reThink: How you think, work and thrive – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode 43: Look Again! How Community Helps Us Feel Seen

In this reThink episode, Nicki is joined by educator, facilitator and community-builder Maxine Buttigieg, founder of Mira: Where Teachers Connect. Together, they explore what it means to look again; to slow down, notice what’s often overlooked and understand why feeling seen is essential to well-being.

Maxine shares the story behind Mira, the inspiration drawn from Spanish children joyfully shouting “Mira!” (“Look!”), and her commitment to creating spaces where teachers can genuinely belong. The conversation moves through the emotional landscape of teaching, the power of community and the importance of having a safe place to reflect, connect, and breathe.

Throughout the episode, Nicki and Maxine discuss:

• why being seen matters just as much as seeing others
• how teacher communities can support well-being and reduce burnout
• the “octopus brain” and the reality of multi-passionate people
• the role of visual metaphors in helping us think, reflect and understand ourselves
• how simple noticing moments can transform the way we engage with the world

This reflective episode is ideal for educators, leaders, facilitators and anyone seeking a renewed sense of clarity, belonging and connection. A warm reminder that sometimes, the world doesn’t need to change, we just need to look more closely.

Maxine Buttigieg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxine-buttigieg/

Mira: https://www.instagram.com/mira__education/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mira-where-teachers-connect/posts/?feedView=all

Metafox Coaching Cards: https://metafox.eu/collections/coaching-picture-cards

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Rethinking the Feedback Loop: How to read the room you can’t see

What happens when you present online, but your audience is all together in a room you can’t see?

In this episode, Nicki shares the story of presenting a visual-thinking workshop to a group of art teachers in Singapore. The content focused on a challenge dear to her heart, the teachers were engaged, but one thing was missing: the feedback loop.

We explore:

• Why online-to-room teaching feels so different
• The psychology of micro-feedback and invisible cues
• What happens when you lose the ability to “read the room”
• Practical visual-thinking strategies to rebuild connection remotely
• What to do differently to keep the loop alive
• How roles, sketch-stops, warm-up games, and visual debriefs revive engagement

Whether you’re a teacher, trainer, facilitator, or leader, this episode will help you rethink how to create connection, especially when you can’t see the people you’re presenting to.

Because sometimes, the most important signals are the ones we can’t see, until we learn how to look for them.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 33: Shining the light on how visuals support executive function

In this episode of Rethink: The Podcast, Nicki Hambleton speaks with executive function coach Suzanne Kamal, who specialises in helping children and families build routines, strategies, and systems that support learning and everyday life.

Together, they explore how visual thinking can be a game changer for learners who are neurodivergent or studying in English as an additional language (EAL). From simple sketchnotes to calendars, reminders and visual strategies for organisation, Suzanne and Nicki unpack why visuals reduce overload, build confidence, and make learning more inclusive.

This episode also highlights recent research into cognitive load and dual coding, showing why the brain benefits from combining words and visuals. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how small changes can make a big difference, whether in the classroom or at home.

Resources:

Suzanne Kumal, Executive Function Coach on LinkedIn

Clarity Education Coaching Website

Clarity Education Coaching Facebook Group

Atomic Habits by James Clear

"Values are not Goals" research paper, by Chase, Hayes, Ward, & Ramona (2013)

“The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking” by Pam A. Mueller & Daniel M. Oppenheimer (2014)

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

 Episode 32: Inside–Outside

In this episode of Rethink: the Podcast, Nicki Hambleton explores the Inside–Outside strategy: a simple yet powerful visual tool to help us see beyond the surface.

We all project something on the outside through our actions, body language, and behaviours, but inside we carry thoughts, feelings, and hidden strengths that others don’t always see. 

This episode guides you through drawing your own outline figure, to capture external pressures and internal experiences and to reflect on how what’s inside impacts what flows out to others.

Nicki shares her own personal story and how that experience led her to develop this activity in her workshops. She shows how the strategy can be applied in different contexts, from classrooms to team meetings to personal wellbeing check-ins.

You’ll walk away with a practical tool for empathy, communication, and collaboration and a way to rethink how you see yourself and those around you.

✨ Key takeaways:

• How to use the Inside–Outside figure to map behaviours, emotions, and pressures
• Why this strategy helps reveal hidden strengths and unseen struggles
• Practical applications for education, leadership, teams, and wellbeing
• A guided activity you can try as you listen

Because sometimes the most important things aren’t what we see on the outside, it’s what’s happening within.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 31: Authenticity in the Age of AI

In this unscripted and personal episode, Nicki Hambleton pauses the regular format to reflect on what it means to stay authentic in an increasingly AI-shaped world.

Recorded straight from her lounge with no script, no polish, Nicki explores the quiet tension between using AI to support her creative work and the risk of losing her own voice in the process.

From a conversation that challenged her to define her "authentic Nicki voice" to her concerns about her hand-drawn visuals being mistaken for computer-generated art, this episode unpacks the growing complexity of authorship, identity, and originality in the age of automation.

Nicki also weaves in:

• Stories about AI-generated music, illustrations, and advertising
• Reflections on the pressure to be perfect, even in podcasting
• A powerful visual metaphor: the fingerprint as a symbol of creative identity

This is not an episode against AI, it's an invitation to rethink how we use it, how we show up, and how we hold on to what makes our work uniquely ours.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 30: Rewind & Recap – 7 Months of Visual Thinking

In this episode of Rethink: the podcast, host Nicki Hambleton reflects on the first 30 episodes and seven months of recording since launching in January 2025. The episode highlights the major themes that have emerged, the problems they help to solve, and the insights that visual thinking continues to unlock.

Nicki revisits four central strands that run throughout the podcast:

• Learning & Memory – exploring concept mapping and design principles to make knowledge easier to recall.
• Visual Frameworks – using metaphors, images, and structures to make complex ideas clearer.
• Big Picture Thinking & Creativity – connecting ideas, revealing patterns, and making the invisible visible.
• Inclusion, Confidence & Authenticity – creating spaces where every voice is heard and valued.

She also reflects on the contributions of her guests: Nici Foote, who shared lived experiences of ADHD and dyslexia; Paul Vincent, whose collaboration with Nicki reframed communicating concepts through his series 25 Questions for 2025; and Brendon O’Brien, who demonstrated how visual landscapes can bring clarity to business challenges.

This recap episode also surfaces Nicki’s own “aha moments,” including how many strategies designed for students also translate directly to the workplace, and how visual thinking provides a consistent golden thread across learning, collaboration, and leadership.

Looking ahead, the podcast will continue with an upcoming episode on authenticity and further conversations with guests, as Nicki expands on the question: what other problems can visual thinking help solve?

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 29: Constellation Mapping – Connecting Ideas into Shared Direction

When ideas are flying in all directions, it can feel like looking at a night sky full of stars, beautiful but scattered. 

In this episode, I introduce Constellation Mapping, a visual strategy for gathering, clustering and connecting ideas so your team, class, or group can see patterns, choose a guiding “North Star,” and move forward together.

You’ll hear how to use this approach, discover the origins of the KJ Method by Jiro Kawakita, and learn a simple 5-step process you can apply right away, whether you’re in a boardroom, classroom, or creative space.

🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What the KJ Method is and how it works
• How to connect ideas into constellations
• The 5 steps of Constellation Mapping
• Why this method is inclusive, visual, and effective

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 28: The Bridge – Turning Insight into Action

You’ve done the deep thinking. You’ve uncovered what’s really going on. But now what?

In this episode, I introduce the Bridge Framework: a visual strategy to help you move from insight to action. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or standing at the edge of something new, this simple tool will help you break things down, find your footing and take your next small step.

I’ll walk you through:
 – Identifying where you are now
 – Defining your desired state
 – Mapping out realistic steps forward
 – And choosing the supports that will help you stay steady

You’ll also hear a story of how I used this with a friend navigating a big life change and how a simple sketch turned into a guiding tool he still uses today.

Plus: there’s a free visual you can download and use for your own conversations.

Because sometimes insight is just the beginning.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 27: Peeling Back the Layers. Visual Frameworks for Deeper Thinking

In this episode of Rethink: The Podcast, we’re digging beneath the surface. Nicki Hambleton explores the power of the onion metaphor to unpack complexity and reveal what’s really going on.

Using visual thinking strategies, we peel back the outer layers of what’s being said, how it’s being said and dive into the beliefs, emotions and assumptions hidden underneath. You'll learn how to work through each layer to reach deeper clarity, greater empathy and more meaningful solutions.

🔍 Whether you're coaching, leading, learning, or facilitating, this episode will help you visualise conversations differently with tools to guide others through solving problems or complex thinking.

You’ll hear:

• Why metaphors like the onion work so well in thinking and communication
• A step-by-step visual framework to guide deeper insight
• How to apply this in strategy sessions, team coaching, learning and reflection

Plus, there’s a free template to help guide your own layer-peeling journey to check it out on LinkedIn or on the website: https://nihconsultancy.com/resources

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 26: Rethink Thinking with AI
with guest Nici Foote, founder of Unbarrier Me

In this episode of Rethink the Podcast, I’m joined by Nici Foote, founder of Unbarrier Me, an educator and creative problem-solver who helps schools, multi-academy trusts, and teachers build inclusive, future-ready learning environments using tools that are practical, neurodivergent-friendly, and genuinely engaging.

We explore how both of us are weaving AI into our creative processes, not to replace thinking, but to enhance it. From uploading style references and prompts into ChatGPT, to using AI-generated images as a springboard for design and tracing in Procreate, this episode unpacks how AI can unlock new directions and take the pressure off the blank page.

Together we chat about:

• How Nici blends AI with visual storytelling to support schools and educators
• Our shared workflow of idea generation → AI input → Procreate illustration
• Why working with AI is more spark than shortcut
• The value of visual clarity for neurodivergent learners and thinkers
• How educators and creatives alike can start experimenting with AI tools in thoughtful, human-centred ways

Whether you’re curious about creativity, AI, or inclusive education, this episode invites you to rethink how technology might open up new ways to think, work, and create.

References: Procreate, ChatGPT and Otter.ai

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?