Welcome to season three of patchperfect! To kick things off, I'm doing something a little different. I sat down with my 93-year-old grandfather, Papa Ben, for a coffee chat about technology, connection, and what actually matters when the world keeps moving faster.

This episode features someone who's lived through almost a century of innovation. We're talking Ford Model Ts with literal hand cranks, telex machines that punched dots into tape, and the moment email changed everything. Papa Ben takes us from a time when his family's first refrigerator was revolutionary (and half the size of what we have today) to his surprisingly nuanced take on AI and why he finds Teslas genuinely overwhelming.

This is the patch:

• what life actually looked like before electricity and running hot water
• how the internet compressed business communication from days into minutes
• why social media never really stuck for him (spoiler: he'd rather just call you)
• his honest thoughts on AI... the promise, the dangers, and what we lose when machines do our thinking

At its core, this is about choosing presence over productivity, staying connected to people not just platforms, and showing up for yourself even when no one else is watching. We close with the lifestyle segment where Papa Ben shares his daily routine (suited up by 10 AM, even working from home), his signature scent (Mr. Burberry), and the book that changed his life at 18: How to Win Friends and Influence People.

This one's special. Cross-generational wisdom, a tech history lesson you won't find in textbooks, and a reminder that attitude matters more than any algorithm.

PS: You probably noticed the rebrand. New cover art, fresh look. Thank you to @sandybrav on the new look, and check out our patch photoshoot playlist :)

All views expressed are my own.