Paint & Pipette: The Art & Science of Innovation (Jeremy Utley)

Today’s guest, Ise Lyfe, believes that emotional intelligence goes hand-in-hand with the success of a company. Ise is the CEO of Lyfe Productives, a product development company dedicated to making health and education provocative for hard-to-reach audiences. He is known for creating many positive impacts on society through his business and is most proud of one particular deal where he partnered with the FDA and a local food distributor to bring healthy food to an urban community that he believed to be surrounded by bio-chemical warfare. In this episode, he explains what it means to institutionalize emotional intelligence in a company, how he creates a loving work environment that accommodates factors beyond his control, and the importance of creating a margin for error to help employees feel secure. Tuning in you’ll discover Ise’s management tips for how to cultivate an environment where people want to show up to work, resources that he recommends, and the power of pro-tips and the application of knowledge in the workplace. To hear all this as well as Ise’s recommended exercise for anyone wanting to start a business, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The growth of Ise’s business and the point when realized he could no longer manage it alone. 
• How delegation was less about the bottom line and more about emotional intelligence. 
• How delegation resulted in the company becoming much more profitable.
• What it meant to Ise to institutionalize emotional intelligence.  
• Why Ise believes that arousal, plus a label, equals an emotion and how this plays out in business.  
• How Ise creates a loving work environment that accommodates factors beyond his control. 
• The importance of creating margin for error to help employees feel secure. 
• How and why his company tries to maintain awareness of the cognitive map.
• How the leadership team continues to curate and cultivate this space. 
• The constant value the company places on pro tips and shared learning experiences.
• How a recent pro-tip led the company to acquire a nursery instead of building one. 
• How Ise distinguishes between a recoverable failure and a performance issue.
• Ise’s company’s greatest creative accomplishment in light of his mission to make healthcare and education provocative for hard-to-reach audiences.
• Resources that Ise recommends to anyone who wants to enhance their creative practice, create value in the world, or push their learning to the next level.
• And an exercise that Ise recommends to anyone wanting to start a business.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ise Lyfe  

Lyfe Productives

Ise Lyfe on LinkedIn

Ise Lyfe on Twitter

The Four Agreements

Business Wars

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

Jonathan Azu is an inspirational individual who has always followed his passion and taken risks, and it has paid off in many ways, even driving positive change in greater society. Today, the Founder and CEO of Culture Collective joins us to reflect on how his life has come full circle in a number of ways throughout his career. He describes how his first success in organizing a George Clinton concert while in his sophomore year at college, led him into a successful career in artist management. Apart from sharing many of his successes, you’ll also hear about his 

habit of scheduling meetings regularly with folks who he looks up to, and the importance of doing things with purpose. Jonathan talks about how being one of three executives of color in a room at a prestigious event, none of whom owned their own businesses, led him to start his own management company, and how the events of the last two years have allowed him the opportunity to be in the epicenter of the conversation around diversity in the industry. To hear about Jonathan’s belief in the concept of the high-performance zone which exists right between danger and comfort, and his advice on risk-taking, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The accomplishment that Jonathan is most proud of: Producing his first concert in his sophomore year at university. 
• How Jonathan realized what his life’s calling was. 
• Jonathan’s goal of doing a Dave Matthews concert and how he achieved this early on. 
• What led Jonathan to work in radio. 
• How Jonathan’s life came full circle when he started working for Red Light Management (Dave Matthews’ management company).
• Jonathan’s drive to figure things out and how he asks for advice about every two weeks. 
• What led Jonathon to establish Culture Collective. 
• The need for more diversity in the industry and how Jonathon is making a difference. 
• Some of his wins from the past year in business and in driving initiatives to make a change.
• How the George Floyd murder allowed Culture Collective the opportunity to be in the epicenter of the conversation around diversity in the industry. 
• Jeremy talks about the Masters of Creativity program at Stanford.
• Jonathan explains the importance of doing things with purpose. 
• How Jonathan tries to foster understanding when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• A resource that Jonathon recommends to anyone on a similar journey to his own.  
• The concept of the high-performance zone between danger and comfort, and Jonathon’s advice on taking risks.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jonathan Azu on LinkedIn

Culture Collective

Drake University

George Clinton  

Chuck D

Dave Matthews 

CBS Radio 

Red Light Management 

The Masters of Creativity program at Stanford 

The New York Times 

The Wall Street Journal 

The Tim Ferriss Show 

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

The mark of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to identify and serve a need in the marketplace and, with the rise of the pandemic, the need for door-to-door healthcare delivery became critical. Today we're talking to Derrick Miles, Founder and CEO of CourMed, who not only provides such deliveries and services to your door but are revolutionizing healthcare by putting encouragement at the center of the patient experience! In this conversation, he talks us through the turning point that drew him to leave a six-figure salary to start this venture and critical inflection points that have allowed them to keep growing. We dive into his intentionality in creating generational wealth for his sons, and his personal philosophy of remembering the value of real relationships. Listen in to discover Derrick's innovative tactics for securing world-class talent, and what it takes to bring a board of directors' strategic vision to create value in the market. You'll also hear stories of the clandestine meetings that set him on the path to his hard-won success, as well as an outline of how his leadership principle of encouragement filters through to every level of the company. To hear Derrick’s top advice for other entrepreneurs thinking of taking the plunge, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Derrick Miles introduces CourMed and how it has revolutionized healthcare delivery.
• Hear the inflection points that allowed the company to grow and build.
• Reflections on how margin is the biggest influence in any pivoting decisions. 
• Strategically choosing the board of directors in order to leverage their expertise.
• The life-changing advice he received early on that saved CourMed time and time again. 
• An innovative approach to staffing and how he's built a team of A-players.
• Derrick shares his top leadership principle: the power of encouragement.
• The hugely positive feedback that's letting them know the customers feel encouraged.
• How they've also used encouragement to build revenue for community pharmacies. 
• Some great advice for anyone considering leaving stability to become an entrepreneur.
• Hear some stories of meetings with people who changed the course of his life. 
• The story of growing up in a low-income area and deciding he wanted more for himself.
• Derrick shares the importance of family to him and a great book recommendation!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Derrick Miles on LinkedIn

CourMed

CourMed on Twitter

McKesson

AmerisourceBergen

Cardinal Health

University of Alabama

University of Florida

Advocate Health Care

Vizient

Henry Schein

UCLA Health

Abbott

Peter Daniels

Kneeland Youngblood

Jeremy Utley

Mar Hershenson

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

Standford d.school

Today’s guest never set out to become an entrepreneur, he just wanted to make a really big impact. He followed his love of basketball and policy, as well as his unique ability to connect the dots, into the business world. Now Mustafa Abdul-Hamid is the co-founder of My90 and the founder of Boost. In this episode, he shares his journey with us in an amazingly inspiring conversation. Tuning in you’ll hear about the impact having kids has had on his life and how he maintains his focus on the ‘North Star’, personally and professionally, through the practice of ruthless prioritization. He chats about the two companies he founded or co-founded, the different contexts of each, and how they both overlap and feed each other. He explains how his unique skill set and perspective led him into the world of entrepreneurship, how Boost greatly evolved from what it started out as, how Mustafa knew when to pivot the company’s direction, and what he will do differently the next time he starts a company. We’re sure you'll enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with an incredible entrepreneur, so tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The impact of having kids on Mustafa’s life as a founder.
• The value of ruthless prioritization and how this plays out in his business.
• How choosing a co-founder is very similar to choosing a life partner.  
• How ruthless prioritization plays into consensus-building and the importance of clear direction.  
• An example of a recent output Mustafa and his wife/co-founder Kona achieved as a result of having a clear direction.  
• Insight into the two different contexts Mustafa draws upon and is responsible for as a founder of two companies and how they feed each other. 
• How Mustafa came to see this common thread in these two contexts. 
• Mustafa’s love of policy, his ability to connect dots, and his desire to make a big impact.
• How he came to use his unique skill set and perspective in entrepreneurship.
• What Boost did when it first started and how it has evolved into data-driven story-telling.
• How Mustafa knew when to pivot in the evolution of Boost.
• How to reduce the risk when founding a company and what Mustafa will do differently next time. 
• The magic that happens when you do enough to inspire a potential customer to see your potential and ask you to do something.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mustafa Abdul-Hamid 

My90 

Boost 

Jeremy Utley

Marcus Hollinger

While many brands spend lots of time and money trying to present themselves in a way that is culturally relevant, today’s guest Gavin Guidry learned a powerful lesson while working as a content creator. He suggests that the best way for a brand to get its message across is not through cultural relevance but actually through community relevance. Despite being a Black man who never went to portfolio school, Gavin now works as one of R/GA Advertising’s creative directors. Apart from blowing our minds with this revelation, in this conversation, Gavin also talks about the need to cultivate a base set of knowledge before seeking to break a paradigm. He sheds light on the fact that the popular quote by Malcolm X, “By any means necessary,” may actually have a lot more to do with preparation than we may think. Tuning in you’ll hear about the value of social media to harness the power of authentic community, the value of community relevance in the current social and political climate, and Gavin’s tools for building community relevance. To finish off the show, Gavin reads us a profound quote by Tyler Mitchell that has fueled a lot of his thinking over the past several months. For all this and more, don’t miss this episode!  

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Jeremy learned the value of being deliberate about his own blind spots through this podcast. 
• Gavin’s belief that everything that's good develops organically.
• How being a content creator led Gavin to become a creative director in the advertising space.
• How he realized he was an in-house advertising agency and a breakdown of all that his job as a content creator entailed. 
• Gavin’s most profound revelation as a content creator: It's all about community relevance over cultural relevance. 
• The story of how Gavin came to this realization. 
• The value of social media to hear from and harness the power of authentic community. 
• How Gavin distinguishes the difference between community relevance and cultural relevance. 
• The value of community relevance in the current social and political climate. 
• Gavin’s tools for building community relevance.
• The challenges faced by young Black creators to break into the advertising industry.
• Why Gavin believes you need to learn from a landscape before you disrupt it.  
• How Gavin processes the energy that says that cultivating takes too long and it's time to tear down the old structures for the sake of equality. 
• How Gavin takes self-awareness precursory work and connects it to the work of community relevance.  
• How Gavin protects the discipline of inspiration and makes time to be inspired. 
• A quote by Black photographer Tyler Mitchell that has fueled a lot of Gavin’s thinking over the past several months.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Gavin Guidry 

Gavin Guidry on LinkedIn

R/GA

Wish Atlanta

Hypebeast 

Complex

In the Plex 

Culture Making

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating for a huge swath of the global population. This is especially true for families and individuals living from paycheck to paycheck. One major component that can make a difference in how people grow their wealth and manage their money, is financial literacy. This week on the show we sit down with JR Kanu, Founder and CEO of REACH, a technology company based in Lagos, Nigeria, to talk about how he turned his back on a great opportunity in America to build a legacy in Nigeria and what he’s learned about himself, entrepreneurship, and tech, over the course of his journey. JR expands on why it was so important for him to return to Nigeria after studying and working in America, as well as why the impact of other successful entrepreneurs in Africa was so inspiring to him. Tuning in, you’ll hear JR expand on the founding of the company, how it started as a credit scoring algorithm, and why they made an important shift to helping Africans across the continent better manage their finances. He also shares how his faith helped him to not make decisions based on fear, and how his wife helped him stay the course when he doubted the important work he was doing. Tune in to learn more about JR’s journey, the importance of investing in Africa, and how REACH has helped thousands of individuals improve their financial lives!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing JR Kanu, the Founder and CEO of REACH.
• How long REACH has been running and the scale of their audience.
• How REACH started as a credit scoring algorithm, and how they’ve changed.
• How REACH realized it had a responsibility to the people whose data they were using.
• Why REACH has put a pause on lending and how they are prioritizing financial literacy.
• The concept of Black Tax and how it affects generational wealth and wealth accumulation.
• The questions posed by REACH’s audience and the cumulative process of answering them.
• How to find the balance between focus and being adaptive as an entrepreneur.
• JR’s connections to America and Africa and how he felt compelled to serve African consumers.
• Why JR declined a very appealing offer from Amazon to continue his work with REACH.
• JR’s relationship with his wife and her enduring support of REACH’s mission.
• How JR’s faith has helped him not make decisions based on fear.
• JR’s hopes for a broader conversation around Africa and the positive associations he wants to build and impart when it comes to the African continent.
• What it means to have a good relationship with your homeland and what JR observed about families who had built their business at home.
• Some of the long-term benefits that JR hopes to see for users of his product.
• How Afua Osei, a fellow business school graduate, helped JR get an important new perspective on his business.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

JR Kanu on LinkedIn

REACH

Afua Osei

Afua Osei on Instagram

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

The majority of the world’s coffee is made in areas inhabited by people with black and brown skin. However, coffee culture globally has cropped this out. Addressing this issue through pouring a new narrative in the coffee industry is today's guest, co-founder, and CEO of Portrait Coffee, Aaron Fender. Aaron is driving the conversation around the origins of coffee through his unique brand, where each product is a portrait of an inspirational person with ties to the flavor of the coffee within. We dive into where Aaron found the inspiration for the brand, and how the Barry was created. Find out how curiosity drives Portrait’s mission, and Jeremy’s brilliant idea around marketing to initiate the conversation! We also learn where Aaron’s passion for coffee started, and how he came to realize the rich history of coffee being overlooked by the industry. Uncover the wealth of experience that lead Aaron to becoming an entrepreneur to solve the problem he’d identified, and where he finds his inspiration. From submitting an NBA salary caps article alongside his compensation table, to why brewing coffee is similar to a barbecue, Aaron’s outlook is wonderfully unique, a driving force in the success behind Portrait Coffee. So, grab your cup of coffee and tune in to uncover a world of passion and progress in this exciting episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcome to today’s guest, Aaron Fender, co-founder and CEO of Portrait Coffee
• What Aaron would love this conversation to contain: a learning opportunity!
• The creative accomplishment Aaron is most proud of (creating the coffee named Barry).
• Why Portrait Coffee is so unique, and how it pours a new narrative into the coffee industry. 
• How curiosity drives Portrait’s mission.
• The origin of the Barry coffee, and the translation from black skin under moonlight to a coffee flavor.
• How Aaron was drawn to coffee: from hospitality to sparking a conversation. 
• A great idea from Jeremy on how to get Portrait customers to engage in the conversation.
• The story behind Aaron identifying the lack of representation of people of color in coffee consumption.
• The moment Aaron realized he needed to seize the opportunity before it was too late!
• Where you can find out more about Aaron and Portrait Coffee. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Portrait Coffee

Aaron Fender on LinkedIn

Portrait Coffee on Instagram

Moonlight

Adam Grant on LinkedIn

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

There’s a sense of freedom and a chance of learning a new perspective when traveling between, or living in different countries. Who better to learn about this than from Julian Jordan: polyglot, design enthusiast, and adventurer who has lived on three different continents! Today, we find out what Julian means when he talks about the “spidey sense” he feels when moving somewhere new, and how he defines what it means to be fluent in a language (so much more than simple syntax!). He tells us how the “spidey sense” opened his eyes and broadened the lens through which he sees the world, and why he feels it’s almost a high. We find out how he first felt this high when traveling for football, and what a mentor meant when he told Julian about the Fireman Theory. Find out the importance of curiosity in life, and how Julian keeps travel and adventure exciting when the scaffolding of life starts to rise. We hear three excellent ideas to get to know the place you are living, and a funny anecdote of how things can get lost in translation. Tune in to find out how the histories of different countries affect people's identity and some sage advice on why friends from different areas of interest or cultures are great for your worldview. We look forward to you joining us on this adventure!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Julian Jordan, design enthusiast, polyglot, and adventurer. 
• Where Jeremy and Marcus met, and the benefits of being curious. 
• The difference between being fluent and being competent in a language.
• Why Julian chose to live in Brazil. 
• How experiencing new countries and cultures gives you a high like a spidey sense. 
• What Julian means by this spidey sense, and how it’s a result of your perception shifting. 
• How Julian got hooked by travel, and what he means by the Fireman theory. 
• Keeping a sense of adventure when the scaffolding of life starts rising.
• Tips from Julian on how to truly experience a new place: walk aimlessly, get up and out before sunrise, and find underground jazz clubs. 
• Anecdotes of when things got lost in translation. 
• Reframing your view of yourself based on different histories between countries. 
• The advice Julian gave to his brother: have a friend from each area of interest in life to widen your lens.
• Jeremy’s book recommendations to immerse yourself in other cultures.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Julian Jordan on LinkedIn

The Tim Ferriss Show: Chris Dixon and Naval Ravikant — The Wonders of Web3 And Much More

Dancing Wu Li Masters

AKQA

My Name Is Red

A Fine Balance

Maximum City

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

Today, we are joined by Founder and CEO of Bossy Cosmetics Inc., Aishetu Fatima Dozie. After 20 years in investment banking, Aishe took a sharp turn and directed her focus toward discovering her purpose and her passion. Thus, the mission-driven women's empowerment company masquerading as a beauty brand, Bossy Cosmetics, was born. In this episode, we hear about Aishe’s inspiring journey and why she considers her identity to be her journey. We discuss the painful process of having to divorce yourself from what you think the solution is when in actual fact, what the customer wants is all that counts. Aishe fills us in on the power of wording in design, the importance of communicating with your customers, and how Bossy Cosmetics uses language to connect with and empower their customers. We also touch on the crucial topic of inspiration and how to defend the time you need to fill your cup. Tune in to discover the power of confidence in transforming your life, how to navigate failure, and which Bossy Cosmetics products are Oprah Winfrey’s personal favorites!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Aishetu Fatima Dozie’s transformational experience at the Stanford Design School.
• A painful lesson she has learned in her business, Bossy Cosmetics Inc.
• A real-life example of Aishe’s customers’ wants not matching the solution she designed.
• How to navigate instances when your product doesn’t hit the mark with customers.
• The genesis of Bossy Cosmetics.
• How confidence can transform your life.
• The intersection of purpose and passion.
• Aishe defines “founder market fit”.
• The role her identity has played in her journey.
• How Aishe came to identify her purpose.
• The importance of talking to and connecting with your customers. 
• Which Bossy Cosmetics products Aishe feels hit the mark.
• The importance of wording in design.
• The four Bossy Cosmetics lipstick colors Oprah Winfrey picked.
• How Bossy Cosmetics Inc. conveys its messaging to customers.
• The color that recently resonated with Aishe and the bestselling product she created with it!
• What analogous exploration is and how Aishe fills her cup of inspiration.
• The importance of defending time to fill your cup.
• Aishe’s advice for those who have not been raised with privilege.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Aishetu Fatima Dozie

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on LinkedIn

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on Twitter

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on Instagram

Bossy Cosmetics Inc.

Musée Bleu

Bossy Cosmetics Inc. on Instagram

Bossy Cosmetics Inc. on Twitter

Bossy Cosmetics Inc. on TikTok

Bossy Cosmetics Inc. on YouTube

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

There are countless books and resources to help people develop good leadership skills, but not many people or institutions seem to focus on developing good followership. The military is one exception. Today on the show, we are joined by Trier Bryant, CEO and Co-Founder of Just Work who shares insight from her career leading teams in the Air Force, at Goldman Sachs, and at Twitter. Trier co-founded Just Work with Kim Scott, the New York Times Bestselling Author of Radical Candor, and the author of another more recent book also titled Just Work. Apart from blowing our minds with her perspectives on followership and the critical need for organizations to take better care of their people, Trier also sheds light on workplace injustice and how to go about rooting out bias. To discover what it means to be a good follower, what the three root causes of workplace injustice are, and a practical framework to help you challenge and overcome injustice in your workplace, tune in today! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Trier Bryant, her company Just Work, and the book of the same name written by her co-founder.
• The critical need for organizations to take care of their people.
• The moment where Trier first identified this need in the corporate world and how her experience in the military informed this.
• Other ways the military and the corporate world treat their people differently. 
• What the military does really well: they teach people about leadership as well as followership. 
• What it means to be a good follower.
• Thoughts on how a good leader wants to be challenged. 
• How the military teaches good followership and the value of good questions from both sides. 
• Examples of good followership and insight into the different types of followers. 
• Barak Obama and Jack Dorsey as examples of followers that Trier admires. 
• Why Trier was underwhelmed by the transition from banking to tech. 
• The three root causes of workplace injustice.
• How the Just Work Framework helps companies overcome injustice to get things done fast and fair.
• An example of a situation where one of Just Work’s principles led to a game-changing moment. 
• Resources or strategies to help listeners move ahead in applying the framework discussed in this podcast.
• What compelled Trier to co-found Just Work with Kim Scott and become its CEO and what she wishes she had done differently.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Trier Bryant on LinkedIn

Just Work

Kim Scott on LinkedIn

Radical Candor
Just Work: How to Root Out Bias, Prejudice, and Bullying to Build a Kick-Ass Culture of Inclusivity

Chief
TED: How to reduce bias in your workplace

D Hibbert

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Marcus Hollinger on LinkedIn

Not many people have the guts to say that one plus one can equal 11, but for Brandon Middleton, the world has always looked a little different. Brandon has an amazing story, which he shares on today's show and we are truly lucky to be able to bring you this inspiring conversation with such a powerful individual. In our chat, we chart the history of Brandon's ascent, looking back at his work as a golf caddy, the speech impediment he had as a child, and how Brandon leveraged all of his circumstances and opportunities to continue to grow and succeed. Brandon is a true multi-hyphenate; thinker, leader, father, developer, bassist, rapper, advocate, and investor are some of the ways you might describe him, and he has so much wisdom and insight at the intersection of all of these spheres! We talk about bringing all of these areas of life into synergy and using what Brandon calls intentional congruence to get to that next level in whatever you do. He also underlines the importance of humility, why it's necessary to get uncomfortable, and his ongoing commitment to help broaden the horizons of young people. So to hear it all, and share in some of this abundant inspiration, listen in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Brandon and his wide array of talents, interests, and identities! 
• Brandon's early experiences in New York City and sleeping outside Yankee Stadium.
• Internships and first jobs; the decision to work at Cisco over Morgan Stanley.
• A commitment to life design and how Brandon approached his goals like a portfolio. 
• The important conversations that Brandon started to gain access to in order to level up. 
• Approaches to connecting over cultural divides; how Brandon focused on this at a young age.  
• How Brandon turned his childhood stutter into a means for empathy and understanding. 
• Brandon drops bars; that rap that he wrote for Cisco! 
• The strategic moves that Brandon is making in multiple directions at once. 
• Tips from Brandon about bringing more congruence into our professional lives. 
• How Brandon stays grounded with so much fluctuation and expansion!
• The continual quest for learning and some recommendations from our guest to keep growing.   
• Brandon's professional portfolio right now; teaching, crypto, community work, and more.   
• A look at Brandon's game development history and the popularity of Tic Tac Toe 10.
• Where does hacking fit into Brandon's life these days?
• How to connect with Brandon online across different platforms.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brandon Middleton on LinkedIn

Brandon Middleton on Instagram

Brandon Middleton on Twitter

Cisco

Morgan Stanley

WILL

Will Smith

Jada Pinkett

StreetCode Academy

Silicon Valley Education Foundation

Jeremy Utley 

Stanford d.school

Marcus Hollinger

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

It may sometimes feel that in order to 'make it' in a certain field, we have to get very serious and lose some of the fun along the way. Our guest on the show today, is here to remind us why play and maintaining a novice's wonder and innocence, are some of the most important parts of creativity and craft. Ato Essandoh is someone who has carved out an exciting and varied life in creative spaces; working primarily as an actor, Ato has not allowed a successful and demanding career to withhold him from pursuing passion projects and his own curiosity. In today's chat he explains how he allows space to explore things that light him up, and the lessons he has taken from some of the best creative minds about play. He also talks about the value of letting go, and why collaboration is the essence of what he does. This inspiring conversation had too much to be contained in just one episode, and we promise we will have Ato back for a follow-up chat, exploring more of his amazing mind. For now, dive in with us and hear what our guest had to say!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The array of work that Ato does and how he accidentally fell in love with acting! 
• Ato's motivations for creativity and what passion projects add to his life. 
• Lessons in framing and reveals that Ato has learned along the way. 
• Finding playfulness with professionals; Ato's perspectives on the best in the business.
• How generosity and togetherness figure into Ato's artistic philosophy. 
• The first steps that Ato takes when it comes to instilling play in a scene.
• Ato's thoughts on pursuing ideas and why practice is so important to this.  
• The influence of Ato's family on his mission statement; how he turned this into a life of creativity. 
• Designing a life based on what you truly love and want to try!
• The long path of being a novice and the time it so often takes to experience success that is seen.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ato Essandoh on Twitter

Martin Scorsese

Jane Campion

The Power of The Dog

Bobby Cannavale

Quentin Tarantino

The Second City

Kelly Leonard 

Pietro Procaccini

Natalie Portman

Meryl Streep

Kobe Bryant

Dirk Nowitzki

The Perfect Shot

MrBeast

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

Stanford d.school

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

From cloning a gene to investigate cardiovascular genetic disorders to becoming the youngest precinct judge for the state of North Carolina to founding a massively successful boutique travel company, Zim Flores (nee Ugochukwu) is a force to be reckoned with! Join us today as we dive into Zim’s past, present and future. We start the discussion with the achievement that she feels most proud of (the answer will surprise you!), and the breakthrough that she had when she sold Travel Noire. We dive into the challenge of separating yourself from your business as an entrepreneur, and why the Travel Noire experience was founded on the idea of creating tension. Zim also tells us how she came to appreciate tension during travel, and she shares some of the successes and failures in her career. As a woman of God, we learn how His Plan saved Zim in terms of timing, and how she is incorporating her faith in her next venture. We wrap up with why it's so key to take a break from creating, and how Zim is using this time to be present. So, for all this and so much more, press "Play" now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why cloning a gene is the achievement Zim is most proud of!
• The breakthrough that selling Travel Noire lead Zim to. 
• How Zim came to terms with letting go of a company that she founded her identity on.
• Why tension is something to strive for.
• What led Zim to appreciate tension, and how she engineered it as part of the Travel Noire experience. 
• A few examples of tension successes and failures. 
• Letting go of your company: why leaving was a blessing in disguise. 
• How Zim came to terms with God’s plan for her, and the wonder of the timing. 
• Taking time out from creating, and Zim’s advice on being present. 
• Zim’s latest adventures: from Glory Road to Morning Assembly, and what’s to come!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Zim Flores on LinkedIn

Zim Flores

Travel Noire

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

Stanford d.school

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

Today’s guest believes strongly that we can't just survive anymore, we've got to thrive. In this episode, we are joined by Minda Harts, blogger, best-selling author, and the 2020 Linkedin Top Voice For Equity In The Workplace. Minda recently published her third book You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls Guide to Finding Your Voice and explains what it means to ‘take one’s space’. She explains why she feels that Black and Brown girls especially need to hear this message, why she felt she needed to shift her focus from adults to teens, and how her experiences as a teen made her want to address this topic. Tuning in you’ll learn about Minda’s writing process, why she chose to conduct roundtables in preparation for this book, how she learned the writing craft, and how she came to see herself as an artist. To hear how Minda overcame self-doubt when told that there was no audience for her book, her top go-to hacks for finding fresh inspiration, and many profound insights from this inspirational person, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Minda Harts decided to write a book for young people and how this is different from writing for adults
• What it means to ‘take one’s space' and why Black and Brown girls need to have that exhortation in particular. 
• How Minda’s own experience as a teen made her want to focus on this topic. 
• What inspired Minda to conduct roundtables in preparation for writing this book.
• How Minda learned the writing craft and came to see herself as an artist. 
• Why she aimed for a conversational style with her writing. 
• The specific moment when Minda realized that she was an artist.
• What it was like to be told that there was no audience for her book and why she persevered anyway. 
• How she used a blog to find her voice as a writer and how she knew it was resonating with people. 
• Thoughts on the value of posting consistently and how to come up with ideas. 
• How her habits have changed and how she finds fresh inspiration and new material.
• Thoughts on self-doubt, how Minda overcame it, and why she sticks to her recipe. 
• How she is overcoming the learning curve to adapt her material for different formats and finding ways to stay relevant. 
• Minda’s recent epiphany on the difference between survival tools and tools to thrive.
• Minda’s go-to hacks, tips, or tricks for fresh inspiration. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Minda Harts 

You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls Guide to Finding Your Voice

The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table

Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace 

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

Temporary fixes are one thing; solutions are another altogether. Today, we are joined by a particularly inspiring guest, Demi Samande, to discuss the manufacturing problem in Nigeria and her goal to solve it. In this episode, we learn about Nigeria’s fascinating manufacturing history, what can be attributed to the import-production imbalance in the country, and the undeniable raw talent and entrepreneurial spirit of the Nigerian people. Demi introduces herself as the Future of Manufacturing in Nigeria, and after our conversation with her, we have no doubts that she is just that. Demi shares her awe-inspiring journey from architecture to furniture manufacturing and restoration, to her mission to solve Nigeria’s manufacturing issues. Tune in to discover the true role and responsibility of a manufacturer, as well as Demi’s sound advice for fending off the fear of failure!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Demi Samande, the future of manufacturing in Nigeria.
• Nigeria’s interesting manufacturing history.
• What Demi attributes to the import-production imbalance in Nigeria.
• Demi’s journey from architecture to furniture manufacturing and restoration.
• Demi’s instinct for reverse engineering.
• How Demi fends off the fear of failure.
• Going back to the drawing board rather than accepting defeat.
• What fueled Demi to shift her focus to solving Nigeria’s manufacturing problem.
• The role and responsibility of a manufacturer.
• The innate entrepreneurial spirit Demi recognizes in Nigerians.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Demi Samande

Demi Samande on LinkedIn

Demi Samande on Instagram

Demi Samande on Twitter

Jeremy Utley

Marcus Hollinger

Effective creators talk about the need for monotonous, mindless tasks that allow us to fertilize our creative fields. Embracing our weirdness breeds room for our creativity to flow, new ideas to be formed, and connections to be made. We’re back here with our good friend Ato Essandoh for the first-ever round two of a Paint and Pipette interview. Tuning in, listeners will hear from Ato on how he practices for new roles, translating practice into performance, why going slow is crucial in learning new things, the importance of play — especially in discovery, allowing yourself to embrace your inner weird, and so much more. Join this insightful conversation as we learn together publicly!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What has happened in Ato’s life since the last time he was on the podcast.
• Ato shares insight on how to practice words, so they roll off the tongue.
• He shares insight on how to translate practice into performance.
• How Ato learned to “go slow”: the running journey.
• How Ato is orienting himself for play in his new role.
• He shares an example of discovery through play.
• What running does for Ato and why it’s his favorite new activity.
• The importance of allowing yourself to be your own weirdness.
• Ato shares the weird thing that “works for him.”
• Someone who has inspired Ato to embrace his inner weird. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ato Essandoh on Twitter

Ato Essandoh on Instagram

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger

Stanford Adjunct Professor Jeremy Utley explores the counter-intuitive tactics that world-class innovators and entrepreneurs employ to break through. He's learned that while innovation is part art (paint) – it's also part science (pipette) – and treats the subject with both the rigor and the wonder that it deserves. Season 1 shined a spotlight on female founders; season 2 celebrated black creators; Season 3 guests include WIRED co-founder Kevin Kelly, Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill, CEO of Google X Astro Teller, start-up coach Liz Tran, Seth Godin, journalist Jennifer Wallace, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, and more.

Today on the show, we have a great conversation with Edwin Catmull, the Founder and former CEO at Pixar and former CEO of Disney Animation Studios. Edwin dives deep into some of the ideas that he shared in his book Creativity Inc., so you can expect a real masterclass on the creative process and how this translates to high-level teams. We get into some insightful discussions on the objectivity problem, learning by doing, the dangers of overestimating past successes, and the constancy of change. Edwin also makes amazing arguments for why learning should be centralized in the creative process and how balance is often struck through forward motion. Along the way, you can expect to hear some colorful anecdotes about some of the beloved movies that Edwin was involved in, including Zootopia, Finding Nemo, and Monsters University. The wonderful thing about this conversation is how specific it is to the world of animated films, but also how these lessons and ideas translate for leaders in any field. Make sure to join us to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Edwin shares the story of the 'Zootopia incident' and the point it illustrates. 
• How a team can hold onto an element of a film that they love but is not working. 
• Solving the objectivity problem by drawing on trusted outside perspectives.  
• Assessing the group dynamic and sketching the role of the person in charge of gauging this.  
• Edwin comments on the place of customer feedback in internal discussions.  
• Reflecting on the failure of the Blue-Footed Newt project and why this and other initiatives might not have worked.   
• Explaining the reasons and roots for the 'three pitches rule'.
• The importance of protecting new ideas and how Edwin approaches this.  
• Thoughts on assessing the creative process; Edwin talks about best practices for great hires. 
• Creating a trusting environment for interns and why this is so beneficial for all involved. 
• Edwin's tactics for identifying assumptions and how he looks for what he is missing at any given time.  
• Why our ideas about the past are as misleading as our predictions for the future! 
• Making use of deeper research trips to enhance an audience's sense of the truth.
• Unpacking the real reasons for Steve Jobs' strength and success.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Edwin Catmull

Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Pixar 

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Lucasfilm

Andrew Stanton

Zootopia

Inside Out

WALL-E

Finding Nemo

Toy Story 

A Bug's Life

Marcus Hollinger

Jeremy Utley

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

In this captivating episode, we are joined by a true visionary and creative mind, Kevin Kelly, co-founder of the iconic WIRED Magazine. Kevin’s new book, Excellent Advice for Living, serves as the foundation for the conversation, as we unpack the intricacies of the creative process and innovation. Kevin draws on his professional experience and walks us through the notion of embracing a multitude of bad ideas as a pathway to uncovering true gems of creativity. We uncover essential takeaways from the book, like the power of habits over inspiration and the art of setting ambitious goals. We also discuss the multifaceted nature of imagination, the benefits of embracing imperfection, what sparks creativity, and how to reach your full potential during the creative process. Kevin also shares his perspectives on AI-generated art, how he leverages AI for his creative goals, and the limitations of text-prompted creations. Tune in to discover profound insights as we delve into the art of idea generation, iteration, and the beauty of embracing imperfection on the journey to creative excellence!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The value of generating numerous bad ideas to uncover true creativity.
• Embracing iteration and the iterative creative process.
• Nurturing the initial creative phase by defying judgment.
• Normalizing the exploration of bad ideas as a catalyst for innovation.
• Building the muscle of imagination and why it is essential to creativity.
• Balancing deadlines with the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Continuously learning even after creative projects are complete.
• Kevin shares the creative habits that he practices on a daily basis.
• The role of observation and perception in sparking creativity.
• He reveals his approach to creative collaborations.
• Insights into the integration of AI tools into the creative process.
• Making the problem itself essential to the problem-solving process.
• Creating content for an audience of one.
• Advice for adopting fresh perspectives and approaches.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kevin Kelly 

Kevin Kelly on X

Kevin Kelly on Instagram

Kevin Kelly on Facebook

Kevin Kelly on YouTube

WIRED

Excellent Advice for Living

Art and Fear

Creativity, Inc.

Pixar

Midjourney

DALL-E 2

Vanishing Asia

Seeds of Contemplation

A Writer’s Time

Procreate

The Long Now Foundation

Marcus Hollinger

Jeremy Utley 

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

As entrepreneurs, we are often so focused on finding solutions that we forget what matters most: the problem itself. And maybe we avoid the problem because we are afraid to fail, but as today’s guest eloquently explains, failure is the only true route to success! For today’s conversation, we are joined by the co-founder of Waze and serial entrepreneur, Uri Levine. Uri has just written a new book, Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution, which is a practical guide for entrepreneurs on how to endure the rollercoaster of failure – faster and with more fun! Our chat explores the importance of prioritizing and documenting the problem, moving beyond mere conversation and toward building conviction, how falling in love with a problem will help you stay on mission and persevere through failure, and how to find the balance between experimentation and having a clear, focused path. Uri shares why failure is an absolute necessity and how failing faster is always better, before coaching established brands through the ins and outs of disruptions. To end, we discuss whether it’s better to solve a problem for yourself or others or both, and the extremely passionate and knowledgeable Uri Levine shows us how innovators, enthusiastic amateurs, early adopters, the early majority, and first-time users influence how you solve your organizational problems. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the very passionate serial entrepreneur, Uri Levine. 
• When Uri first realized that the problem is more important than the solution. 
• His process for documenting problems, and when he first started making these notes. 
• How he approaches people about a particular problem. 
• Moving beyond conversation to build conviction. 
• Being elected: falling in love with a problem to endure through failure; staying on mission.  
• Threading the needle between experimentation and maintaining focus. 
• Why failure is necessary for success, and how it helps to fail faster. 
• The innovation dilemma: coaching established brands through disruptions. 
• When to invest in a disrupter versus when to become one yourself.  
• Solving a problem for yourself versus solving it for someone else. 
• Organizational problems: how solving them may become your competitive advantage.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Uri Levine 

Uri Levine on LinkedIn

Uri Levine on X

Uri Levine on YouTube 

Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution 

Waze

Daniel H. Pink 

David Ogilvie on LinkedIn 

Quit 

Thinking in Bets 

Sir James Dyson 

Stephan Wozniak

Jeremy Utley 

Today’s parental landscape is filled with more challenges than ever before. Among the plethora of concerns that parents have to deal with on an everyday basis, one never would’ve expected toxic achievement to be one of them. Who even knew that achievement could be toxic?!  But too much of anything is never good, and placing too much attention on your child’s educational success could be irreversibly damaging to their self-esteem. To help us make better sense of this topic, we are joined today by the award-winning journalist and author of Never Enough, Jennifer Wallace. Jennie explains why the topic of parenting and toxic achievement sits close to her heart, the damaging differences between what parents value and what their children think they value, cognitive biases that many parents are burdened with, and the four questions that every parent should ask themselves to get to the bottom of what they actually prioritize about their kids. We also discuss the circus act that is the college admissions process, why fit is always better than rankings, the ins and outs of mattering, and rapid-fire topics as taken from the truly educational Never Enough. Heart and home are at the center of today’s episode, and we’re thrilled to be sharing it with you – our family of loyal listeners!  

Key Points From This Episode:

• A warm welcome to the award-winning journalist and author, Jennifer Wallace. 
• Why Jennie decided to deeply examine the topic of parenting and toxic achievement.  
• Assessing which children are at risk because of toxic achievement, and why. 
• Detrimental differences between what parents value and what their kids think they value. 
• The four questions that parents should ask themselves to discover what they truly prioritize.  
• Scarcity and status: the cognitive biases that plague parents. 
• The volatile cocktail that is the college admissions process. 
• Fit over rankings: life fulfillment versus high-performing academic institutions. 
• How to assess the right fit as you prepare your kids for higher education. 
• The ins and outs of mattering: for kids, parents, at work, and in life.  
• Our guest’s advice for how leaders can foster mattering in the workplace.  
• Get curious not furious, the puppy dog principle, NOFAs, materialism, and mental health. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jennifer Wallace 

Jennifer Wallace on LinkedIn

Jennifer Wallace on X

Jennifer Wallace on Instagram

Jennifer Wallace on Facebook 

Never Enough 

Dr. Suniya Luthar 

Making Caring Common 

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson 

Challenge Success 

Dr. Lisa Damour 

Mayo Clinic 

Resy 

The Song of Significance

Jeremy Utley 

In this episode, we dive deep into the remarkable life and career of Jason Mayden, a true high-performer who has blazed his own trail in the worlds of tech, design, and corporate America. Join us as we explore the pivotal moments and inspiring insights that have shaped his extraordinary journey. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Trillicon Valley, an acclaimed design and strategy consultancy, he specializes in pioneering new ventures and orchestrating intricate negotiations involving athletes, entertainers, and global creatives through multi-stakeholder partnerships. As we delve deeper into Jason's narrative, we'll explore the mental hurdles and stereotypes he's faced, shedding light on the complex corporate dynamics in America and how they can affect an individual's self-worth. Learn about pivotal moments, including a life-changing connection with his high school art teacher and his intern experience at Nike. Discover how Jason's family and his determination helped him overcome overwhelming challenges and stereotypes. He also shares insights into the importance of self-worth, authenticity, and transcending job titles for fulfillment. Join us for this enlightening episode as we celebrate the life and career of Jason Mayden, a high-performer who not only navigated career transitions with grace but also redefined success on his own terms. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Background about Jason and his current career transition decision.
• His childhood inspiration and overcoming health challenges.
• Jason shares an impactful moment with his high school art teacher.
• A profound conversation that changed the course of his life.
• Discover how he ended up working as an intern at Nike.
• Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech and design industries
• He shares the moment when he met his childhood hero Michael Jordon.
• What Jason values the most in his life: his family.
• Overcoming mental hurdles and stereotypes.
• Corporate dynamics in America and how it plays into an individual’s self-worth.
• Standing up against the pressure to conform in corporate America.
• Shifting from employment to deployment.
• Recognizing that self-worth isn't tied to job titles or external markers of success.
• The value of accepting and embracing oneself.
• Discover the role of high expectations and faith in reaching your potential.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jason Mayden on LinkedIn

TRILLICON VALLEY®

Nike

The Song of Significance

The Speed of Grace 

Jeremy Utley 

Productivity, innovation, and leadership are three key pillars that drive success and growth within any organization. When effectively combined, they create a powerful synergy that propels a company to new heights and ensures its sustainability in an ever-evolving business landscape. In this episode, we are joined today by blogger, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Founder of The Carbon Almanac, Seth Godin, to discuss the world of productivity, innovation, and leadership. Seth is a prolific writer, having authored 20 bestselling books. His works serve as profound resources for understanding key concepts in various aspects of life and business. In today’s conversation, we discuss his latest book, Song of Significance, which offers readers a thought-provoking exploration of the state of work and leadership in the modern world. In our conversation, we delve into the consequences of treating employees as mere cogs in a machine, how organizations can pinpoint productivity aspects in need of optimization, and the difference between managers and leaders. We explore the importance of defining one's value and significance, tailored metrics for success, and the power of unconventional paths in finding solutions. He also provides valuable insights into overcoming innovation dilemmas, redefining leadership for inclusivity and collaboration, balancing creativity with operations, and much more! Tune in and discover how to reimagine the world of productivity, innovation, and leadership with Seth Godin!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What it means to be a useful imposter and the definition of productivity paranoia.
• Examples of treating a workforce like machines and the resulting impacts.
• How organizations can identify the productivity aspects that need optimizing.
• The steps for individuals to overcome productivity paranoia.
• Defining your value and significance as an employee.
• Identifying key metrics for success that are relevant to your target audience.
• Learn about the differences between a freelancer and an entrepreneur.
• He explains finding the correct path by way of non-paths.
• Creating the right environment for embracing innovation.
• The Carbon Almanac project, what it achieved, and the lessons learned.
• Explore the concept of “Page 19 Thinking” and why it is essential.
• Seth shares the Harry Aker story from his book.
• Attending to annoyances in order to identify solutions.
• Valuable insights into good and bad types of turnover.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Seth Godin 

Seth Godin on LinkedIn

Seth Godin on Twitter

Seth Godin on Instagram

Seth Godin on Facebook

Rising Tide Car Wash

The Practice

Linchpin

Purple Cow

Permission Marketing

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Ever wondered what it takes to revolutionize the world through innovation and moonshot thinking? We are joined today by Dr. Astro Teller, co-founder and captain at X, Alphabet's renowned moonshot factory, where they're on a mission to invent and launch technologies that can change the world for the better. In this enlightening episode, Dr. Teller gives listeners a fascinating peek behind the curtain of the moonshot factory and how they design their environment to foster creative thinking and innovation. Tuning in, you’ll hear Dr. Teller share his expert insights on the power of intellectual honesty, the art of unlearning limiting beliefs, and the essential skill of judging experiments rather than outcomes. We explore the strategies that foster creativity, the delicate balance between audacity and humility, and the value of maintaining a beginner's mindset in the journey of innovation. Dr. Teller also shares his thoughts on how to create internal urgency, his predictions for generative AI, and why he would love to see more companies with a moonshot division, like X. Join us as we embark on a fascinating exploration of the transformative power of innovation with a true visionary, Dr. Astro Teller! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Teller’s work at X, Alphabet's moonshot factory for developing breakthrough technologies.
• The deep-rooted beliefs that most people need to unlearn after they arrive at X.
• ‘Bad idea’ brainstorming and other exercises to help overcome limiting beliefs and habits.
• Dr. Teller’s strategy for getting people to be honest with him as a CEO.
• Why innovation is not a game for loners.
• How to judge the experiment, not the outcome, and why this is essential.
• A breakdown of how Dr. Teller grades experiments.
• The five principles at X for ensuring intellectual honesty and innovation.
• Insights into the criteria that X institutes for their projects.
• How they approach quarterly reviews for an X project.
• Understanding X’s role at Alphabet and how they monitor their pipeline.
• Dr. Teller’s approach to balancing a “beginner’s mind” with input from experts.
• How he determines whether someone is a good fit for a learning intervention.
• Why having high audacity and high humility is such a powerful combo.
• Using processes to innovate reliably and how it differs from gambling.
• Why being willing to let go of a project at X is crucial.
• Dr. Teller’s answers to our rapid-fire questions!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Astro Teller

Astro Teller TED Speaker

Astro Teller on X

X, the moonshot factory

Wing

Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently
Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

One of the most important aspects of leadership is having a vision for what you want to achieve. It’s the vision for a project that will guide your team and inspire them to perform at the top of their game. But how does that change when you need to lead innovation? And how do you navigate the unknowns inherent to pursuing true innovation? Joining us today to unpack this topic and explore key questions of innovation and leadership is Professor Linda Hill from Harvard Business. Professor Hill is the co-founder of Paradox Strategies, the co-author of the acclaimed book Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation, and is regarded as one of the top experts on leadership. Tuning in you’ll hear her break down the paradoxes that lie at the heart of leading innovation and why building a sense of community can be such a powerful catalyst for fostering innovation. She explains how leading innovation requires embracing the unknown while being intimately familiar with the ‘why’ of your project, before describing how collaboration, experimentation, and the ability to learn are essential for building a sense of community. Professor Hill also sheds light on her personal practices as a researcher and practitioner of innovation, her process for selecting her co-authors, and why she places such a high value on having a novice perspective. For a deep dive into the intricacies of leadership, innovation, building a sense of community, and so much more, be sure to tune in to this fascinating conversation with Professor Linda Hill!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Professor Hill’s research on innovation for her book Collective Genius.
• Why leading innovation means not having a vision, but having a ‘why’.
• The emotional and intellectual challenges that accompany innovation.
• Creating a sense of community to help face the unknown of innovation.
• The details of a key Google project and what it teaches us about leading innovation.
• An overview of the paradoxes you have to manage as a leader of innovation.
• The distinction between planning forward and acting forward.
• How to organize for action and innovation.
• Insight into some of the dangers that expertise can pose to innovation.
• Lessons from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's unique culture of communication.
• How their company culture helped them prepare for, and navigate, the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Professor Hill’s personal practices as a researcher and practitioner of innovation.
• The founding of Paradox Strategies and how Professor Hill is pushing herself to be a novice.
• Generative AI, having a growth mindset, and the value of different perspectives.
• Some insight into Professor Hill’s research for her upcoming book Scaling Genius.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Linda Hill on LinkedIn

Paradox Strategies

Linda Hill on X

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Lockheed Martin
Skunk Works®
Sanjay Poonen on LinkedIn
Cohesity
Avatarin

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Steve Jobs is one of the most influential people of the century, maybe even ever! But his ideas, values, and approach to life have often been skewed and mutilated by the media. Today, we wish to bring you the truth about Steve from a man who knew him better than most, Ron Johnson. Ron worked with Steve as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, and in this episode, he explains how the tech juggernaut enticed him into a job when he was already flourishing at Target and before Apple had gained its notoriety. We hear all the details of Ron’s first conversation with Steve, how he had to adjust to a new role and industry, how Steve was never tyrannical by nature, and how Steve inspired Ron and everyone else around him to raise their standards to the highest level. Ron also explains Steve’s flexibility in hearing and working on new ideas, the character traits Steve held most dear, how his philosophies are being misunderstood and misused in the modern corporate environment, and everything that his famous Stanford speech reveals about his character. Finally, after sharing the intimacy of his final moments with Steve, Ron reveals that there is no doubt that he was loved by the benevolent co-founder of Apple. Tune in for all this and more on the Paint and Pipette Podcast!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s co-host: two-time New York Times best-selling author, Greg McKeown. 
• Introducing renowned businessman and infamous Apple alumni, Ron Johnson.
• How Apple enticed Ron to join the team before it became the juggernaut it is today. 
• More details on Ron’s first-ever conversation with Steve Jobs. 
• The way he adjusted to his new role at Apple and being in a new industry.   
• How Steve Jobs was not the tyrannical leader the media painted him to be. 
• Understanding how working with Steve inspired Ron to raise his standards.
• How bad ideas become great ideas (and vice versa). 
• Kindness, authenticity, and other traits that Steve Jobs valued. 
• The clarity not present in most modern corporate cultures that Steve offered Ron.
• Adjustments Ron made to communicate better with Steve. 
• Insights on Steve’s character from his carefully crafted and now infamous speech at Stanford.  
• The last time Ron Johnson saw Steve Jobs. 
• Why Ron felt absolutely loved by Steve. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ron Johnson on LinkedIn

Apple

Asurion 

Target 

Steve Jobs 

Becoming Steve Jobs 

Tim Cook on X

Greg McKeown  

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

High performers experience near-constant pressure to improve. Marcus Whitney — venture capitalist, pro sports owner, keynote speaker, athlete, author, among other hats — shares how he plans to reach to his ‘next level.’ This is a deeply personal, wide-ranging conversation with a true virtuoso of creative craft. From exercise to creative dry spells to scaling ventures to a beginner’s mindset to the benefits of therapy, we cover a lot of ground. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Marcus Whitney. 
• How exercise helps calm down Marcus’ busy life and exhausting your body versus a workout. 
• Why Marcus has seen this year as his least creative year. 
• What the ‘next level’ of his life and career mean to Marcus and how he plans to get there. 
• The importance of allowing yourself to be a beginner in order to achieve success eventually. 
• Adopting the mindset of scaling as a creative act.
• Marcus tells us about his cathartic experience in therapy. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Marcus Whitney

Marcus Whitney on LinkedIn

Marcus Whitney on X

Marcus Whitney on Instagram

Marcus Whitney on YouTube

Create and Orchestrate

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Understanding and adapting to unwritten rules and organizational culture is a continual process. It's essential to strike a balance between fitting into the existing culture and bringing in new perspectives to drive positive change. In today’s episode, we sit down with Liz Wiseman, a management expert and CEO of The Wiseman Group, to discuss the challenges of controlling idea flow and the problems it might cause in leadership roles. Liz is a renowned researcher and best-selling author who empowers global organizations with her groundbreaking insights on leadership development. In our conversation, we cover a range of topics, from leadership challenges to the use of AI in idea generation, and the importance of recognizing, owning, and addressing critical, unassigned issues within an organization. We unpack understanding organizational culture, identifying impact players, the role of context in performance, and maintaining an impact player mindset within different work environments. She also shares insights into the challenges faced by idea-rich individuals in leadership positions, the importance of leaders asking questions to enable problem-solving by the team, the concept of "hot spots" within an organization, and much more! Join us as we unlock the secrets to thriving within the complex tapestry of organizational culture and harness the power of the unwritten rules with legendary management guru, Liz Wiseman!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Controlling the overflow of ideas she generates and its impact on her role as a leader.
• Her approach to channeling ideas effectively.
• The power of shifting from offering answers to asking questions as a leader.
• Examples of using questions to draw out creativity from a team.
• Clarifying the difference between hard opinions and soft opinions.
• Developing multiple solutions rather than settling for the first idea.
• Learn about AI’s impact on idea generation and the quality of solutions.
• Steps for identifying the job that needs to be done and “hotspot” areas.
• Why you should take ownership of unresolved or unassigned problems.
• Making important issues for your team a personal priority.
• How to learn about the unwritten rules as a new or remote worker.
• Why understanding a company’s culture is so crucial. 
• The power individuals possess in shaping their work and environment.
• Tips for identifying impact players when hiring.
• Essential takeaways that Liz has for listeners.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Liz Wiseman Group

Liz Wiseman on LinkedIn

Liz Wiseman on X 

Liz Wiseman on Instagram

Liz Wiseman on Facebook

S3E7: Judging The Experiment Not The Outcome with Dr. Astro Teller

Excellent Advice for Living

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

In this episode, we sit down with Lezlie and Jake Karls, the visionary minds behind Mid-Day Squares, to discuss their entrepreneurial journey and unconventional approach to entrepreneurship. Mid-Day Squares is a family-run business aiming to establish itself as a prominent player in the chocolate industry. Its focus is on producing chocolate products while also emphasizing an open, unfiltered approach to entrepreneurship and business growth. In our conversation, they share their journey and strategies of the founders of Mid-Day Squares, discussing the importance of authenticity, relationship-building, and the fusion of personal storytelling with business branding to create a loyal customer base. We unpack their unique perspectives on entrepreneurship, their unconventional approaches to business and life, and the impactful role of therapy in fostering robust business strategies and their personal growth. They share the reason for declining a significant acquisition offer and how this steered them toward self-reliance and industry expansion. Gain valuable insights into reframing societal stigmas, the quirks and routines that keep them motivated, the benefits of an open mind, and much more! Tune in and learn the secrets to entrepreneurial success with Lezlie and Jake Karls!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introduction to our guests and a brief background about Mid-Day Squares.
• Fostering personal relationships as the foundation for business and networking.
• Learn about the evolution of the company and its unique team dynamics.
• Hear the motivation for their marketing and branding approach via social media.
• The value of storytelling and authenticity in content creation.
• Creating relatable content while balancing viral content with genuine stories.
• Understanding the difference between viral content and building a community.
• Learn why continuous and genuine content creation is so vital.
• Strategies to create strong, loyal fans who become brand ambassadors.
• Lezlie shares why they decided to turn down a big acquisition offer.
• Reframing situations and leveraging creativity as a strength to address problems.
• Unconventional habitats and routines that enhance their productivity.
• Discover the role of therapy in their partnership and personal growth.
• Eliminating social stigmas and final takeaways for listeners.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lezlie Karls on LinkedIn

Lezlie Karls on Instagram

Jake Karls on LinkedIn

Jake Karls on Instagram

Jake Karls on X

Nick Saltarelli on LinkedIn

Mid-Day Squares

Hit Makers

Huberman Lab

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Welcome to this very special edition of The Paint and Pipette Podcast, as we bring you a live coaching session hosted by the remarkable Liz Tran! Liz is a former venture capitalist and team-builder turned spiritual guru and startup coach. Her newest book, The Karma of Success: Spiritual Strategies to Free Your Inner Genius, is all about how to connect with your innate intuition. In this episode, you’ll find out how Liz coped with changing the entire concept of her book just six weeks before it was published, the magic of the three S’s, and everything we can learn from Einstein’s process of generating new ideas. Then, we introduce the subject of Liz’s coaching session, Aisha Dozie, the Founder and CEO of Bossy Cosmetics, a beauty brand geared toward igniting confidence in ambitious working women through high-quality, beautifully packaged, cruelty-free cosmetics and topical content. Liz begins the session by asking Aisha a series of rapid-fire questions that help us understand Aisha’s professional background, what motivates her day-to-day, the differences between zones of genius and zones of excellence, and what Aisha can do to amplify her zone of genius on a daily basis. We end with a discussion about when you should and shouldn’t outsource your zone of excellence and why leaps of faith are all about being comfortable with discomfort. Tune in for all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Liz’s account of changing her book’s entire concept just six weeks before publication.
• Her experience of writing about deeply personal matters with vulnerability and transparency. 
• How to assess if you’re connected to your intuition: do you trust yourself?
• The three S’s of spaciousness: silence, solitude, and stillness. 
• What we can learn from the way Einstein brought subconscious ideas to fruition. 
• Introducing the Founder and CEO of Bossy Cosmetics, Aisha Dozie. 
• Now for something different: Liz displays her craft in a live coaching session with Aisha!
• A series of quick-fire questions to establish Aisha’s base. 
• Aisha’s professional background and what motivates her in her line of work. 
• How her role and the relationship with her clients have changed since she started Bossy.  
• The way she spends her time in any given work week. 
• Leaps of faith and being comfortable with discomfort.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Liz Tran

Liz Tran on LinkedIn

Liz Tran on Instagram

Reset the Podcast

The Karma of Success 

Aishetu Fatima Dozie 

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on LinkedIn

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on X

Aishetu Fatima Dozie on Instagram

Lacômbe 

Givenchy

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Are you looking for some tips, tricks, and techniques to propel your spontaneous speaking to higher levels? Our guest today is of the belief that there is no right way to communicate, there are better ways and worse ways but no one right way! Joining us today is Matt Abrahams, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot. As you tune in you’ll hear from Matt about the phenomenon of reverse plumbing, how to reframe your anxiety, and how the Rule of Lung works. He highlights why you should be maximizing your mediocracy and takes us through some simple, pragmatic exercises on how to do it. This is a truly insightful episode filled with valuable insights including why heuristics are important, how to hack them, and why having structure can amplify your creativity and freedom. Be sure to tune in now, thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• We dive into the launch of Matt’s book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter.
• Matt describes the phenomenon of reverse plumbing and why it happens.
• He highlights a technique for reframing anxiety, and putting it into perspective.
• What’s really happening when we reframe our anxiety.
• The Rule of Lung and how it works. 
• How to incorporate the Rule of Lung (in spontaneous or improvisational speech).
• Maximizing mediocrity and why he believes we should seek to be mediocre.
• A quick note on why memorizing does not work for planned speaking. 
• Simple pragmatic exercises to strengthen your muscle and maximize your mediocrity. 
• We talk about heuristics and how they can be helpful in thinking and responding.
• He expands on the concept of meta-awareness.
• Why heuristics are important, why we need to hack them, and how to do that practically. 
• A short list of environments where you can use a heuristic.
• Matt shares useful hacks (and heuristics) to use in an apology setting. 
• His thoughts on the biggest communication mistake people make.
• Tapping into not what we know but what the audience needs, in a spontaneous moment.
• We discuss the concept of cathedral versus brick. 
• He talks about his podcast, Think Fast Talk Smart.
• How he prepares for spontaneity in his podcast. 
• He highlights why having structure can allow for creativity and freedom to flow. 
• The value of mistakes and how to reframe them. 
• Matt and Jeremy answer a question from the audience about adding connection points when answering or responding.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Matt Abrahams on LinkedIn

Matt Abrahams

Matt Abrahams on X

Matt Abrahams on YouTube

Matt Abrahams on Instagram

Matt Abrahams on TikTok

Matt Abrahams on Threads

Dan Cline on LinkedIn

Ed Catmull

Patricia Ryan Maddison

Scott Galloway on X

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

The likelihood is that the tactics that were effective for businesses just a few years ago may no longer yield the results needed. Profound shifts in the business landscape have exposed a significant disparity between conventional strategic approaches and the evolving dynamics of the contemporary real-world environment. In this episode, we sit down with Rita McGrath, a celebrated author and captivating speaker, to discuss how leaders can navigate the complexity of cultural shifts in modern business practices. Rita is a renowned expert in steering innovation and growth through uncertain times, and she consistently ranks among the world’s Top 10 management thinkers. As a Columbia Business School professor, advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, and author of bestsellers like Seeing Around Corners and The End of Competitive Advantage, her work has had a lasting impact on the business world. In our conversation, we unpack the strategies managers can employ to secure investments in innovation, the reasons behind organizational resistance to innovation, and the challenges of traditional hierarchical structures. We explore her Stepping-Stone Strategy for innovation, the value of a call option, the potent concept of level-skipping, and the steps for identifying debilitating assumptions. Gain insights into how innovators can advance their careers, effectively allocating resources, crafting the perfect project, and much more! Tune in and discover how to redefine traditional career pathways and drive innovation in your organization with strategy guru Rita McGrath!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Accomplishments Rita is most proud of and the role of Twitter in her life.
• What managers can do to ensure investment in innovation is not undercut.
• Unpacking why the concept of innovation is not adopted by organizations.
• Advice for people in the innovation space to safeguard their careers.
• Why hierarchy is the enemy of the truth and level skipping is explained.
• Steps for implementing level-skipping within an organization.
• The role of expertise and when it can become a liability to innovation.
• Getting real about how the landscape of industry has changed.
• Pragmatic ways of identifying the assumptions limiting your potential. 
• Maintaining a balance between planning and taking action.
• Human capital and deploying resources against an opportunity.
• Allocating resources for exploration, research, and development.
• Discover the differences between funding and budget models.
• Learn the fundamentals of managing a diverse team. 
• Rita shares her approach to writing a book and how she decides on a project.
• Redefining career pathways to align with the new era of business.
• She offers some final words of wisdom for listeners.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rita McGrath 

Rita McGrath on X

Rita McGrath on LinkedIn

Rita McGrath on Instagram

Rita McGrath on YouTube

Columbia Business School

Design for Belonging

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

In today’s world, we’re caught between two failure cultures. One tells us that it must be avoided at all costs, while the other tells us to "fail fast” and often. The issue is that both approaches lack the necessary distinctions to help us separate good failure from bad. Today, we’re joined by author, scholar, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, and champion of psychological safety, Amy Edmondson, who believes that we need to reframe our understanding of failure and discover what it means to “fail well.” In this episode, we discuss her latest book, The Right Kind of Wrong, and gain some insight into the inherent relationships between organizational learning and change management, psychological safety and innovation, and failure and the creative process. Tuning in, you’ll learn when to quit, when to experiment, and how to measure your failure performance, plus you’ll also hear some remarkable stories that illustrate what it means to be a hero of failure! Believe it or not, there is a science to failing well, and Amy Edmundson is here to provide us with a practical framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Amy’s roots in organizational learning and the journey her career has taken since.
• The NYT article that put her studies of psychological safety on the global map.
• A look at the relationship between psychological safety and idea generation.
• Cultivating the idea of failure as input rather than outcome: it’s part of the process!
• What we can learn from “failure heroes” like Thomas Edison and Buckminster Fuller.
• How to know when you should quit and when you should persist.
• The playfulness and willingness to experiment that comes with being a hero of failure. 
• Failure diagnostics: practical ways to measure your failure performance.
• What it takes to be excruciatingly present, why context is shaped by the level of uncertainty, and more from our lightning round with Amy!
• Insight into Amy’s creative process, which starts with a whole lot of conceptualizing.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amy Edmondson

Right Kind of Wrong

Teaming

The Fearless Organization

Amy Edmondson on LinkedIn

Amy Edmondson on X

Thinkers50

Richard Hackman

'What Google Learned in Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team'

Quit

IDEO

Only the Paranoid Survive

American Icon

The Widow Clicquot

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

From psychology to neuroscience and beyond, concepts of intelligence, genius, and hyperfixation are key to our understanding of human potential. During this episode, David McRaney joins us to discuss a topic of great import to our course on transformative design; the complexity of the concept of genius. David is a famed journalist, author, podcaster, and expert on belief, currently researching his next book. Join us as we explore the origin story of genius, the role of obsessively pursuing one’s interest, and the inevitability of genius and the implications of labels. In closing, David answers two key questions on the autism spectrum and varying cultural contexts behind the concept of genius. Thanks for tuning in! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing David McRaney, journalist, author, and podcaster. 
• Why the topic of genius is important enough to him to research. 
• Different ways to approach the topic of genius, from psychology to neuroscience and beyond. 
• The origin story behind genius, and the concept of a birthday party. 
• David’s findings from spending time interviewing individuals with extraordinarily high IQs.
• Jeremy’s current thesis that giving people the opportunity to pursue their interests until the point of saturation. 
• Accounting for bias in the realm of genius and the danger of labelling. 
• The relationship between hyperfixation, genius, and the autism spectrum.
• How works of genius usually come into existence. 
• Cultural context for the concept of genius. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

David McRaney

David McRaney on X

How Minds Change

David McRaney on Instagram

David Krakauer

So Good They Can’t Ignore You

The Collins Institute

James Alcock

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Writing and researching to produce content is a full-time job that demands hours and hours of dedication. Today’s guest is the wonderful Billy Oppenheimer, writer and research assistant for Ryan Holiday, and he is here to share his creative process with us. Tuning in, you will hear all about what it’s been like to see his audience grow, his research process, his notecard system and how he measures them, the time he spends reading, the idea of honing your filter, and why he likes making physical notes instead of digital ones. We then delve into his incredible newsletter and how it has evolved before Billy tells us about how he aims to achieve his ultimate goal; to write books. Finally, we discuss Billy’s definition of ‘creative health’ and why he is basically always working. To hear all this and more, press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Billy Oppenheimer. 
• How Billy has grown his audience and what it’s been like to watch it grow. 
• Why Billy relies on his research to create content and he shares his notecard system. 
• How often he spends reading and how he knows when to give up on a book. 
• What honing your filter means and how Billy does that. 
• Billy walks us through his entire process when reading and making notes on a book. 
• The pros and cons of physical notes as opposed to digital ones and why he prefers physical. 
• Billy’s newsletter, the process, its evolution, and how it helps him consume information. 
• Why Billy considers social media after he’s written his newsletter. 
• He tells us about his ultimate goal to write books. 
• What his mentor, Ryan Holiday has taught him about writing. 
• How Billy divides his time between working on his newsletter and working for Ryan. 
• The (very small) role ChatGPT plays in Billy’s work. 
• Why Billy measures the number of notecards he makes every single day. 
• Billy’s definition of ‘creative health’.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Billy Oppenheimer

Billy Oppenheimer Newsletter

Billy Oppenheimer on LinkedIn

Billy Oppenheimer on X

Billy Oppenheimer on Instagram

Ryan Holiday

Super Communicators

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Today, we join forces with Henrik Werdelin to launch Beyond The Prompt, a podcast that explores how companies leverage AI to streamline operations and better serve their customers. Henrik is a remarkable entrepreneur and one of the visionary founders of Prehype, a community of entrepreneurial individuals dedicated to assisting one another and collaborating with companies to foster innovation and create innovative ventures. In this episode, we sit down with Greg Shove, CEO of next-generation business upskilling platform Section, to discuss his experience of leveraging AI in the context of optimizing, accelerating, and transforming various aspects of Section's operations. Employing its exclusive sprint format, Section collaborates with renowned business school professors to provide top-notch business education that translates into tangible real-world results. In this conversation, Greg unpacks the adoption of AI in the workplace, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and specific use cases within Section. Tuning in, you’ll discover the importance of trust and transparency in AI adoption, the everyday tasks that AI can help with, and a framework for AI integration. You’ll also gain insight into AI’s role in education, the reinvention of education delivery, common misconceptions around AI, and much more! For a valuable look at the pragmatic considerations, hurdles, and possibilities associated with integrating AI into everyday business and educational contexts, listen in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Greg's role at Section and his motivation for pivoting to online learning and AI.
• How the pandemic was a catalyst and a false signal for Section.
• The pivotal moment when Greg realized the power of AI.
• Aspects of leadership and trust needed for AI adoption.
• Three modes for approaching AI: optimize, accelerate, and transform.
• AI’s potential in high-value tasks and decision-making processes
• Challenges in prompting AI effectively and learning from your mistakes.
• Examples of tasks that are suitable and not suitable for AI.
• Strategies for experimenting with and adopting AI into your workflow.
• Common misconceptions and pitfalls of using AI.
• The role of AI in education and the potential disruptions it may cause.
• Why a dynamic AI strategy, experimentation, and knowledge of advancements are critical.
• Greg’s thoughts on the future trends and potential of AI.
• Jeremy and Henrik’s main takeaways from the conversation. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Greg Shove 

Greg Shove on X

Greg Shove on LinkedIn

Section

Claude

ChatGPT

Bard

Perplexity

Fathom

Superhuman

Whisper

Voice AI

Anthropic

Henrik Werdelin 

Henrik Werdelin on X

Prehype

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Creativity is not an exact science and ideas often strike when we least expect them. But what if we could curate an environment ideal for sparking creativity? Today we are joined by Josh Ruff and Marcus Hollinger from Stoked to discuss their incredible new workshop, Ideascience. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how music inspired their Ideascience creation, why they create a space for checking in with their team at the beginning of every meeting, how task switching overcomes cognitive fixation, and how meditation has improved ideas in brainstorms. They then go on to tell us about what Ideascience actually entails before walking us through the process of the workshop. Our guests even delve into some neuroscience facts and how they relate to creativity. Finally, we explore the importance of being goofy and allowing yourself to play in any creative process. You don’t want to miss this one so press play now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guests, Josh Ruff and Marcus Hollinger. 
• They tell us about the product that they are launching, Ideascience. 
• The inspiration for this incredible program and the goal of Ideascience. 
• How music is linked to Ideascience and the importance of ‘getting real’ with your partners. 
• Why they like to ‘protect’ the first 15 minutes of every meeting to check in with everyone. 
• How our guests continue to make downtime to have space for creativity a priority. 
• Testing the theory that task switching overcomes cognitive fixation. 
• Our guests explain their art walk section of these studies. 
• How meditation improved the quality and quantity of ideas in brainstorms. 
• They tell us about the Ideascience Council.
• What Ideascience actually is and what the launch experience will entail.
• How theta brainwave activity contributes to creativity and how that’s part of Ideascience. 
• They walk us through the steps of the Ideascience workshop.
• The importance of the sequence of events of the workshop. 
• How their nine-by-nine method intersects with Ideascience. 
• Going from concept to habit and the rewards that motivate people.
• The importance of play in creativity to lighten the load of hard work. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joshua Ruff on LinkedIn

Joshua Ruff on Instagram

Marcus Hollinger on LinkedIn

Marcus Hollinger on Instagram

Marcus Hollinger on Threads

Ideascience

Stoked
Stoked on LinkedIn

Stoked on Instagram

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

To what extent are our inner lives shaped by the stories we tell ourselves? And how can we learn to see the world as it truly is? Today on the podcast we have Diana Chapman, Co-Founder of The Conscious Leadership Group, an organization that helps leaders and their teams build trust and create conscious cultures through coaching, training, and more. She is also a facilitator, CEO coach, speaker, and co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, a book that distills decades of accumulated knowledge from working with CEOs and other leaders. In today’s conversation with Diana, we delve into the complexities of what it means to accept our inner emotions, how we can learn to understand our reactivity to other people, and how these skills can help us foster environments that preserve psychological safety without sacrificing candor. Tuning you’ll learn about the profound lessons Diana learned at The Hendricks Institute, the impact they had on her life, and how she and her team help organizations foster conscious leadership and collaboration. We also delve into the importance of play, why the enneagram is such a useful tool for leaders, and what it means to operate in your Zone of Genius. Tune in to hear all of Diana’s insights on life, leadership, and learning how to see the world as it truly is!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest, Diana Chapman, and how she discovered the Hendricks Institute.
• The tools Diana acquired there and how they changed her life.
• Understanding the radical concept that ‘I am the creator of my own suffering’.
• Reactivity, acceptance, and how to change your behavior (and the outcomes).
• Unpacking the concept of radical responsibility.
• Learning to get comfortable with all the emotions and sensations in your body.
• The intelligence underlying our emotions and what they can teach us.
• How to preserve psychological safety without sacrificing candor.
• Diana’s approach to creating an environment where candor can propel innovation.
• The practices she and her team give organizations to foster these environments.
• Diana’s insights on the importance of play.
• How to assess whether there is enough play in your life.
• Advice on bringing more play into your life.
• Why the enneagram is such a meaningful tool for leaders.
• Learning to embrace the gifts and shadow side of your enneagram type.
• How you can use the enneagram as a parent to deepen your connection with your kids.
• The Zone of Genius: what it is, why it’s important, and how can discover it.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Diana Chapman on LinkedIn

Diana Chapman on X

The Conscious Leadership Group

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success

The Hendricks Institute

Bernard Roth

Brendan Boyle

Jennifer Brandy Wallace

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

Have you ever wondered how traditional leaders can be motivated to support creativity in the workplace? What is the secret to fostering creativity and driving innovation? Today, on the podcast, we welcome Teresa Amabile to help us explore the crucial role that managers play in shaping the inner work lives of their employees through the lens of her book, The Progress Principle. Teresa Amabile is a distinguished scholar and researcher in organizational behavior. She is renowned for her groundbreaking work on creativity, motivation, and the work environment. Joining as a co-host is Diego Rodriguez, a board member at LendingTree, whose expertise extends to pioneering tough tech, fintech, and shaping the future of transportation. In our conversation, we unpack her interest in ‘garden variety’ creativity, why reward incentives are not good motivation tools, and what kills creativity. Discover the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, typical progress inhibitors, and how failure can lead to innovative breakthroughs. We discuss the power of small wins, what extrinsic motivators are necessary, the role of AI in creativity, why the meaningfulness of work is essential for productivity, and much more. Join us as we uncover Teresa’s progressive unifying theory of design thinking and how it applies to the culture of creativity for organizations. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Her shift in focus from studying exceptional individuals to ordinary people's creativity.
• Learn about the impact of social environments on creativity.
• How companies, like IDEO and Hewlett Packard, foster a culture of creativity.
• Teresa unpacks The Progress Principle concept and how it applies to organizations.
• Discover the value of “intrinsic motivation” and the steps to creating it.
• Effective strategies leaders can leverage to overcome a company crisis. 
• Hear how a major failure can lead to an innovative breakthrough.
• Potential of AI to gain deeper insights into motivation and creativity.
• Ways traditional leaders can be intrinsically motivated to drive creativity.
• Explore the concept of AI augmenting human intelligence and creativity.
• Our guests share advice and their final takeaways for listeners.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Teresa Amabile 

Teresa Amabile on LinkedIn

The Progress Principle

Diego Rodriguez on LinkedIn

LendingTree

IDEO

Hewlett Packard

‘Creativity, Artificial Intelligence, and a World of Surprises’

Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utley on X

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn

How can AI transform the way we work and innovate? In this special episode of The Paint and Pipette Podcast, we team up with Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business and host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. We dive into the world of generative AI in the sports industry, focusing on the groundbreaking work being done by the Portland Trail Blazers. Joining us are David Long, VP of Digital Innovation for The Portland Trail Blazers @ the Rose Quarter, and Christa Stout, their Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. Together, we explore how AI is driving improvements across three key areas: revenue generation, customer experience, and operational efficiency. Christa and David share how they’ve empowered employees to experiment with AI, encouraging creativity and innovation across their organization. From automating routine tasks like customer feedback analysis to using AI for creative problem-solving, the Trail Blazers have created a supportive environment where AI is seen as a co-worker rather than a replacement. We also examine the importance of active leadership in normalizing AI adoption, ethical considerations, and best practices for helping teams embrace this technology. Whether you’re curious about AI’s potential in sports or looking for ways to introduce AI in your own business, this episode offers practical insights and real-world examples!

 Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Christa Stout and David Long from the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Details on Jeremy’s new podcast, Beyond the Prompt.
• An overview of the NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Christa and David’s roles within the organization.
• Three key areas where they are using AI to improve: revenue generation, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
• Jeremy’s collaboration with Christa and David.
• How they created a space for employees to experiment and share how they use AI.
• The benefits of framing AI as a co-worker for your team internally.
• How AI can empower workers: the impressive demo that one employee built using AI.
• Key takeaways for helping workers learn to use generative AI more effectively.
• Effective strategies for encouraging people who are skeptical about generative AI.
• Their approach to ethics, rules, standards, and instituting guardrails.
• Creative uses of AI from production to broadcasting to support the Portland Trail Blazers.
• How to vote for Think Fast, Talk Smart to win the Signal Award.
• Best practices and advice for anyone wanting to innovate with AI.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Matt Abrahams on LinkedIn
Christa Stout on LinkedIn
David Long on LinkedIn
Portland Trailblazers
Rose Quarter

Think Fast Talk Smart

Episode 134: Leveraging AI to unlock new levels of creativity and communication innovation

LinkedIn Live: Think Fast Talk Smart Explores GenAI @ Portland Trail Blazers

Cast your vote for the Signal Awards

Beyond the Prompt

Jeremy Utley

Jeremy Utley Email

Jeremy Utle

In the notoriously unsustainable world of fashion, daring to do things differently is no easy feat. Yet, it is something today's guest, Diarra Bousso's conscious lifestyle brand, DIARRABLU, has managed to excel at. Divided between her home country of Senegal and the U.S., DIARRABLU draws on Senegalese artisanal skills and clothes-making principles. These are the clothes you will have for life. Along with being a serial entrepreneur, Diarra is also a creative mathematician and multidisciplinary artist. In this episode, Diarra shares her journey with us, from growing up in Dakar to working on Wall Street and everything in between. We hear about the accident that changed her life and how she had the confidence to step out and try something new even when she did not have a clear idea of what she wanted to do. Diarra talks about the instrumental role her family has played and still plays in her success, and she reflects on the benefits of having a constant and consistent hype team. Our conversation also touches on how DIARRABLU stays true to its ethos, why Diarra loves teaching, and what's on the horizon for the company.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today's guest, Diarra Bousso. 
• What Diarra's upbringing in Senegal was like and the philosophy of excellence that was instilled in her. 
• Diarra's winding career journey and how she came to combine her range of skills. 
• Why Diarra decided to be an entrepreneur despite not knowing what she was going to do. 
• The event that led Diarra to quit her job in finance and pursue a creative path. 
• How Diarra started her business in Senegal. 
• The challenge Diarra had teaching high school math and what she learned from it. 
• Growth diarrablu has seen since it started and how it remains true to its roots 
• How many people work at diarrablu currently. 
• An example of how diarrablu has stayed true to its ethos while reaching a broader market. 
• The community that diarrablu has built and the level of consciousness they have. 
• Something Diarra has recently learned. 
• The role that Diarra's parents played in instilling confidence in her. 
• A recent time Diarra needed to be hyped up. 
• What the future has in store for diarrablu's company structure. 
• How teaching inspires Diarra and the role it has played in helping her be a better leader.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Diarra Bousso on Instagram

Diarra Bousso on Twitter

diarrablu

Jeremy Utley

Sustainably produced, healthy food is inaccessible to many, but it does not have to be this way. The food system is wasteful, unjust, and unsustainable. Noemie Delfassy is a food entrepreneur and recipe creator. Her company, Frecious, works with local farms, using in-season produce to produce healthy, organic snacks. Through a combination of technology, supply chain innovation, and operational process transformation, Noemie has managed to carve a niche in the food sector. In today's episode, we hear more about what Frecious does, and Noemie shares the impetus for starting the company. She offers insights into why she left a stable career to go down this unpredictable, but ultimately rewarding, path. Noemie talks about fundraising and the reason she has not partnered with external investors. Despite the availability of venture capital, finding a backer that is as committed to true sustainability as she is, has proven to be challenging. Our conversation also touches on staying motivated on the path you have chosen to follow, dealing with a toxic work environment, and much more. Tune in to hear it all.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today's guest, Noemie Delfassy, and what her company, Frecious, does. 
• The inspiration behind the recipes that Frecious produces. 
• How Frecious goes about testing new recipes and flavor combinations. 
• The two reasons Noemie switched from being B2B to B2C. 
• Two of the challenges Frecious has faced moving into a product line. 
• Noemie's thinking around fundraising and why she made the choice she did. 
• What Noemie's hiring philosophy and approach is. 
• How Noemie maintains so much conviction on the path she has chosen to walk. 
• The moment when Noemie doubted she was able to get Frecious off the ground and how they recovered from this. 
• How Noemie dealt with her former workplace, which was toxic.  
• Noeme's advice for women who are facing difficulties in their workplaces.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Noemie Delfassy on Twitter

Noemie Delfassy on Instagram

Frecious

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of remote work has had to advance spectacularly in a short space of time. One company that was uniquely positioned to help businesses during this dramatic transition was Via, an online platform that allows companies to seamlessly build remote teams across countries in 48 hours. Via was co-founded by Maite Diez-Canedo and Itziar Diez-Canedo during their time at Stanford and underwent a significant pivot prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While countless successful businesses have been founded by siblings, it’s rare for those siblings to be sisters rather than brothers. We unpack some of the societal prejudices that female founders encounter while fundraising - as demonstrated by some discouraging statistics - and how skepticism increases when investors are faced with female co-founders, especially sisters. We hear more about how Maite and Itziar address these biases when they encounter them, and how they have been able to overcome initial ignorance or prejudice through direct and honest communication. Later, we examine some of the practices, habits, and mindset adjustments that have helped Maite and Itziar in entrepreneurship and creativity. We also take a hopeful look at the importance of challenging assumptions and how bringing playfulness to a problem can open up new possibilities. Make sure you tune in to this informative and inspiring episode to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guests Maite Diez-Canedo and Itziar Diez-Canedo, and the services of their company, Via.
• How they pivoted Via into the company from its original incarnation on Launchpad to what it is today.
• How their pivot to helping companies hire remotely subsequently aligned with some of the global changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Why they hired an external consultant to help them structure their pivot.
• How they used sales experiments to bolster their conviction that their pivot allowed them scalability.
• How they managed their pre-seed money and their mentality around spending.
• The challenge of managing your team and keeping them excited and engaged while you are pivoting.
• The benefits of co-founding a business with your sister.
• The challenges and prejudices that are inherent to fundraising as a woman and how being sisters can exacerbate those prejudices.
• Why explicit prejudice or ignorance is easier to address when fundraising than implicit bias.
• How persevering through adversity and prejudice can strengthen your sense of conviction that the business you’re pursuing is exceptional.
• Some of the practices, habits, and mindset adjustments that have helped Maite and Itziar in entrepreneurship and creativity.
• The importance of identifying and challenging assumptions.
• How COVID-19 has accelerated their business and some of the things they are excited about, like democratizing access to talent.
• How they find a balance between different modes of thinking, acting, and collaborating in their day-to-day work.
• Why the framework of ‘leaning in’ as a woman in order to blend into a male-dominated work culture is limited and problematic.
• How to identify whether you have an ‘idea problem’.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Maite Diez-Canedo on Linkedin

Itziar Diez-Canedo on Linkedin

Via

Via on LinkedIn

Via on Instagram

Via on Facebook

Launchpad

Ana Leyva found her calling as an entrepreneur when, after having children, she became aware that there was a gap in the market for a bilingual language learning platform. From this realization, Lelu was born. As a female, Latina founder of a company, Ana is part of a very underrepresented demographic, and the courage she exudes, along with the support she offers to others who are on a similar journey, is inspiring. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about lessons that Ana has learned through the founding of Lelu, the approach that she and her team of three use to generate ideas for the business, and how she cultivates entrepreneurial qualities in her children; her son is only six years old and he is already eager to get his own ideas off the ground! Although Lelu is still in its beginning stages, it is already clear that the platform holds immense value for those who make use of it.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What inspired us to bring today’s guest, Ana Leyva, onto the show.
• How having children altered Ana’s career trajectory.
• The asset that Ana’s children are to her work.
• Ways that Ana’s upbringing shaped her career decisions.
• Challenges that Ana experienced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A lesson that gave Ana the courage to pursue her passion. 
• Things that Ana does and doesn’t doubt about the path she has chosen with Lelu.
• How Ana cultivates entrepreneurial qualities in her children.
• Benefits that Ana experiences from explaining business-related things to her children.
• Support that Ana receives from her tribe and how she gives support in return. 
• Important lessons that Ana has learned from her customer base along her journey with Lelu.
• A story that highlights the value that people are finding in Lelu’s offerings.
• Situations when being a female founder feels hard for Ana.
• The importance of sharing anecdotal stories and hard numbers when it comes to pitching Lelu to potential customers.
• Ana’s approach to coming up with, and choosing, ideas for Lelu.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lelu Website

Lelu on Instagram

Lelu on Facebook

As an African Studies major at Harvard, today’s guest studied abroad in Tanzania. In the markets of Arusha, she purchased a caterpillar from a street vendor. Tossing caution to the wind and eschewing her vegetarian diet, Laura D’Asaro bit into her future and Chirps, a revolutionary food company seeking to transform Americans’ dietary impact on the environment, was born! Laura D’Asaro is the Co-Founder of Chirps (as seen on Shark Tank), and the co-author of Project Startup #1: Eat Bugs. While at Chirps, Laura has collected a number of accolades, including Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, Shark Tank entrepreneur, Cupid's Cup winner, Echoing Green climate fellow, and Mass Challenge winner. In this episode, she talks about redefining social entrepreneurship, attempting to break world records for cancer research and the early influences that shaped her as an entrepreneur. She also shares some of her tips and tricks for generating new start-up ideas on an almost-daily basis, including what she calls the add, subtract, multiply, divide method. Tune in today to learn more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Laura D’Asaro and how she ended up at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
• Hear about her early foray into social entrepreneurship at just 15 years old.
• Find out how Laura came to be the world record holder for the fastest time to crawl a mile.
• The genesis of Chirps and how Laura discovered the sustainable power of eating insects.
• Why she believes that success alone can’t make you happy; it’s all about the people.
• Laura shares why she is so passionate about redefining social entrepreneurship.
• What it might look like to build social enterprise into existing businesses.
• Why it is important to Laura to be proud of the person she is while she makes a difference.
• Laura’s tips for how she generates new start-up ideas, starting with finding the problem.
• Learn the add, subtract, divide, or multiply method for generating business ideas.
• How Laura knows when she has what Jeremy calls an idea problem.
• The power, beauty, magic, and confidence that Laura believes comes with making something of your own.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Laura D’Asaro on LinkedIn

Laura D’Asaro on Instagram

Chirps

Project Startup #1 (Eat Bugs)

Thinkertoys

Paint & Pipette Podcast

Jeremy Utley

Many, many businesses suffered during the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic; those who rely on face-to-face interactions probably more so than most. But in today’s episode, we’re joined by an entrepreneur who didn’t let the lockdown dull her spirits or her motivation. Annie Stancliffe creatively pivoted the focus of her nail salon business, High Five, during the lockdown, and she stayed true to her goal of creating a space and a brand that “feels like home” when things opened up again. Annie’s pattern-recognition and people skills, along with her fresh perspective on the beauty industry, have allowed her to break down some of the pervasive, harmful norms which exist. In today’s episode you’ll hear some examples of how Annie and her team have solved operational challenges, how they respond to the desires of their customers, why Annie chose not to raise venture capital, and how she lives out the concept of Ikigai. We always thought Annie was going to solve some of the world’s big problems, and after speaking with her today we know we were right! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• How the pandemic altered their plans, and how they made the most of the lockdown.
• The importance of being motivated about the direction you are taking your business.
• What excites Annie about her job.
• Why Annie decided not to raise any funding for High Five, and how this impacts the company’s growth.
• Pressure that people feel to raise venture funding.
• Annie’s experience of working in a venture backed start-up.
• What Annie learned about herself while doing her MBA.
• How Annie sees her future unfolding.
• The problem with tipping.
• Why Annie sees her lack of background in the beauty industry as an advantage. 
• Learnings that Annie has had along her journey of running High Five.
• How Annie utilized the High Five space when nail salons were not allowed to operate, and how this benefited her business in the long term.
• Creativity prompts that Annie uses in her team meetings.
• The transferable nature of the skills that Annie utilizes in her business.
• An example of how High Five responds solves operational challenges in an on-brand way.
• How High Five promotes conversation in the salon and online.
• A trait that is common amongst women, and one of Annie’s key goals which relates to this.
• Advice from Annie for dealing with the stresses of being a founder and CEO.
• High Five’s approach to service and product options, and how they have evolved over time.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Annie Stancliffe Email Address

High Five

High Five on Instagram

Launchpad

The combination of an idea’s woman and a get-stuff-done woman makes for a powerful duo which is shaking things up in the design space. Their creation, The Landing 2.0., is a social design platform that allows everyone to create together. When Ellie and Miri met at the GSB, their connection was almost instant, and since that day, their relationship, and their business has grown from strength to strength. They’ve adopted a “quest” mindset, and aren’t yet sure where they want to be, but they’re so excited about the journey they’re on, and after listening to what they’ve been working on, you will be too! In today’s episode Ellie and Miri delve into the idea behind the Design Council they created, what its function is, and how it has evolved over time. We also discuss imposter syndrome, advice for dealing with it, the superpowers that Ellie and Miri feel that they have as women in the start-up space, and some of the major realizations they have had through the process of building their business. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Ellie’s number one priority in the morning.
• Examples of things that fuel Miri’s creativity.
• How Miri and Ellie become aware that they are having idea problems.
• Why Ellie and Miri think it is beneficial that they have such different ways of thinking.
• Ways that Miri and Ellie’s skills complement one another's in a business setting.
• The value of a project roadmap.
• Where Ellie and Miri had their biggest learnings. 
• Realizations that Miri and Ellie had during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• An explanation of the quest mindset that informs how Ellie and Miri run their business.
• The Design Council; what it is, how it was formed, and how it has evolved over time.
• What drew Ellie and Miri to one another, and the closeness of their bond now.
• Superpowers that Miri and Ellie feel that they have as women in the start-up space.
• Advice for dealing with impostor syndrome.
• When Ellie and Miri realized they could be entrepreneurs.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Landing 2.0

Launchpad

Sabrina Kappe Ramos guest did not receive her ADHD diagnosis until college. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence, with ADHD in women being routinely dismissed, misdiagnosed, and treated inadequately. Kim Schreiber has spent most of her life navigating service providers alongside her younger brother, Stephen, who is autistic, and recognized the challenges that he was beginning to face as a neurodivergent adult. Inspired by their own experiences, Sabrina and Kim set out on a mission to work with adults with disabilities to help them access the services and support they need. Today, you’ll hear Sabrina and Kim’s stories and how they came to be the Co-Founders of NeuroNav, a technology-enabled concierge service that curates individualized supports for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. In this episode, they talk about discovering the need for a co-founder (and falling in love with the right partner!), broadening the net of inclusion, and both the challenges and unique advantages of being a woman in the fundraising process. We also touch on user-centered design that embraces multiple perspectives, the realities of broader systemic change, and how NeuroNav advocates for the independence of the users they serve, so make sure to tune in today to learn more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet co-founders, Kim Schreiber and Sabrina Kappe Ramos, and learn how they met.
• Sabrina reflects on the value of really ‘falling in love’ with the right business partner.
• How Kim knew she needed a co-founder to fulfill her personal vision and mission.
• Kim speaks candidly about some of the difficult moments she and Sabrina experienced.
• Learn about the NeuroNav company culture from Sabrina; championing inclusivity and worth.
• Find out how NeuroNav prioritizes learning and continues to broaden their net of inclusion.
• Hear about their emphasis on user-centered design that embraces multiple different perspectives and user experiences.
• The realities of broader systems change; balancing quality of life with cost constraints.
• How they advocate for the right to self-determination and independence for their users.
• Sabrina on the challenges of being a woman founder and how she found her confidence.
• What rock climbing has taught Kim about being a woman in a male-dominated space.
• Kim reflects on the role that pure, raw confidence plays during fundraising.
• Sabrina shares a unique emotional advantage of being a woman in the fundraising process.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sabrina Kappe Ramos on LinkedIn

Sabrina Kappe Ramos Email

Kim Schreiber on LinkedIn

Kim Schreiber Email

NeuroNav

Trauma Stewardship

Jeremy Utley

Mar Hershenson

The Paint & Pipette Podcast

This week we get together with Amy Yin, CEO and Founder of Office Together, a company that delivers manager empowerment and scheduling tools to achieve the full potential of a flexible workplace. We talk with Amy about her unique life experience and how it influenced her mindset and career. She describes how her parents raised her to have a CEO mindset and be comfortable with risk and how this differed from the upbringing of her peers who share her American-born Chinese identity. We hear from Amy about her decision to drop out of Harvard to pursue an opportunity to be part of a start-up with her professor in Paris, and why the opportunity was so valuable despite the company ultimately not succeeding. Next, we discuss Amy’s work experience at companies like Hired and Coinbase and how her experiences with working remotely prompted her to found her own company. Amy goes on to explain why she was determined to hire her friends, why she is proud of her choices, and how she maintains those relationships with clear boundaries and expectations. You’ll also hear how Amy nurtures creativity and inspiration in her daily life and why she is a big proponent of conscious leadership. Join us today for this inspiring conversation on what it means to start a company!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest Amy Yin, CEO and founder of Office Together.
• Amy’s company Office Together and how they are helping managers by selling empowerment and scheduling tools to run a hybrid office.
• How Amy started Office Together after being inspired by the quiet time inherent to lockdown measures and working from home.
• Amy’s upbringing and how it diverges from many of her peers who are also the children of immigrants.
• Why Amy’s parents raised her to take risks and have a CEO mindset and how that affected her education, career, and attitude towards risk.
• How Amy dropped out of Harvard to build a company and how her parents’ support was integral to that.
• Why this experience was hugely formative and positive, even though the company didn’t succeed.
• The Conscious Leadership framework and how it manifests in Amy’s attitude to work and life.
• Amy’s decision to hire many of her close friends and their experiences organizing other events together.
• What Amy has learned from working with friends like setting clear boundaries and expectations.
• Some of the ways that Amy encourages people to think outside of the box at social engagements.
• How Amy recognized the moment that she should start a company.
• Why it was difficult for Amy to leave her job at Coinbase and start her own company.
• Amy’s search for a co-founder and how she became a solo founder.
• How to determine whether you have a customer and whether something is worth building.
• How Amy used her connections to interview companies to test the viability of her product idea.
• How Amy nurtures creativity and inspiration in her daily life.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amy Yin

Amy Yin on LinkedIn

Office Together

Hired

Coinbase

Jeremy Utley

Melissa Miranda

Mar Hershenson

The Paint & Pipette Podcast

If there’s one thing that today’s guest, Phoebe Yao, learned from the pandemic it's that innovation comes from lucky chance encounters. Phoebe is the founder and CEO of Pareto, a software company that automates mundane tasks for business founders. With a company that operates in eight different time zones, Phoebe joins us today to explain the importance of creating space for serendipity and chance encounters in the world of remote work and how she goes about this. We discuss the tension between breaking down barriers between work and personal relationships while also advocating for self-care and personal time. Tuning in, you’ll hear how Phoebe overcame her hesitancy to talk about work in social interactions, how she overcame the fear of being vulnerable in front of her team, and how she supports her own self-care. To find out how to show up as a manager and leader as your full self at work, how to foster a culture of openness across cultural divides, and how to kindle serendipity on a remote team, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Phoebe Yao and her company, Pareto.
• Phoebe’s revelation that innovation comes from lucky chance encounters. 
• How Phoebe overcame her hesitancy to talk about work in social interactions.
• Thoughts on the Esther Perel quote: “The quality of your relationships is the quality of your life,” that helped Phoebe level up in business. 
• How Phoebe overcame the fear of being vulnerable in front of her team. 
• An example of a situation where Phoebe failed to show up as her full self. 
• How the company’s key values and principles foster a culture of openness.
• The boundaries Phoebe sets for herself in light of the fact that her business operates in eight different time zones. 
• Meditation, journaling, and other things Phoebe does to protect herself from burnout. 
• How Phoebe kindles serendipity on a remote team.
• The way Phoebe leads meetings and makes sure everyone gets what they need. 
• How Phoebe decides between protecting her boundaries and sacrificing her time to help her team. 
• Why Phoebe recommends seeing a therapist to anyone who wants to advance more quickly in their career, as well as the book The Great CEO Within.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Phoebe Yao 

Phoebe Yao on Twitter

Phoebe Yao's Email

Pareto 

Esther Perel 

The Great CEO Within

Throughout her life, Vivian Shen always wanted to do the thing that would help her learn the fastest. Eventually, she realized that the best way to do this would be by defying how her peers defined success and starting a business herself. Vivian channeled her passion for education into Juni Learning, an online platform that offers STEAM courses in real-world subjects we all wish we could have learned in school like coding, storytelling, investing, and more. Her vision is for every student to be prepared for the real world and have the tools to really make their mark. Today she joins us to share her story with us. Tuning in, you’ll hear how Vivian studied creative writing at Oxford, how this minor is often more useful than her engineering qualification, and why she believes in cultivating a breadth of interests. You’ll also hear what led Vivian to decide that she wanted to start a business, what the most challenging part of it was, what she wishes she had done differently, and what young women can do to assess their fit with the entrepreneurial life. To hear what it looks like for Vivian to always be learning, her advice for anyone who is going through any sort of failure trauma, and how to cultivate grit, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A creative accomplishment that Vivian Shen is proud of: creative writing at Oxford. 
• How her creative writing minor is often more useful than her engineering qualification.  
• What it looks like for Vivian to always be learning.   
• Why Vivian reads more fiction than non-fiction and how this helps her learn. 
• The challenges of defying other peoples’ perceptions of success and starting Juni.
• Vivian’s advice for anyone who is going through any sort of failure trauma. 
• Insight into what Juni is and Vivian’s goals for the company. 
• How they work with a student on grit and what that looks like.  
• How Juni helps parents and teachers to not step in and help kids when they feel stuck. 
• What Vivian think's about David Epstein's argument: generalization versus specialization. 
• What led Vivian to decide that she wanted to start a business.  
• What made Vivian prioritize learning over other things such as generating income. 
• Thoughts on how to convince more women to feel confident enough to start a company. 
• The community or network that Vivian leans on for support when making decisions.
• What Vivian believes is the most challenging part of starting a company.
• At what point Vivian realized she was starting the company and there was no going back.
• Institutional versus angel money and what Vivian wishes she had done differently. 
• What young women can do to assess their fit with the entrepreneurial life. 
• Insight into the entrepreneurship class offered at Juni.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Vivian Shen on LinkedIn

Vivian Shen on Twitter

Juni Learning

N.K. Jemisin 

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn 

Raised in a community where men weren’t allowed to show their feelings, together with an unhealthy concept of what being a man was all about, Ashanti Branch stuffed his feelings, ate emotionally, and had panic attacks. When he became a high school teacher, however, he wanted better for his students. What started as a meeting with some students to figure out how he could become a better teacher evolved into an entire movement and, today, we are honored to be joined by Ashanti Branch, Founder of the Ever Forward Club and the Million Mask Movement, which helps young people understand how connected they are when it comes to the masks we wear. In this episode, Ashanti sheds light on the struggles he faced as a child when it came to dealing with his emotions and shares a potentially-triggering and emotional story of a trauma he experienced as an eight-year-old. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for sexual assault. He also explains how he became involved in a men’s circle and learned to stop suppressing his feelings. To hear the magic sentence Ashanti heard from one of his high school teachers that had a profound effect on his life and how he has gone on to impact the lives of so many others, plus so much more, tune in today! We invite you to take off your mask and listen to this inspiring conversation. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to change-maker Ashanti Branch.
• Ashanti explains the mask activity he does with students and gives examples.
• What it was like for him to grow up in a community where he couldn’t show his feelings. 
• Ashanti’s unhealthy childhood perception of what being a man was all about. 
• TW: For listeners who wish to avoid Ashanti’s account of sexual assault, please skip audio between [0:07:17] and [0:11:57].
• The traumatic story of what happened to Ashanti as an eight-year-old. 
• How Ashanti learned to start stuffing his emotions and comfort eating. 
• How he became involved in a men’s circle and learned to stop suppressing his feelings.
• What men supporting men looked like to Ashanti at the men’s retreat he attended.
• How he created a place to support young men six years before he found a place that supported him. 
• How he first created Ever Forward to become a better teacher. 
• The profound effect that a ‘magic sentence’ he heard from another teacher had on his life.
• An example of a magic sentence Ashanti used on one of his students and its impact. 
• How Ashanti went from failing horribly as a teacher to leading a movement. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ashanti Branch on LinkedIn 

Ashanti Branch on Instagram

Ashanti Branch on Twitter

Ever Forward Club 

#100kMASKS

This is Life with Lisa Ling

When it comes to the intersection of design, biology, and engineering, today’s guest has a few ideas about what people in these fields can learn from each other! Whitney Burks is a designer, scientist, Stanford softball player, and all-around incredible creative. In this episode, she sheds light on her creative strengths and how they manifest themselves in other aspects of her work.  She explains how she mixes mechanical engineering and biology in her job and why she sets up her biology experiments like an engineer. She also shares her thoughts on experimentation: how biologists are skeptical of feedback, how designers are not, and why designers should not only be more skeptical but also do more assessments and assess more values. We discuss the importance of finding time to allow meaning, data analysis, data synthesizing, and creative ideas to evolve, and the tension of doing this while also working towards deadlines. For some fascinating insight from someone who understands these very different fields, as well as some great tactics for capturing inspiration every single day, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A creative accomplishment that Whitney is proud of: a present she made for a friend.
• How Whitney’s creative strengths manifest themselves in other aspects of her work.
• How she mixes mechanical engineering, where one has control of the outcome, and biology, which is more experimental. 
• Why designers should be more like biologists when it comes to being skeptical of feedback. 
• How designers can benefit from doing more assessments and assessing more values. 
• The importance of establishing a success parameter early on.  
• How creating success parameters translates into Whitney’s non-professional creative life. 
• Finding time to let meaning, data analysis, data synthesizing, or creative ideas come to her.
• How she deals with the tension of letting things take time and working towards deadlines.
• An example of when Whitney asked for more time for a better result and it worked!
• The role that inspiration plays in driving Whitney’s creative thinking.  
• What a ‘goosebumps journal’ is and how Whitney uses one in her creative process.
• How she reviews goosebumps and whether or not they graduate into other aspects of her life. 
• A book Whitney recommends: The Overstory by Richard Powers. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Whitney Burks on LinkedIn

Whitney Burks on Twitter

The Overstory

Hebru Brantley

Jeremy Utley on LinkedIn 

Stanford d.school

Marcus Hollinger

Reach Records

Portrait Coffee

When music producer and entrepreneur Wes Pendleton lost a sixty-thousand dollar deal over a licensing dispute that should have been easy to solve, he asked himself whether anyone else had experienced this infuriating problem. Fast forward to the founding of Soul Surplus, a full-service production company that creates original music compositions and digital media for music producers, filmmakers, content creators, and brands. Having built his personal music library for over a decade, Wes co-founded Soul Surplus in 2016 as a response to the recurring issue he was experiencing in the music industry as a producer and entrepreneur. We talk with Wes about the founding of Soul Surplus and how his observations about the marketplace helped him realize that he couldn’t do it alone. Wes shares how he and his team got together, what they each brought to the table and why he’s so grateful that none of them have a big ego. He describes the circumstances where they nearly lost everything in 2019, and how, despite major setbacks, they were still able to reach their goal and be successfully acquired by another company. Wes also explains how being a lifelong learner has shaped his life and why he dedicates three hours every day to learning. It was an honor having Wes on the show, he has a wealth of knowledge and we can’t wait to have him back on for part two!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today's guest Wes Pendleton a music producer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Soul Surplus.
• The difficulties that Soul Surplus faced during the summer of 2019 and how they almost lost it all.
• The advice Wes would give to his younger self in 2018: take your time.
• How Soul Surplus was still able to achieve its goals and be acquired despite major setbacks.
• What Wes considers to be one of his greatest creative achievements.
• Wes shares his approach to assessing talent and empowering people to do their best.
• What Wes observed about the marketplace that helped Soul Surplus stand out as a company: you can get more done with a team than with one person.
• The concept of the three-headed monster and how it informed the structure of Soul Surplus.
• How Wes’s experiences as a black man informed their exit strategy.
• Why it was important for Wes to separate his love of music from his business decisions.
• How Wes recognized a problem that needed to be solved and built his company around that.
• The posturing that Wes has observed in the music industry and why he chooses not to operate like that.
• How Wes schedules his day to include several hours of learning.
• A breakdown of what Wes includes in his learning hours, and what he included on the day of recording.
• Two moments in Wes’s life where he decided to take a low-pressure job to allow his mind the freedom to step back.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Wes Pendleton

Wes Pendleton on LinkedIn

Wes Pendleton on Instagram

Soul Surplus

While companies often approach consumer insights with a certain direction in mind, today’s guest believes strongly in the power of surprises. In this episode, we are joined by Kelly Garrett Zeigler who has two decades of experience in consumer insights, in a career that has spanned across organizations such as Mattel, Vans, Vanity Fair Corporation, and now Pearson. Kelly shares where this intention came from to want to be surprised despite having a direction in mind and explains that the best insights come from “messy humans”. She also talks about questions to drive consumer understanding, the importance of empathy, and the unexpected sensation that accompanies a true consumer discovery. For tips on how to construct a diverse constellation of collaborators, things you can do to establish an insights culture in your team, and some of Kelly’s favorite go-to resources and tactics to stimulate fresh thinking, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A creative achievement that Kelly is proud of: bathtub track sets for Mattel.
• The expectation resetting process that Kelly went through when doing this project.
• How the best insights come from “messy humans” and what she means by this. 
• What questions Kelly asks to increase her likelihood of stumbling over a surprise.
• Why this product felt more like an obvious rediscovery than innovation. 
• How this guilt from overlooking something obvious turns into passion that turns into action. 
• How Kelly applied the same energy and approach to her job at Vans.
• Thoughts on how empathy is at the root of consumer insights. 
• How Kelly negotiates the balance between interacting with the consumer and fulfilling the other job requirements.
• The challenge of figuring out what’s important to a consumer from a leadership perspective. 
• The importance of acknowledging that the consumer is multi-dimensional.
• A tool, trick, or technique that Kelly is almost embarrassed about but works: Looking at photos.
• How logo clash has helped her figure out the role their product plays in the consumer's expression of their identity. 
• How Kelly and her team communicate internally the surprises they find to then inspire actions.
• Why Kelly surrounds herself with people that are as different from her as possible. 
• How she knows what’s different from her, and avoids blind spots in her diversity circle, personally and professionally. 
• A few specific things Kelly has done to establish this insights culture on her new team. 
• How Kelly sets goals for a team and knows that they’re on the right track.
• Resources Kelly recommends for anyone interested in insights: Futures Laboratories and WGSN.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kelly Garrett Zeigler on LinkedIn

Kelly Garrett Ziegler on Instagram

Mattel

Vans 

The Future Laboratories 

WGSN

Jeremy Utley 

Marcus Hollinger