So this is it, I GO! my weekly newsletter is LIVE! Enjoy!

This Week in ‘I GO!’: London - Paris - São Paulo

Nownership: In the Age of AI, the theatrical live performance of French electro powerhouse Justice is a reminder that experiences have become the most valuable currency (Even called it the Best Live Act in the World!)

The N.1 Rule of Public Speaking: When you are on stage, it is never really about you

AI & I: Will LLMs kill MFLs? How Languages will save the world

View To Kill: I tried and tasted Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant, the highest in London for you (You’re welcome!)

Brasil, Brasil! Currently on my way to the meet the 20+ million inhabitants of São Paulo, concrete jungle where dreams are made of … (More in the next edition!)

Justice and why AI will boost the Experience Economy

In the Age of AI , the highly dramatic live performance of French electro house act Justice shows why in an increasingly virtual world, experiences have become the most valuable currency.

At their show at Alexandra Palace, London, on Tuesday 11 Feb., standing in the crowd, my body vibrating with the pounding bass of the French DJs’ electro-house-disco-heavy metal mishmash, entranced by the creative light show and the electric atmosphere - I wasn’t just witnessing a performance—I was experiencing a masterclass in live engagement and a case study in the potential of the experience economy.

Post-COVID and in an era of virtual everything, real-life interactions are more valuable than ever.

In the UK, 90% of decision-makers report that consumer demand for memorable experiences is growing faster than demand for physical products, according to recent research by Barclays.

FOMO & Millennials are driving the “experience economy”. A recent survey by Evenbrite revealed that 66% of British 18-34 year olds respondents feel “more fulfilled by live experiences than purchasing an item of the same value.”

This made me reflect on my own work. Whether it’s an international forum, summit, or panel discussion, the same principle applies:

Content alone isn’t enough. It’s the experience that makes it memorable.

Three time Grammy winning Justice’s career isn’t just about albums and music per se—it’s about crafting powerful, multi-sensory live experiences, narratives that build an emotional connection that lasts beyond the live event.

The creative duo (made of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay)’s success highlights a trend that applies to both the music industry and high-level business gatherings: in a digital world where music, insights, and ideas are freely available online, what makes people pay for an event? Exclusive, high-impact, unique in-the-present engagement. People want to invest in an unforgettable moment.

Finally, just like the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony illustrated, not always to general acclaim (check my article on this for The Telegraph) - the “génie français” - that mix of sophistication & grit, classism, avant-garde and artistic individualism inherited from the French Revolution - is still well and truly kicking.

I loved and danced every minute of that concert and felt so alive, truly connected to the here and now. For Rolling Stone it was the greatest show on tour right now while Telegraph calls it ‘The Best Live Act in the World Right Now’. Next time they’re in town, don’t miss it!

When on stage, it is never really about you

I briefly travelled to Paris this week to provide media & public speaking training to executives at a listed company. I love empowering people to become better communicators, especially women, who often suffer from Imposter Syndrome.

This is what I tell them to get over stage fright:

You are exactly where you should be. You have been asked to speak because you are an expert and your manager, your company, the events’ organisers believe you can add value to a conversation with your insights. A speaking engagement is not a punishment or a test, but a testimony to the skills and knowledge you have build up over the years. This is a recognition, a celebration. So enjoy it, shine, give it everything you’ve got.

Being public is the opportunity to grow. Get out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself, overcome your resistance, learn. Public speaking will hone your communication skills or force you to grow new ones. As stated above, consider being exposed as a validation and continuation of your professional development.

Get over yourself - it is not really about you. Being on stage is the opportunity to communicate your own or your organisation’s message. You are on a mission: make sure the audience remembers it. So focus on your objectives rather than your appearance, voice, nerves, how unusual the circumstances are and stop taking things so personally. Think of the audience, what they need to hear and how they must feel. Communication takes at least two. It is not about your performance only but also the receptivity of the other person.

[I’ll share more tips to become a better communicator in next editions]

Will AI kill Modern Foreign Languages?

This week I visited Dulwich College in London to highlight the numerous benefits of studying languages, invited by a longtime family friend who heads the Modern Foreign Language department.

My audience? A room full of teenage boys—intimidating, but I can handle it since I already have two of these monosyllabic creatures at home. And for once, they actually seemed vaguely interested!

My message? While some cash-strapped British universities (Cardiff, for instance) are planning to scrap MFL departments, does AI and the age of instant translation make language learning obsolete? Absolutely not.

As the Economist recently pointed out: “AI could make it less necessary to learn foreign languages. That is good news for travellers, bad news for soulful connection.”

Languages, a soft superpower, multiply your chances to be happy, by enhancing personal growth, good communication between individuals and giving you access to a much larger playground. For instance, would you rather look for a job, look for someone to fall in love with, live in the:

French speaking world only: 321M people

English speaking world: 1.5 Bln people?

Other benefits: More Money & Better Health

Switzerland’s multilingualism adds 10% to its GDP (Wiki).

In the US, bilinguals earn 19% more than monolinguals (Forbes).

Bilingualism can delay dementia and improve cognitive functions (UCLA).

Being bilingual has changed my life and has given me so much joy by opening a window onto a different world, a new way of thinking, different perspectives. That is invaluable and goes way beyond the sheer practicality of knowing how to order your tapas in Spanish.

View to Kill: London’s highest restaurant by Gordon Ramsay at 22 Bishopsgate

As an Epicurean and gastronome, I GO! will be my platform of choice to share my culinary discoveries and experiences across the world.

When I started my career in the City as a (very) junior stock market reporter in the early 00s, long, boozy lunch breaks in one of the posh restaurants or grotty pubs of St James’s, Mayfair or the Square Mile were not just always a possibility, but a tradition.

Beyond simple indulgence, it served a social purpose: bonding.

Research by Compass Group shows that employees are significantly more likely to socialise and network with colleagues during breaks if provided with food and drink at work. Sadly, UK workers today are taking less than 33 minutes per day for their main lunch break, if they have one at all (10% of UK workers take no breaks at all during their working week!)

So for old times’ sake and because I value strong human connections, I gleefully accepted an invitation to join my friends & fellow gastronomes - journalist & author Tristan de Bourbon-Parme and Clémence de Crécy - PR supremo and Founder of for an extended, but fairly sober, lunch at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants' new culinary & 'libationary' experience at Level 60 of 22 Bishopsgate, London’s tallest office building.

At Lucky Cat Bishopsgate, on top of flavour-packed pan-Asian fusion dishes (we shared kyoto cucumbers, turmeric scallops, melt in the mouth tuna sashimi, teriyaki glazed sirloin steak and a velvety chocolate delice), we indulged in iconic vistas of the City, gazing down at London landmarks including Tower Bridge, The Shard and St Paul’s Cathedral, and the meandering Thames - despite the general greyness of February skies in the capital. Impeccable service and relaxed, speakeasy-style atmosphere in a glamorous setting.

Michelin-starred British chef Gordon Ramsay is the Napoleon of gastronomy - his group owns 80 restaurants around the Globe, and many more are in the pipeline. I recently enjoyed an absolute feast for the senses at his Michelin-starred Petrus, a memorable evening that is a tribute to his quest for Excellence.

Huge thanks to Clémence & for the experience!

Brasil, Brasil! Here we come… #MaketheWorldaBetterHome

As I publish this post, I am on my way to São Paulo as part of my mission to explore what makes the world a better home. This is one of my remits as an International Ambassador for Saint-Gobain’s 360-year anniversary. I am extremely excited to be celebrating this special occasion on behalf one of France’s oldest and most admired companies. Watch this space!

Let’s go Brazil. I GO!