Dr Kyle Grant-Talbot is a self-described: ‘washed up astronaut’.

Don’t let his humility fool you, though - his talents and innovations continue to leave their mark among the stars for NASA and SpaceX.

Kyle’s intelligence in Engineering Biology was matched by the ambition to tackle an industry which has shocking, high-stakes ripple effects through hospitality and healthcare - industrial laundry.

Today’s episode of Pivot Points paints a portrait of pure ambition.

The portrait of a leader who’s grounded, but possesses the drive to turn his hand to anything, and make it fly.

The portrait of a leader who’s learned the traits of mature, experienced leaders, decades ahead of his time.

You will learn:

• How the life-support engineer role at NASA/SpaceX translated space-grade thinking into a scalable, real world business
• Strategies to spot high-impact, overlooked industries where deep tech can create real competitive advantage
• How to navigate rapid growth, painful pivots and tough calls with patience and maturity
• The aspects of Kyle’s business that have proven more important than any single piece of technology

🔑 Key Themes

• Applying modern engineering to outdated industries
• The zero‑to‑one hundred founder grind
• Obsessive customer focus as the real engine of growth
• The significant pivots on the scaling journey
• The emotion and timing behind selling Oxwash

Dr Kyle Grant-Talbot

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-c-grant/

OxWash

https://www.oxwash.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/oxwash/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

What makes a leader in 2026?

Modern leadership isn’t shaped by perfect plans, but by pivotal moments, adversity, curiosity, and ultimately by authenticity.

We’re stepping back from the individual stories we’ve explored on Pivot Points so far, to explore these deeper themes that emerged across our conversations with some of the world’s most fascinating leaders.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Leaders adapt when their career path doesn’t go to plan
• Hardship forges resilience, so don’t shy away from adversity
• Spend more time on your people, not on your plan
• Curiosity is the spark that helps you seize opportunities

Christian Mazzi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mazzi-47870

Steinar Sønsteby

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steinarsonsteby/

Sarah Walker-Smith

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-walker-smith-4708a5b/

Piers Linney

https://www.pierslinney.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierslinney/

Matthew Wenger

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwenger/

James Ainscough

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesainscough/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Being a good person and being a great leader are not mutually exclusive, and Nigel Branker is perfect proof.

His leadership is grounded in empathy. He’s not afraid to shy away from money in order to nurture trust and invest in brand equity.

Nigel’s path to becoming Securian Canada’s CEO wasn’t perfectly choreographed, but his values have shone through at every pivotal step.

Meet the man who dares to give CEO’s a great name, for whom authenticity and empathy is the greatest USP - the leader who always does the right thing, because culture is about what you do when nobody is looking…

You will learn:

• How Nigel Branker's leadership style is grounded in transparency, empathy, and purpose
• How modern leaders should balance business results with a culture of trust and inclusivity
• The real-world challenges and rewards of unifying multiple organisations under a shared vision
• How thoughtful, innovative use of technology empowers people and organisations
• The value of being open to growth, embracing new experiences, and nurturing resilience

🔑 Key Themes

• The Power of Empathetic Leadership
• Guiding a Business with Authenticity and Purpose
• Cultural Transformation in a Challenging Industry
• Balancing Profitable Work with Brand Equity
• The Future of Work & Technology in Business

Nigel Branker

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-branker/

Securian Canada

https://www.securiancanada.ca/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/securian-canada/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/