What happens when a data analytics expert trades boardrooms for bedtime stories? In this captivating conversation, Megan Preston Meyer reveals her remarkable journey from corporate number-cruncher to children's book author with a fascinating twist.

For over a decade, Megan worked in analytics and supply chain management, helping companies extract value from their data. Yet beneath this corporate exterior lay a childhood dream of becoming an author. Five years ago, she took a leap of faith, stepping away from her secure career to pursue writing full-time – and hasn't looked back since.

Her unique contribution to children's literature comes in the form of books that don't shy away from complex concepts. The "Supply Jane and FIFO Adventures" introduce young readers to operations concepts through engaging stories, while her latest release, "Max Entropy and the Avalanche," tackles uncertainty and prediction limitations through two contrasting characters. As Megan explains, "I didn't set out to write a Taleb book for kids," yet she's created exactly that – a thoughtful exploration of chaos theory and model limitations accessible to young minds.

What makes her approach so refreshing is her refusal to oversimplify. "It is not my job in 24 pages to explain the entire world of supply chain," she notes. Instead, she introduces vocabulary and awareness, laying foundations children can build upon through repeated exposure. Perhaps most surprisingly, adults frequently report learning alongside their children when reading her books.

Beyond children's literature, Megan has crafted "The Corporate Elements Mysteries," cozy mysteries set in office environments that explore workplace absurdities with humour and insight. This dual approach to storytelling allows her to process and share her corporate experiences through different lenses.

Our conversation weaves through educational philosophy, the invisible infrastructure that powers our world, and the balance between planning and resilience. Megan's work represents a brilliant example of repurposing specialized knowledge for broader impact, demonstrating how professional expertise can transform into accessible stories that resonate across generations.

Discover how stories can make complex ideas digestible and why introducing children to concepts like uncertainty might be one of the most valuable gifts we can give them in an increasingly unpredictable world.

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What if the greatest threat to creative careers isn't competition but rather the rapid advancement of technology itself? In this thought-provoking conversation, wordsmith Leila Johnston pulls back the curtain on the real world of freelance writing.

Leila's journey from journalism to digital copywriting reveals the psychological challenges of freelancing – the constant pitching, the perpetual uncertainty, and the nagging feeling that AI might render an entire profession obsolete overnight. "I never feel safe professionally," she confesses, articulating a vulnerability many independent professionals will recognize but few discuss openly. Her candid insights offer valuable guidance for anyone navigating today's fractured career landscape, from building multiple income streams to securing longer contracts that provide both financial stability and the human connection of teamwork.

We also examine Leila's involvement with the Library of Mistakes, a library in Edinburgh dedicated to financial history and learning from past economic failures. Founded by Russell Napier, this institution represents a deliberate move away from the digital overwhelm toward thoughtful reflection on historical patterns. Through the library's collection of books, artifacts, and regular events featuring prominent financial thinkers, visitors gain perspective on current economic challenges by understanding their historical precedents.

Whether you're a creative professional concerned about AI's impact on your career, a freelancer seeking greater stability, or simply someone interested in how financial history shapes our present circumstances, this conversation offers both practical strategies and philosophical depth. As Leila reminds us, "People in the past were just people, which is people like we are now" – a simple but profound insight that might help us avoid repeating the mistakes of previous generations.

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Join us as we uncover the intriguing journey of Emanuel Derman, a pioneering figure in quantitative finance. Emanuel shares his compelling transition from a physicist to a quant, offering a firsthand look at how Wall Street came to embrace PhD physicists as essential contributors. Through entertaining anecdotes and insightful reflections, Emanuel illustrates the evolution of the quant profession from a misunderstood curiosity to a celebrated field that reshaped the finance industry.

Emanuel recounts encounters with notable figures like Stephen Wolfram and Douglas Hofstadter and discusses the significant contributions of institutions such as Bell Labs. We examine whether finance's mathematical models mirror the precision and efficacy of physics, reflecting on the changing cultural dynamics within the financial world. From humorous stories involving Mark Rubenstein to the deep philosophical musings on theories versus models, this episode promises a wealth of thought-provoking insights.

Emanuel also opens up about his personal journey, drawing from his South African upbringing and the familial influences that shaped his career path. We explore the emotional resonance of past memories captured on cassette tapes, reminiscent of a time before digital saturation. His new memoir, inspired by his early life, offers a poignant narrative that captures a bygone era and community. In a world where career fluidity is now celebrated, Emanuel's reflections provide a hopeful perspective on reinvention and the joy of pursuing diverse passions.

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