The Return of the Human Touch

Welcome to the very first episode of The Halftime Lunch Club Podcast! If you are tired of corporate jargon, endless tech buzzwords, and feeling like everything online is starting to look exactly the same, grab a seat.

Born out of our real-life lunch events in Norwich, this podcast is where we step away from the desk to have honest, round-table chats about things that actually matter to creatives and founders.

In this kickoff episode, Mat is joined by co-host and designer River Orrey to talk about a massive shift happening in the creative world right now: the pushback against digital perfection. What we are chatting about today:

• The AI divide: Why big companies are using bots to cut costs, while small businesses are running the other way.

• Embracing imperfection: Why tactile, handmade methods (like linocut printing) are making a massive comeback.

• Keeping it real: How to bring a true, human touch back into your brand and your work. Notable mentions from the Podcast: Sapiens - A Brief History of Mankind Abstract - Netflix Aaron Draplin - Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything

• About Your Hosts

  • Mat: Marketing and creative strategist who helps brands shape their story—and the founder of the live Halftime Lunch Club events.

  • River Orrey: Brand and web designer working with independent businesses to bring a tactile, analogue touch into the digital space.

• Join the Club Meet up in real life: Want to ditch the screen and have chats like this over amazing food? Grab a ticket to our next live event in Norwich at Yalm: halftimelunchclub.eventbrite.com