben Tasker, Senior AI Learning Strategist for National Grid. After all the news about AI generated layoffs, I wanted to learn more about how tech professionals can prepare and not panic when it comes to this iteration of tech. We talk about upskilling, reskilling (and how to find the time), as well as how to hire for skills not traditional pathways. Ben also describes just how agentic AI will effect the org chart.
About Our Guest:
Ben Tasker is a recognized leader in AI education, workforce transformation, and responsible AI adoption. He currently leads a Data & AI Academy focused on upskilling and reskilling 36,000 employees in the public utility sector, ensuring the workforce is AI-ready for the future. He also serves as a Technical Advisor for uCertify, a global leader in workforce certification and reskilling.
Previously, Ben was the Dean of AI at Southern New Hampshire University, where he spearheaded Applied AI programs and pioneered a skills institute focused on workforce AI + Human upskilling and reskilling. He also teaches as a part-time faculty member at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, one of the world’s top universities for AI education.
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49:57
23 September 2025
SEASON FIVE: *Sensitive subject matter*. In this week's episode of Talent First, I welcome back one of my favourite guests to the show, Nadja El Fertasi, Founder of Thrive with EQ who talks to me about her most recent offshoot of this venture, Shield with EQ. Nadja's mission is to empower individuals and families to build their personal Emotional Firewalls against scams, deepfakes, and online manipulation. We talk about a sensitive topic, but one that we all need to be aware of, and that is sextortion and how it is impacting our young people.
About our guest:
Internationally recognized thought leader shaping the intersection of emotional intelligence (EQ), AI, and cultural resilience. Leverages nearly two decades of leadership experience from NATO, successfully heading high-stakes digital transformation initiatives in complex, multicultural environments.
Pioneered the groundbreaking ‘Emotional Firewalls’ framework, a human-centered approach to building organizational resilience against sophisticated social engineering threats and digital disruption. This methodology embeds EQ into a company's cultural DNA to foster psychological safety and enhance threat detection at the human level.
As the founder of the Thrive with EQ AI-cademy, I now develop and scale AI-powered toolkits and applications designed to up-skill leaders and their teams. My work equips organizations to build resilient cultures of trust, proving that EQ is the most critical human anchor in the disruptive age of artificial intelligence.
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57:48
04 September 2025
SEASON FIVE: In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to parenting expert Sue Atkins about something that is becoming of increasing concern to parents globally - children and technology. When is the right time to give your child a smartphone? What should schools be doing and what support do they need? Is the UK government doing all it can to tackle online safety and security? For parents, teachers and security people - this is one not to miss.
About Our Guest:
Sue Atkins is an internationally recognised Parenting Expert, Broadcaster, Speaker, Freelance Writer & Columnist and Author of the Amazon best-selling books “Parenting Made Easy – How to Raise Happy Children” & “Raising Happy Children for Dummies" one in the famous black and yellow series as well as author of the highly acclaimed “Navigating the Digital Jungle: Scripts to Start Family Tech Conversations About Smartphones, AI, Online Safety, and Other Essential Topics” and the Parenting Made Easy resources.
She regularly appears on the award-winning flagship ITV show ‘This Morning,’ Good Morning Britain, ‘Jeremy Vine on 5’, The Vanessa Feltz Show & is the parenting expert for numerous BBC Radio Stations around the UK.
Sue regularly works with Fortune 500 companies, brands, and celebrities.
Sue is the Parenting Expert for Disney Family and has recorded monthly podcasts, videos and Facebook Live Tea Parties around ‘Parenting Hacks’ writing articles, sharing her parenting tips as well as heading up ‘The Disney Gift of Play’ Campaign, the ‘Time to Shine’ Self Esteem Campaign and ‘The Parenting Hacks’ YouTube Campaign.
Check out her videos and tips on the new Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel website around the Gift of Play
https://www.disneymagicmoments.co.uk/the-gift-of-play
Her highly acclaimed ‘Can Do Kid’s Journal: Discover your Confidence Superpower’ gives children the gift of self-esteem and empowers them to become creative, innovative, independent, resourceful, resilient & confident in their own abilities to try new things & able to bounce back after setbacks.
She has created The Sue Atkins ‘Toddler Roadmap,’ which is bursting with over 40 Quick Win Videos, Audios and eModules. around raising happy confident, resilient toddlers. It is bursting with exclusive content for parents around toddler tantrums, picky eating, potty training, bedtimes & sleep, and covers the ‘Why’ and ‘No’ Stages and much, much more and is bursting with fresh ideas, tried and tested strategies and lots of practical tips to raise toddlers with strong self-esteem and good mental health – not damaged by living through a pandemic.
Sue produces ‘The Sue Atkins Parenting Show’ a free weekly podcast which is bursting with Sue’s practical ideas, techniques, and down to earth strategies for raising happy, confident, resilient children with strong self-esteem.
Sue has also created the ‘Parentverse’ her exclusive platform for her podcast interviews with global Experts from around the world in her ‘Sue in Conversation With …’ series.
Sue also has created The Sue Atkins Book Club showcasing the very best in parenting and children’s books.
Sue is the host of ‘Navigating the Digital Jungle with Sue Atkins and Friends’ a podcast where tech meets family life, and she is also the global spokesperson for World Digital Detox Day. https://navigatingthedigitaljungle.com/home/
Her latest book is ‘Navigating the Digital Jungle: Scripts to Start Family Tech Conversations About Smartphones, AI, Online Safety, and Other Essential Topics’ is now available to download.
Sue is the Patron for Mama Academy. Helping to prevent stillbirths in the UK by empowering expectant parents and healthcare professionals to help babies arrive safely. https://www.mamaacademy.org.uk/
Sue is a proud winner of the prestigious #SBS (Small Business Sunday) Award, founded by entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis. This recognition highlights Sue's dedication to empowering families to navigate the challenges of modern parenting, particularly in the digital age. Being part of the #SBS community not only celebrates her impactful work but also connects her with a vibrant network of innovative businesses across the UK.
Sue offers practical guidance for bringing up happy, confident, resilient children and helps parents create happy childhoods, free from finger pointing or judgement.
Sue also specialises in supporting families through divorce & created the Award Winning ‘Divorce Journal for Kids’ is designed to help children express, explore and understand some of the strong emotions that they may be feeling and to help them process the divorce for themselves. She has also created a series of Divorce Conversational Cards for parents to help start the difficult conversations about the changes that families face when they are going through divorce.
Sue has created a number of CPD Courses for professionals working with parents, children and families around ‘Navigating Family Transitions: A CPD COURSE for Professionals Supporting Children, Parents & Families through Divorce, Separation, or Family Break Up’
Sue’s parenting articles are published all over the world & to receive her free eBooks bursting with practical tips and helpful advice from toddler to teen log on to www.theSueAtkins.com and download them instantly today.
Follow Sue:
Websites: www.thesueatkins.com
www.navigatingthedigitaljungle.com
Sue on Twitter @sueatkins
Sue on Instagram
Sue on TikTok
Sue on Facebook: Sue Atkins The Parenting Expert
Sue on LinkedIn: Sue Atkins
Sue on Pinterest: Sue Atkins Parenting Expert
Sue on YouTube: Sue Atkins Parenting Expert
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53:09
14 August 2025
SEASON FIVE - In this episode I’m joined by Joe Wells, a passionate and driven voice in cybersecurity who is determined to make the online world safer for children. Together, we explore Cyberherd, his inspiring initiative designed to guide parents, educators, and communities in protecting young people as they grow up in an increasingly connected world.
Our conversation covers practical strategies for parents — including those with little technical knowledge — to engage their children in meaningful, age-appropriate conversations about online safety. We discuss the critical role of teachers and schools in reinforcing these messages, and examine the broader horizon: the opportunities and risks of AI, deepfakes, and a post-truth digital era.
We also address the issue of accessibility and equity in cyber-safety resources, ensuring that no family or child is left behind. Finally, Joe shares what lies ahead for Cyberherd, and how you can connect with and support his work.
This is an episode for anyone who believes the digital future should be safe, fair, and empowering for every child.
Abour Our Guest:
I’m Joe Wells, a first-class cyber security graduate, public speaker, and advocate for inclusive, human-centred digital safety.
Over the last 800+ days, I’ve committed to learning cybersecurity every single day, building skills across blue team, red team, and digital resilience. My mission is to make online safety accessible, engaging, and empowering, especially for children, students, and underserved communities.
I’m currently building CyberHerd - THE gamified learning platform that teaches children how to navigate the internet with confidence, curiosity, and kindness. Alongside this, I run MVP, a student cyber cluster based in Wales, where I support university students with CTFs, talks, and career development.
My journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve overcome disability, homelessness, and exclusion, and those experiences now fuel everything I do. I believe digital safety should be built with empathy, not just encryption.
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48:49
05 August 2025
SEASON FIVE: This episode, I chat to Aska Kuwabara, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Axartoys.ai and Founder of Getitdonewith.AI.
We chat about her amazing new AI powered soft toy, MAXI, that aims to educate children not just around the use of AI but in traditional academic subjects too - no screen, just fun. We talk about her journey as a tech entrepreneur, what MAXI can do as well as the parental controls and guardrails that have to be put in place when it comes to EdTech. We also talk about the UAE, its approach to AI education and the pros and cons.
About Our Guest:
Aska is a product builder, founder, and someone who’s constantly figuring things out on the go.
With 20+ years of experience across product management, corporate strategy, and digital transformation, she has worked in industries such as finance, e-commerce, telecom, and now AI. She has led teams, shipped products, and driven change across Japan, Singapore, France, India, and the UAE - often as the only woman, the only Japanese, or the only one asking “why are we doing it this way?”
Aska is Co-Founder of AxarToys.ai as well as Founder of GetItDoneWith.ai, a platform for non-techies to learn how to actually use AI - without the hype.
www.meetmaxi.ai - to pre-order and be informed about MAXI's progress
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meetmaxi/1005040600?ref=9bsi7x&token=1adf173c - MAXI's Kickstarter Preview Page - we wanted to go live tomorrow but due to some unforeseen issues, the launch will be delayed by a few days. The content is still viewable and once the campaign starts, this link should redirect to the live page, too!
www.axartoys.ai - our company's website, the brain behind MAXI
www.getitdonewith.ai - my recently published website for companies and individuals wanting to learn the basics of AI, without being overwhelmed - more contents to come :)
http://thesilicontree.com/ - the site should be up by this Friday - The Silicon Tree is a local guide to startup growth - from events to accelerators to insider reports. Built by founders, for founders in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai - more cities tome as we grow!
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