Navigating the Wild West of Cybersecurity with Ant Davis

Culturally Sound

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Ant Davis, Co-Founder of Risky Creative, to talk about one of the most overlooked elements of cybersecurity: people.

With a background that spans everything from DJing and online sales to leading security awareness for the UK’s largest employer, Ant brings a refreshingly real perspective to a field often clouded by fear and jargon.

This isn’t just a conversation about phishing emails or password managers—it’s about trust, communication, and the human behaviors that sit at the heart of cybersecurity. From building a community for awareness professionals to using storytelling and humor to drive engagement, Ant shows how we can shift the narrative from compliance to connection.

Whether you work in cyber, comms, or just want to protect your business without the buzzwords, this episode offers sharp insights on AI, behavior change, and what it really takes to make security stick.

Guest Bio

Ant Davis is the Co-Founder of Risky Creative and a leading voice in cybersecurity awareness. After pivoting from a colorful sales career into IT and then cybersecurity, Ant spent over a decade helping a major UK tech retailer transform its security culture. Today, he creates relatable content, hosts a podcast for awareness professionals, and builds tools to make cyber more human, engaging, and effective.

Episode Breakdown

- From Sales to Security (00:00 – 15:30)

• How Ant’s early career taught him the psychology of persuasion
• Moving from IT support into a brand-new cybersecurity team
• Realizing the power of storytelling for behavior change

- Making Security Human (15:30 – 34:00)

• Why fear-based messaging doesn’t work
• Creating relatable content and communities for awareness pros
• Shifting from policies to conversations

- AI, Trust & the Future of Cyber (34:00 – 56:00)

• How AI is changing the threat landscape (and how it’s not)
• Why trust is central to remote work and cyber resilience
• Ownership, IP, and the evolving role of tools like ChatGPT

- Stories that Stick (56:00 – 01:14:00)

• Why relatable analogies beat technical jargon
• Mistakes that cost businesses everything—and how to avoid them
• Educating people with empathy, not arrogance

- Culture, Creativity & Connection (01:14:00 – 01:30:00)

• Why conversations matter more than compliance
• The value of slowing down, listening, and showing up
• Standing out, speaking human, and being intentional in a distracted world

Summary

Ant Davis doesn’t just teach cybersecurity—he translates it. In this candid and wide-ranging episode, he shares what it means to build trust, empower users, and communicate risk in a way that actually resonates. Whether you’re managing a team or just trying to stay safe online, this is your reminder that the most powerful security tool is still human connection.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Ant Davis on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/infosecant

🔗 Explore Risky Creative: linktr.ee/riskycreative

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound: corethos.com/culturally-sound