Living Comfortably in Chaos: Resilience, Faith, and Startup Lessons from a Cyclone in Samoa with Ian Reilly
Manage episode 518228147 series 3661632
On this BizBlend episode, host Sana and engineer-turned-founder and author Ian Reilly unpack how to operate when life and business refuse to follow the plan. From surviving a three-day cyclone in Samoa with no power or water to steering an agri-tech startup through shocks like 9/11, the dot-com crash, the GFC, and COVID-19, Ian shows why uncertainty can be a competitive advantage. We dig into antifragile planning, anxiety vs. control, creative execution across art, engineering, and entrepreneurship, and why opportunity lives at the edges of chaos.
About the guest:Ian Reilly is an engineer, entrepreneur, and artist. He has designed products for global brands, built an agri-tech startup, and authored Encounter: A Journey into Chaos, Culture, and Compassion, which chronicles his time teaching in Samoa, the cyclone that reshaped his worldview, and lessons on purpose, culture, and service.
Key takeaways:Plan, then adapt fast: Planning is preparation—not a prediction. Expect your plan to change on contact with reality.
Antifragile mindset: Uncertainty isn’t the enemy; it’s where opportunity and serendipity appear in startups and careers.
Anxiety vs. faith/conviction: Anxiety undermines execution more than uncertainty does. Strong purpose steadies decisions under pressure.
Resourcefulness wins: Living through infrastructure collapse (no power/water/roads) built practical problem-solving muscles useful in business.
Creative + completer-finisher: Blend creativity (art/engineering) with rigorous finishing (measurement, delivery) to ship results.
Resilience through exposure: Like an immune system, appropriate exposure to difficulty builds durable capacity.
Parenting as leadership lab: Guide rather than control—useful framing for teams and products in flux.
Crisis cadence: Focus on the present day during disruption; advance one solid step at a time.
Website: ianreilly.com.au
Book: Encounter: A Journey into Chaos, Culture, and Compassion (details on Ian’s site)
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