A brief intro

I initially planned to start this newsletter late last year when I launched my podcast, Made For Us, but then decided it was best to focus on one thing. Now, 22 episodes later, it feels like the perfect time. With Season 1 wrapped up, I can turn my attention to the newsletter while delving deeper into some of the themes I’ve been exploring on the show.

If you’re not familiar with Made For Us, it’s a podcast that explores the intersection of innovation and inclusion. In other words, it looks at design and innovation from the perspective of consumers who are typically not top of mind. Many of the entrepreneurs and business leaders I interview on the show found themselves in this category, until they decided to do something about it.

You can hear from some of them in the video below:

Where to start

If this resonates, or if you’re the slightest bit curious, I hope you’ll check out the podcast on your favourite podcast app.

Wondering where to start? Try my interview with Ade Hassan, the founder of the British lingerie brand Nubian Skin (it’s the most shared episode by Made For Us listeners, according to Spotify Wrapped). Nubian Skin makes lingerie and hosiery for women of colour, who previously struggled to find underwear that matched their skin tone. That includes celebrities like Beyoncé, who wore Nubian Skin during her 2016 Formation Tour (listen out for the moment where Ade describes her reaction to the email from Beyoncé’s team).

Alternatively, if you feel like working your way backwards, then check out the last installment of Season 1: my conversation with Scott Berkun, author of ‘How Design Makes the World.’ Scott spent the first part of his career leading teams of designers and engineers before making the leap to writing books about design and innovation. In the episode he shares his take on why it’s so hard to design well, let alone in an inclusive way, and it’s actually a great introduction to the podcast as a whole. You’ll find links below and transcripts for all episodes are available here.

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Spread the word

If you like what you hear and think others should know about the show, here are a few things you can do:

• Share your favourite episode with friends, with your team or on social media

• Rate the show on Apple or Spotify (and maybe even leave a review)

• If you have any feedback or know someone who would be a perfect guest for the show, please get in touch by hitting reply to this email

In fact, if you do any of the above, I will personally give you a shout-out in a future edition of this newsletter!

That’s it for this week. In future installments of this biweekly newsletter, I’ll introduce you to some of the guests from Season 1, as well as sharing more about why I decided to launch the podcast and what’s in store for Season 2. If you know anyone who’d enjoy this, please feel free to pass on this email (or if it was forwarded to you, sign up below).