Season 1
What have we learned so far and do you have a story?
Dr Monish Sengupta
Dr Mahuya Kanjilal
Freek Pool
Eric van der Steen
This episode reflects on what my guests have said so far and questions who defines "failure" anyway. If you have a story to tell - regardless of whether it's education- or job-related, or personal...let us know! Email: podcastofbeautifulfailures@protonmail.com
Today’s guest is Dr Monish Sengupta — an engineer who thinks in systems but speaks in metaphors. Monish has spent his career moving between research, industry, and innovation, always chasing the question of how complex things can be made clearer, kinder, and more human. He’s worked across sectors, led teams, and built solutions, but he also writes poetry — the kind that sneaks up on you and explains a problem better than a diagram ever could. Monish brings curiosity, precision, and a lyrical way of seeing the world.
Today’s guest is Dr Mahuya Kanjilal — a social researcher who basically turns listening into a superpower. She works with communities across the UK to make sure real people’s voices actually reach the rooms where decisions happen. She’s made films, built workshops, mentored researchers, and somehow still finds time to win awards and show up at the UN. Trigger warning: this episode contains some discussion about domestic violence and violence against women. Accompanying film by Mahuya: https://www.cultureunplugged.com/storyteller/Mahuya_Kanjilal#/myFilms
Today’s guest is Freek Pool — a writing coach who genuinely smiles at your progress, even when you’re convinced, you’re producing chaos on the page. Freek believes writing gets fun once it gets simple, and he’s made it his mission to strip away the noise so people can actually enjoy the process. His motto is delightfully straightforward: make life more fun by making things easier. Add a dose of enthusiasm and energy, and you’ve got Freek.
Today’s guest is Eric van der Steen — a performer who grew up believing he could fly, win the World Cup, and become a pop star, preferably all before dinner. That imagination never left him. Eric has spent years travelling the world, performing in silence and in three languages, and studying how humans communicate when words fall away. At Artesc, he brings all of that — the theatre, the art, the curiosity — into teaching storytelling and presentation skills.
Dr Jan Peters talks about her journey to greatness!