This is the final episode of The Future With Friends for the year, and Simon Waller is joined by Steph Clarke—returning to the podcast as the very first guest and therefore self-appointed (and largely uncontested) holder of “best friend” status.

It’s also a slightly different format. Rather than exploring a single future, Simon and Steph arrive armed with duelling scenarios—each having written their own version of the future of Christmas set in 2051ish. Using scenario thinking, humour, and just enough provocation, they imagine how one of our most entrenched rituals might evolve—and what that says about us.

Steph imagines a future where Christmas shifts to July, shaped by supermarkets, consumer behaviour, and a society increasingly disconnected from seasonal traditions. Simon counters with a darker scenario, where Christmas is gradually co-opted by a political movement, stripped of shared meaning and repurposed as a tool for influence.

Together, these competing futures surface deeper questions about consumerism, power, community, and the role of rituals in a diverse society. As befits the final episode of the year, the conversation meanders into reflections on connection, festive tourism, humour, and why asking better questions matters more than ever.

At its core, this episode isn’t really about Christmas at all. It’s about how we imagine the future, the stories we tell ourselves, and how those stories shape what we choose to protect, change, or let go of.

In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon is joined by his long-time friend Dr Richard Hodge to explore the future of learning.

Recorded live in collaboration with Melbourne startup Spill Haus, this special episode brings Richard’s calm wisdom and expansive thinking to a topic that is far bigger than any single trend or technology. Described by Simon as the “wise elder everyone wishes they had in their community,” Richard gently stretches the audience’s imagination, inviting them to consider learning not just as a system, but as an evolving human practice.

Rather than narrowing the conversation to AI or digital disruption, Richard holds a much broader space—one that looks at the many facets of learning, how they may unfold in the future, and what valuable lessons we might carry forward from our past. He explores what we do now, what still matters, and what might deserve deeper reflection as we reimagine how people grow, develop, and make meaning in the decades ahead.

The conversation doesn’t aim to deliver answers. Instead, it offers an open, thoughtful space—true to the purpose of scenario thinking—where curiosity is more valuable than certainty and exploration is the point. Simon describes it as an inspiring exchange filled with intellectually rich ideas and concepts that stay with you long after listening.

At its heart, The Future of Learning invites us to pause, to reflect, and to consider how we might consciously shape the ways we learn—together and for the future.

In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon is joined by the incredible Kirsten Peterson — or KP, as everyone knows her — a performance psychologist and coach who has attended seven Olympic Games. Together, they explore the fascinating and deeply human topic of the future of emotional transparency.

KP’s future scenario imagines a world where emotions are openly shared and even measured — a future that challenges how we think about authenticity, vulnerability, and performance. Drawing on her deep experience supporting elite athletes, KP tells the story of Beth, a competitor navigating the emotional highs, lows, and manipulation that come with this new kind of openness. It’s a scenario that doesn’t feel far-fetched — where wearable tech, data, and performance pressures collide to both reveal and influence our inner worlds.

Simon and KP’s conversation goes on to unpack what it really means to be emotionally transparent: the benefits of openness, the vulnerability it demands, and the risks of a world where our inner states are always on display. Their conversation moves seamlessly between the personal and the professional, the athletic arena and everyday life — all anchored by KP’s rare blend of wisdom, warmth, and experience.

At its heart, The Future of Emotional Transparency is an exploration of what it means to be human in an increasingly exposed world — and how, by learning to share our emotions more authentically, we might build deeper trust, connection, and resilience in the years ahead.

In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon is joined by his vivacious and very lovable friend Amy Scott to explore her ironically chosen topic - the future of silence.

Set in 2045, Amy’s future scenario imagines a world where AI mediation and constant digital noise have made true silence a rare luxury. Drawing on her own experiences, including a transformative silent retreat, Amy and Simon dive into what silence means in an age overflowing with conversation, notifications, and background noise.

They explore the many layers of silence - from its role in mental health and mindfulness to the social and cultural forces that determine who gets to experience it. Together, they question whether silence has become a privilege, and what it might mean to value it not just as the absence of sound, but as the presence of awareness.

And in a delightfully ironic twist, Simon and Amy do their best to honour pauses and moments of quiet throughout the episode - no small feat for two naturally big, talkative personalities.

Their conversation ranges from the healing power of natural soundscapes to the possibility of silence being designed, protected, or even mandated in the future.

At its heart, The Future of Silence is an invitation to pause, to listen more deeply to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us - and to imagine how stillness might become one of the most valuable resources of the decades ahead.

GUEST:

Amy Scott

In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon is joined by his longtime friend Zoe Routh - leadership expert, podcaster, and acclaimed author of speculative fiction with a techno-thriller edge.

Zoe explores the future of power, a theme that runs deep through both her science fiction writing and her leadership development work. She shares a beautifully written and deeply researched future scenario, drawing on the ideas woven through her five novels. In it, she takes us forward in time to imagine how power might evolve - and how clashes between cultural norms, values, and worldviews could unfold in ways we’re already beginning to glimpse today.

Building on this scenario, Simon and Zoe dive into concepts such as spiral dynamics, the evolution of human consciousness, and the possibilities (and tensions) of new models of power. Their conversation bridges Zoe’s work in leadership with her richly imagined science fiction, creating a dialogue that feels both urgent and inspiring.

At its heart, The Future of Power is an invitation to rethink what power really means - not just as hierarchy or control, but as something that can evolve, adapt, and transform the way we live, lead, and collaborate in the decades ahead.

This episode of The Future With Friends is about what it really takes to build meaningful human connections — and what can happen when we take a risk and open ourselves up to meeting someone new. Simon is joined by his good friend (and fellow high-seas explorer) Michael Schiffner, founder of Collective Intelligence.

Michael shares a future scenario that’s deeply personal and beautifully written, perhaps the most profound one yet. He takes us twenty years into the future, imagining what Burning Man might look like in 2045, and how it could continue to serve as a catalyst for connection, belonging, and shared experience.

Building on this scenario, Simon and Michael explore how friendship, hospitality, and openness to chance encounters can transform our lives. They reflect on the role of risk and vulnerability in building trust, and how collaboration allows us to draw on a collective wisdom greater than any one individual.

At its heart, The Future of Deep Connection is a reminder that genuine connections are not optional extras — they are the essence of our humanity and essential to how we thrive and survive, both now and in the future.

This episode is extra special — for the very first time, The Future With Friends was filmed in front of a live audience at CoCo Place in Mornington! The setting perfectly suits this episode’s theme: ‘The Future of Community’.

This week’s guest is Steph Koster, founder of the co-working space CoCo Place. The energy of being together in the room brings the conversation to life as Simon and Steph explore what it really takes to keep people connected in a rapidly changing world.

They discuss the power of volunteerism, the evolving role of technology, and the emotional bonds that hold communities together. Steph shares a compelling utopian scenario about a small town whose local sports clubs and community life have collapsed after funding is diverted to major city events, and how residents, from elders to teenagers, rebuild connection and purpose.

Steph draws on her experience with Tennis Australia, sharing insights from major marketing campaigns alongside her grassroots work in regional towns. She reflects on how communities are formed through local clubs and what could be lost if they disappear.

Their conversation highlights the wisdom elders pass down, the universal need for belonging, and the importance of collaboration over competition.

At its heart, this episode celebrates the energy of live conversation and the power of stories to strengthen and reimagine community. It’s a reminder that vibrant, resilient communities aren’t built alone — they grow through connection, collaboration, and shared purpose.

In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon Waller is joined by leadership expert and good friend Anton van der Walt for a heartfelt conversation about immigration, belonging, and the future of cultural integration.

Anton shares a beautifully written and deeply personal scenario set in 2042. It explores the journey of an immigrant family navigating the complexities of settling in a new country - the challenges they face, the strengths they bring, and the emotional resilience required along the way. It’s a story that reminds us that true belonging isn’t achieved through assimilation or automation, but through time, empathy, and mutual understanding.

Simon and Anton’s conversation weaves through themes of identity, community, and the value of shared experience. They reflect on their parallel journeys in podcasting, the role of technology in fostering connection, and the limitations of a hyper-efficient approach to integration.

It’s a thoughtful discussion on the immigrant experience - one that asks us to slow down, listen more deeply, and recognise the cultural richness that emerges when we make space for difference.

At its heart, this episode is about the power of stories - and the kind of understanding that only comes from sitting down and truly hearing one another, friend to friend.

GUEST: Anton van der Walt