Workmode

Previously leading the Product Design and Brand Marketing teams at Vine, Jason Mante is currently working on a stealth startup that'll soon be unveilled. In this episode of Workmode, we speak about turning your passions into paychecks, why you should delete your logo, and how you can infuse a culture of saying no. Twitter: @jasonmante Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Workmode is a series of conversations with leading creators on how they get their work done, hosted by Alex Nemeroff. Find us at: www.workmode.show Twitter: @workmodeshow

Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winner for best original screenplay, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, creator and director for countless groundbreaking music videos for Daft Punk, The Rolling Stones, the White Stripes and Björk, to name only a few, and the creative mind behind ads for companies such as Levi's, Adidas, and Air France. We chat about his project ‘Home Movie Factory’ that he recently brought to Montreal, his creative process, and the value of imperfection. Twitter: @michelgondry Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Workmode is a series of conversations with leading creators on how they get their work done, hosted by Alex Nemeroff. Find us at: www.workmode.show Twitter: @workmodeshow

As the Director of Marketing at CareGuide, Alyssa Atkins has helped millions of North Americans connect with the care providers that they need. In this episode, we talk about Alyssa’s diligence when it comes to scheduling and ‘deep-work’ and how important it is to leave your comfort zone. She tells us how CareGuide is addressing real problems across a number of verticals with innovative solutions and motivated people. Links: Twitter: twitter.com/alyssaatkins www.careguide.com Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

Jeff Gadway is the director of Product Marketing at Vidyard. He sits down with us to talk about shepherding an idea from inception to launch and what it takes to communicate that innovation effectively to others. He shares his view on the direction of the Canadian startup scene and takes a self-proclaimed controversial opinion on the need for Canadian businesses to set their aspirations up to compete on a global scale. Links: Twitter: twitter.com/gadway www.vidyard.com Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

Gerrit de Vynck is a Bloomberg News journalist responsible for covering the business of tech and media, following tech startups, venture capital, wireless carriers, BlackBerry and the business of media in Canada. He gives us insight into the unpredictable life of a business journalist, talks about the monetary value of breaking the story, and gives us his outlook on the Canadian tech ecosystem. We discuss how the tech startup scene has evolved in Canada, the future of the industry, and the value in building relationships between founders and journalists. Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/gerritd Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

Chris Arsenault, cofounder, President & CEO of iNovia Capital is helping lead Montreal’s tech industry to success. Chris is consistently helping bridge the gap between VCs and entrepreneurs, by highlighting the importance of building more than just a financial relationship. We talk about about his very structured approach to work, particularly his journey with meditation and what it’s taught him about life, work and everything in between. Links: www.twitter.com/chrisarsenault www.inovia.vc/ Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

Satish Kanwar is Shopify’s VP of Product, he is also an active speaker, mentor, and angel investor in the Canadian startup community, not to mention was included on last year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He explains how Shopify has built a continuous learning environment, by creating an entrepreneurial culture. We discuss the booming startup climate in Canada and the necessity of reinvesting your success in the communities and ecosystems that have helped you grow. Links: Twitter: twitter.com/skanwar www.shopify.ca Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

As the Experience Designer at Element AI, Masha Krol is leading the industry towards AI-focused design. Masha talks about the importance of distinguishing between working a lot and working productively. She discusses the potential of good design to establish trust between user and technology. Masha reveals the neurological evidence of empathy, and her objective to scale that empathy into technology-enabled kindness. Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/mashakrol https://www.elementai.com Take the great ideas you get from Workmode and turn them into live, clickable prototypes with InVision, the world’s top design collaboration platform. Visit invisionapp.com/workmode to get 3 months free! Thanks to Unbounce: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at www.workmode.show

As an investigative journalist and editor at VICE News, Justin covers topics such as security, intel, privacy, foreign policy, justice, and politics. We learn his views on the immediacy of twitter, and the nuances of online journalism vs. print media. Justin also discusses the importance of responsible journalism in politically challenging times and the tumultuous relationship between the media and political leaders. Links: https://twitter.com/Justin_Ling news.vice.com Thanks to Unbounce: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Isaac is the Entrepreneur in Residence at Real Ventures. He talks to us about the habits he’s carried with him from past leadership roles at startups like Sonder, Frank + Oak, Yahoo and Scholastic. Isaac’s passion for creating great products and useful businesses is demonstrated in everything he does - from mentoring and organizing, to dreaming. Isaac shares his theory on why startups hate meetings, provides insight into the importance of company culture, and keys to startup success. Links: http://realventures.com https://twitter.com/sonofsarah Thank you to our new sponsor Invision: Take the great ideas you get from Workmode and turn them into live, clickable prototypes with InVision, the world’s top design collaboration platform. Visit invisionapp.com/workmode to get 3 months free! Also thanks to Unbounce: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Dubbed by VICE as Montreal’s Premier Art Vandal, Miss Me transforms the city’s walls and streets into a canvas for her art. Miss Me discussed the activism and feminism in her art that unapologetically commands the attention of passersby. We touched on the difficulty in finding a balance between personal and professional work, and as a artful vandal, her relationship with “the law”. Miss Me shared tips on navigating her personal anxieties while managing a busy travel schedule as a globally renowned artist. Links: http://www.miss-me-art.com https://www.instagram.com/miss_me_art/ Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Adi Goodrich and Sean Pecknold are Sing Sing, a collaborative animation, photography & design studio based in Los Angeles. We spoke about the benefits of being a couple while running a studio together, their shared obsession with creativity, the importance of “turning off,” and low-fi productivity apps. Links: http://www.sing-sing.co https://www.instagram.com/singsingstudio/ https://www.instagram.com/seanpecknold/ https://www.instagram.com/adigoodrich/ Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Ethan Song is a co-founder of Frank & Oak, a digital fashion retailer with over 2.5 million members and 16 unique brick and mortar locations across North America. Ethan wears many hats at Frank & Oak, he tells us about his favourite new tech gadget and his go-to style essentials. Link: https://www.frankandoak.com https://www.instagram.com/mrethansong/ Thank you to our sponsors: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Jess Salomon is a former United Nations war crimes lawyer turned stand-up comic, now based in NYC. In this episode, Jess talks about finding the perfect joke, how Montreal is a unique place for comedy, and what role language and ethnicity play in making jokes that can touch people of all backgrounds. Link: http://jesssalomon.com Thank you to our sponsors: unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io Theme music by www.olivieralary.com Find us at workmode.show

Leta Sobierajski and Wade Jeffree are a design couple based in Brooklyn known for their strong individual design aesthetics, their collaborative and beautifully quirky Complements photo series, as well as a shared obsession with everything Japanese. We sat down with them after their recent appearance at Dynamic/MTL to talk about their “work is life” ethos, why they’re stronger together than individually, and honesty as a foundation for producing your best work. Links https://www.instagram.com/letasobierajski/ https://www.instagram.com/wadejeffree/ https://nozbe.com/ https://www.phaseone.com/en/Products/Software/Capture-One-Pro/Highlights.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Caterina is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Breather, a rapidly expanding on-demand space company operating in cities like New York, San Francisco, LA, London, Toronto and Montreal. She talks about the importance of design in unlocking new markets, how her background in retail design helped to iterate on physical spaces, and equality in the workplace. We also learn why Montreal was an ideal testing ground for a new startup service like Breather. Links https://breather.com/ Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

We interview the man, the myth, the meme: Clark Valberg, aka “Clark from Invision.” In 2011, he co-founded InVision; the company that has gone on to receive more than $130 million in investment and become an essential industry prototyping tool. Clark talks about his productivity hacks, how he manages a fully-remote company, and his unexpected internet celebrity. Links: https://www.invisionapp.com/ Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Meg He and Nina Faulhaber are co-founders of ADAY, a lifestyle brand creating fashionable technical clothing for busy ladies. They discuss their daily routines, and how simplifying your morning routine can create the headspace and time for more meaningful work. Links https://www.thisisaday.com Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely design blog highlighting new trends in the world of design, web design and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Nicole Jacek is the founder and creative director of NJLA, a research-based design consultancy in Venice Beach in LA. We talk about how she’s changed her work habits to get the most out of her brain, how she mixes collaboration and alone time, and how she’s been able to achieve a much larger impact with her work recently in approaching design as a force for cultural change. Links: http://njla.us https://twitter.com/nicolejacek Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Keira Alexandra discusses approaches to her work as Co-Founder of the design studio Work-Order in NYC. They run an incredible Festival called Day for Night, happening for the second time this December in Houston. We learn how they’ve quickly carved out a niche for themselves within the busy festival circuit through a singular attention to design detail, high-quality programming and a distinctly human approach to event production. Links: http://www.work-order.co http://www.dayfornight.io Thank you to our sponsors: http://unbounce.com for the use of their recording studios - check out their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast, and to http://mindsparklemag.com - a lovely designblog highlighting new trends in the world of design, webdesign and video. Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com Find us at http://workmode.show

Sylvain Carle has been a Partner at RealVentures and the General Manager at FounderFuel since 2014. Prior to this, he was a Senior Developer Advocate at Twitter in Silicon Valley. Sylvain is always an open book, a really wonderful guy, and a self-described pragmatist. He chats with host Alex about the inner workings of venture capital and startup accelerators, why startups are like punk bands, and why you should care about the startup ecosystem. Links: http://realventures.com/ http://founderfuel.com/ http://notman.org/ Thank you to http://unbounce.com/ for the use of their recording studios Subscribe to their podcast Call to Action here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/ Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io/ Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com/ Find us at http://workmode.show

Alex speaks with Armin Vit of UnderConsideration, Brand New and the Brand New Conference about the evolution of a side-project blog that is now a world-renowned design conference, and the importance of following your obsessions, because you never know who is going to find them interesting. Show links: http://underconsideration.com/ http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew http://underconsideration.com/brandnewconference/ http://www.underconsideration.com/fpo/ https://vimeo.com/118858086 Thank you to http://unbounce.com/ for the use of their recording studios Subscribe to their podcast here: http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/ Edited by Steph Colbourn at http://editaud.io/ Theme music by http://www.olivieralary.com/ Our website is http://workmode.show

Maria Molfino is a writer and women’s creative leadership coach, helping women put their creative confidence into action. She is also the host of Heroine – a podcast featuring the journeys of top creative women leaders and risk-takers. In this episode we discuss her unlikely transition from medicine to design, her fascinating leadership work, and also the importance of creating space, saying no, and protecting what she calls “deep work”. Links Heroine Podcast http://bit.ly/herpod Cal Newport book “Deep Work” http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/ Intelligent Change Productivity Planner http://bit.ly/2cFYkaR Ali Wong https://www.netflix.com/title/80101493 Thank you to Unbounce http://unbounce.com/ for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/ . Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io http://editaud.io/ Theme music by Olivier Alary http://www.olivieralary.com/ Our website is http://workmode.show

As a Design Partner at GV, Daniel Burka has what many would consider a designer’s dream job, in being able to create impactful design, growing as a designer through mentorship, and working on a wide variety of projects. In a passionate episode, he shares his thoughts on why design is more than just Photoshop, being bullish about the Design Sprint method, and how addressing core business problems should be part of any designer’s skill set. Show notes: Daniel Burka - GV [https://www.gv.com/team/daniel-burka/] Alphabet [https://abc.xyz/] Flatiron Health [https://www.flatiron.com/] Calico [https://www.calicolabs.com/] The Sprint Book [http://www.thesprintbook.com/] Thank you to Unbounce [http://unbounce.com/] for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action [http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/]. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io [http://editaud.io] Theme music by Olivier Alary [http://www.olivieralary.com/] Our website is workmode.show

We speak with Ann Friedman about her transition from accidental to intentional freelance journalism, her much loved Call Your Girlfriend podcast and weekly newsletter, and the inherent self-promotional nature of writing vs. other creative disciplines. We learn how “old school” journalism reporting skills are still just as important in the digital age, and discover how collaboration and consistency are the key to so many of her projects. Show notes: Ann Friedman [http://www.annfriedman.com/] Call Your Girlfriend [http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/] Thank you to Unbounce [http://unbounce.com/] for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action [http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/]. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io [http://editaud.io] Theme music by Olivier Alary [http://www.olivieralary.com/] Our website is workmode.show

We chat with the eminent digital music and arts curator Patti Schmidt about discovering culture through radio while growing up the suburbs of Ottawa, her first radio gig at McGill and how’s she’s inserted herself into the underground music scene ever since. As a programmer at MUTEK and Artistic Director at Banff, she discusses the challenges of continuing to push creative boundaries, getting representation for the ladies, and how her dad still would still probably considers all of these “fake” jobs. Show notes: MUTEK [http://www.mutek.org/] Convergence Residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity [https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/convergence-residency-electronic-music-visual-art] Brave New Waves [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_Waves] Sara Diamond [http://www.ocadu.ca/about/governance/board-of-governors/sara-diamond.htm] Uwe Schmidt [http://www.atom-tm.com/] Keith Fullerton Whitman [http://www.keithfullertonwhitman.com/] Thank you to Unbounce [http://unbounce.com/] for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action [http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/]. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io [http://editaud.io] Theme music by Olivier Alary [http://www.olivieralary.com/] Our website is workmode.show

As the Co-Founder of the startups Crew and Unsplash, Mikael Cho makes it all sound so simple. Behind his relaxed demeanour, we discover the secret to Crew’s success (hint: it’s not all about crushing monthly targets), and how a heightened sense of awareness and drive, rather than serendipity, got him to where he is today. He explains why transparent communications and trust are so crucial in his industry, and how an attention to ‘detail’ in design could be better translated as an attention to ‘people’. Show notes: Crew [https://crew.co/] 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss [http://fourhourworkweek.com/] Scott Adams [https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Adams/e/B000AP9MO0] Buffer blog [https://blog.bufferapp.com/] Basecamp blog [https://m.signalvnoise.com/] Thank you to Unbounce [http://unbounce.com/] for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action [http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/]. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io [http://editaud.io/] Theme music by Olivier Alary [http://www.olivieralary.com/] Our website is workmode.show

On our inaugural episode, we chat with the one and only Tobias van Schneider about his various multidisciplinary design projects, making meaningful connections on social media, and staying productive in the age of distraction. Despite a prolific career, you may be surprised to learn that Tobias has procrastinator and perfectionist tendencies just like the rest of us. Find out why he believes those who “do” are the real experts. Show notes: Tobias van Schneider [http://www.vanschneider.com/] Thank you to Unbounce [http://unbounce.com/] for the use of their recording studios - subscribe to their podcast Call to Action [http://unbounce.com/call-to-action-podcast/]. Edited by Steph Colbourn at editaud.io [http://editaud.io] Theme music by Olivier Alary [http://www.olivieralary.com/] Our website is workmode.show