How to get from stuck to unstuck with Switch Thinking

If you’ve ever spent hours circling the same business problem, this episode is for you. Cec Busby speaks with organisational creativity expert Ken Hudson, author of Switch Thinking, about breaking familiar thought patterns and getting unstuck in just a couple of minutes.

Ken explains how switching perspectives, questions, focus, assumptions, and creative modes can open up new possibilities. From finding customers in cafés and gyms to using AI without outsourcing your creativity, this conversation offers practical ways for solo business owners to think differently, test ideas quickly, and move from “I know” to “I wonder.” Starting with one word: “switch.”

Key topics

1. Breaking out of familiar thinking patterns

Ken Hudson explains that repeated success reinforces familiar thinking, which can trap business owners in the same approach 01:25.

Saying “switch” deliberately signals to your brain that it’s time to try another perspective 02:54.

The new approach doesn’t have to be better immediately. It only needs to get you off the familiar track 03:43.

Ken Hudson compares this to leaving a traffic jam and exploring a side street, even if you don’t know where it leads 03:53.

2. Using box mode and ball mode

Box mode covers rational, logical, structured thinking and evaluating what has worked before 12:01.

Ball mode encourages playful, imaginative thinking and the generation of unusual possibilities 12:30.

Ken Hudson suggests switching from “This is what I know” to “I wonder” to open up creative options 13:22.