Tim Hill shares his unique insights into the magic of live events and the communal experiences they create. Drawing from his ethnographic research at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium and Berlin's underground techno clubs, he shares how rituals, community, and emotional connections shape unforgettable experiences. He emphasises the importance of co-creation in designing atmospheres that resonate deeply with audiences, illustrating how these moments of togetherness can be both powerful and transformative.

00:00 — Opening: The Magic of Live Events
01:42 — Understanding Anfield's Unique Atmosphere
04:19 — Researching Local Football Culture
05:21 — The Challenges of Ethnographic Research
08:19 — Exploring Fan Demographics
11:36 — The Role of Rituals in Atmosphere
14:19 — Designing Experiences at Anfield
16:20 — The Impact of "You'll Never Walk Alone"
18:51 — Community Identity and Solidarity
22:46 — Designing Emotionally Engaging Experiences
24:34 — The Four-Step Ritual Design Process
31:27 — Thinking Beyond Football: Broader Applications
36:47 — Insights from Berlin Nightclubs
41:42 — The Paradox of Fitting In and Standing Out
48:39 — The Importance of Exclusion in Experience Design
51:45 — Final Thoughts on Designing Rituals

Bio & links

Tim Hill is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Bath and Director of Studies for the BSc Business program. His research explores the edges of consumer culture, from hardcore football fandom to Berlin’s exclusive techno scene, uncovering what these fringe worlds reveal about belonging, identity, and community. Tim’s work has been published in leading journals, and he’s also the co-author of The Dark Side of Marketing Communication and an Associate Editor at the Journal of Marketing Management.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-hill-99425b378/

Sally Earnshaw brings her trademark “oomph” to this high-energy conversation about leadership, life, and the messy, brilliant realities in between. From middle-aged business travel mishaps to the humor of raising teenagers while running a company, Sally grounds leadership in humanity and positivity. We explore her philosophy of energizing and focusing people, the gaps in leadership depth today, and why creating “space to lead” matters more than ever in a world of noise, AI, and constant change. A refreshing reminder that leaders are human first and that energy and authenticity are free.

Episode Chapters:
0:00 – Oomph: Energy Meets Delivery
5:00 – Positive Energy & Early Influences
9:00 – Midlife, Normality & Humour
14:30 – Business Travel Tales
18:00 – Leadership Depth in a Changing World
23:00 – Strategy, Agility & Speed of Execution
28:30 – Cutting Through Noise & Creating Space to Lead
38:30 – Communication, Energy & Authenticity
43:00 – The Future of Leadership & Generational Shifts
46:30 – Gratitude & Closing Reflections

Bio and Links
Sally Earnshaw, the Chief Oompher, is a leadership and organisational culture expert with over 20 years' experience. Sally’s insights on the importance of clarity, how to get everyone aligned and engaged to drive execution have helped hundreds oforganisations build a high-performance culture.
Sally emphasises that "your strategy is worth nothing if you can’t communicate". Effective communication in leadership fosters resilience, boosts productivity, and enhances overall performance.
Sally is known for her ability to bring out the best in people, using practical, impactful leadership tools that deliver immediate results.
Sally is a TEDx speaker, a published author and top tier leadership facilitator and coach.

www.linkedin.com/in/sally-earnshaw-oomph
www.oomph.life

Brian D’Souza has spent his life exploring the power of sound—from late-night radio discoveries and Glasgow club culture to pioneering sound design for wellbeing, workplaces, and psychedelic therapy. In this episode, Brian shares how music and psychology came together in his work, from building Open Ear, a platform that reimagined how businesses use sound, to founding Swell Studio, which creates soundscapes for health, creativity, and connection with nature. We dive into active listening, rhythmic entrainment, sound therapy, and the role of music in transformative experiences. This is an invitation to tune in more deeply to how sound shapes our lives.

Episode Chapters
0:00 – Early Influences & Discovering Music
5:00 – Psychology, Rhythm & Flow States
12:00 – Active vs. Passive Listening
18:00 – Sound Design in Hospitality & Workplaces
27:00 – Business Lessons from Open Ear
34:00 – From DJing to Sound Therapy
45:00 – Redefining Music as Function, Not Just Entertainment
53:00 – Swell Studio & Nature-Based Soundscapes
59:00 – Sound, Psychedelics & Healing
1:08:00 – Creativity, Bio-Sonification & What’s Next

Bio and Links
Brian d’Souza is the founder and CEO of Swell Studio, a London-based creative agency working between the intersection of sound, music and well-being. Brian is also an award-winning sound artist, DJ, music producer performing under the alias Auntie Flo, and successful entrepreneur, notably as founder of leading music consultancy Open Ear Music from which he exited in 2023.

Swell Studio delivers creative projects that use sound to positively benefit the listener, and is based on three principals: biophilic sound, sound therapy and generative music composition. Its clients include IHG, Imperial College, Muuto, Farfetch, Hotpod Yoga and more. It has been featured in GQ, Forbes, The Times, BBC, Discovery Channel and more.

As Auntie Flo, Brian is a DJ renowned for ‘taking World Music into the future’ (The Guardian). Over a career spanning ten years, he’s played everywhere from Panorama Bar to Glastonbury, making his name as one of the most adventurous DJs around: performing in Cuba, Latin America, Asia, Africa and even the Arctic Circle. He has released four critically acclaimed albums, most notably Radio Highlife (Brownswood, 2018), which won the SAY award for Scottish Album of the Year. His fourth studio album ‘In My Dreams (I’m a Bird and I’m Free) in November 2024. It was awarded Global Album of the Month in the Guardian and Single of the Year by Disco Pogo and DJ History.

He currently runs A State of Flo records and blog, which is home to his dancefloor tracks, global collaborations and nature-based sound art and writing on music and the environment. His work most often centres around the creation of bioelectrical music from living things: plants, fungi and humans. His Plants Can Dance event series uses biodata to trigger notes on his specially built modular synthesizer in a process called bionsonification, with the intention of bridging the gap between the natural world and electronic music realm. This work has been commissioned by the likes of Art Angel, National Trust, Het Hem, V&A etc and featured in New Scientist, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 4, Tate Modern, Rolling Stone, BBC Radio 1 and more.

www.swellstudio.io
www.astateofflo.com
www.briandsouza.in