20th January 2026

A life more curious

Zoe Scaman on openness, vulnerability and speaking up

Episode 60

Zoe Scaman

Founder, Bodacious

Today’s guest is Zoe Scaman, founder of Bodacious – and one of our industry’s most original and outspoken thinkers. She’s built her career by following her curiosity, from her early days at Naked Communications to optimising her own business around freedom and variety. 

Zoe shares her take on why the traditional agency model has reached breaking point, how creativity is being squeezed by efficiency, and what a new era of talent could look like. She also speaks about building her personal brand, using writing as a thinking tool, and the importance of openness, vulnerability and speaking out. 

If you’re questioning what’s next for agencies – or yourself – Zoe offers both a reality check and a dose of inspiration.

HIGHLIGHTS:

[02:03] Freedom to be ‘Bodacious’

[04:24] The magic of misfits

[08:35] Death by a thousand cuts

[13:11] Data versus creativity

[15:07] Freedom versus growth

[21:44] The grey soup crisis

[25:30] Breaking silence with courage

[27:56] Thinking out loud in public

[33:59] Learning through disagreement

[37:54] Branding by machines

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