Ian Sanders
As seen in:
LinkedIn,
Forbes,
Medium,
Financial Times,
Scribd,
Fast Company,
Reader's Digest (U.S.),
BioRxiv,
The i Paper,
ThePrint
and
Covers:
entrepreneurship of all kinds, digital technology, technology, workplace, digital media, startup trends, innovation, startups, work, marketing, work life balance, jobs, social entrepreneurship, content marketing
Storytelling coach and trainer, author of five books on working life, teaches a class on work-life design, lives by the coast, also loves an urban wander.
Articles by Ian Sanders
Korea: War Without End
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war”—a brutal, complex conflict that claimed millions of lives but has largely faded from public memory, particularly in the West. Yet its consequences are still very much with us today, shaping the geopolitical fault lines on the Korean peninsula and beyond.
Cold War Conversations Podcast
Podcasting At Its Best A superb collection of stories and recollections, covering all aspects of the period. Absolutely fascinating insights from people who were there, great insights and anecdotes in every episode. Ian’s conversations are well delivered in a relaxed style that draws me in and paints pictures in my mind. craig56997 via Apple Podcasts ·Great Britain
International Women’s Day 2025
International Women’s Day (March 8th) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Cold War Conversations is proud to support International Women’s Day and #accelerateaction. We have compiled the list below showcasing the excellent and varied content contributed by women who have educated, inspired and moved our listeners since the start of Cold War Conversations.
Lessons from reading 'When Things Fall Apart' by Pema Chödrön — The Ian Sanders Co.
I’m waiting a lot at the moment. in the hospital waiting room, waiting for my daily radiotherapy. in the radiotherapy suite, waiting for the machine to rotate over me. waiting for all this to be over. I am now two thirds (hurrah!) through my 33 sessions of radiotherapy. It’s a bit grueling. And, I’ll be honest, ‘waiting’ is not one of my key skills. In my working life things usually happen at pace. When you run your own business there are few obstacles between having an idea and making it happen.
Wake Up! Ten lessons on being alive — The Ian Sanders Co.
Listen to your beating heart. And act on it. Most of us have a crazy dream or a burning desire inside our minds or hidden in the pages of our notepads. I’d had the idea to do a one man show for over a decade. Cancer was the catalyst. But when something's important to us, why wait? Put on a new pair of glasses. Experiencing a life-changing event can bring things into sharp focus, like putting on a new pair of glasses. It gets us to tune in and be more aware.
We all need deadlines to turn the To Dos into To Done — The Ian Sanders Co.
⏰ The clock is ticking… I love a deadline. Having worked in projects all my life there have always been deadlines on the horizon. The transmission date for a live TV show I’m working on. The day of the event I’m producing. The day of the talk I’m giving. And right now I feel like I have a lot of deadlines. In 7 days time I present the debut performance of ‘Wake Up!’ - my one man show. In 8 days time I’ll be driving my son to start university. In 17 days I start six weeks of radiotherapy.
Standing up and telling my story of *this* — The Ian Sanders Co.
"There is still so much to say," I wrote in my notebook, minutes before I went into the operating theatre, late last year. And now I'm going into a different kind of theatre! I'd long wanted to do a creative stand-up show. I had a vague idea of me, in person, telling some stories from my life. Then I got a cancer diagnosis where the future is uncertain. And it felt urgent suddenly to do this - to grab the opportunity to make it happen, to share my lessons from this time.
Everything is a project! — The Ian Sanders Co.
If there is one thread that runs throughout my career it’s this: Everything is a project. And I LOVE a project! What I like about a project is that it has a start, a middle and an end. It has a budget and a brief. There is a deadline. There is a client. And an outcome you need to deliver on. There are objectives. There is a team of people who assemble around the project. I like the pressure and accountability of delivering a project. I started my full time career thirty four summers ago in 1990.
‘Do one thing well’ - the Opinel knife — The Ian Sanders Co.
In 1994 I met a French bloke called Alain. He lived in Strasbourg and we became good friends. In the mid '90s a group of us used to meet up in France for walking holidays. Alain would always have his cherished Opinel knife on him that he'd use for everything: to whittle a stick, slice a baguette or spread some cheese for a picnic. He was generous in giving me my own Opinel knife which I still have today. But I'd got the blade wet so it had got a bit rusty.
“If we got to choose our adventures, they wouldn’t be very adventurous would they?” — The Ian Sanders Co.
“If we got to choose our adventures, they wouldn’t be very adventurous would they?” The musician Ólafur Arnalds wrote this on Instagram this week, accompanying a post about his car breaking down in the mountains and being rescued by a stranger. I’ve been thinking a lot about adventures lately. This is me on a school trip to Israel when I was thirteen. That morning we’d taken the cable car up to the rock plateau of Masada and I’d walked smack into the side of a rocky outcrop.
Life is more interesting when you view your career as a journey not a plan — The Ian Sanders Co.
I’ve always likened entrepreneurial life, and careers in general, as being on a journey. If we think of a career journey, rather than a career plan, that feels more agile. It opens up possibilities rather than forcing us to stick to a linear path. It means we can follow our curiosity and see where the water flows, rather than stay boxed-in. And it means we can enjoy the view along the way, rather than obsess about reaching the destination as fast as possible.
Nine Things I’m Learning from This Time — The Ian Sanders Co.
When I shared my ‘Tough Times: 12 Things I Learned’ manifesto in early January I guess I was just thinking out-loud, sharing my reflections on my cancer journey with the outside world. I didn’t know how well it would be received. People messaged me to say they had passed it on to friends going through tough times. Someone wrote saying it had helped them during a period of grief after losing a parent.
It’s never a waste of time — The Ian Sanders Co.
When he saw these photographs, an old colleague said to me, why are you doing that? Isn’t it a waste of time? Well, I love ‘wasting my time’. When I travel for work, I always plan to get to my destination half a day early so I can explore. So I have time to wander and notice the world around me. A few years ago I travelled to Hull to run a training session for BBC journalists and producers. Rather than have a super-early start, I’d arrived the afternoon before.
JUST Capital’s Top 5 Companies for Parents in 2024 — JUST Capital
The business case to support parents is overwhelming. Policies supporting parents are critical to recruiting new – and retaining existing – workers, especially in a tight labor market, not to mention boosted worker productivity. A from Moms First and BCG suggests that companies that strategically allocate resources to childcare benefits are seeing a return on investment of 90% to 425%.
Before you airbrush out the bad bits, know that it’s your whole story that makes you, You. — The Ian Sanders Co.
Nine years ago I told a story for the first time. No-one had ever heard it before. Not like this. Not in all its absolute honesty. It was a story about why I quit my job - the real reason I left a well-paid, successful role as the MD of a radio studio business to work for myself. I stood up in front of an audience at The DO Lectures and explained what really happened. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was open and raw and honest about what went wrong, and why. You can watch it below.
Wherever you put your attention is illuminating — The Ian Sanders Co.
“I wonder what that is, over there?” Thursday afternoon and I was taking my sons to one of our favourite coffee shops. En route, we walk along a fairly unremarkable, busy road in Dalston, east London. I guess we’ve gone down this road half a dozen times. Today I spotted something I’d never seen before. On the other side of the road, there were some multi coloured fence panels, set back from the road, in a gap between the buildings. “I wonder what that is over there? Let’s take a look,” I suggested.
Compete on your story! — The Ian Sanders Co.
Just how many coffee shops are there in London’s historic square mile? I wondered about this as I walked through The City on Tuesday morning, noting that most places - usual suspects like Starbucks and Pret as well as indies like Ozone and Rosslyn - were busy. It’s a competitive market. So how do you stand out? I got my coffee from Rosslyn at the foot of Tower 42 on Old Broad Street. On the wall is this poster which tells us of their origin story.
Meeting up for a different perspective — The Ian Sanders Co.
Every year Helen Tupper and I meet for a catch-up. We could do this in an office. We could meet in a cafe. Or go for a walk. But we always choose to go somewhere different. Last year we went to an art fair where Helen got her picture taken by the legendary photographer Rankin. The year before we went to the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Why go somewhere different? Because we find it helps inform our conversation by looking at things differently. We take a literal and metaphorical journey together.
The Cold War Conversations History Podcast
Podcasting At Its Best A superb collection of stories and recollections, covering all aspects of the period. Absolutely fascinating insights from people who were there, great insights and anecdotes in every episode. Ian’s conversations are well delivered in a relaxed style that draws me in and paints pictures in my mind. craig56997 via Apple Podcasts ·Great Britain
The Cold War Conversations History Podcast
In 1964, pilot Captain Hansen found himself unemployed. He began to send out feelers to several companies including one that had placed an ad in the Washington Post called Air America. When he was called in for an interview which primarily consisted of two questions – can you fly good and do you drink a … Read more Bob Wallace joined the US Army in 1968 as a reluctant conscript. He describes the draft process, and his attempts to avoid conscription.
Ideas on living a more curious life — The Ian Sanders Co.
“What does it mean to live a curious life?” We hear a lot about curiosity in work and business. But how does it manifest just day to day? The C word has been a big driver in my work life for the last couple of decades. Here are my reflections on how being curious shows up day to day.
When it’s good to have friction on the menu — The Ian Sanders Co.
Grit is what makes life interesting. In today's world so many experiences happen without a glitch. Order a takeaway on our phone and it turns up on the doorstep. Buy a book with next day delivery. Watch a movie on demand. It’s all there for us to have. In turn, we expect things to be immediate, seamless, frictionless. Yet when things are so easy, they lose a certain element of what makes them pleasurable. Expectation through having to wait. Interaction with human beings.
Seven story types to get you started — The Ian Sanders Co.
What’s the best way to share your organisational values, to prompt behaviour change, to communicate your ideas? Tell STORIES! Stories are an excellent vehicle to illustrate your thoughts, vision and values. Because they are visual, real-life experiences they can bring abstract and complex concepts to life. You can use them to paint a picture of the journey you want to take the organisation on; to outline what the future looks like.
Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War on Netflix
Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, a nine-part documentary series from director Brian Knappenberger, provides a comprehensive appraisal of the events that led to the Cold War and traces the conflict around the world and through the decades.
What happens when leaders are open and honest — The Ian Sanders Co.
When you’re open and honest, and reveal something of yourself, you get a deeper connection with your audience. Last night I watched an interview with Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the UK’s Labour party, on Sky News. The host of the show Sophie Ridge told us she’d always found the Labour leader impenetrable. But in this interview she’d really got to know who he was and what makes him tick.
Deloitte BrandVoice: Building A More Sustainable Future In The Mining And Metals Sector
For businesses across the globe, 2024 looks set to be another year of flux. The mining and metals sector in particular faces complex headwinds and tailwinds, as well as heightened expectations and demands. To thrive as well as survive, requires these companies to become more agile, exhibit strong leadership, skilled talent, and a heightened focus on sustainability, climate, and equity.
Celebrating ‘aliveness’ — The Ian Sanders Co.
12 weeks ago I was in an operating theatre having surgery for prostate cancer. I’ve not got the all-clear quite yet, but I’m feeling back to normal and living life to the full. One thing I wrote down in my notepad in my hospital bed that Friday afternoon in December was how I wanted things to be different afterwards. I haven’t gone through all this, I wrote, to come out the other side exactly the same.
Keeping my teenage spirit alive — The Ian Sanders Co.
Standing on the same spot. One of these photos is from last week. The other from when I was 18. The 18-year-old me was on a month-long InterRail adventure with my mate Tad. It was my first time in Amsterdam. We saw a gig at the Melkweg arts centre. We subsisted on baguettes and beer. It was a brilliant time. So when we were back in the city last week I couldn’t resist getting a photo of me in the same spot. What would these two guys say to one another?
It’s all about how you make them feel — The Ian Sanders Co.
Well the Airbnb wasn’t what I had expected. At the start of the week we checked into our Airbnb in the heart of Amsterdam. As our host Niels welcomed us into the apartment I realised this was actually his home. We were surrounded by Niels’ - as well as his young children’s - stuff. A fluffy unicorn on the windowsill. A fridge full of jars and tupperwares. In the bedrooms, the wardrobes full of clothes. He moves out for a few days at a time to let it to guests like us.
Redesign Your Work Day at Leigh-on-sea’s Workshop — The Ian Sanders Co.
It was a special evening at my Redesign Your Work Day session last night. One, because people came along open-minded and ready to contribute, so we had some brilliant discussions. Two, it was in the intimate surroundings of our local The Workshop club, the first time I’d run this session in-person (for the last twelve months I've been running Redesign Your Work Day as a regular online class for Simon Sinek’s Optimism Company).
The outside world as a source of inspiration, not a distraction — The Ian Sanders Co.
A few years ago I met an old friend for coffee on Wardour Street in London’s Soho. We had a great conversation, sharing stories about our work habits. His office is in the heart of Soho, so I said to him, I bet you’re often out for coffee chats with colleagues and contacts. And he said no, he was too busy. He’d pop out to grab a sandwich, that was about it. When he got back to his desk he sent me a message saying he’d enjoyed our catch up.
Running a business the AeroPress way — The Ian Sanders Co.
For the last 10 years it’s been the Sanders’ family secret weapon in the kitchen - and no doubt has provided the fuel for ideas of quite a few LinkedIn posts too. It’s the AeroPress. If you don’t know this coffee maker, it doesn’t need refill pods. It’s not even plugged into the mains. It’s a simple, portable, one-cup system that uses the palm of your hand to plunge. This miracle of design was dreamed up by Alan Adler, now 85, in 2005.
A book review of Will Guidara Unreasonable Hospitality — The Ian Sanders Co.
When you are super-served, the memory stays with you. Last autumn, I was meeting Helen, a good friend of mine in Kaffeine on Eastcastle Street, central London. I’d just been served my long black when I received a text - Helen said she was in Kaffeine, where was I? It transpired she was at the other Kaffeine. Luckily, it was just around the corner, so I asked the barista if I could switch my coffee to a take-out cup. My barista happened to be Peter, the owner.
A journey to uncover what really matters — The Ian Sanders Co.
A guided walking workshop led by Ian Sanders 10am - 12pm Friday 1st March 2024 Leigh-on-Sea (45 minutes by train from London) What’s important to you right now? Do you have a sense of what’s in and what’s out? Are you living and working with purpose and meaning? Could you benefit from having your senses sharpened? If things aren’t in crystal clear focus - here’s a chance to get curious! On Friday 1st March, Ian is leading a two hour walking workshop by the coast.
The Anatomy of a Transition — The Ian Sanders Co.
As I navigate this current stage of my cancer journey, I’ve been struggling with labelling some of what I’m going through. On the one hand I feel good. My surgery was seven weeks ago. I’m feeling fit and am out running again. In many ways I’m back to normal. But the latest blood tests reveal I haven’t yet got the all-clear. Uncertainty remains.
Reflections on Reunion, the new book by Jerry Colonna — The Ian Sanders Co.
“I don’t know what to do,” read the text from Jerry’s daughter, Emma. It was the summer of 2020, just days after the murder of George Floyd. Emma was one of thousands marching for racial justice from Brooklyn towards the NYPD HQ in Manhattan. With riot police blocking the route ahead, Emma was suddenly trapped. And thousands of miles away on his farm in Colorado, Jerry texted back his advice about what to do if pepper-sprayed.
3 things that matter when I’m running a workshop or coaching session — The Ian Sanders Co.
Curveballs come along at any time. Yesterday it was the rain. So instead of a 30 minute walk & talk to the venue I’d planned, my story-coaching client and I headed to the National Theatre: a London institution on the South Bank. The downpour put paid to my plan to kick off with the walk, my preferred way to get the creative juices flowing. It meant the other venue was no longer within reach. So the atrium of the NT it was. When running any kind of session, I always super-prepare.
Celebrating 20 years around the digital campfire — The Ian Sanders Co.
Last week I received an email from LinkedIn congratulating me on my twenty-year anniversary of being on the platform. I like posting on LinkedIn. And when I’m advising clients with their stories, I always urge: test it on LinkedIn. Whether crafting stories of the highs and lows of your career journeys or talking about what you’re building and why, LinkedIn is the ideal spot to test it out.
Tough times: 12 things I’ve learned — The Ian Sanders Co.
Know what you need. During times of uncertainty or struggle, I often draw on writer Enuma Okoro’s advice. Pause for a moment, she says, put your hand on your heart, take a deep breath and ask yourself what you need right now. Being still and recentering myself in this way allows me to find what my body or mind is craving. What do you need right now? Take it one day at a time. When overwhelmed, it can be hard to see clearly ahead.
Think first, then do - the right way to get a project done — The Ian Sanders Co.
A few years ago I was asked to facilitate a strategy day for the senior leadership team at a bank. While putting together my proposal, I knew that good preparation was vital. So I factored in a number of days for planning. I had separate meetings with the CEO and the Chair to gauge their expectations. I also spent time recce-ing venues and choosing the right location. The session itself was going to take place during just one day, but I spent five days planning. Why did I spend so long planning?
Reasons to be cheerful — The Ian Sanders Co.
Twelve years ago I started an experiment. Each week I make a list — headed ‘Good Times’ — where I scribble down all the good things that have happened. Some weeks the list runs to over 50 ; other weeks just to 20. Some days I write one or two things down, other days there’ll be a rush of experiences all in one go. What's the point of this exercise? The point is = the importance of noticing. Of stopping to take note of what makes us happy.
Clarity and creative energy can come from surprising places — The Ian Sanders Co.
As I take time off to recover from an operation, I’ve been reflecting on an experience I had two weeks ago:
Slowing down to reflect on our career journeys — The Ian Sanders Co.
Does your working life move so fast that you don’t find time to stop and reflect on how far you’ve come, to celebrate those milestones along the way? Yesterday I found myself in a part of London around the corner from a building that had been one such milestone for me early on in my career. Perhaps you can revisit the buildings and places that have been important in your career and see what it triggers?! Watch my video below…
Think like an explorer! — The Ian Sanders Co.
In 2002, on the third anniversary of running my own business, I decided to take a month off and go on a journey. I took the Eurostar from London to Lille, and then a train down to Nice in the south of France. I visited art galleries, went to street markets and sat at tables outside cafes. After a few days soaking up the sunshine and sea breezes, I fancied a change in scenery. I took a train to the Alsace region where I visited a friend in Strasbourg.
Introducing ‘What Matters Now?’ — The Ian Sanders Co.
Last Friday afternoon I walked down to the cabin at the bottom of my garden and had a Zoom with my good friend John. John is a fellow storyteller who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. 48 hours earlier we’d been messaging each other on Instagram when I had an idea: how about we jump on a video call and riff about what really matters. We’d hit the ‘record’ button and share our conversation with the outside world. So ‘What Matters Now?’ was born.
How can you actively build ‘best possible relationships?’ — The Ian Sanders Co.
Have a conversation on how you work together before you zoom in on what you’re doing together. The words of Michael Bungay Stanier at this year’s House of Beautiful Business festival in Portugal. If there’s one thing I have learned in my career it’s that relationships are EVERYTHING. Like most of us I have experienced bully bosses, inspiring bosses, nightmare clients, dream clients. Michael reminded us that great relationships don't happen by accident, we need to design for them.
Autumn Fuel - free guides for Stories & Work — The Ian Sanders Co.
We have just published a series of short guides on storytelling and improving your work life. All are free to download: Ian’s Career Manifesto: ten tips to give your work some zip Storytelling: how leaders can leverage this communication superpower What’s in the box? A pocket guide to telling stories in work and business Click on the links to download - we hope you find them useful!
Ten tips to give your work some zip — The Ian Sanders Co.
Ten fresh ideas to grow your career, whether you're just starting out or more established in your role. What I've found invaluable, from being a safe pair of hands to collecting interesting people, read what's worked for me. I’ve created this short manifesto: Ten tips to give your work some zip. Click here to download the manifesto
Take an inspiration jaunt! — The Ian Sanders Co.
‘Inspiration jaunts’ - over the last twenty years this a habit that’s kept me fed and watered, fuelled my curiosity and made life more interesting. I go on these jaunts - sometimes a half day in London, other times for a longer trip in a city away from home (pictured above, Amsterdam) - when I need a creative boost and am seeking fresh ideas and perspectives in different ways of doing things. There aren’t any rules, but here are a few tips to get the most of an inspiration jaunt: 1.
Methanolobus use unspecific methyltransferases to produce methane from dimethylsulfide
Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv Message Body (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ian
Contact Ian, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack