Colin Rowsell
Speaking & Writing
The unexpected part of you is your biggest strength. Drawing on two decades of leading teams through crisis, technology shifts, and creative development, I help audiences understand how being different is a feature not a bug. There are even bad jokes included, no extra charge.
I'm open to inquiries for speaking engagements in 2026 across Australasia and Asia. Please get in touch to learn more, or explore some of my favourite talks, workshops and podcast conversations below.
Speaking Topics
- Navigating through chaos, uncertainty and technological change
- Mythologising yourself: storytelling for leaders
- ​​Neurodiversity in an AI age
- Horror and creativity - the dark places hold the treasure
- Video game industry history, trends and futures
The Storytelling for Leaders Workshop series is about shaping living stories that bring teams and organisations together.
The ability to craft and share compelling stories is a crucial leadership competency. We’ve all experienced the transformative power of a leader who tells great stories: the clarity it brings, the vision it paints, and the profound impact it has on a team’s motivation and performance.
Storytelling for Leaders is facilitated by Jo Fitzgerald and Colin Rowsell, leaders and communicators who’ve supported teams through some of the biggest challenges imaginable. From the ancient fundamentals of storytelling in human history and ritual, to insider case studies from cutting-edge startups and the worlds of film, tv, and video game development, we will take you on a journey of applied narrative mastery.
For more information, free guides, testimonials and booking inquiries see the Storytelling For Leaders website.
Talks and podcast conversations
'Emotional Climate Change: The inner landscapes of horror' - NZ Game Developer's Conference 2025.
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Horror is the most primal genre, grounded in experiences that resonate with deep human fears and emotional landscapes. This talk explores how effective horror development starts with understanding the connection between external terrors and internal emotional states, creating a "psychic bridge" between creator and audience.
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You can view the slides used in this talk here.
'Small Weird Crews: Building high-performing teams of humans' - NZ Game Developer's Conference 2025.
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Lessons for NZ's growing game dev ecosystem from other regions and industries - how to keep the focus on people while growing business value. A realistic yet optimistic talk for founders, team leaders, and anyone interested in building lasting creative firms that honour he tangata (our people).
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You can view the slides used in this talk here.
'The Campfire in The Storm: Leadership Storytelling during Crisis' - NZ Game Developer's Conference 2025.
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This talk explores how effective leaders use storytelling as an interactive framework that helps teams navigate through chaos. Drawing on crisis management experience from disaster recovery, high-growth startups and scale-ups, we examine how stories shape team resilience, decision-making, and ultimately, the games we create.
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You can you the slides used in this talk here.
'Hello Chaos My Old Friend: Learning from the Messiest Projects' - NZ Game Developer's Conference 2024.
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Game development has sometimes struggled to learn from other fields as it evolves. But areas as diverse as disaster recovery, startups, SaaS scaling, and public sector rollouts offer fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) comparison points for the age-old question: how do you manage when things are completely off the rails? ​
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You can also read this in essay form at The Tangle.
'Lovecraft's Letters and Influence, S.T. Joshi' - Project Tempest Podcast
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A conversation with the great S.T. Joshi, H.P. Lovecraft scholar and bibliophile. Explore the full Project Tempest archives and subscribe on the listening service of your choice.
'Narrative, Story Worlds, and Transmedia, Jeff Gomez' - Project Tempest Podcast
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A deeply personal conversation with Jeff Gomez, modern mythologist and innovator of the collective journey. Explore the full Project Tempest archives and subscribe on the listening service of your choice.
'Interactive narrative and pursuing the writer's dream, Sarah Beaulieu' - Project Tempest Podcast
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A conversation with Sarah Beaulieu, Narrative Director on the Assassin's Creed video game franchise. Explore the full Project Tempest archives and subscribe on the listening service of your choice.
'One of the most exciting times in the history of media, Simon Pulman' - Project Tempest Podcast
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A conversation with Simon Pulman, leading entertainment dealmaker working across games, film, tv and complex rights deals. Explore the full Project Tempest archives and subscribe on the listening service of your choice.