Blog posts

Life Changing Moments (When I Was 13)

Submitted by Jack Milner on June 4, 2025

The image above is a scrap of writing from when I was 13. It’s part of a moment that changed my life.

Our English teacher at the time was Mr Self , a modest, hesitant, lovely man with a quiet passion for making a difference. One day, he shook things up in class by asking us to fill in a random series of prompts. We didn’t know it at the time, but they formed the opening of a story – an absurd paragraph with odd characters and surreal details.

Our task was to take that opening and turn it into a short story of 2 or 3 pages max.

Confidence is Overrated – Focus on Connection Instead

Submitted by Jack Milner on May 28, 2025

I was running a leadership workshop at Samsung when the topic of confidence came up. I tossed out, half-jokingly trying to layer on the irony, “Can you ever be too confident?” expecting a polite laugh and a knowing nod – as in probably not.

Laughs, Lies & Learning Myths in a Post-Truth World

Submitted by Jack Milner on April 11, 2025

We’re living in a time where facts feel at best optional, conspiracy theories go viral, and half the internet is quoting Einstein, even when it’s just Chad from Reddit. There’s even a name for it -  “post-truth era” – which is to my mind a little bit of a misnomer. Something is either true or isn’t – and between those absolutes is fascinating scale from mostly twaddle to probably certain. 

What We Can Learn About Great Storytelling from Comedians

Submitted by Jack Milner on February 25, 2025

Back in the 80s, I got to be in the audience for Top of the Pops. I thought it was going to be a wild, electric, party-like atmosphere—the kind you saw on TV. The reality? Less rock ‘n’ roll, more school trip with grouchy teachers. Instead of dancing and soaking up the music, we were shuffled from stage to stage by an unimpressed floor crew. 

The Power of Playfulness in Creativity

Submitted by Jack Milner on February 18, 2025

My 13-year-old son, Kester, is the king of random. The other day at breakfast, he announced, “Did you know I’m the new face of Kinder eggs?”  

I laughed. “I didn’t even know Kinder had a face.”  

 “They do now. They’ve chosen me. And they’re launching a new range called Devil Eggs.”  

“What kind of chocolate would that be?”  

“Oh, real dark chocolate,” he said, “maybe with a bit of chilli.”  

Best Pitch Advice I’ve Heard

Submitted by Jack Milner on February 11, 2025

With Mark outside the Kalich Theatre in Prague, where Octopus Soup has been playing to full houses for 16 months

The other day, I had lunch with my mate Mark Stevenson, and in the middle of some general chat, he shared one of the best pitching tips I’ve ever heard.