Good Stuff

An image from the Hard as Nails campaign created by Sam Conniff and Daniele Fiandaca. Andy Orrick is an advisor to Sam Conniff on the project.

I love jumping on board projects that put connection, equity and compassion at the centre.

This is the good stuff that gets me out of bed in the morning.

Hard As Nails

I’m an advisor to Hard As Nails, a science-backed campaign and research project where men paint their nails for a week to see whether a small, visible act of discomfort can open up conversations about mental health, empathy and leadership that men might otherwise avoid.

In the 2025 pilot of 420 men, confidence to stand up for others doubled, fear of judgement halved, and 83% reported having conversations they wouldn’t normally have.

Hard As Nails was co-created by author and social entrepreneur Sam Conniff and Daniele Fiandaca, founder of Token Man Consulting.

In the image above, men were asked:

“In three words, what does being a great man mean to you?”

Hard As Nails is supported by CALM, Movember, Talk Club and Andy’s Man Club.

Wisdom Within

An image of a Mexican elder playing flute at a cacao ceremony at KOKO. The elders were brought to London by Xicome and La Vida Sana.

Working with Xicome and The Vida Sana - the wonderful Michelle Button and Niki Shefras - I helped develop an event series bringing Indigenous Mexican wisdom into conversation with contemporary leadership.

That included their first cacao ceremony at KOKO, held the same week the Xicome elders opened Glastonbury.

Mentoring

For 20+ years, I’ve mentored young creatives and entrepreneurs through organisations such as 20/20 Levels, Livity and D&AD New Blood Shift.

My folks were teachers. This feels like home.

If you think I can help you, get in touch

Staying Close to the Forest

We can look at a forest and see habitat - life, relationships, history, possibility. Or we can look at it and see timber - something to measure, categorise and use.

We need both. The trouble starts when we forget the forest came first.

Iain McGilchrist argues that we do something similar with the whole world. We’ve become incredibly good at measuring, explaining and optimising things, but less good at staying in touch with the living reality underneath them.

People aren’t data. Relationships aren’t contacts. Life isn’t a spreadsheet.

I wrote an essay about this called Back to Reality.

It’s really just a reminder to stay close to the forest.