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O episódio 19 com a designer e troublemaker Raquel Gomes é um diálogo entre duas feministas sobre educação em design, sobre como se aprende e sobre como se ensina. A conversa reflete sobre o processo que a levou a analisar criticamente os caminhos de educação que percorre, o peso que o feminismo teve nesse estudo e como chegou ao formato final do seu projeto final de mestrado: o workshop Feminist Design Power Tools. Falamos sobre as expectativas e os métodos usados no workshop e sobre as repercussões desse processo. A Raquel cresceu em São Miguel e hoje está sediada em Lisboa. Completou uma licenciatura e um mestrado em Arquitectura, mas foi no Design onde encontrou a sua voz. Em 2022 terminou a licenciatura em Design de Comunicação e tem desde aí praticado design de forma independente ou em colaboração. Em 2025, completou o mestrado também na Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa onde propõe várias POWER TOOLS: para uma pedagogia feminista em design. Episode 19 with designer and troublemaker Raquel Gomes is a dialogue between two feminists about design education, about how we learn and how we teach. The conversation reflects on the process that led her to critically analyze the educational paths she has followed, the importance that feminism had in this study and how she arrived at the final format of her final master's project: the Feminist Design Power Tools workshop. We talked about the expectations and methodolofies used in the workshop and what consequences and conclusions she reached after it. Raquel grew up in São Miguel island and is now based in Lisbon. She completed a degree and a master's degree in Architecture, but it was in Design that she found her voice. In 2022 she graduated in Communication Design and since then she has been practicing design independently or in collaboration. In 2025, Raquel completed her master's degree at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Lisbon, where she proposes a set of 'POWER TOOLS: towards a feminist pedagogy in design'.
What happens when a medical student abandons her stethoscope for a camera, moves to a foreign country where she knows no one, and transforms an abandoned garage into a thriving art collective? In this episode, we explore the multifaceted world of communication designer and photographer Ankita Das, whose work transcends traditional medium boundaries to create powerful narratives around identity, health, and community. Ankita shares how being the daughter of academics (a mathematician mother and surgeon father) initially set her on a medical path before discovering her artistic talents. She discusses her unique professional identity, describing herself as "juggling between a designer who photographs and a photographer who designs." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ankita Das and Her Creative Journey 02:56 The Duality of Identity in Creativity 05:56 Artistic Influences from Childhood 09:07 Exploring Dating Culture Through Art 11:55 The Intersection of Performance and Design 15:14 Navigating PCOS Through Artistic Expression 18:02 Creating Community Through Espace Tricote 21:01 Understanding Space and Communication Design 24:05 Collective Chimera: Building a Supportive Community 27:01 Funding and Sustainability of Artistic Spaces 29:55 The Impact of Community on Creativity 32:52 Sharing Work Beyond the Community 36:05 Balancing Work and Personal Life 38:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Website: https://ankitadas.com/ Instagram: Herecomesthepotato Support the Show Website: Martine SeverinFollow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We CreateSubscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin and edited by Santiago Cardona.
Illustrators Samya Arif and Sana Nasir come on TPE to discuss the world of design, illustration, art, Indus Valley School, Feminism, Social Media and AI.Sana Nasir is an international award winning Illustrator and a record label Art Director. Sana's work is rooted in illustration told through local folklore, mythology and fantasy that she uniquely incorporates into the field of music, event and festival design as well as activism. Amongst her recent achievements Sana created the visual identity for the global event series, Boiler Room for itʼs historic debut in Pakistan and was part of the team that received the coveted British Council New Perspectives Grant in 2022 for which she was invited to speak at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Nasirʼs talk ʻDesign in the Name of Loveʼ was debuted at the National Digital Design Conference (ND2C) in 2018 and her talk, ʻCulture Alt Deleteʼ was featured on Islamabadʼs first PechaKucha 20x20. Her work is inspired from folklore and mythology combined with technology and pop-culture and has been acclaimed and featured on platforms such as World Illustration Awards, Communication Arts Awards, Vice, Pen America, Oxford University Press, Border Movement and several local publications including Herald magazine.Sana currently lives and works between Karachi and Kathmandu as an illustrator and multi-disciplinary artist and as Art Director at an ethical record label that she and her partner co-run called Cape Monze Records.sananasir.coSamya Arif is a Pakistani visual artist, illustrator, and graphic designer whose work has been featured internationally. Her artistry is focused on female perspectives and observations of social and cultural paradigms, often exploring the themes of women and the spaces they inhabit.After earning her degree in Communication Design from the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, Samya has built a diverse portfolio that includes creating visuals for publications, editorials, book covers, and film posters. Additionally, she has been actively involved as an artist, designer, and DJ in Karachi's budding underground electronic and indie music scene.She has been featured in several prestigious publications such as The New York Times, BBC, Vice, CBC, The Fader, and Pitchfork. Samya has also collaborated on a variety of international projects, such as the Mumbai-based Taxi Fabric, for which her designs were featured in the music video of the British band Coldplay. Her client list includes Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Al Jazeera, the US Embassy in Nepal, British Council, NPR, and Google. Her illustrations were regularly published in Pakistan's renowned, now defunct Herald magazine.Samya's work has been exhibited in numerous countries, including Pakistan, India, UAE, England, US, Belgium, and Spain. She currently resides and works in Karachi, Pakistan and serves as a part-time professor at her alma mater.The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceChapters:0:00 Introduction2:00 Difference between Graphic Design and Illustration8:30 Indus Valley10:00 Choosing Design and Love for Music13:30 Is it innate or can you learn Art?16:00 Parents and living as Artists20:00 Herald27:30 Do you care about what people think?30:30 Paving the way and Woke Culture33:00 Being trolled online35:00 Saying something through Art40:00 Progress across Generations43:00 Feminism of our mothers48:00 Putting yourself in your Art51:30 Creative Process and Finding yourself55:00 Would you rather be in your 20s?57:00 Delusion is a super power1:02:00 The world of Social Media1:10:30 Watermelon symbol and the Power of an Image1:17:00 Local Context is very important1:25:00 Making your own art1:30:40 What is Pakistani culture and Getting inspired1:39:40 AI and Art1:58:40 Audience Questions
Meet Daniel Zimmerman, a former machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps, who served for over eleven years in both active duty and reserves, achieving the rank of sergeant. After graduating from Kutztown University with a degree in Communication Design, Daniel was deployed to Iraq in 2003, where his unit was part of the push to Baghdad. Upon leaving the service, Daniel founded Devil Dog Graphix, an official licensee of the United States Marine Corps. Discover how Daniel's resilience and creativity led him to success in graphic design, with products approved by the Marine Corps' Trademark and Licensing Office. Devil Dog Graphix - Graphic Design, Apparel, Graphics Cache Coffee https://cachecoffeeandmore.com/affiliate/82/
Communication Design major at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and works at Blim.
Join Tamara for an interview with Kasey Jeffrey, a mixed media artist and graphic designer. She is currently focusing on collage and watercolor, often incorporating organic and hand done elements into her digital designs and illustrations. She's a member of Dreamhouse Studios, an artist workspace above the Starland Strange shop, where she both creates her art and leads various craft workshops. You can order her "Magic Beet" book through Barnes & Noble, etc! Check out Kasey's work and follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/kaseymakesstuff/ https://www.kaseyjeffrey.com/ https://www.dreamhousesavannah.com/workshops Topics in their chat include: How Kasey moved here from Pennsylvania in 2022, sight unseen, with her partner, and loved it here right away; her degree in Communication Design - comprised of graphic design, advertising, web design, and illustration - and how the illustration parts have inspired her to bring in handmade, physical collage into her graphic design; her first post-college job as an in-house designer for Martin Guitars in PA, doing such work as the labels inside sound holes, art on the guitar neck and fretboard, and the graphics for the company's guitar museum; visiting the workshop where the "inlay guys" were hand-creating the fretboard art she had designed; the joy of using a "clay pasta" machine to make her polymer clay jewelry; she's now a year into being completely freelance, juggling her graphic and web design work, making and selling her own prints and jewelry, and hosting regular creative workshops; "Magic Beet," a book illustration project she landed while still in college, after having proactively reached out to local design businesses for gigs; Kasey's belief in the benefit of cold-calling potential clients to grow her graphic design business; her advice to only show work in one's portfolio that's the type you want to continue to make; and going forward, she's pushing herself to work on larger and more detailed pieces, using paper that expands out beyond the page and has non-flat elements, and working through how to finish/frame it. Tune in and get all the details!
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Virtually everything that's difficult about getting computers to do work for us is in getting them to understand our question or request and in our understanding their answer. How we interact with them is the problem. And that's where Sophie Kleber comes in. She is the UX – that's User Experience – Director for the Future of Work at Google and an expert in ethical AI and future human-machine interaction. She deeply understands the emotional development of automated assistants, artificial intelligence, and physical spaces. Sophie develops technology that enables individuals to be their best selves. Before joining Google, Sophie held the Global Executive Creative Director role at Huge, collaborating with brands like IKEA and Thomson Reuters. She holds an MA in Communication Design and an MBA in Product Design, and is a Fulbright fellow. In the conclusion of our interview, we talk about about how she got into the user experience field, the emergence of a third paradigm of user interfaces, the future of smart homes, privacy, large language models coming to consumer devices, and brain-computer interfaces. All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Virtually everything that's difficult about getting computers to do work for us is in getting them to understand our question or request and in our understanding their answer. How we interact with them is the problem. And that's where Sophie Kleber comes in. She is the UX – that's User Experience – Director for the Future of Work at Google and an expert in ethical AI and future human-machine interaction. She deeply understands the emotional development of automated assistants, artificial intelligence, and physical spaces. Sophie develops technology that enables individuals to be their best selves. Before joining Google, Sophie held the Global Executive Creative Director role at Huge, collaborating with brands like IKEA and Thomson Reuters. She holds an MA in Communication Design and an MBA in Product Design, and is a Fulbright fellow. We talk about the Uncanny Valley and how we relate to computers as though they were human or inhuman, and what if they looked like Bugs Bunny. We talk about the environments and situations where some people have intimate relationships with AIs, gender stereotyping in large language models, and where emotional interactions with computers help or hinder. All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.
Join Stu as he sits down with art director, designer, painter, and all-around animation-guru Carol Wyatt. Originally from Louisville, Carol begin her artistic trajectory at the Otis / Parson School of Design where she initially aspired to become an ad-exec but became enamored with the artistic process and ended up with a BFA in Communication Design and Illustration. Listen in as she fills Stu in on her working process on such shows as Rick and Morty and explains why AI might not be as terrifying as it seems! Carol's Website: http://www.carolwyatt.com Pencils vs. Pixels trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=68&v=bjmlmXwVzAc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE Beastie Boys - Shadrach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEVfHmjKOrM Reunacy: https://reunacy.com Louisville Film Society: https://louisvillefilmsociety.org Lunacy U: https://lunacyu.com
La figata di fare questo podcast in location al SSFF è che ti capita di beccare amici che non vedi da tanto tempo che vagano per il festival e mentre fai due chiacchiere ti rendi conto che l'incontro sta diventando una puntata. è sucesso cosi con Alberto "KIME" Chimenti. Ed essendo uno dei judges di questa edizione avevamo in mano anche un tema perfetto ma poco discusso quando si parla di un film festival... …Cosa rende un film "vincente"? Lo scopriamo con il nostro "critic" preferito: Alberto "Kime" Chimenti. “Pushing forward since '88” è il suo motto, che deriva dalla passione che ha trasformato in lavoro: lo skateboarding. Un background che ha dato inizio al suo percorso professionale a 15 anni, quando ha preso in mano per la prima volta una telecamera. “Fino a quel momento”, sostiene fermamente, “non era successo nulla di particolarmente interessante che valga la pena di essere raccontato”. Inizia da subito a collaborare con varie realtà del settore, arrivando poi ad instaurare una collaborazione con Vans Italy nel 2009, che dura ancora oggi. Nel 2011, subito dopo la Laurea in Communication Design, alterna varie collaborazioni con studi di Torino all'approfondimento del suo percorso personale, fino al 2012. Anno in cui decide di intraprendere la strada di regista e videographer freelance. Nel 2014 fondò insieme a Carlo Camorali e Patrick De Lorenzi "The Good Life Studio", uno studio di produzione di “tutto ciò che è visivo”, rigorosamente Turin-based. ____________________________________ #ArcadeStudioPodcast è un podcast di Andrea & René Olivo Become our PATRON!
Nadya Marwah is an Indian-Canadian photographer, film production professional, and founder of the Photo Poet Society, a mindful wedding photography company. She began her career journey in Mumbai, India, before relocating to Toronto, She left her hometown of Meerut, India at the age of 19 to pursue an education in Communication Design at MIT Institute of Design and later completed a post-graduate program in Film Production at the Vancouver Film School. The profound experience of deep meditation shifted her perspective on life. She is now a mindful visual creator, specializing in both photography and film. Alongside wedding and occasion photography, I have collaborated with musicians and film professionals, including three-time Juno-nominated musician Alysha Brilla and Canadian actor, director, and musician Steven McCarthy. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work with businesses and not-for-profit organizations such as Compass Digital Ventures at SXSW in Austin, North Shore Restorative Justice Society (North Vancouver), Arvorei Communications Group (Vancouver), and Hawkeye Pictures (Toronto). Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada's economy. To support Canada's businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter
Samuel Lintaro Hopf is a freelance photographer and filmmaker from Hamburg, Germany. Born in 1988 in Kamakura, Japan, he discovered his love of photography at the age of thirteen, when he started experimenting with his parents' VHS camcorder and film camera. After graduating from the Hamburg Academy of Design with a degree in communication design in 2012, he pursued a career as a freelance photojournalist and cinematographer, working with advertising agencies and eventually founding his own video production company in 2017. He is being represented by Germany's prestigious photo agency VISUM. International Member of GRist Family Host of YouTube Channel Samuel Streetlife Founder of IKI FILM Videoproduction Company Director of Photography at Bellomotion Freelance Producer at UFA Agency RICOH IMAGING Ambassador Freelance Photojournalist at VISUM IMAGES Degree in Communication Design
Roberta Tassi, is a prominent Service Designer, author, lecturer and founder of Oblo, a service design agency. While at university, she launched Service Design Tools, a platform for tools and tutorials that help deal with design challenges which boosted her career. In this episode, she shares her journey into service design as well as her current work, backed by stories and anecdotes.
Greetings and happy holidays!In our second podcast featuring the amazing, Beth Bacon, she and Thomas share narration duties for A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)! NOTE: learn more about Beth Bacon in the notes below!This is the last in our holiday series for 2023, and we once again thank Beth for sharing both her time as well as her talents with us!Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our fans worldwide!PSP Holiday Production TeamBeth Bacon is an author for young readers. She was born in New England and has lived in in five different states and three different countries! Santa stays busy keeping track of her whereabouts. Her books include I Hate Reading, The Book No One Wants To Read, The Panda Cub Swap, and AlphaBuddies: G Is First. Beth has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, an MA in Communication Arts from New York University, and a BA in Literature from Harvard University. Find out more at www.BethBaconAuthor.com. Christian Paniagua, a native New Yorker, is an alumnus of Pratt Institute where he received two degrees in Communication Design. Christian's art flows from his urban roots, love for animation, comics, and educational background. His whimsical approach and distinctive blend of movement, colors, and emotions into artwork allow him the freedom to diversify his designs. His resume as an illustrator artist encompasses a 25-year career.Please check out Beth's website where you can find this and all her other books:https://bethbaconauthor.com/Support the showFeedSpot organizes the world's best Blogs, Podcasts, Youtubers, and Influencers in relevant categories and publishes a top-ranked list for each of those categories. We encourage any content providers and/or fans of online content to check out the website:https://www.feedspot.com/publisher/home
We are very happy and proud to present you with the brand new Christmas story from renowned children's author, Beth Bacon, The Family Santa Almost Forgot! Beth was kind enough to stop by the PSP Studio and provide us with our first guest narrator and she did a wonderful job!About our author: Beth Bacon is an author for young readers. She was born in New England and has lived in in five different states and three different countries! Santa stays busy keeping track of her whereabouts. Her books include I Hate Reading, The Book No One Wants To Read, The Panda Cub Swap, and AlphaBuddies: G Is First. Beth has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, an MA in Communication Arts from New York University, and a BA in Literature from Harvard University. Find out more at www.BethBaconAuthor.com. Christian Paniagua, a native New Yorker, is an alumnus of Pratt Institute where he received two degrees in Communication Design. Christian's art flows from his urban roots, love for animation, comics, and educational background. His whimsical approach and distinctive blend of movement, colors, and emotions into artwork allow him the freedom to diversify his designs. His resume as an illustrator artist encompasses a 25-year career.Please check out Beth's website where you can find this and all her other books:https://bethbaconauthor.com/Thank you for spending some time with us, Beth!!And Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all of you in the Planet Storytime Universe!PSP Holiday Development TeamSupport the showFeedSpot organizes the world's best Blogs, Podcasts, Youtubers, and Influencers in relevant categories and publishes a top-ranked list for each of those categories. We encourage any content providers and/or fans of online content to check out the website:https://www.feedspot.com/publisher/home
I rarely have met someone who, throughout his life, has been presented with so many challenges but always moves forward with strength, poise, and vision. Robert Schott and I first met 27 years ago when Karen and I moved to New Jersey for a job. Robert immediately took a liking to both of us as we were asked to help our church, also the church Robert and his wife Erica attended, design wheelchair access both for Karen and others. As I got to know Robert I recognized that he was quite a determined individual who worked hard to bring success to whatever endeavors he undertook. Robert's story both in the work he has done for others as well as his own inventing mindset is well worth hearing. In fact, as you will hear, he has designed a new toy currently looking for a manufacturing home, but that already has been described as the first invention creating a new way of play for children. If all of us ever encounter through these podcast episodes someone unstoppable it is Robert Schott. I hope his thoughts, life lessons and his enthusiastic mindset rubs off on all of us. His faith and his attitude really do show all of us that we can be more unstoppable than we think we can. About the Guest: Robert Schott has more than 40 years of business and employee communications design experience currently concentrated in employee benefits and retirement plans. With Charles Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Mr. Schott specializes in customizing people engagement strategies on financial literacy and to prepare his clients' employees for their future retirement income needs. Pensions & Investments magazine recognized two of his recent projects with First Place Eddy Awards for superior achievement in Retirement Readiness and Financial Wellness communications design. Mr. Schott help similar roles at Merrill Lynch Retirement Plan Services, J.P. Morgan/American Century Retirement Plan Services, J.P. Morgan Investment Management, and Coopers & Lybrand Human Resources Group. Additionally, Mr. Schott founded and owns Bopt Inc., a consumer product development and sales company featuring two notable inventions, WOWindow Posters® and SprawlyWalls™. WOWindow Posters are translucent posters designed for illuminating Halloween and Christmas images in windows simply by turning on the room lights. SprawlyWalls is a build, decorate, and play system for children ages 5 to 11 to create play spaces for their dolls and action figures. The Strong National Museum of Play/Toy Hall of Fame recently included SprawlyWalls in its in-museum Play Lab. Mr. Schott is a member of the Leadership Forum Community (LFC) which convenes to explore leadership challenges, develop conscious leaders, and create solutions that result in meaningful and equitable change in organizations, education, and society. He collaborated on the concept of ‘Conscious Dialogue' presented at the LFC Summit in July 2023. Notably, in 2019 and 2021, Mr. Schott participated in America in One Room, an experiment in Deliberative Democracy designed by social scientists at Stanford University to foster civil discourse on political themes by convening over 500 USA citizens for moderated discussions. In 2021, Mr. Schott's community, Cranford New Jersey, recognized him with the annual Kindness Award for bringing joy to others through his massive annual front yard snow sculptures. In June 2023, he joined an expedition in Newfoundland Canada to search for a missing French biplane that would have beat Charles Lindbergh in 1927 for the $50k prize money had it landed in front of the Statue of Liberty coming from Paris. Mr. Schott holds a bachelor of arts with honors in communication design from Rochester Institute of Technology. He completed a Mini-MBA certification program at Rutgers, Center for Management Development. He had previously held Series 7 and 66 licenses for his financial industry work. Ways to connect with Tony: https://www.facebook.com/robert.schott.33/ https://www.facebook.com/SprawlyWalls/ https://www.facebook.com/WOWindows/ https://www.instagram.com/sprawlywalls/ https://www.instagram.com/shotinthedarkguy/ Twitter: @wowindows About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, Hi, and welcome once again to unstoppable mindset. I am your host, Mike Hingson. And today, I get to really have a wonderful pleasure and honor to even introduce you to someone who I've known for a long time, Robert Schott lived fairly close to us when we lived in New Jersey, we lived in Westfield, New Jersey, but we both went to the same church, which is where we met, we met the shots and others became good friends. And Robert was a very good supporter of ours, especially helping Karen because if and when we started at the church, it was not very wheelchair accessible. And there were a lot of issues to try to make it more accessible. And Robert and others were really helpful in advocating and recognizing the value of that. So he's become a great friend. He's had associations with Rochester Institute of Technology and actually helped get me to do a speech there one. So Robert and I have known each other for a long time. Gosh, if we were to really go back and count, Robert, it's since what 1996. So that is what 27 years long. I know. Welcome to unstoppable mindset. Robert Schott ** 02:34 Well, thank you, Michael. And I appreciate the warm regard as friends that's top of mind and you create helped create a fascinating part of my life. And Erica's life, which we're grateful for. And we were sorry to see you move west. But I know that was all for good things Michael Hingson ** 02:53 are good things. But we still get to stay in touch. And yeah, and one of these days, I hope to be able to get back to New Jersey and spend some time with all of you, which would be good. So we'll have to figure that out at some point. But for now, let's let's talk about you a little bit. Why don't you tell us a little bit about as I love to do with the deepening of these things, the the early Robert growing up and all that sort of stuff and kind of what got you to where you are at least a little bit and then we can always go back and talk more about that. But yeah, love to hear some of the early Robert stories. Robert Schott ** 03:30 Yeah, and cut me off when we need to pivot but okay, I'm cutting you off now. Michael Hingson ** 03:33 Thanks. Robert Schott ** 03:36 You're funny, man. Yeah, go ahead. Well, in fact, I grew up in a town past Westfield, which was Fanwood nestled by Scotch Plains. I went to Scotch Plains Fanwood high school I was one of five children to two middle class English parents. My mom was the high school nurse where I was went to high school I had a hard time cutting class or calling out sick because she knew Michael Hingson ** 04:02 my dad told us no anyway. Robert Schott ** 04:05 Yeah, you know, my dad actually have pretty fascinating place to work. He was a lab technician on the brainiac floor at Bell Laboratories and Murray Hill that could go on and on about that but one little thing was the tech across the hall from him he had made the first transistor which set a whole lot of things in motion. But we we you know mom and dad were around dad would go down in the basement and do oil painting and I mentioned that for a reason I'll tell you what, we were very involved in our school and activities band, I was a big into Boy Scouts. And all along the way I would became very interested in art. And that was I mentioned that was a fine art oil painter became professional grade but he taught me how to oil paint when I was seven years old and always made sure I was supplied with tools and gear. You know from what caravita oil painting in watercolor. So that became a nice side thing for me to focus on, which kind of fizzled out as a creative arts. But by the time I went to college, where I shifted to Applied Arts and what that what I mean is graphic design was my major at Rochester Institute of Technology. It's interesting, I think about that decision. And when I was in junior high school, I made a proclamation to my family, I said, I don't like TV advertising, I'm going to go into advertising and change it, I'm going to change the world of advertising. And so when I was studying schools, Syracuse University was, you know, one of the two that I narrowed down or it was the other. And I got to Syracuse, I would have been in New House School of Communication, which was more advertising and media focused, whereas it was more graphics and artistic focus. But the decision which was relevant for 18 year old was the ice rink at RMIT was on the way from classes. And if I went to Syracuse, it would have been a two mile train. So we make our decisions. It all turns out, Michael Hingson ** 06:13 you my brother in law, is in Idaho, and for years was a master cabinet maker, he's now more of a general contractor, but his winters were all controlled and covered by skiing. And in fact, in the winter, for many years, he as an Certified International Ski guide, would take people to France and do off piste, skiing and so on. But I understand exactly what you're saying about the ice rink because he was all about skiing, and still likes to ski but he's a lot older and doesn't do the events. And he's also got work in the winter. So responsibilities change, but I know what you're saying. Robert Schott ** 06:57 Yeah, I was. I learned how to ice skate on my backyard after an ice storm in 11th grade and I began playing ice hockey pickup with some friends and I had two years to get ready before college and I I actually made I got cut from the junior varsity team. But I said to the coach, hey, listen, I really want to learn this game. Can I can I come to all the practices? Can I come to the games and carry everybody sticks in the water? He said sure. And so I didn't miss a practice and mid season. I guess enough guys got hurt or quit. Or I showed progress. He put me on in a game. He gave me the last minute of a game. And the only thing I was able to do was when I jumped over the boards the puck was coming by. And so as the opponent, I just put my hip out and I gave the guy a hip check. He went flying and the game was over. So he said, Yeah, you're qualified. We need you for the next game. Like I had, I had two goals and three assists and eight games. So I actually was a producer. Michael Hingson ** 07:55 Well, it's always better to be a producer than not needless to say. So what was your actual major then? Robert Schott ** 08:03 Well, it was called Communication Design. And it was focused on communicating through graphic arts, and largely the two dimensional realm of graphic arts. And I was a high achiever in my classes, mostly A's and what I did some standout work. It led to a summer job at a welding products company in the art department. And I remember getting rejected by Texas wiener hotdogs that summer. And then I went to this agency and as I was walking out the door, they because they said they had nothing for me, oh, here's something Oh, you have to know how to type. So I said, Holy cow. I know how to type. My mom made me take typing in eighth grade. So I ended up in the art department, you know, go figure and I was using an IBM Selectric components, not yet knocking out, you know, graphic text writing with that, that early typesetting machine. And so it was a great and that summer job. One of our one of our vendors would come in and pick up work and he ended up at the end of the summer saying come work for me when you graduated. I help you with your homework for the rest of the year. Michael Hingson ** 09:16 God does provide doesn't teach Oh, it's pretty funny. Yeah, there you go. So you graduated when did you graduate? Robert Schott ** 09:25 That was 1981. Okay, then I was really busy student you know, between a little bit of ice hockey and academic word, the artwork was very time consuming. And I also was a pretty high level student leader in on the campus and that led to some pretty fun things too. So I was pretty harried, you know, really had to burn the candle on both ends a lot of the time. But in 1981, I had that job offer, which I took and it was he they put me on the artboard to Do graphic arts and there was a small boutique, there was a dozen people doing business to business communications, which included business slides, industrial videos, other graphics and advertising materials. And it turned out I was, I was actually not very good as an artist on the board on demand, you know, I was a good student, but it didn't translate. And so getting into the thick of it, they went into computer graphics, there was a machine called jet graphics that allowed us to make business presentation slides, instead of using the old graphic art, code Iliff and other kind of build your slide business that way. And they put me in charge of them. And within three years, we had seven of these machines in two locations running around the clock, seven days a week. And it was a grind, if I may think I really, I discovered the limits of the physical limits of sleep deprivation, which is not a healthy thing, but I did it. And that's what was probably the first thing I ever became an expert at in the country may be further making these slides and supervising and training, you know, a team 24/7. Michael Hingson ** 11:21 So how long did you stay there? So this was after college? Right? Robert Schott ** 11:24 Yeah, so I was there for seven years. Wow. Okay. And I mentioned one thing about a large part of my career was in reflection, I'm trying to coach my own young adult children don't fall into the same trap. Maybe I didn't really have the aspirational goal in my mind, like when I did when I was in junior high school. But what I did do was accept the next job that somebody offered me. One because I was ready to leave and two was a good job offer. But it didn't. After doing that three or four times it didn't ever really align with where maybe the root of my skills or passions lay. So a lot of years went by just, you know, three, seven year stints to say, Yeah, I'll take that job and, you know, going to have children, I need a professional job, and I needed benefits. And, you know, I took my I took my eye off the market, what I was really maybe meant to be Michael Hingson ** 12:28 right. So you say you went off and you took other jobs. And so where did you end up? Robert Schott ** 12:36 So the sequence was I left? We were doing business slides for the Coopers and Lybrand can see accounting and consulting firm and I was making the earliest of its kind slide presentations for 401k plans in the middle early 80s. And from that, I got to work with Coopers and Lybrand. You know, my first job was working with Coopers and Lybrand. And they said, why don't you come over here, because they liked what I was doing producing the record on case stuff. So I learned how to be an A Communication Consultant, the full gamut it was writing and directing and strategy at Coopers for their human resource advisory group clients. And sure enough, in the 401k plan at Cooper's they had JP Morgan investment funds. And that when they brought those funds in, I got to know the funds. And we communicated to 20,000 people about those funds. And eventually, JP Morgan said, why don't you come work over here? There you go. So I went over there. And you know, each time I was still have a relationship, or I left, which was, you know, kind of unique. Michael Hingson ** 13:44 But good. She kept a positive relationship, Robert Schott ** 13:47 no burn bridges. It was natural for me to move on. And the Morgan thing was in your marketing grew up helping to communicate the value of these types of 401k plan funds that other companies would put into their 401 K plans. So it was kind of there that I moved into another role where they formed a partnership with a company called American century. And we formed a partnership in retirement plan servicing and I moved over to that side of the business. But things didn't really go very well, after a while and I was getting frustrated with the work environment and the work I was doing. That's what led to the spark of doing something different. Michael Hingson ** 14:36 So you, you decided you really needed to do something different than working in those kinds of environments. And did you have an idea of what you wanted to do and where you were going to go? Robert Schott ** 14:46 Well, it it's interesting, because, you know, there was no there was no real physical track to making Something happened that would put me in a new place. But there was a seed to have an invention idea I had to pursue. And that was really the mission. Can I take this idea? Get it further, far enough along? And then then from there, it was the idea, could I license it to a big manufacturing company? And so the inspiration was in a day of wallowing in my corporate anxiety, I went upstairs. And you remember my daughter, Carly, she was seven years old and 2000 2001, I think it was. And she was playing a certain way with her Barbie dolls. She was making rooms to play with her dolls across the floor with cardboard bricks. And I just went up to watch her play. That was my relief release. And I said, Hey, Carly, I wonder if a toy exists, where you can build walls. And you don't have to, you know, I can get something official that it was a Sunday afternoon. And I said, What, hey, let's go downstairs and draw what this toy could do. So seven year old, Carla and I went downstairs and we started drawing this idea of connecting walls to make dollhouse rooms. And I said to her right there, okay. This is all I need to know that this is something I have to pursue. And I'm going to work really hard to make this get this product made for you. And that's what kicked off the inventions probably was back then. Michael Hingson ** 16:30 So basically, though, were you working for someone else at the time? Or Did Jesus decide to do this full time? Or how did all that work? Robert Schott ** 16:37 Yeah. So initially, I was still working at JP Morgan investment. And at one point, I got laid off. Another fell out that they were rejiggering things. And of course that happens. But they gave me a generous severance package. And I said, Oh, holy cow, here's my moment. I'm going to go full blast on this toy idea. So I've been working on it for a year. Now I had this open time, with some, you know, compensation to cover my expenses, and then went hard at it. Now in the meantime, I was anxious. So I ended up pursuing five other part time things. I got a benefits consulting job, and I was dabbling with these other things that were really distracting and, frankly, the ability debilitating because I couldn't get anything to stick to make additional money. And and to have the free time to work on a toy. Michael Hingson ** 17:34 That totally Sarika doing. Robert Schott ** 17:37 She can. She's been working ever since you've known her in occupational therapy, Michael Hingson ** 17:42 since she continued to work. Yeah. So Robert Schott ** 17:46 yeah, I mean, I had the severance. So that was key. But I also didn't know if I was going to have another job at the end of it. So I had to continue thinking about how to make money if the toy thing doesn't, you know, come to Canada really fast. But in that period, I really refined the concept I filed for design and utility patents on the mechanical element of the walls, the way they would connect together. I created a logo and branding and I created a packaging design. I made prototypes, dope models for the kids to play with Ram focus groups with groups, a little kids, and all the proofs of this really cool thing we're coming through. And through. You know, a friend of mines likes to say it's, it's not serendipity or accident or luck, it's intentionality. And when you have really crisp intentions, some things kind of can just happen and out of the most unexpected places. And that that happened, I ended up getting a meeting with Hasbro, a college friend of mine, and it was like the Tom Hanks at Hasbro. He had a lab where he'd make stuff for the inventors. So I said he introduced me the creative guy. And they said, Yeah, if we really liked your idea, but it's not really for us, at least not at this time. And we back up a second when I was in the outplacement Center at Morgan, a former client then friend said hey, talk to this guy, John, John Harvey, and he'll coach you on your transition because he started a free coaching Transition Network out of Maplewood, New Jersey. So I called John and he said, what do you what do you really want to do? And I said, Oh, I really want to make this toy. He said to me, Hey, listen to this. Three months ago. I was at a think tank session. I might get the details fuzzy here, but it was the heads of innovation from Nike, somewhere else and Mattel and when you're ready, I'll introduce you to the head of innovation at Mattel. And so after my Hasbro meeting I called on Joe It said yeah. And he made the introduction and through another couple things. I got to make a meeting with the Creative Director for Barbie at Mattel, the biggest toy brand on Earth, and I got an hour. That's what I left the building that the young lady said, I know you got it in here because people like you don't. To Joe told you stuff about Barbie probably shouldn't have because, you know, it's proprietary, but he really liked what she came up with. And I'll share that walking out of that building was the singular highest moment, work moment of my life. And nothing is taught that yet. Even though the deals didn't turn out, just the sense that I made an impression to this big company, as a novice said, Man, I really ready to I'm really able to do something different. Michael Hingson ** 20:57 So you have When did you have the meeting with Mattel? Robert Schott ** 21:01 That was the late spring of 2003. Michael Hingson ** 21:05 Okay, so that was always ago that was 20 years ago? Yeah. 20 years. And but did you have a basic conceptual design? Or did you actually have a model at that point? Robert Schott ** 21:17 Oh, yeah, I had the prototypes, I had play models, you know, everything was, you know, in a condition that was acceptable from a toy inventor for a big company to take it on. And I didn't make any errors about what I anything beyond what I knew what I did. I didn't say I knew how to price it or manufacture it, or anything like that, which other toy inventors would have known more about. But, you know, no deals came through and I solicited all companies, you know, Lego and connects, and I went to FAO, Schwarz and Toys R Us and all in fact, the last meeting I had was with the head of brands at Toys R Us that was through an acquaintance, a friend of mine who I worked with in my first job out of out of school, he introduced me the head of brands, and I met there and Susan said, Oh, Robert, I really really liked your idea. I can't work with you. Because it's not real yet. You know, I need to be able to product to put on the shelves. But go back to Mattel tell them they're not they got their heads in the wrong place. Because this is what we need on the shelves. And I'll spare you the EXPLAIN of that. What was that? So, you know, here's another validation from the biggest toy distributor on earth without my concept. And crazily I just kind of got burnt out and I need to get a new job and I let it go. I just had to let it go for a while. Michael Hingson ** 22:41 So what did you do? Robert Schott ** 22:45 Well, two things happened. One, the realization that I knew I could do something different, I thought about what else I had made around my home. And in fact, it was in the year 2000. For Halloween I had made out of hardboard and red cellophane giant cutouts of cat eyes that I hung in the Windows upstairs. And with a room lights on they lit up like a giant cat was looking at. I thought, holy cow. There's an idea. Maybe i i figured i can get that done myself. I don't need to sell the idea. I'll just get after it. And so I worked on it for three quarters of a year. And then I talked to a friend. I remember you remember Brian Jenkins and Cindy Jenkins from the church. Brian was a printer by trade and I said Hey, Brian, what do you think of this idea. And in the same call, he said, Hey, I was just drawing a pumpkin that would light up to put in the window. And we agreed to go into business together. And it took us two more years to figure out how to make them. We ended up with a outfit in Green Bay, Wisconsin that agreed to work with us. And a little thing that I learned along that way was never, never, never admit your deficiencies on something always present yourself as confident and professional. And they this big company that served enterprises like Procter and Gamble allowed us to come into their space and dabble with manufacturing this printed window posts around big wide plastic sheets on 150 foot long printing press. And we pulled it off, you know we made a poster that that worked. So now I said there was two things. That's one track and I'll tell you more. But at the same time I needed to get back to day job with income and the fellow that I got laid off with from Morgan said, Hey Robert, I saw a posting for that's made for you and it was with Merrill Lynch and I put my resume into the black hole. And the next day I had a call that never happens. And three days later, I had an interview. And remember the second part of that interview that the hiring manager took me back to the first interviewee, or, as she said to the first, the second one, Hey, give this guy an offer yet. So it was a slam dunk, I got back to work, right at the end of my 15 month severance. So that all kind of worked out nice. Michael Hingson ** 25:29 But you did keep on dreaming, which is part of the whole story at first, which is great, but you did go back to work. And that works for a little while, at least while Merrill was around. Robert Schott ** 25:40 Yeah, well, kind of they never really went away. They took up, you know, partnered up. But I worked there for, I think, six years. And this is how you can do things sometimes in life that are, it's creative thinking. And I said to the boss, hey, look, I had a bunch of bad things happen with the poster business after we had a tremendous start, you know, we, we ended up in three years with a million and a half dollars of sales. And we were getting attention by the biggest enterprises in consumer, brick and mortar stores. But then, sadly, Brian passed away in 2009. And I had to take on the whole thing myself. And I approached my, my boss, I said, Look, I gotta leave, you know, I gotta work on this. And she said, Well, why don't go so fast. We need you here. How about if we give you a reduced hours, but still keep you on benefits? I said, that works. So I went from 70 hours a week to 40 kept my bike benefits. And then I worked another 40 a week on the Michael Hingson ** 26:44 poster business, back to sleep deprivation. Robert Schott ** 26:47 Yeah, well, that was easy street from earlier years. So I did that for another year. And finally, I said, No, this isn't going to work. And I cut out and I worked on the poster business full time for five years, which was had diminishing returns, the world was changing. And there's a lot of obstacles that I had overcome. Amazon was starting to come into play in the big box store, the big Oh, my wholesale accounts were drifting away, and it was just a mess. So I ended up going back again, through fellow I worked with at Merrill said, Hey, come work for us. And I won't get into that, because it's my current work. But that's, that's where I've been for seven, eight years. Now. It's the next corporate gig. Michael Hingson ** 27:41 Things that I react to. And the most significant to me is no matter what with all of the job changes. I don't know that I would say all of it's not like there were such a huge amount, compared to some people who can't hold a job, you moved from place to place. But one of the things that I find most striking is that you kept really wonderful relationships, wherever you went. And whenever you left, you continue to have relationships. And that's been very supportive for you, which I think is really cool. A lot of people don't do that and burn too many bridges, which is unfortunate. Robert Schott ** 28:21 Yeah, thanks for recognizing that I, I hold friendships or business acquaintances from all the roles I had. And I'm, you know, happy about reconnecting with people and reminiscing. But they've also come into play. Over time, what at different points, I'd reach out and say, hey, you know, I know you're doing this now. But that was, you know, there's a 40 year relationship from that first a few of them that I've been able to go back to currently and say, Hey, let's talk about this thing I'm working on. Michael Hingson ** 28:55 And there must be ways that you're obviously benefiting and helping them as well. Robert Schott ** 28:59 Oh, sure. Yeah, absolutely. Michael Hingson ** 29:03 Well, you know, clearly, by definition of what this podcast is all about, you are absolutely unstoppable. in mind, and so on. Give me a couple of examples in your own mind, or from your own perspective of how you've been on top of that, maybe a small one and a big one. Robert Schott ** 29:20 Yes, that's a good question. It was a couple of small ones that are more recent. I'll just stick to the more recent because it's shows I still have the ability to persevere, and it has a lot to do with a lesson my mom taught me was you always have to finish what you start. And I learned that you know, when I was five, six years old, you know, she wouldn't let us quit something at school because we were unhappy or didn't like it. We had to finish it. And so I got into for fun making big snow sculptures out in my front yard. And I've been doing in our town of Cranford for over 30 years and I did a MIT college and back in high school. Well, in 2020, it was 2021 There was a big blizzard. And I'd been waiting to do this particular snow sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, half scale. So half scale is for 15 feet tall. And I had gotten skilled enough to know how to prepare my drawings. And I built a wooden form to fill as the base. And we we had a convergence of things and I need one was a big snowstorm to it has to get warm afterwards because I mold and build. And I had to have the time. So this thing started on a Sunday afternoon. And as I got to do this, this, this is it. This is the moment of truth. And so from Sunday afternoon, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then some nights after my work job. And then all day Saturday, I worked on Abraham Lincoln. And I realized that it was probably over six tons of snow that we moved. I spent 435 hours sculpting carving, and I had a bunch of helpers. And it was magnificent. And it attracted national media attention. And the beautiful part was it landed right on Lincoln's birthday when I finished it. You have pictures? Yeah, I do. I have some good pictures of it. Michael Hingson ** 31:23 Once we have a picture or an article, loved it featured in the podcast notes. Robert Schott ** 31:27 Yeah, I absolutely send that. But here's the kicker. And I didn't tell a lot of people that week, that Sunday when I started, I had body aches and a fever. And I said, I have to do this. This is the moment of truth. Well, I didn't find out till Thursday that I had COVID. I was climbing ladders and lifting snow six hours a day changing clothes three times because I was sweating so much. And I just it was so hard to get up in the morning and get at this thing, but I did it. So there's, there's I guess that's a good example of a small thing. Getting it done. Michael Hingson ** 32:04 Not sure it's so small, but I hear you. And then once you said 14 feet tall, Robert Schott ** 32:08 14 feet tall. Yeah. of Abraham Lincoln, nestled in his chair looking out from the Lincoln Memorial. Right. So that's, that's an unstoppable, I'd say, you know, pursuing the window posters is an exciting things that I feel really proud of achievement, that I can look back on fondly and say I really got something good done there. And I think that, you know, the window posters I've been doing for, yeah, I've been working on it for 20 years 17 In business. And it's, it's been, it was wildly successful when we got going. And it's had a lot of setbacks, and been losing money for 10 years. So it's something that's kind of weird, because I can't even get out of it. You know, I couldn't sell the business, I couldn't sell the inventory. But I'm straddled with some debt from it. And from, you know, having things I just don't want to throw away. Every year, it's all online, and I sell them online, and I make make some money, just about is covering expenses now. So, back to unstoppable during the pandemic, I'll say I had the good fortune of being able to cut out three or four hours a day of commuting to New York City. And I said, Alright, I gotta get this toy made. And I picked up this volleyballs again, and I I got serious about pursuing it to the finish. And to the act of that, you know, fast forward. Last November, I got product in hand. You know, I took it from further engineering, prototyping, manufacture, testing, then you fracturing, packaging, patent filings marketing. I've been working on its sale since last November. So 20 years later, you know, or more. It's coming to fruition. Now, once Michael Hingson ** 34:06 Yeah, Robert Schott ** 34:08 let me add a point here. Because when I said I was gonna make the window posters, I said, Alright, I'm not giving up on the toy, but I'm going to make so much money from the window for posters, I can afford to make the toy pins some day. I just told you I was I've been losing money on the toy on the posters. But what I didn't, what finally occurred to me a year ago was holy cow. I got a I got the value and benefit of experience from learning how to make a product bring to market to make the toy. So the the, the outcome was, I didn't make a lot of money to make it but I earned a lifetime of experience to know how to make it. I think that's pretty cool. Michael Hingson ** 34:51 That's worth a lot. Robert Schott ** 34:53 Yeah. Yeah, let's How do you make a barcode? I don't know. Well, you have to figure it out. So every part of bringing your part like to mark it from scratch, has these learning hurdles, Michael Hingson ** 35:03 you know, you go to the bar and you make it home. Robert Schott ** 35:07 You go to the bar you drink, you talk to the guy next, know how to make barcodes. Or Michael Hingson ** 35:15 it seems easy to me. Well, Robert Schott ** 35:18 Michael, I was experimenting with making glow in the dark window posters. So I went to Green Bay to do a glow in the dark test. And just in my travels, I met three more people on the airplane in the airport and at lunch that day, who were in the glow in the dark business. So intentionality, you know, I talked about what I was doing. Oh, I do go to dark paint that will happen in one day. Michael Hingson ** 35:47 As you said a lifetime of experience, which is something that is priceless. Robert Schott ** 35:53 Yeah. I'll put a cap on that one. I'll say that, you know, maybe not financially. I haven't blown it out financially. But I'm really rich for the experience. Michael Hingson ** 36:03 Yeah, exactly what I'm saying. Yeah. Well, so what exactly is happening with sprawling walls then today? Robert Schott ** 36:11 Well, I had envisioned, pursuing direct consumer through E commerce only and using virtual communities to help create viral interest in the modern way of exposing a product. And that's not going like I envisioned this past nine months. It was disheartening to see one, even in a few years, how that realm has changed, and how much harder it is to get out, reach out and trade attention. And on a shoestring budget, you know, haven't been able to engage at a higher level where people, you know, for 50 grand, they could help make that happen. But in the meantime, I was working with a person who was critical of me spending time on the idea of networking. And I said I'm because he was helped me think through some of the marketing stuff. And so I've gone up to ra T, I was invited to go to the hockey game, I'll be in the President's booth at the arena at the campus. I'm going I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm gonna make the trip us up my time. And he said, Why are you gonna waste your time showing something that's not really ready for I'm going anyway, fella. So I went, and guess who was in the President's booth. But I mentioned I was a student leader and are at, and the Director of Student Affairs who I became very close to in a lifetime friend, and eventually become number two, at RMIT, as the Secretary to the institute. And he was in that booth with his wife. And it's like, holy cow. Well, of course, I brought my prototype. So I'm showing everybody in the President's booth, my toy idea. And then Fred pulls me aside and says, hey, hey, Robert, and if you know this, but I'm on the board of directors at the strong National Museum of Play, and Toy Hall of Fame. If you want, I can get your meeting there. Like it was the perfect storm for networking, and meeting. So here, I had an hour with the chief curator of the National Museum of Play, and he's been in this business for 35 years, who looked at what I was doing and said, Man, this is such a great story. And I think the trouble with you getting exposure with your product is because people don't know what to make of it yet. In fact, Robert, you've invented a new category of play. As well, that isn't that because he couldn't think of a comparable to what I've created. And furthermore, they said, we'd like to bring this product into our life play lab, we're in the side, the museum kids can come in and play with, you know, free play type of building toy systems and learn a lot from that. Yeah, so I think they're putting it in there in a few weeks, in reality, and they're also bringing my toy out in public outreach to children who have troubled circumstances, and may not have a environment where they live to be able to play. So they bring these children to places where they expose them to just pure play, just for the sake of playing in the creative collaboration that goes with that. So I'm grateful to be turning my product into something bigger than just me making a toy to sell but actually influencing young children. Michael Hingson ** 39:49 But hopefully it will turn into a real product that sells which is always a good thing. But you know, one of the things that I react to keep thinking back on is house Bro, then had no interest in it with things like GI Joe and so on, I would have thought they would have been very interested in sprawie forte, but I guess Robert Schott ** 40:08 it's you, you're spot on, you know, when I went to Hasbro, I didn't come with just the Girl doll system. Right. Michael Hingson ** 40:16 I understand. Robert Schott ** 40:17 I came with the Army system. So I brought my GI Joes and I had camouflage wall panels that connected together to make, you know, Fort scenes. But yeah, they didn't see it that what they said was Well, that's all good. And well, but, you know, boys like to build and destroy. So Michael Hingson ** 40:40 that was a funny line. Yeah, especially well, yeah. All the way around. Well, you know, clearly though, everything that you're doing, you continue to move forward. And you get sidelined along the way, sometimes from circumstances over which you have no control. But, but you still do, which I think is great. What puts you in keeps you in a mind frame of being unstoppable and just continuing to move forward? Because no matter what's happened, you've had a lot of things that have been setbacks, and a lot of people would just be held back by that. But you've continued to move forward. And you've done it very intentionally and in very positive way. How does that work? Robert Schott ** 41:27 Yeah, thanks, Michael. I'm gonna go back to the root of a painting I did when I was seven years old side by side with my dad. And it was an apple with a sugar jar on burlap. And he painted his version of paint in mind. And I remember getting it done and maybe didn't reflect on it back then. But I reflect on it now that I created a piece of art that I can look at and enjoy. And we got that done together. And through the pursuit of art, the creative arts, oil painting, sculpture, watercolor painting, and other things. I find the greatest joy for myself looking at, if I can look at something that I did, or that someone else did, and see joy in it, and continuous enjoyment and keep coming back to it like a good movie, like the Wizard of Oz, I can watch that every time. To me that describes what art is that it has this appeal that you can continue to enjoy. And you don't get there by not working at it. Right. So I think when I see something I want to do and get done, a need to see it finished, because I want to sit back and look at what I did it, you know, despite many obstacles, like with the window posters, you know, there was a storm that there was a hurricane that wiped out Halloween when winter and snow blizzard the next Halloween and then my warehouse got hit by lightning and all my product deliveries were late, my partner passed away and you know, all these things that just just bang on? Yeah, but you just got to keep going. So I think presently, like with what I'm pursuing, the side gig, if you will, I have this vision of what it would be. And there's something bigger than I realized last year. But it's so big that it overrides any doubt that I have or fear or even the skepticism of others. And even the regard for risking money on it, I come to realize that, you know, money saved isn't helping me create and invest in in my own pursuit. So I've let loose let go and I don't let it get me down. Like I would have, you know, 30 years ago. Michael Hingson ** 43:47 So how do you view money today? Or how is your attitude about the whole issue of money changed? Both from the standpoint of you personally, but you've obviously been in companies that specialize in that stuff. So you must have a lot of ways to to answer that. Robert Schott ** 44:02 Yeah. So it's kind of a little funny contradiction. I teach a lot about saving for retirement yet I'm spending a lot of my retirement savings. I'm investing in my future is what I'm doing. You know, I discovered I had a to really make it happen. I had to use what I have with the belief that it will work out and I'll be better off for it financially one day. Certainly, the cut three high end college educations at a time when I thought money was going to really be flowing from the window posters and my work. That was a drain as it is on anybody today, the way college expenses go. And then just trying to keep my head above water with the poster business. It's been technically losing money. You know, just I'm resolved that this is my way to pursue something bigger in my life. And I'll figure it out. I'll just keep Working I have, I'm so resourceful and I have so many ways that I could earn money for the next 20 years, if I have to that, I just, I don't like it that I'm in a spot. But I love that I feel hopeful and confident in my abilities. Michael Hingson ** 45:15 But you've made the commitment to do it. And if it means that you'd have to put some things on hold for a while and do more mundane or more things that are not directly in line with what you want to do. Right, you're going to get to do what you want to do. And you'll, you'll let some of the other stuff be a part of what you do to make that happen. Robert Schott ** 45:36 That's right. And I'll just finish off on the Toy Story, if you will, I have two big events coming up. In the next month. I was accepted to a when he call it up a media showcase. I'll be on Pier 60 in New York City on September 12. So by the time people see this, I might have been well past but the showcases of is for the best toys of 2023. And while I didn't make the cut as a best toy, they accepted me to be present, which is I think a nice credit to that I'm recognizing what I have to be in the presence of major media as well as social influencers. And then I was also accepted on the last day of this year's Toy Fair at the Javits Center in early October for Toy inventors day. So that didn't come easy, either. I had to qualify. And I'll be in front of major manufacturers to potentially come back to the idea of licensing the product. So I've got four tracks, I can sell direct to consumer, I can make the product and sell wholesale. I can pursue other avenues like homeschool and teaching networks and Montessori schools where play free play is the thing, or I could make a licensing deal. So all these are on the table right now and making some of those big opportunities happen. Michael Hingson ** 47:06 Have you thought of doing anything like trying to go on to Shark Tank and showing this to the world through that? Robert Schott ** 47:14 Oh, I've thought about it a lot. But I've also tried out for shark tank with the poster idea. And there's a lot of reasons I don't want to do that. A lot of reasons why I won't do that is I won't get into that. But I think I can pursue avenues through my own. Maybe I could put it this way. I've discovered how I can make tracks doing things. And I think maybe other people don't think that's their only avenue. Yeah. Success. And I don't believe that for me. So that's a there's a good answer. Well, Michael Hingson ** 47:51 and clearly in partisan businesses zine and you want to make it the way you want to make it. So it's just a question out of curiosity, but it makes sense. You know, to, to at least ask the question, and you thought about it. Not that answers it, which is great. Yeah. The you continue to be resilient, about pressing through and finishing whatever you start. I think you've hit on it some but why is it that you are so firm at being able to press through and continue to work? What, what, what keeps you going? And always moving forward like you do? Robert Schott ** 48:33 Well, you know, I think when you first introduced the idea of me being a guest, I had this theme in my head, which was real, that some bit of my career, I didn't feel very interesting anymore. Michael Hingson ** 48:49 What and I said you were interesting. Yeah, Robert Schott ** 48:52 I know. But I'd go on vacation with four other families and these other guys were all entrepreneur, for Nouriel, I had nothing to talk about in my work life that would be of any interest at the dinner table. So it's going to be interesting again, but anyway, I think it's there was lessons growing up about endurance and achieving things, you know, I was a boy scout, and we we camped every month of the year, whatever the weather was, wherever we went so, you know, five below zero in a tent with no floor and a summer sleeping bag. You have to somehow get through that night and learn where your limits are in pain points. I made Eagle Scout at college I was in academics and sports and and student leadership and you know, I actually the one and only time I sought professional help was at school, the counselor to say I'm falling apart, you know helped me put my pieces back together again and the coaching I got there it was really valuable. You know, encourage anybody who's feeling a bad spot to take it Then under the resources out there, and then that first job I had was 12 people. And it was all for one one for all, we were all the hats, you know, when when we move to a new building, they said, We're gonna come in Saturday and work on the wiring together and this new building. So the boss was running out around teaching us how to do wiring, it wasn't really legal, but that's what we did. So you learn how to solve little and big problems. And nothing is an obstacle when you have that frame of mind. And so when I get stuck on a business problem with my side gigs, I hunt down the answer. And I find people who know the answer, and I get coaching and make alliances. And so there's an answer to at all, it's just matter how you pursue that. And the other part of that is, you can set up a business plan and say, These are the steps we're gonna get done. But you can take yourself off of that anxiety by saying, I'm working on this thing to get done. And then the next thing or maybe three things at once, but I'm not going to worry about where it is two years from now, because I can't do that I have to work on what I can figure out today. And I've gotten really good at that. And, you know, setting the expectation, like I thought I would be blowing up my product by June. And yet, most of it's still sitting on the shelf. Alright, dial down my expectation, slow down, what I'm trying to get done, work on some bigger game things. And here's the bigger bigger game, Michael, I want to make sure I get in a year ago, I realized that invented this toy. But then I discovered this world called free play. And I've been studying the meaning of what free play is it's the definition is children given us a place to play and things to play with, that are non electronic. And without parental supervision. And sing alone or with a group or a friend's day will discover how to keep keep an afternoon going through trying and failing and trying and failing and trying and succeeding and solving each other's problems. And what I further learned is that there's incredible power in the development of a child through this kind of activity. And there's some important studies that Mattel and has done with Cardiff University and Melissa and Doug with Gallup, that are proving how children will mature with greater empathy and social skills, when time is devoted to free play versus playing by themselves or electronic play. And I realized I have a new direction that the bigger game is getting my toy out there. But helping children in their free play development Michael Hingson ** 52:37 is part of what the museum really referred to when they said you develop the whole new way to play. Robert Schott ** 52:44 Yeah, yeah, fits right in there with all of that. And so I'm becoming a student of that realm. I'm a novice. But I can see a third act for myself in pressing forward in becoming the leader or spokesperson in that model of play. Michael Hingson ** 53:02 Some Yeah. So writing about it and getting some other things to help enhance your credibility would mean sense writing about it, speaking about it, as you said, and then going to places and talking about it would make sense. And that takes away a little bit from the toy, but maybe not. Maybe certainly something to explore. Robert Schott ** 53:20 Yeah, I think it actually feeds the toy. Michael Hingson ** 53:23 It does feed the toy, I think. Yeah. Which makes sense to do. Well, so for you. You, you continue to, you know, to move forward for you. What do you think about your journey now, as opposed to 20? Or even 30 years ago? Do you think your journey has really changed as your mindset changed? Have you changed? Robert Schott ** 53:51 Well, you know, I've certainly learned a vast amount in pursuing nice things. And like you said, I've given up a lot of things to, you know, it's hard to stay inside on a gorgeous sunny weekend, you know, doing bookkeeping, and accounting and inventory management for for things. But I think my motivation has never been hired to see something come to fruition. And my understanding of how important it is to our society is feeding that and to also know that I'm getting the attention of important players. And what I'm pursuing is gives me great hope. So I'm going to continue with my corporate life. In fact, I'm actually trying to shift that a little bit more to around the realm of Community Oriented financial literacy. And I may have opportunities where I work now, to make that my work. To take all I've learned over 40 years in financial education, and actually be out in the communities leading programming that's a picture on anything for myself that could come around in a couple years where I am, but pursue the toy, pursue the Childhood Development theme. But personally, I'd like to free myself of the amount of work I'm doing, if I can make it financially viable. And get back to my basic artwork, I haven't finished an oil painting last year, that got recognized with a second place in the Union County art show here in New Jersey. And I started that 140 years ago, I finished it last year, I want to create new things now. So I need to find the time to get back to my arts, work on some of my athletic ambitions and other crazy adventures, I have room in my system for off the wall things. So that's, that's where I'm at mentally and emotionally, so Michael Hingson ** 55:52 well, and you continue to, to move forward, as I said before, which is, which is great, and you continue to clearly be as unstoppable as one can imagine. So what's ahead for you? Robert Schott ** 56:05 Well, immediately, it's just keep doing great work and my day job, is that what you mean? And then just keep chipping away at the toy, you know, manage my expectation on the toy, keep finding avenues, because I can't work on it full time. Just find out what I can get done. And but aim bigger, you know, I need to think for think for a while on what's the best bigger hits that I can get to make it come really to life. And in fact, this morning, I prove the banner I'm going to bring to the media and the toy vendor showcase that illustrates the future of the toy. And what I mean by as I've got five phases of development, that take it from a single size eight by 12 inch panel that connects with others, to 16 different sizes, and four different palettes of colors. And eventually, mechanical elements like pulleys and levers and drawing and graphic applications to the panels and maybe even LED lighting. So I'm paying you to picture the future so others can see it with me, you know, I, what I've got today isn't really describing what it could become. And I want to make sure people understand that. Michael Hingson ** 57:19 Yeah, and I think as I said a minute ago, doing some writing about it really composing some things and putting it out in places might very well be helpful and actually lend a lot to credibility, I think people need to be drawn into your vision and why you can only do so much of that with an actual model of the toy, writing, talking about it, speaking about it, having slides that show it in action, whatever, I think those are things that will help pull people in to realize what visionary ideas you have. And it'll be interesting to see what happens when it goes into the, to the free play area and the museum and how all that works. Yeah, and I because that's gonna lend a lot of support to what you're doing. Robert Schott ** 58:10 I completely agree on the visibility through my own initiatives, whether you know, certainly joining you, but other situations like this I'm going to pursue, we're going into a little higher gear on our social media, visibility of the product with examples and videos, and I've got social media influencers creating content. So I'm in a big content build phase, but I like the idea of the writing side. It's right now it could be you know, reflections of what I've learned about childhood development and, and free play. And even though I'm a novice, I have something to say and point people to where they can learn more. In fact, when I, when I go to the Showcase, I'm putting up something into the showcase gift bag for all the media is going to include a rolled up window poster, and then two sheets that describe both products. And there'll be QR codes that lead those who see my sheet, to the studies by Mattel, Melissa and Doug and a survey I've started on for parents to take to tell me about what their children's play patterns are today. It's an open survey and I'm encouraging all parents with children, four to 11 to complete it that helps inform me about what current children are doing and what they need next. Michael Hingson ** 59:34 When can you get some photos of kids actually playing with the toys? Robert Schott ** 59:38 I've got? I've got a bunch of photos new one came in today, but I probably have you know 50 or 60 photos and videos saying some videos putting some of that I would think past to be helped them Yeah, most importantly I want those that content from strangers. You know, I don't want you know Exactly right. And there's some beautiful things coming in Michael I, I did some street fairs in the spring. And I'm going to do one more in Cranford in October. And I set up a play space for the kids, I invite them to play. And the spirit of what I created shows up, you know, one kid joins in, and then three more come by, and then they're all playing together, and they're creating things. But there's surprises like, I think they can build walls. But all of a sudden, this kid takes all the sticks that hold the walls together and makes a sword out of it. And another kid takes the walls and built a ramp down off the table with a structure that he engineered to run his cars down it. There's all this innovation is what this is about. And the kids are showcasing it at the street fair. So I've got all those photos too. Michael Hingson ** 1:00:45 That's great well, and put them out. I mean, that's those are all cool things. I want to thank you for being here. And I'm excited for you. And I'm excited by what's going to happen. And I look forward to hearing more about it. So definitely keep us in your and on your email list. But one of these days, we'll get back there to visit. But I really hope that it all goes well for you and that this will catch on soon, and people will start to get really excited about what you're doing. And I agree, I think it's really interesting that although you intended it as walls on the house, kids are doing a lot more with it and so much the better that they do. Yeah, future engineers. Robert Schott ** 1:01:25 And you know, the, the key selling point about it, and a couple of them is that it integrates and connects to Lego. It connects with connects, you can put Avery removable papers that you run through your printer to make wallpapers and you can draw on it with Expo markers. And the best part is you can collapse it back down into the box in like no time flat. Parents love that you can put it away into a little box. Michael Hingson ** 1:01:52 That's not messy when you do that. No, just Robert Schott ** 1:01:55 don't think that the pick pick up the little clips because they hurt your feet just like little Lego. That's fair. Yeah, Michael, thanks. Michael Hingson ** 1:02:05 This has really been fun. Well, you're absolutely welcome. And this has been great. I really appreciate that we finally got a chance to do this. And you need to come back in a little while and let us know how it's going and tell us about the adventure because it clearly is an adventure. And I hope that you listening have enjoyed this. If people want to reach out to learn more about you what you're doing and so on. Robert, how do they do that? Robert Schott ** 1:02:28 Well, I just set up a new email address yesterday morning to Robert dot Schott S C H O T T at bopt Inc. It's B O P T inc.com. And little funny there Mike, I'll close with this. I named my company bopt because I was told it's how I spelled my name when I was four years old. There you go. From Robert to Bob to Bobt But two weeks ago, I was going through a folder my mom left for me my drawings from when I was five. Just two weeks ago I saw these for the first time and I discovered I actually spelled my name B O P P T and my sister said, well don't worry about it. Robert, you can just say Bobt is the nickname for the longer version B O P P T Michael Hingson ** 1:03:19 so it's Robert dot Schott or just Robert Schott. Robert dot Schott at S C H O T T at B O P T.com. Yeah, well, great. Well, please reach out to Robert. We've got some social media links and other things that are in the cover notes. Please send me a picture of Abraham Lincoln that will be fun to add in anything else that you want us to put in there. We definitely want to do and be supportive of you. And thank you for listening. I'd love to hear what you all think. Please feel free to email me Michaelhi at accessibe A C C E S S I B E. I can spell.com or go to our podcast page www dot Michael Hingson h i n g s o n.com/podcast. We'd love to hear from you. And Robert, for you and for you listening if you know anyone else who want to be a guest on unstoppable mindset. You've heard a lot of the stories that people tell you heard Robert today. We'd love to hear from you about people, you know, who ought to come on unstoppable mindset as well. So please let us know. Please give us introductions. We appreciate it. And so once more. Robert, I want to thank you for being here. And we really appreciate your time late in the evening in New Jersey. You get in the spring **Michael Hingson ** 1:04:43 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.
Kirti Trivedi is a Design Thinker, Designer, Educator and Researcher. After a Master of Design from the Royal College of Art, London, he joined IDC, IIT Bombay in 1975 and was a Professor there till 2013. He founded India's first Master of Design program in 1981 at IIT Bombay. He was a UNESCO fellow in Japan under the guidance of Prof. Kohei Sugiura, who introduced him to the intellectual depth of Asian Design. Besides teaching and research, he is active as a design consultant in the areas of Communication Design, Book Design, Industrial Design and Exhibition & Museum Design. He is currently mentoring the setting up of India's first School of Digital Arts and is engaged in research in developing Universal Interfaces and New Learning Environments. In this episode, we journey through the evolution of industrial design, examining its shifts and the impact of emerging technologies. We discuss the role of sustainability, the importance of cultural inclusivity, and the ethical considerations in the Industrial design landscape. We also discussed AI's place in Industrial design and its future trajectory. Dive in as we Demystify the complexities of industrial design. Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.
Michele Byrne is a figurative Plein Air painter known for her social scenes and palette knife work. Michele is originally an East Coast girl, born in 1959 in Reading, PA, she spent her childhood growing up in the countryside. She was, she says, a tomboy enjoying the outdoors, but her real passion began as a small child drawing and painting, showing an early talent that was recognized by her teachers. Her parents, Sam and Fay, encouraged her artistic leaning and as the third of three children she was encouraged with art classes and given the freedom to follow her passion. At the tender age of eight, Michele decided she loved art so much that she wanted to become an artist. From 1977-1981 she attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Communication Design, and Minor in Illustration/Painting. While she only took one class in mechanical drawing it was to prove invaluable in learning perspective, which has helped her with painting buildings. As a graphic designer, Michele made her way to New York but it wasn't long before she realized she wanted to be her own boss. While marriage and raising a family would take over her life, once she divorced she discovered a freedom to pursue her career as an artist. Michele has held numerous exhibitions and solo shows, winning awards around the U.S. She is also a sought-after instructor offering plein-air workshops both online and in person across the United States, Mexico and Europe. Michele is also the author of two books entitled The Art of Conversation. In 2020, Michele moved to Sante Fe, New Mexico and is an active member of its flourishing art community. She has two sons, Colin and Seamus who have inherited her artistic gene.Host: Chris StaffordFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comMichele's website:https://www.michelebyrne.com/Instagram @michelebyrneartWomen artists whose work Michele admires:Ann GaleAimee EricksonZoe FrankMary CassattBerte MorisotGene KlossGeorgia O'KeefeElaine De KooningFrida KahloMichele's Playlist:Pink Floyd,Neil Young and Reggae Music Buddha BarHealthy living podcastsJay Shetty,Chase Jarvis,Eckhart Tolle (newest Fav is Dr. Joe Dispenza on meditation and manifesting what you want into your life)This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4769409/advertisement
Michele Byrne is a figurative Plein Air painter known for her social scenes and palette knife work. Michele is originally an East Coast girl, born in 1959 in Reading, PA, she spent her childhood growing up in the countryside. She was, she says, a tomboy enjoying the outdoors, but her real passion began as a small child drawing and painting, showing an early talent that was recognized by her teachers. Her parents, Sam and Fay, encouraged her artistic leaning and as the third of three children she was encouraged with art classes and given the freedom to follow her passion. At the tender age of eight, Michele decided she loved art so much that she wanted to become an artist. From 1977-1981 she attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Communication Design, and Minor in Illustration/Painting. While she only took one class in mechanical drawing it was to prove invaluable in learning perspective, which has helped her with painting buildings. As a graphic designer, Michele made her way to New York but it wasn't long before she realized she wanted to be her own boss. While marriage and raising a family would take over her life, once she divorced she discovered a freedom to pursue her career as an artist. Michele has held numerous exhibitions and solo shows, winning awards around the U.S. She is also a sought-after instructor offering plein-air workshops both online and in person across the United States, Mexico and Europe. Michele is also the author of two books entitled The Art of Conversation. In 2020, Michele moved to Sante Fe, New Mexico and is an active member of its flourishing art community. She has two sons, Colin and Seamus who have inherited her artistic gene.Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comMichele's website:https://www.michelebyrne.com/Instagram @michelebyrneart Women artists whose work Michele admires: Ann GaleAimee EricksonZoe FrankMary CassattBerte MorisotGene KlossGeorgia O'KeefeElaine De KooningFrida Kahlo Michele's Playlist Pink Floyd,Neil Young and Reggae Music Buddha BarHealthy living podcastsJay Shetty,Chase Jarvis,Eckhart Tolle (newest Fav is Dr. Joe Dispenza on meditation and manifesting what you want into your life)
This week, Claire speaks to Caspar Lam and YuJune Park, Founders of the award-winning Synoptic Office and Professors in Communication Design at the Parsons School of Design, NY. Caspar and YuJune talk about their discovery of design and their shared love of visualising ideas. They discuss how design is constantly evolving and the continued role for human input to ask the right questions.Links:Red SetterSynoptic OfficedbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice
As the original creator of Directus, the leading Open Data Platform, Ben Haynes has led a growing team of international developers, designers, and contributors for more than a decade in building-out the Directus suite of products and its cloud-based backend-as-a-service offering. In 2020, Ben became the CEO of Monospace Inc, the new formal entity managing the Directus ecosystem. Before founding Directus, Ben held senior management positions at SoulCycle and AOL. Additionally, he founded RANGER Studio, a successful digital agency in NYC, accumulating more than two decades of experience building innovative and high-profile digital experiences for industry-leading clients such as Google, Snapchat, AT&T, AOL, Prada, IDEO, MoMA, Interbrand, HP, and the U.S. Government. While serving as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force, specializing in Electronic Warfare, Ben completed his BFA in Communication Design at the University of Connecticut. He then taught advanced web development courses at The School at Columbia University before moving into the corporate world. Ben is a published author and official member of the Forbes Technology Council. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two children. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Ben Haynes: Website: https://directus.io/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/directus LinkedIn URL https://www.linkedin.com/in/contactbenhaynes/ Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/directus.io
In this episode, host Kelly Wolfe is joined by author, spiritual companion, and fellow podcast host, Lisa Colón DeLay to discuss themes from her book, The Wild Land Within, about ways to fill out and cultivate our inner landscapes and spiritual formation — including reincorporating Eastern or Orthodox understandings into our western worldviews, liberation theology and listening to voices from the non-dominant culture, and contemplative prayer practices, including tips for Neurodivergent/ADHD folks who may struggle with contemplative practices, and so much more!Guest Bio: Lisa Colón DeLay (she/her) is a Puerto Rican author, broadcaster, creator, teacher, spiritual companion, and passionate creative collaborator. She is the author of The Wild Land Within: Cultivating Wholeness Through Spiritual Practice, and since 2015 has been the host of the Spark My Muse podcast. Lisa's projects center around enriching the invaluable spaces within each person and the spaces and ways that connect us—for healing within relationships, families, communities, and in the world at large. She has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Communication Design and a Master's degree in Spiritual Formation, and currently lives in Philadelphia PA. You can find her on Twitter @lisadelay, IG @lisacolondelay, or on her website at lisadelay.com
I'm joined by Kristy Tillman, Director of Design at Netflix, as she shares invaluable insights on career growth and the pursuit of creative opportunities. Kristy challenges the traditional emphasis on job titles, urging listeners to prioritize personal growth and learning. Drawing from her experience as a Director of Design, she highlights the diverse scopes and possibilities that each role can offer. Furthermore, Kristy emphasizes the importance of designers developing strong business acumen to thrive in their roles.The conversation then delves into expanding one's horizon of opportunities. Kristy emphasizes the significance of building connections and making oneself open to different people and experiences. By broadening networks and creating opportunities for others, individuals can unlock unforeseen collaborations and pathways to success. Kristy addresses the ongoing question of designers' presence at the decision-making table within businesses, stressing the importance of fostering relationships and making a lasting impact.The episode also explores the concept of personal detachment from work and the value of pursuing side projects. Kristy shares a valuable lesson: the work done at one's job ultimately belongs to the company, but side projects offer a realm of personal freedom and creativity. By taking charge of these projects, individuals can craft their own opportunities, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and lay the foundation for future endeavors. Kristy highlights the importance of networking by giving back and creating opportunities for others, as it serves as a gateway to entering new networks and expanding professional horizons.About the Guest:Having worked across industries for over 15 years, Design Extraordinaire Kristy Tillman is currently the Product Design Director at Netflix.Through her experience as Head of Global Experience Design, Head of Communication Design, and Design Director, she acquired a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to be equipped for a variety of design challenges and development.As part of MICA's Flexible Design Studio workshop, she teaches a module on social impact design. She studied design at Kansas City Art Institute and is a proud HBCU alum of FamU - Florida A&M University.As a design leader, she has built design teams from scratch and transitioned talent from entry level to design leadership. She is an Advisor for Designer Fund and sits on the board of Design Advisory Council for the University of Texas at Austin.A designer, investor, and cultivator of a different kind of tomorrow, one that harnesses the exponential addition of talent in the gaps, she's learned a lot along the way around growing her own talent and those around her in the realm of design.Connect with Kristy Tillman:Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristytLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristytillman/Timestamps(02:28) - Icebreaker: Kristy's current obsessions from work and personal perspectives(03:43) - Her journey from nervousness to excitement over the size and scope of her organization and role within Netflix(05:22) - What makes each of her job titles as a director unique and the end goal in mind that's being set up by her current role(07:58) - Understanding the multiple layers in Web3, why it is considered Wild West, and how it can be improved and made safer through UX and Design(11:24) - Icebreaker: Her current playlist and how visualizing music can change your experience (12:47) - Icebreaker: The two obvious problems about the design industry that's worth turning around. And no, it's not the D word or having
Hazel White is a designer and a visualizer. She creates simple visuals to help communicate complex ideas. We talk about how design and visualization combine to facilitate thinking, fuel solving, and create transformative change. Listen to learn about: How visualizations can help us communicate ideas Examples of what you can use visualizations for Hazel's visualization projects and their impact Advice for those wanting to try creating their own visualizations Some tools and resources for those who want to create visualizations Our Guest Hazel White is a designer and educator who specializes in creating visuals that simplify complex information. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she collaborated with healthcare experts to rapidly distill complex information into simple and memorable visuals for frontline staff in hospitals and care homes. Currently, she is working on visuals of palliative care guidelines for health and care staff, visually recording a sports governing body's transformation program, and developing internal documentation for a prominent cultural organization. Previously, Hazel was Founding Director of Open Change - a company which supported organizations to navigate change using Design Thinking. Clients included government, healthcare and national cultural organizations in the UK and Europe. Hazel spent two decades teaching design in Universities in the UK and South Korea.She is an Associate of the UK Design Council. Show Highlights [00:53] Dawan thanks Hazel for the incredible visualization she created for podcast conversation (download it here). [01:46] Hazel's path from design thinking to visualization. [02:13] Discovering that drawing helped her remember things, such as lectures, better. [03:33] Visualizations are helpful for everyone's memory recall. [04:49] Hazel gives one example from the healthcare industry of the powerful impact using visualizations has had on those she's worked with. [08:15] How the pandemic increased the need for getting important information out quickly while also ensuring people understood it. [09:12] Hazel's work on a series of COVID-19 related visualizations for hospital staff. [12:51] The value of using visualizations in a work environment. [13:40] Working on the Scottish Government's Framework for Care for Adults in Care Homes. [16:22] Visualizations can be used to capture ideas and themes during live workshops and meetings. [17:22] Using visualizations to map out how things interrelate and to see things changing over time. [18:01] Visualizations can help make complex information more accessible. [19:03] Visuals are something that people will remember. [21:04] How working with visualizations has changed how Hazel thinks and works. [23:50] Creating your own visuals, and when to hire a professional. [26:04] Advice for people who want to give creating visualizations a try, but who aren't “good” at drawing. [27:50] The importance of feedback and collaboration during the creation process. [29:49] The positive feedback Hazel has gotten about her work. [32:37] Dawan gives listeners a visualization challenge. [33:29] Hazel offers tools and resources listeners can use while doing their challenge. [34:51] Drawing visualizations on Magic Whiteboard. [37:35] Thinking about visualizations and accessibility. Links Hazel on Twitter Hazel on LinkedIn Hazel White Design Ole Qvist-Sørensen: Draw More, together Magic Whiteboard Scriberia Eva-Lotta Lamm, Sketchnoting: Communicate with Visual Notes Book Recommendations Visual Collaboration: A Powerful Toolkit for Improving Meetings, Projects, and Processes, by Loa Baastrup and Ole Qvist-Sørensen Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like A Designer's Journey into Designing for Health and Healthcare with Lorna Ross — DT101 E45 Designing for Healthcare vs Sick Care + The Emergency Design Collective — DT101 E52 Civic Design + Innovation Ops + System Design with Ryann Hoffman — DT101 E62
After studying Renaissance Design in Italy, Architecture in Buffalo, and Communication Design in New York, Adam landed a job in… wait for it… cancer research! Eventually, via a series of career changes, he ended up at UL and finally, on the Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast. Adam schools us on the latest research in circadian lighting. Are Michael and Greg finally convinced about the merits of circadian lighting? You'll have to check out this episode to find out. As UL Subject Matter Expert in Circadian-Effective Lighting, Adam served on the Industry Task Force investigating current circadian practices. In 2019 UL published UL Design Guideline 24480 Promoting Circadian Entrainment with Light. He has spoken at conferences, led webinars, published papers and authored several circadian service patents for UL Solutions. Those services are now launched.
As the original creator of Directus, the leading Open Data Platform, Ben Haynes has led a growing team of international developers, designers, and contributors for more than a decade in building-out the Directus suite of products and its cloud-based backend-as-a-service offering. In 2020, Ben became the CEO of Monospace Inc, the new formal entity managing the Directus ecosystem. Before founding Directus, Ben held senior management positions at SoulCycle and AOL. Additionally, he founded RANGER Studio, a successful digital agency in NYC, accumulating more than two decades of experience building innovative and high-profile digital experiences for industry-leading clients such as Google, Snapchat, AT&T, AOL, Prada, IDEO, MoMA, Interbrand, HP, and the U.S. Government. While serving as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force, specializing in Electronic Warfare, Ben completed his BFA in Communication Design at the University of Connecticut. He then taught advanced web development courses at The School at Columbia University before moving into the corporate world. Ben is a published author and official member of the Forbes Technology Council. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two children. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Ben Haynes: Website: https://directus.io/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/directus LinkedIn URL https://www.linkedin.com/in/contactbenhaynes/ Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/directus.io
Margo is joined by Kim Smith - a Lancaster County native born with the love of art in her soul. Kim earned her BFA in Communication Design from Kutztown University and has owned TCG Design, a marketing and design firm for more than 30 years. Even though she is in a creative business, something was always missing. After the last of her three children became more independent, she felt drawn to pursue her love of painting. Now she commits to a daily practice of painting before the sun rises. Over the past several years, Kim has grown her art practice to participating in outdoor art shows, having her work represented by several galleries and also teaching workshops, online, at home and abroad. Margo and Kim discuss: Her creative path and why she began to paint How her painting led to sharing her work, becoming represented, and now teaching How she got past the preciousness Why being creative means making ugly things sometimes How to know when it's time to lean in versus wait on a project or passion The many parallels of art and life Finding harmony between running a business, creative pursuits, and family life How she fuses intention and intuition into her art Her 6-week course, Art in Bloom as well as her monthly membership and workshops And more! Connect with Kim: https://www.kimmyerssmith.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kimmyerssmith/ https://www.facebook.com/kimsmithfineart https://www.youtube.com/c/KimSmithar Art in Bloom: a six-week online floral oil painting course Inspiring Art Collective: a monthly membership and creative space curated to nurture creativity and confidence Oil painting workshop
Nika Simovich Fisher is a Serbian-born, American-raised graphic designer, writer, and educator based in New York. Her written work explores how design and identity overlap, and highlights underreported voices in internet and design history. Her words have appeared in publications including The New York Times and AIGA Eye on Design. In 2018, she co-founded Labud, a design studio specializing in strategy, branding, and web design for clients across fashion, art, and tech. She is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Parsons School of Design, and previously taught at The University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. Nika holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Journalism School, and a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design.Join us as we discuss teaching web design and how the rise in user experience design and accessibility needs have shifted the way we think about the internet.Please also check out some of Nika's latest work including a lecture at Parsons and a story on AIGA Eye on Design.
W jaki sposób przygotowujemy rozwiązania dla klientów Allegro w oparciu o badania?Jak wygląda ścieżka projektu od eksploracji do wdrożenia i późniejszego monitorowania? Jaką korzyść dają badania usability? Dlaczego warto, aby badanie było prowadzone przez dwoje badaczy? O współpracy między badaczami i projektantami UX rozmawialiśmy z Zofią Śmierzchalską - Design Managerką i Jakubem Dodotem - Senior UX Research Managerem w Allegro. Zofia Śmierzchalska - Design Managerka UX Designer od 7 lat w Allegro. Swoją przygodę z projektowaniem rozpoczęła już na studiach kończąc specjalizację Communication Design. Poza Allegro współpracowała z takimi firmami jak Orange czy InPost. Obecnie jako Team Leader dba o zaangażowanie użytkowników rozwijając między innymi usługę Allegro Smart oraz aplikacje mobilne. W swojej pracy uwielbia mieć stały kontakt z ludźmi i ceni sobie interdyscyplinarną współpracę. Im bardziej skomplikowany proces do przeprojektowania, tym bardziej fascynuje się swoją pracą. Fanka dobrego jedzenia, szczególnie kuchni włoskiej. Poza pracą również zajmuje się projektowaniem zamieniając jednak usługi i produkty na wnętrza, które są jej pasją. Jakub Dodot - Senior UX Research Manager UX Researcher od 10 lat związany z Allegro. Karierę zawodową zaczynał od projektowania z biegiem czasu zmieniając swoją specjalizację w kierunku UX researcher. Poza Allegro wspierał badawczo m.in. Ceneo, OLX, OtoMoto czy Otodom. Z całego wachlarza metod najlepiej czuje się w testach usability oraz ankietach. Od 3 lat zmienia swoją rolę ze specjalisty w kierunku managera zespołu badawczego, w którym szuka kierunków rozwoju i optymalizacji pracy badawczej w dynamicznie zmieniającej się branży e-commerce. Z wykształcenia ekonomista i automatyk, postanowił jednak porzucić rachunkowość czy programowanie robotów na rzecz poznawania problemów klientów i optymalizowania dla nich stron i aplikacji. Prywatnie wielki fan motoryzacji, kolarstwa i zwolennik zdrowego trybu życia.
We discuss the Creative Strategy Framework with Emmy Award-winning strategist Douglas Davis. He has a unique approach to bridging strategy, design, and execution. Douglas Davis is the principal of the Davis Group LLC and the author of the book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. He is the former Chair of the B.F.A. in Communication Design program at New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn and holds a B.A. in Graphic Design from Hampton University, an M.S. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute, and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing from New York University. douglasdavis.com Follow Douglas on LinkedIn If you have any questions about brands and marketing, connect with the host of this channel, Itir Eraslan at LinkedIn.
We are heading into this holiday season with a little series of episodes called "Meet the Verdooners. You'll get to hear from each of our team members and get a little background on them and what makes them tick. This first episode introduces Marshall Hines, our Creative Director and the person responsible for helping us communicate this message of fiscal responsibility in the most compelling and understandable way possible. After the episode be sure to check out the books Marshall recommended:Increments of the Neighborhood Brian O'LooneyVisualizing Density Julie Campoli and Alex S. MacLean
As the original creator of Directus, the leading Open Data Platform, Ben Haynes has led a growing team of international developers, designers, and contributors for more than a decade in building out the Directus suite of products and its cloud-based backend-as-a-service offering. In 2020, Ben became the CEO of Monospace Inc, the new formal entity managing the Directus ecosystem. Before founding Directus, Ben held senior management positions at SoulCycle and AOL. Additionally, he founded RANGER Studio, a successful digital agency in NYC, accumulating more than two decades of experience building innovative and high-profile digital experiences for industry-leading clients such as Google, Snapchat, AT&T, AOL, Prada, IDEO, MoMA, Interbrand, HP, and the U.S. Government. While serving as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force, specializing in Electronic Warfare, Ben completed his BFA in Communication Design at the University of Connecticut. He then taught advanced web development courses at The School at Columbia University before moving into the corporate world. Ben is a published author and official member of the Forbes Technology Council. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two children. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Ben Haynes: Website: https://directus.io/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/directus LinkedIn URL https://www.linkedin.com/in/contactbenhaynes/ Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/directus.io
On this episode of The Awakened Feminine podcast, I chat with Camilla Fellas Arnold, CEO of Tecassia Publishing, Creativity and Writing Coach, International Bestselling Author and Podcast Host for Creative Power. She loves working with creators to help them find their passion, and soul mission and unlock their creative gifts. Her zone of genius is helping people reach their creative potential and find their authentic voice. A Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a member of the International Society of Typographic Designers, Camilla holds a BA (Hons) in Design for Publishing and MA in Communication Design. She is an ILM Level 7 Executive Coach and Mentor, helping people unlock their gifts, find their creative flow, hone their unique voice and share it with the world. Camilla helps creators, entrepreneurs and coaches build their businesses, achieve their creative potential and write incredible solo and multi-author books that position them as soulful leaders in their industry. During our time together, Camilla and I dive into: Giving yourself the permission to dream Battling writer's block by doing the subconscious work Breaking free from societal standards The magic of doing nothing with joy Plus so much more! Find out more about Camilla Website - https://camillafellasarnold.com and https://tecassia.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camillafellasarnold/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/camilla.fellas Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-power/id1597314129 Book recommendation from this episode Sacred Redesign: How to free yourself from society's standards and create heaven on earth by Camilla Fellas Arnold, et al Meet Your Creative Archetype by Camilla Fellas Arnold Be Kind: The little book filled with love, hope and kindness to lift your spirits by Camilla Fellas Arnold, et al More about host KaKi Lee Website - https://www.kakilee.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/abundancewithkakilee Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/abundancewithkakilee Check out KaKi's Signature Coaching Program - Unlimited Abundance Academy - https://www.kakilee.com/unlimited-abundance-academy Interested in working with KaKi, book in an Abundance Tea - https://calendly.com/kakilee/abundance-tea
I'm Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and after 3 years, we're back at WestEdge. Deep appreciative breath, a nod to all the work and those who participated and here we go… Designer Resources ThermaSol - Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman Article, great style is easy. It's the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture York Wallcoverings - Designed to inspire for over 125 years Franz Viegener - Finely crafted sculptural faucets Moya Living - Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry The nod of appreciation is important because there were times in 2020 and 2021 when I wasn't sure about the future of live events returning in large format editions. Don't get me wrong, I love small gatherings and intimate events, but the big ones are exciting and add another dimension to what we can do, present and how we can engage with large groups at one time. That is also why I think it is so important to lead off with this talk, presented and sponsored by Wescover. Find out how creatives from across the US are pushing the envelope through their innovative approach to design. They will be joined by Kevin Wildes of Oakland based sustainable furniture brand Model No along with Dallas based textile artist Nosheen Iqbal and Austin designer, Kristin Martino of KozyKasa. All these creatives share a passion for supporting local artisans, craftsmanship and sustainability. Learn how these designers stand out by thinking outside the box and sourcing unique and thoughtfully designed products for their projects. Featuring Kristin Martino, Kevin Wildes & Nosheen Iqbal and Moderated by Hilary Sessions Hilary Sessions is a San Francisco Bay Area-based Marketing professional with decades of experience in interior design and business management. She is the Head of Partnerships and PR for Wescover, a marketplace for authentically designed home decor. Hilary also served as the Principal of Quarry Hill Consulting, a PR and Marketing firm serving the Interior Design industry. Kristin Marino discovered her passion for design at a young age. Having moved multiple times before she was 18, Kristin found her creative outlet in decorating her bedroom in each new home. She describes moving numerous times as a blessing in disguise because she learned early on that there was a career path in her love for decorating. After earning her degree in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, she began working for several top LA-based design firms shortly after graduating. A few more moves and backpacking trips later, she accidentally settled in Austin, TX, where KozyKasa was born. Website: https://kozykasadesign.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kozykasa_/ Born in Surrey, England, she moved to Texas in her mid-teens, Nosheen Iqbal received a BA with outstanding portfolio award in Communication Design from the University of North Texas. After graduation, she worked for Fossil for over a decade in design, art direction and finally as a lead watch designer. She has also worked for brands such as DKNY, Armani Exchange and a collaborative collection with Opening Ceremony whilst still at Fossil. She is currently a multidisciplinary artist working in the fields of product design and development, illustration and graphic design. Nosheen Iqbals Pakistani heritage plays a dominate role in her choice of color, pattern and texture. Pakistan has a rich history of pigment dyeing and embroidery techniques which varies in each province and dates back further than the Mughal Empire. She is also heavily influenced by the intricate and interlaced patterns found Islamic Art. Taking key elements from the classical tradition, she elaborates upon them in order to invent a new form of decoration and design. Kevin Wildes has over two decades of experience in manufacturing, design, marketing, retail merchandising,
For some content design tips, we pair Juliana with Chris Do. He's a podcaster, and the founder of The Futur Academy—an online education platform with the mission of ‘teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love.' Watch his videos on YouTube, and find him on Instagram and Twitter. Elaine Lopez brings pro designer knowledge to the episode too. She's a designer, researcher and educator in the faculty of Communication Design at Pratt Institute School of Design. Elaine talks about how typeface, color and composition can help Juliana cut through clutter and design educational content that's simple, accessible and consistent. You can check out Elaine's work on her website. And you can follow Juliana's design journey on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.This season of Wireframe is supported by Adobe Express, a new web and mobile app that helps anyone create great content from thousands of templates. Learn more about this podcast at adobe.ly/wireframe. (Most of the guests appearing in this season are part of Adobe's CoCreate program.)Find a transcript of this episode here.
Website- https://www.toddmcasey.com Instagram -@toddmcasey Todd M. Casey was born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts. His artistic education includes a BFA in Communication Design from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts. After receiving his degree in 2001, he moved to New York City where he worked as a Graphic Designer. He then relocated to San Francisco to pursue a Masters in Animation at the Academy of Art. While taking the foundation classes for his MFA, he discovered that his true passion was painting. Decision made, he soon returned to New York City to the studio of Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier and began his classical painting training in 2007. Casey's work touches on more than simplistic realism. There is a haunting, nearly literary quality to each frame— a feeling that subjects are viewed from behind mottled glass, burnished by enigmatic candlelight, or brushed by the soft, hazy edges of a half-remembered dream. His work is classically styled but progressive in approach. Every painting has a tale to tell, brewed from a deep well of introspective thought. His paintings have been honored with awards several times in recent years. Most recently, he won first four times at the Portrait Society of America's Members Only Competition and placed first in oil painting from the Allied Artists of America in 2015. His work can be found in collections throughout the United States, and on the East Coast at Rehs Contemporary Gallery, in Midtown New York City, and Simie Maryles Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In resulting years, Todd has made the transition from painter to author and teacher. He published his first art book The Art of Still Life in 2020 with Monacelli Press. His second book The Oil Painters' Color Handbook comes out in August of 2022. His work will also be featured in Cocktails: A Still Life, by Christine Sismondo and James Waller, which is slated for release in August 2022. When not painting, writing, or illustrating, Casey teaches classes for the Massachusetts College of Art and The Academy of Art University Online, The Art Students League of New York, and through private online classes and workshops. Casey lives in Connecticut with his wife Gina, and their daughter Scarlet. When not painting, writing, or teaching, he enjoys reading and spending time with his family. Todd is also on the Trekell Pro Team
Website- https://www.toddmcasey.com Instagram -@toddmcasey Todd M. Casey was born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts. His artistic education includes a BFA in Communication Design from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts. After receiving his degree in 2001, he moved to New York City where he worked as a Graphic Designer. He then relocated to San Francisco to pursue a Masters in Animation at the Academy of Art. While taking the foundation classes for his MFA, he discovered that his true passion was painting. Decision made, he soon returned to New York City to the studio of Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier and began his classical painting training in 2007. Casey's work touches on more than simplistic realism. There is a haunting, nearly literary quality to each frame— a feeling that subjects are viewed from behind mottled glass, burnished by enigmatic candlelight, or brushed by the soft, hazy edges of a half-remembered dream. His work is classically styled but progressive in approach. Every painting has a tale to tell, brewed from a deep well of introspective thought. His paintings have been honored with awards several times in recent years. Most recently, he won first four times at the Portrait Society of America's Members Only Competition and placed first in oil painting from the Allied Artists of America in 2015. His work can be found in collections throughout the United States, and on the East Coast at Rehs Contemporary Gallery, in Midtown New York City, and Simie Maryles Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In resulting years, Todd has made the transition from painter to author and teacher. He published his first art book The Art of Still Life in 2020 with Monacelli Press. His second book The Oil Painters' Color Handbook comes out in August of 2022. His work will also be featured in Cocktails: A Still Life, by Christine Sismondo and James Waller, which is slated for release in August 2022. When not painting, writing, or illustrating, Casey teaches classes for the Massachusetts College of Art and The Academy of Art University Online, The Art Students League of New York, and through private online classes and workshops. Casey lives in Connecticut with his wife Gina, and their daughter Scarlet. When not painting, writing, or teaching, he enjoys reading and spending time with his family. Todd is also on the Trekell Pro Team
In today's episode, Kristin talks to Mei Ratz about her new podcast, the state of work in the world, and what it's like trying to exist on an everyday basis in 2022 In this episode Mei and I talk about: Mei's new podcast: (name and link here) What it's like trying to live and work in the world today The people who are currently inspiring us to show up About Mei Mei found the title “creative” hidden in her childhood among the Wind River Mountains. She traced out her love for creating connections on worn-out topographic maps and discovered a knack for problem-solving after frequently shooting her hand into the air to ask the hard questions. Now, several years later, Mei has replaced those worn-out maps with a degree in Communication Design—racking up awards with prestigious outlets such as National Geographic. After cutting her teeth with clients such as Pitch Engine, The Impact Investment Center, and NOLS. Mei is the creator of Nervous Means Do It. Mei is often recognized for her courageous pursuit of social justice initiatives, insightful content creation, and efficient team building. More recently, Mei spends her time working alongside Moe Carrick, where she passionately tackles topics such as leadership, fit, and DEIJ. She is a coach, a mother, an artist, and a determined optimist. websites: mratz.com (https://mratz.com) & moecarrick.com (https://moecarrick.com) IG: @meiratz (https://www.instagram.com/meiratz/)
On Todays Episode of Clicks and Bricks Podcast, Ken Interviews Meg Garavaglia From Woven Legal. Ken and Meg Discuss Paralegal Staffing in Law Offices. ❕❕❕Special Offer For the Clicks and Bricks Audience from Woven Legal: 50% off our fulfillment fee (a $250 savings) for a new contract signed by Dec. 31st, 2022 Contact Woven Legal and Tell Them You heard Meg on Clicks and Bricks Podcast About Meg: Meg is the owner of Woven Legal, a virtual legal staffing company based in Atlanta, GA. She has 15+ years of professional experience representing service-based solutions for attorneys and law firms nationwide. Building and retaining her clients' trust has been the foundation for her success - helping law firms secure top talent and adopt proven processes and benchmark technologies. Meg is a 1993 graduate of Kutztown University's Communication Design program. In 1997 after starting a family with her husband, Chris, Meg committed her time and attention to raising their 2 boys, Drew & Matt, before returning to the workforce in 2005, where she earned sales awards and promotions to sales trainer roles. Meg was awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award in 2017 for work done for Metro Atlanta's veteran population through Soldier's Angels and continues finding opportunities to serve her community through Volunteer Match. In her downtime, Meg and Chris enjoy spending time with their sons (Drew, 25 & Matt, 23), hiking, and playing Wordle! They attend St. Clare's Catholic Church in Acworth, GA. Contact Woven Legal: wovenlegal.com Contact Ken: https://inlink.com/ken hello@kencox.com Text: (314) 370-2871 #GetToWork Follow Us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clicksandbrickspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clicksandbrickspodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClicksBricksPodcast Website: https://clickandbrickspodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today I am joined by Carolina Acosta. Carolina Acosta is the founder and CEO of Tragos, the party game for Latinos by Latinos. She spearheads the Tragos product development and partnership initiatives, while wearing many other hats alongside her all-female and Latinx remote team. After working with her partner, John Lim, to launch Azn Flush – the Asian card game equivalent to Tragos – Carolina launched Tragos in 2019 to build a product that spoke to her own interests and her identity as a US-born Latina. Tragos has become a national brand and voice that aims to empower Latinos in the US through fun games and impact initiatives for housing, education, and entrepreneurship, raising about $20K in donations to date. Carolina has a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons, The New School and was recently included in Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2021 for the creation of Tragos. Tune in to learn more about Carolina's Journey! Follow Tragos Game Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tragosgame/ Website: https://tragosgame.com Follow Werk Mija on Social Media TikTok: @werkmija Instagram: @werkmija Facebook: @werkmija Website: https://www.werkmija.com Music By: The Rewrites
Matthew is a product development and Instagram marketing expert from British Columbia. Last year he and his wife founded Hashtag Slayer — the struggle-free Instagram hashtag tool to help you research and optimize your hashtags for maximum reach and engagement. Since then, they've helped thousands of online business owners take the confusion out of Instagram hashtags so they can reach their goals. Matthew's a full-stack web designer and developer who's been making websites since he could still count his age on his fingers. Working in design, development, and marketing, he's helped countless businesses grow their revenue online. He holds a Bachelor's in Communication Design from Emily Carr University. Having previously grown the Instagram account for his collaborative artist's community (@paneljam) he knows all too well the difficulty that comes with managing social media as a solopreneur — so he loves a chance to make things easier. Michael and Matthew clarify the importance of # in getting your content found and boosting your business. What are the strategies to ensure your posts on social media get found? How do I know what # hashtags to use? It is all made easy with Hashtag Slayer.https://www.hashtagslayer.com
Gift Biz Unwrapped | Women Entrepreneurs | Bakers, Crafters, Makers | StartUp
Have you ever wondered how to approach product creation? In this episode, you'll hear how my guest Rachael went from idea all the way to finished product and promotion. And there's so much to learn from her story. We all know how much strength and https://giftbizunwrapped.com/episodes/cakeandwhiskey (power women possess). It's all around us yet we often diminish that trait when it comes to ourselves. Rachael is on a mission to change that through the creation of a product that reinforces, for each of us, that we too have these traits and can do great things within our world. It's called 'Messages From Her' and you'll hear what it is and the full product creation story from initial https://giftbizunwrapped.com/episodes/blingzy (idea through development) and promotion to the upcoming event of being able to see it in real life. Rachael is a Colorado-based writer, designer, and entrepreneur who holds a BA in Communication Design and Ethical Business. She has used these skills to help solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies develop ethical business strategies, improve design and presentation, and increase clarity, market placement, & profits. She is currently launching her first book and card deck called, Messages From Her. A Product Creation Story You'll Be Inspired By There are so many doubts that you can have in the creative process. Just https://giftbizunwrapped.com/episodes/ideas-for-creative-business (stay true to your creativity). Be inspired and empowered by learning about the lives of women who made a difference in the world. Role models are really powerful. Looking up to people who we admire and learning from them is so healthy Celebrate the women in your life for what they've done because they're also showing you what's really possible. Come up with ideas and bring them to life. Bring that creative project into the world. If you plan to work with a factory overseas for product development, consistency of communication is very important. Consider the following: How are they communicating with you? Do they respond within a reasonable amount of time? Are they excited about the work? Work with people who have amazing https://giftbizunwrapped.com/episodes/how-is-your-customer-service (customer service) and are excited to make the product with you. Find a factory that feels like they're partnering with you in moving your project forward. Test projects are a great idea to help you evaluate if it's a fit to hire people to work with you.
On today's episode we hear a stunning story from a woman on a mission for the Church of Latter-Day Saints. This story includes discussions of mental health, faith, false appearances, and how the systems around us shape our relationship with our bodies. Due to the sensitive nature of this material, the author of this essay has asked to remain anonymous. We're grateful to friend-of-the-podcast, Mary Piccard-Reischmann, for performing this story on our contributor's behalf. Mary Piccard-Reischmann (she/her) is a theatre artist, illustrator, and podcast enthusiast from St. Petersburg, Florida. She studied English, Spanish, and Communication Design at Washington University in St. Louis and earned her Masters in Humanities from the University of Chicago. She is currently the Scenic Charge Artist for Portland Center Stage and spends her free time going to movies and spending too many hours playing on her Nintendo Switch.
This episode is being brought to you by Forecast located in Homewood Alabama. Forecast is a hair salon on a mission to shape a movement in the beauty industry focusing on education, fashion and creativity. Forecast strives to train stylists with the latest in education to provide their guests with the latest trends. Follow them on instagram @forecastsalon or find them online at https://www.forecastsalon.com/ As this podcast goes to air, we have just moved through the last new moon of winter. The new moon in March is all about going deep within your Spirit. This Pisces New Moon can help you to love and be loved. Heal past hurts and traumas. Have a big, loving heart and an open mind. It allows you to receive power from the invisible realm and circulate stagnant energy. The entire Pisces season allows for you to manifest what from your visions from Winter. Find that sensitive part of you.. the wise wisdom that your soul offers you. Pisces energy is deep. It is caring and loving. Just be careful that you don't take on more than your energy! Knowing your energy ... your truth … your voice.. your Spirit is so valuable at this time. And that's where the RITES come in to help you move through all this stuff! Rites being Reiki.. Intuition.. Tarot.. EFT and Stones and crystals. When you start going within and connecting to your soul and your spirit, you will find your answers. As we move through these comic transitions, now is the time to clean up your energy with an energy clearing session. Schedule one… in person or online. When you work with the energy body, it helps to release the old patterns and all that old stuff you carry around. Empowered Spirit Private Mentoring Program. Schedule a Spiritual Upgrade Breakthrough call with me and let's talk about how my programs can help you. In today's episode I wanted to start off the month honoring Int'l Woman's Day. It was through instagram that I happened to meet Rachael McKee who has been working on an amazing project for this. The project is called Messages From Her and is launching on kickstarter on March 8th. In this episode we talk about questioning what it means to be a woman... the oracles.. powerful woman.. spiritual guidance.. the breath.. and accessing your own Intuition to inspire you to take a step forward with these powerful 44 women supporting you. Rachael McKee is a lifelong student, writer, poet, artist, and businesswoman. She is also a breathwork facilitator. She holds a BA in Communication Design and Ethical Business that she has used to help solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies develop ethical business strategies, improve design and presentation, and dramatically increase clarity, market placement, & profits. Rachael has over 10 years of extensive studies and/or certifications in breathwork, yoga, leadership, spirituality, & philosophy (of many genres). She has and continues to study with some of the leading teachers in their respective fields, such as; David Elliott, Kirsten Warner, Rod Stryker, and Lisa Wimberger. Rachael is currently on a hiatus from holding one on one private sessions (in-person in Boulder, Colorado or remote via Zoom/Skype), couples sessions, group classes, and corporate classes as she brings this new work out into the world. Website - Kickstarter - Instagram Madonna! Our pick for this International Women's Day is Madonna! "I am my own experiment. I am my own work of Art" Be a trailblazer! No one has the patent on creativity! Go your on way. Change your style and anything else that needs a shake up. Bend the norms! Pay attention to random bursts of energy! What a beautiful message! It is time to get in touch with your Spirit and what's happening in the world around you. Click on the link above for the Kickstarter campaign and get your deck for Messages From Her. Be sure to share this out to anyone you know that could use some empowering and inspiring messages. Leave me a review on iTunes. Spring is coming. Now is the time to clean up your energy and radiate your light. Thanks again for listening. To your Spirit! Terri PS.. Join the Radiant Light Method. 21 Days to Radiate your Light in 21 minutes a Day. Sign up and download my new App! Join Terri's Facebook Group Follow Terri on Instagram Find her on LinkedIn Episode Credits: Sound Engineer: Laarni Andreshttps://www.facebook.com/laarni.andres.7
Matthew Pierce is a full-stack web designer and developer who's been making websites since he could still count his age on his fingers. Working in design, development, and marketing, he's helped countless businesses grow their revenue online. He also holds a Bachelor's in Communication Design from Emily Carr University (that's how he met his wife […]
This week we have the honor to learn more about the phenomenal story of Mr. Kick Lee. Kick was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio - but his childhood was mostly spent in the Foster Care system. Despite the obstacles he faced growing up, one thing stayed consistent - his passion for music. Mr. Lee obtained his associates degree in Communication Design before earning his Bachelors Degree in Music Production. He has over sixteen years of experience working in the music industry and has had his musical works licensed and places in advertisements with brands such as Disney, Toyota, Samsung and many more. Currently, Kick is the Founder and Executive Director of Cincinnati Music Accelerator which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. CMA is Ohio's first music career accelerator organization focused on making Cincinnati a music city through job placement and education. Over the last 4 years, CMA has grown tremendously and continues to flourish. Since opening, CMA has served 185 musicians each year, $100K paid to musicians, and serves 10 different communities. Kick Lee's passion for music and the work he does is truly commendable. Breaking down barriers for musicians any way possible. Want to learn more and feel inspired? Tune in now to hear Kick's amazing story! How can I support this podcast moving forward? Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ignyte-your-why/support Kick Lee's Information: Email: kick@cmastaff.org or producerkicklee@gmail.com
Today, Kelly Wiesenhan joins us for Episode 11 of Conversations with Cam. Kelly Wiesehan has been journaling for over ten years, chronicling the chaos of growing up. The infamous year of 2020 pushed her to finally sit down and compile her richest excerpts from diaries that span ages twelve to twenty-two. Small Legs, Big Teeth: A Prequel of Something Yet to Come is Kelly's honest, humorous, and effervescent ode to the lessons she's learned so far and a toast to what's to come. Kelly graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021 with a degree in Communication Design and Marketing. She recently started her first job in STL and is excited for this next chapter. In episode 11, we cover Kelly's journey from writing to publishing her first book, and how she needed to give herself internal validation during this process instead of seeking it elsewhere. We also cover relationships, breakups, and dating post-breakup. Kelly, thank you so much for being a guest!!!
Episode 28: What does it mean to be on-brand and how we can create content that is consistent? Welcome to the twenty-eight episode of the Cocktails & Content Creation Podcast! For this episode, we're chatting with Meg Mothershed is a graphic designer, brand specialist, and partner at Mothershed Design Co. about being “on-brand.” In our twenty-eighth episode you'll learn: What being “on-brand” means and why it matters How being on-brand goes beyond a logo and company colors How developing your brand voice and look can create recognition and lead to sales Some tools to help you develop your brand The three questions to ask yourself when you are creating your brand identity About our Guest: Meg Mothershed is a graphic designer, brand specialist, and partner at Mothershed Design Co.. Together with her husband, Josiah, they work with small businesses to support their goals through strategic branding and web design. Meg focuses on the management of the company, while bringing her love for details to specialize in brand strategy and identity design. With a background in fine arts illustration, Meg brings a highly visual perspective along with strong organizational skills to every project. She is a minutiae manager, strategy guru, and problem-solving bundle of energy. Design and entrepreneurship are Meg's passions in life, and combining them allows her to work directly with clients to help their businesses succeed. Meg has previously worked as an in-house designer at a nonprofit, a freelance designer, and even as a printer's devil for a letterpress studio. Meg holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Communication Design from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and served as Event Chair with AIGA Colorado in 2017. When Meg's not busy in the studio, you can find her taking a yoga break or trying out new, delicious recipes! Thanks for Listening! Join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/1051582601952303 (Facebook Community) for more tips and tricks on how to easily create content and chat with other content creators! And make sure to follow our https://www.instagram.com/cocktailsandcontentcreation/ (Instagram). Links & Resources: http://mothersheddesign.com/ (Mothershed Design Co.) https://www.facebook.com/mothersheddesign/ (Mothershed Design Co. on Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/mothershed_design/ (@mothershed_design on Instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/company/mothershed-design-company/ (Mothershed Design Co. on LinkedIn) Until next time, cheers to your next cocktail and happy content creating! http://www.fashionablykateandcompany.com/ (Kate) & http://www.jessiewymanphotography.com/ (Jessie) Hosts of “The Cocktails and Content Creation Podcast”
Caleb Bennett is a graphic designer with a passion for storytelling and genuine connection. He most recently held the title of Design Director for Condé Nast Traveler and previously the same title for WIRED. Bennett also held art director positions at The New York Times Magazine and Texas Monthly. He hails from Del Rio, Texas, and studied Communication Design at Texas Tech University. He was named one of Print magazine's “20 Under 30 New Visual Artists” and also selected as an Art Directors Club Young Gun in 2012. His work has been awarded and recognized by various organizations such as the Art Directors Club including a gold for cover design, the Type Directors Club, as well as The Society of Publication Designers (SPD) and the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). Bennett led a redesign effort for Condé Nast Traveler in 2016 that went on to win gold at SPD's annual competition. While at The New York Times Magazine, Bennett was a part of the 2011 redesign team and also a member of the Design Team of the Year for 2010 and 2011, as selected by the Art Directors Club. He has lectured at the HOW Design Conference and judged various competitions including the ADC Young Guns, SPD, and the Society of Illustrators. He also served as the Southwest Region judge for Print Magazine's 2014 Regional Design Annual and co-chaired SPD's 52nd annual competition and gala in 2017. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theholoholopodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theholoholopodcast/support
BGBS 063 | Douglas Davis | The Davis Group | Decide To Learn Something NewBrooklyn-based Douglas Davis enjoys being one of the variety of voices needed in front of and behind the concept. His approach to creativity combines right-brained creative problem solving with left-brained strategic thinking. Douglas' integrated point of view has enabled his natural evolution from designer to strategist, author, and professor. His expertise spans advertising, design, and business education and has found an international audience through presenting his tools on combining the three to produce more effective creative business solutions. Douglas enjoys interacting with creative people and regularly presents at industry conferences including HOW Design Live, RGD Design Thinkers, The One Club Educators Summit, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference, Revolve, and The Art & Branding Conference. In 2016, Douglas wrote his first book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, a title currently being translated into Chinese by Beijing Normal University. He is a former co-chair of AIGA's National Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce and regularly contributes to the business of design discourse in Printmag.com, Applied Arts, and The European Business Review. In 2011 Douglas founded The Davis Group LLC and continues to offer strategic solutions to client branding, digital, and design problems. In addition to client work, Douglas leverages his professional experience to inspire high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. As the longest-serving member on the 4As High School Advisory Board, his experience was translated into the four-year curriculum at New York City's High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media. Following the launch, Douglas contributed as an education consultant for the launch of the Manhattan Early College School for Advertising (MECA). Currently, he is Chair of the Emmy-Award winning B.F.A. in Communication Design program at New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn and serves on the advisory boards of the University of Oregon's Masters in Advertising and Brand Responsibility and City College's Masters in Branding and Integrated Communications. Douglas holds a B.A. in Graphic Design from Hampton University, an M.S. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing from New York University. In this episode, you'll learn…The importance of diversifying the minds and perspectives to address the world's issues and industry changes. Try something new. Master something you're not good at. Find the fear and reinvent yourself. ResourcesWebsite: douglasdavis.com Case Study: Imported From Brooklyn Youtube: Imported From Brooklyn Film Win Without Pitching Article: Red, White, Black and Blue: The Land of Mixed Signals COMD: douglasdavis.com/comd LinkedIn: Douglas Davis Quotes[15:49] I like to say our job is to take the rational language of business and turn it into the emotional language of design…I also like to say that creative people really are the spoonful of sugar that make business and marketing objectives palatable to the public. [42:52] We have to keep changing, we have to keep growing, we have to keep learning, to even keep up, to even remain relevant. Why would you not want as many different minds or perspectives on a problem that you can grab? [48:12] I'm going to turn my weaknesses into strengths. And that is the evolution. It's a mindset. Leading is a verb and a posture. [53:55] We can't measure everybody by the same yardstick…creative people like me and you can grow up comparing themselves to other people based on those measures and conclude that something's wrong with them, when they're the ones with the superpowers. Have a brand problem? We can help.Book your no-obligation, Wildstory Brand Clarity Call now. Learn about our Brand Audit and Strategy process Identify if you need a new logo or just a refresh Determine if your business has a branding problem See examples of our work and get relevant case studies See if branding is holding your business back and can help you get to the next level Book Your Brand Clarity Call TODAY Podcast TranscriptDouglas Davis 0:00 I think when you look at what's going on in society, when you look at design needing to become more diverse when you look at the demographics in America, when you look at how some people will describe what's going on in the southern border as an, you know, an infestation. terrible word, other people describe it as well. It's what humans do when they're fleeing or in a situation where they have to flee. It's what happens on every border, because if we're having a crisis, here you go, and seek a better place to be. Marc Gutman 0:41 podcasting from Boulder, Colorado. This is the Baby Got Back story Podcast, where we dive into the story behind the story of today's most inspiring storytellers, creators and entrepreneurs. I like being backstories and I cannot lie. I am your host, Marc Gutman, Marc Gutman, and on today's episode of Baby got backstory, we're talking about strategy and changing the world. I'm not kidding. This episode goes deep and calls out those with the creative spirit to stand up and be the change. Before we get into today's show. Can I level with you? This podcast ain't cheap. But we continue to produce it as a service to you, the audience. And if today's episode isn't worth the price of admission, your time, then no episode is I need you. If you like enjoy the show, please take a minute or two to rate and review us over Apple podcasts or Spotify, Apple and Spotify. Use these ratings as part of the algorithm that determines rating on their charts. If you haven't reviewed, you know who you are. And by the way, I do see who is reviewed and who hasn't. What are you waiting for? review service. That's it guilt trip over. Let's get on with the show. Today's guest is Douglas Davis. I really don't know where to start with Douglas. I first learned of Douglas when I read his book, creative strategy and the business of design. And it's one of those books that literally changed my perspective and worldview on strategy and business. So I had to meet the person who wrote such an influential piece of work. And Boy, was I in for a surprise. Douglas Davis takes great pride in being Brooklyn based and in his words, enjoys being one of the variety of voices needed in front of and behind the concept. His approach to creativity combines right brained, creative problem solving, with left brained, strategic thinking. Douglass's integrated point of view has enabled his natural evolution from designer to strategist, author, and professor, and his expertise spans advertising, design and business education, and is found in international audience through presenting his tools and combining the three to produce more effective creative business solutions. Douglas enjoys interacting with creative people and regularly presents IT industry conferences, including how design live RGD design thinkers, the one club educators summit, Midwest digital marketing conference revolve and the art and branding conference. In 2016, Douglas wrote his first book, creative strategy in the business of design, a title currently being translated into Chinese by Beijing Normal University. He is a former co chair of AI je A's national diversity and inclusion Task Force and regularly contributes to the business of design discourse in print mag comm Applied Arts in the European Business Review, Douglas founded The Davis Group, and he continues to offer strategic solutions to client branding, digital and design problems. In addition to client work, Douglas leverages his professional experience to inspire High School, undergraduate and graduate students as the longest serving member on the four A's High School advisory board. His experience was translated into the four year curriculum at New York City's High School for innovation in advertising and media. Following the launch, Douglas contributed as an education consultant for the launch of the Manhattan Early College School for advertising. Currently, he is the chair of the Emmy Award winning BFA and communication program at New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, and serves on the advisory boards of the University of Oregon's masters in advertising. And brand responsibility, and City College's master and branding and integrated communications. Douglas holds a BA in graphic design from Hampton University, an MS and Communication Design from Pratt Institute, and an MS in integrated marketing from New York University. Wow, that was a big, big bio, we really don't touch any of it, except for the book in this episode. And that's why I wanted to share that with you. Now. I'm going to stop talking and turn it over to Douglas because well, this is his story. I am here with Douglas Davis. And I couldn't be more excited. Douglas. Douglas Davis 5:47 I'm excited to be here to thank you so much. Marc Gutman 5:49 We were just having a little conversation before recording. And I wish we were recording it. And I know this is going to be a great conversation and in a great episode. And Douglas is a strategist and author and a professor. He's also the author of a book that I think is just gold called Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. Here's my copy Douglas. It is less it has dog years. It's got notes, it's got. It's got post it notes, I mean, this thank you for your support. Yeah, this is like a resource for me, and I can't wait to talk to you about it. It's definitely one of my top, you know, 10 books on branding. Absolutely. But thank you for having me. Yeah. And in addition to being the strategist, author and professor, what are you doing right now? I mean, I see some Emmys in the background. I'm super impressed. When they tell us once you tell us a little bit about what else you're doing cuz you wear a lot of hats. Douglas Davis 6:43 I do. And first of all, Marc, I want to just say thank you, to all your listeners. Thank you all for spending time with us. My name is Douglas Davis, as Marc said, strategist, author, and professor. And right now my current role is that I'm also the chair of the BFA in Communication Design that New York City College of technologies, you know, Department of Communication Design, it's sort of a big mouthful, but we're part of the City University of New York, and over my shoulder, or the Emmys that we were able to when we were nominated for two of them for this story, imported from Brooklyn. And overall, it's about, you know, what, what, how you find the path the possible when you have more ambition and resources. And so overall, we offer graphic design, illustration, we offer web design, we've got advertising, we've got graphic design, so you can come to our program for a fraction of the resources for a fraction of the cost is, you know, going to the design schools. But it's a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to be here. And that's what I do in my day job. Marc Gutman 7:55 Oh, that's so awesome. And I saw that you had put a Vimeo link in the chat is that to the piece that you just described, Douglas Davis 8:02 That's actually, we just recently entered the one show. And, you know, please Wish us luck, we're in three different categories. But this is to the case study of what the impact of that piece imported from Brooklyn was. And so I just wanted to sort of throw that into the mix. Maybe I can go into the show notes, but I'll also send a link to to import it from Brooklyn. It's about 22 minutes documentary on Tony de spinia, who was my professor of prep, and I didn't realize this until years later. But the program that I'm the chair of right now, Tony, when he emigrated to America, he wanted to go to Providence to didn't have enough money. So he went to the communication design department. And just, you know, how wonderful, certain serendipitous, you know, that sort of connection is that I'm now the chair of this program that's offering, you know, private school education and public school prices. So his story is the same story as our Asian, black and Hispanic, Eastern European students today. So it's, it's pretty wonderful in that way, you'll check it out. Marc Gutman 9:19 Yeah, absolutely. We'll link to that in the show notes. We'll make sure everyone knows about it. And I'm going to be watching that. Absolutely. After the after the interview. Thank you very much. So Douglas, what is Creative Strategy and the Business of Design? You know, I was thought design was just a bunch of like, you know, pretty colors and logos and, and some maybe some posters, Douglas Davis 9:39 To a lot of us it is and I was really fortunate enough to have my skills polished in places that I couldn't afford, like Pratt Institute for my first Master's, but uh, just to back up a little bit. I went to Hampton University is historically black college, and I went to study graphic design and photography. Even before that in K through 12, I'm from I was born and raised in Lexington, South Carolina, a very small town, right outside of Columbia, South Carolina, the Capitol there. And surprisingly, we had really wonderful art program really wonderful. And wonderful in a way that I had, you know, in K through 12, murals, rock carvings, ceramic sculpture, the wheel, had exposure to printmaking, drawing, painting, all those different things, right, you know, going through K through 12. Marc Gutman 10:35 So that, was that your primary interest then was that, like, were you? Or was it like a side thing? Or were you you were kind of an art art kid? Douglas Davis 10:43 I was an art kid only because I was really bored, I didn't have a place to channel that energy. And it was just a really great place to to focus my F, my just effort and attention on, I literally applied myself, you know, really didn't apply myself Truthfully, I could go to class and listen, you know, be the class clown. And then the teachers like, what did I just say, and I could verbatim spit back every single thing, because I could do two things at once I wasn't being engaged mentally. So when I found art, it was a place for me to focus and channel that energy and my behavior changed. And so maybe some of your listeners would be able to relate in that way that just having an outlet really did change my life in that way. But in terms of what Creative Strategy and the Business of Design is, it's what I was able to write down as, just as I fumble through my career, I realized that I had gone as far as I could go with my aesthetic training, and again, going to undergraduate going to graduate school, bouncing around from agency to agency design, firm, publishing digital. I also went to NYU and got another Master's. But I realized that design school doesn't teach you business, it teaches you to focus on what are the tactical parts of what should be strategic decisions, largest strategic decisions, without even explain to you what those decisions are, then. So the challenge there is that when you are working somewhere, and you get promoted for doing your job really well for answering those client briefs in ways that are not only creative, but effective. I think there's some assumptions sometimes that you must know strategy, because you're able to knock it out of the park on, you know, all these different points. And so eventually, what I started to notice is that clients were not just coming to me for creative content, they were coming to me for strategic context. And I was uncomfortable with that, because I didn't know strategy. And so I realized that over time, I started losing battles, even though I could write the proposal, build the team, you know, pitch the business, do whatever I needed to do. And I was able to get positions of responsibility relatively quickly as a result of that. But eventually, I started losing battles, because I couldn't justify by the creative decisions within the context of the business and marketing objectives that we should have been trying to hit. And so I lost those battles. Because I fell back on my aesthetic, you know, I was arguing typefaces, well, we should have been talking about marketing objectives or metrics that we needed to hit within the business, you know, objectives. And so one day I stumbled into a strategy session, I realized, Oh, this is that thing that keeps beating me This is that that language that I don't know how to speak. And so let me learn this. That's why I went to NYU, to add the strategy to the creative side, so that I could, my rationale was that I could, you know, become a better creative because I could think, how they think to do what we do like to speak their language, in order to justify what was there. And I'll give you one more piece of that, because this was, you know, you know, you've been in the business for a while. This is back when you could learn ActionScript flash, this is back when you could choose to just double down on the execution part of things. And so even then, I realized, you know, what, I don't want to sit outside the meeting, and wait for these people who are making decisions inside the conference room to come out and tell me what to do and when to have it and, and whatever. So how about I inject creativity into the beginning of solving a business problem, versus being a better executer? And I'm so glad I did that, obviously, because flashes no more. And I think that that's, that's a really important lesson. And a lot of those lessons are what, what I wrote down and Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, in addition to the tools, the frameworks, and the things that allowed me to get to where I needed to go when I added strategy to my creative skill set. So hopefully It'll be useful to somebody to listeners. Marc Gutman 15:03 Yeah, well, you know, I think so I mean, the concept of strategy has completely changed my life. I mean, when I started my career, like, I was exactly the the executer I was like, someone wanted something. And yeah, you know, I started in the movie business, and it was like, you want a story? Great. I'll write that right guys. I didn't even like ask why do you want the story? Right? Like, I was, like, so excited. And, and actually, I, I had a limiting belief that if I asked why that if I questioned it, I would either lose the job, or they would think I was, I was less intelligent or unintelligent, because I was asking questions, you know? Douglas Davis 15:36 Well, that's part of our that's part of our superpower, right? In terms of those emotions, that you need to find a way to channel you need to find an outlet for It's why we are I like to say our job is to take the rational Language of Business and turn it into the emotional language of design, that's our job, we translate that for people. I also like to say that, you know, designers are the spoon. creative people really, are the spoonful of sugar that make business and marketing objectives palatable to the public. And so I can absolutely agree that that insecurity and even navigating those rooms where you don't even know why they want something, and you're a little afraid to ask questions, because you don't want to seem as if you shouldn't have been in that room in the first place. All of those things, I think, are really, really important. And I dress dealing with your emotions, and just how to navigate different rooms. Because if you as you know, if when you're walking into that room, after pouring your heart and soul into whatever you're going to show, and you walk into that room full of people who you don't know, and your emotions, that thing that got you into the room, because of your creativity are now your worst enemy, because you can't even formulate the words, to articulate what it is that you've done. And I think, you know, all these things were things that I had to learn from failing. And so the other piece, too, you know, design schools don't teach business is that business schools don't teach how to get the best out of designers how to inspire creative people. And I realized that because after going there, there was still this gap. And, you know, I had to learn that when you walk into that room as a creative person, they're not going to learn creativity, you have to learn their language. And you have to then put the recommendation up front, instead of walking into the creative side of things where you're going to tell the story. And you're going to talk about the insight and we're going to arrive at the end here it is, you have to completely flop how you even tell the stories in these rooms. But all of those things were things that I had to learn through failing through having outcomes completely opposite of what I wanted to happen. So I can absolutely agree with some of those insecurities. And, and some part of what I teach now is really about organizing the chaos, questioning the answers that clients will come to you with, because they think that they know, or they're still trying to get the same solution that worked six months ago, or in this case, now that we're in Coronavirus times, you know, a year ago, but the environment shifted, and none of that still none of that's even applicable anymore, in order to then turn insights in execution. So we have to retrain the way we listen as creative people. And some part of that is exactly what you're talking about. Marc Gutman 18:34 I mean, thank you so much for sharing that. And I couldn't agree more. And, and and that in itself is a tremendous insight. I mean, what do you do when, you know, let's just hop right to it, like, what do you do when a client has skipped that step? So, you know, hypothetically, you come in, and they've either, you know, started down a campaign road, or they say, look, we've chosen, you know, an identity, but, and you're and then you know, you start to ask your questions, and you're like, Well, wait a second, you haven't gone to step one, like how do you handle that? Like, what do you do when that happens? Douglas Davis 19:06 Yeah, well, overall, one good thing about having been in the business for a while and just being really, really specific about what it is that I do and what I don't do. I haven't been brought in, in a in a situation where there's miscommunication like that in quite a while. But when I was in a situation where people thought that they needed me, but didn't know how much the value of what I would be bringing with cost in asking those questions and and realizing, oh, okay, you're not clear that the way that you're going about this is what you want, but it's not what you need. And I think for me, I've always just walked into the room and been very Matter of fact, and either you hire me or you don't, but I'm going to tell you what you need because I'm the expert and I'll make The recommendations, but as the client, you will make the decisions. And so it's become really easy to to really listen and to know really quickly, whether I'm going to refer you to other sites or other people, because either a, you don't have the budget or B, you're not clear, you need a little bit more information, in order to shift away from being price sensitive, or you need a little bit more information to shift away from that thing that you saw that you liked, that you want the exact copy of that you're not saying. But that you, you're basically going to critique all the work and through a series of meetings, you know, we're going to come out with the exact copy of something else. And so I think, being willing to walk away, being willing to refer other people and being willing to say, you know, if you go to this website, you can be up and running in an hour. Or if you go to this mix of websites, you can have what you need to and under five grand, and then I add the last piece, and so can your competitors. And after that, I think there's a little bit of a pause, been, you know, we can have a conversation where we back up a little bit, and then we can start talking about the value of the services that they need, whether they hired me or not. But I think it's important to just take control of the conversation in a way that you are offering things that makes the client think and it may not even be in that current conversation, it may take a couple of weeks, but giving them something to think about. And then sort of being willing to let it go, has been the way that I've been able to navigate situations where I'm really not the right person. It's best for everybody, if you just you know, shut it down. Marc Gutman 21:54 Absolutely, I've had to walk away from my share. And that I also learned that the very hard way, I mean, I look back at all the things that went bad and all the mistakes I made. And I wouldn't know that without doing it. But it was typically like, there were a lot most of the time, I'd say there were like misalignment issues. Right now. And, and you just learn that the hard way. And I think that's sometimes the only way to learn. So when we look at your book, and we look at it, a lot of the work you've done here, if there was like one thing that we were to know about this book and take away, what would that be? And then what framework is like, you know, I know there's no silver bullet, but which one is the one that's like, if I had to only kind of do one, i i'd lean into that. Douglas Davis 22:37 What chapter six and seven? That was the last question first chapter six and seventh deal with the creative strategy framework, which is literally an alignment exercise. You know, it's, it's something I developed when I was at NYU, when one day, my competitive strategy professor, you know, sort of looked out at the class and held the the whiteboard, pen out, and looked out and says, you know, who's going to step to the board, and I stepped to the board, I was the first one grabbed that pencil. And I started working out this column that, you know, was was four columns and three steps that would help me to organize the chaos, because when I first started learning the language of business, it was new. And so I could be on brand, but off strategy or message on message, but off strategy. And so it takes a little time to speak and understand the language of business. But this tool helps to organize all the information by going through a series of steps where you qualify what the information is that you're dealing with, to create and build your creative work or concepts or just coming up with thought starters, you could use it as a brainstorming tool. I've actually sat in meetings with clients and literally started to write the notes from the briefing into the framework so that I could take what wasn't given to me back to the creative team, stick it up on the whiteboard, and we could just literally hit the ground running where the client left off. But that's really what I would say that that tool and any tool, any framework, you know it we're not talking about something that's a recipe, right? We're not talking about something that is, you know, fill in the blanks, and you'll voila, you'll have this any strategy, any any design even, that's worth its salt is going to be a custom solution. And so the framework, I always like to say is only as good as the information that you put into it, the thinking that goes into it. So yeah, that's that's the one tool that if you didn't go anywhere else, Marc Gutman 24:49 This is the one we're talking about. Right. Great. And so I'll just kind of hold it up there so people can see and get a sense about it. But that's, that's it. Douglas Davis 24:56 That's the one tool that would be that now, the one thing That I would tell people about the book would be that this book is for someone who understands that our careers are a series of transitions, right? You go to you go to college, and you transition from being a student, to breaking into the industry, then you break, you've broken into the industry, you transition from being a junior, to someone who's seen a little battle. And then you transition from someone who's seen a little battle to someone who gets a little bit more responsibility. Now, there are people who report to me, I'm sort of client facing now. And then you move from that person to someone who, at different points might even be a little bit intimidated that the people who are coming in might be a little faster, might have a little edge, because they're the last people and even though they're going to get paid the least, you know, you start to wonder whether you can hold your own as things shift so fast. So the one thing that I would tell people about Creative Strategy and the Business of Design is that it's built for a person who understands that what we do evolves, it shifts. And we all know that, whether it's learning flash, or ActionScript, or whether it's learning about new typefaces, or learning about Slack, or and how to use Basecamp. And all these different things are like a timeline that sort of bring us from the very beginning, and to where we, where we are, and then it keeps going because now we have Tick Tock and we got clubhouse, and you know, everything is going to continue to change. And as creative people, we've always understood that we've always done that in a way that would allow us to, you know, survive, because we're continuing to change. But I think when I think about 1999, when I entered the industry, you know, the.com recession, and all the websites that were there, people didn't know how to make money on the web, I wish that people would have known that, you know, direct marketing was the father of digital because it's, you know, accountable, you can track it, right. But nobody knew that. So they're throwing all this money into this new medium, that my professors at the time I was at Pratt, my professors at the time and not worked in. And so I'm applying my skills, these traditional skills to this medium that no one's worked in who's taught me and you realize that, you know, in 99, no one had a web design degree, because it didn't exist, you couldn't study it. Everybody who was there participating in that industry was there because they decided to learn something new. And I think that that's a really important insight, because I think we're back there right now. If you think about the ways that the Coronavirus has made everyone have to pivot, we have to figure out ways to do the same thing, the exact same thing and complete different ways. Or we have to figure out ways to take what we've already what we have on hand skills or equipment or whatever, and do something completely different. And so I think, when you look at where things were back, then and 99, where you can go to school to learn web design, but there's this industry, you realize that your skills, your willingness to be agile, to change, to morph, that's what actually allows you to survive. And when you add on top of it, the trend, you know, Apple, Microsoft, Google, they're saying the you know, since actually since 2017, that you don't have to have a college degree to enter their ranks, we're back to a point where skills, what you can do, the value that you bring as a person, regardless of what your degree says. That's what matters. And so I think that the book is about those transitions. And, and I wrote it obviously, before we were in this point, because the principles are what we're really talking about here, when you're really understanding that what we do will always evolve, and it's going to evolve at the speed of business, it's going to evolve at the speed of the next thing that marketers are going to create that we're going to have to figure out ourselves to engage and build the relationships that our clients want us to build with our customers who are going to join that platform, and who are going to adopt it in mass in ways that we're gonna have to figure out how to show up and you know, entertain them in a way that they're not shutting us off or blocking us. And I think that that evolution and change that constant change is something that I'm encouraged that as creative people that we're dealing with this pandemic right now. Because who better? Who better to deal with something to change the whole world in an instant? If they no snapped his fingers? We literally were in a situation Where how you enter the industry was different. How you work when you're in the industry is completely different. And we're literally back where we, as the people with experience, we're in the exact same position, as I was saying about in 1999, where my world class practice, the two professors had no experience in this thing that I was going to apply my skills to, were literally back to that point where none of us with experience has more experience than any student. And any, like, we're back, it's leveled the playing field, but who better to to navigate that, who better to lead that then creative people who have to do that to save their lives, every single time anyway, you have to reinvent yourself. So that's the one thing that I would say that the book will help you to do. And you know, I always tell people, it's very similar to like a Harvard Business Case Study, if you're, if you're familiar with that, where your objective is to read it, and then figure out who the decision maker is, and then play that person's role, you step into their role. And everything that you're reading for is to find your, your recommendation, the risk and rewards are what you would do in that situation. So it's about role playing, and sort of stepping into those shoes. The book gives you the stories of why these things are important that I'm going to talk to you about. The book tells you the stories of how I got here, it gives you my story and the way I do it, but it's asking you to bring yourself to it. It's asking you to take the thought process the principles, and then apply it to your own situation, and figure out how to save your own life. That's what this is about the transitions. So that's the one thing that I would tell you, if you're interested in the book, if you want to keep reinventing yourself, this is this is going to help you do that, because it's going to teach you the language of how things change. And that one tool that, you know, if I said, you know, all the other ones have to fall away, would be the creative strategy framework, because it helps you to organize that chaos. And it'll help you to only focus on what's relevant, and solving the problems and those four columns and three steps in order to question the answers that the client comes to you with, so that you can you know, organize that chaos, question those answers and turn insights into executions. And those executions can be the actual work themselves, it could be the brainstorming session, it could be the brief because sometimes, going back to what I was saying about business school doesn't teach how to inspire designers, we've all had a brief that's the size of a novel that's completely worthless, that was given to you by somebody who has a strategist title, and who came from sort of the business side of things, but who has no idea how to talk to a creative person. And that's what's so ironic that the very things that make us professionals to be on the same team to service that client don't even teach us to talk to each other. So sometimes to have a sound strategy, you got to write to yourself as a creative person, to even have one. And so this framework will help you either get started on the creativity part of things, thought starters, it'll help you write the briefs. It can help you with strategy itself. But it's a very, very elastic tool that I'm asking you to bring yourself to. Marc Gutman 33:39 A common question I get all the time is Marc, can you help me with our brand? Yes, we help companies solve branding problems. And the first step would be to schedule a no obligation brand clarity call, we'll link to that in the show notes, or head over to wild story, comm and send us an email, we'll get you booked right away. So whether you're just getting started with a new business, or whether you've done some work and need a refresh, or whether you're a brand that's high performing and wants to stay there, we can help. After you book your brand clarity call, you'll learn about our brand audit and strategy process will identify if you need a new logo or just a refresh, will determine if your business has a branding problem. And you'll see examples of our work and get relevant case studies. We'll also see if branding is holding your business back and can help you get to the next level. So what are you waiting for, build the brand you've always dreamed of. Again, we'll link to that in the show notes or head over to wildstorm comm and send us an email. Now back to the show. I just feel like I got a master class in a few minutes. There. are on strategy and you've really changed actually my perspective and worldview I'm, I'm kind of caught up in obsessed with relevance and this idea of staying relevant being relevant, am I relevant? How do I stay relevant? I recently had a post where I was music, I have never felt the right age, you know, when I was younger, I always wanted more, and to be in someone else's seat. Now, as I'm further my career, I'm looking back and be like, oh, there's all these tick trackers, like, as you're mentioning, all these things happening, that I don't know, but, but the way you just describe that, and what I heard was that reinventing yourself and always learning something new as a gift and an opportunity. And, you know, I haven't always looked at it that way. And so I just want to take a moment and pause. And thank you for that. Because that's changed really how I am seeing this, this concept of relevance. And I want me to ask you, like, on this topic of relevance, is that one of the reasons you teach? Douglas Davis 35:55 It is, and yet, I, you know, if you were to ask me, if I was going to teach one day, this is, you know, back when I'm bouncing around from agency to agency, I'd say the guy you know, and I thought, the farthest age that I could think I was, like, yeah, I teach when I'm, like, 35, or something, this is me like 22 or 23. And it ended up that I started teaching at 25. And, you know, the model was always there that my teachers, I pride, they worked in the day, and they taught at night. And so I saw that. And so I realized that, you know, ended up being what I saw. And yet in some ways, the relevance part, I'm going to sort of unpack this as well, because I think that this word and the change, and what's going on in our industry is something that is a larger issue that's also going on in our society that I think we have to deal with. But I remember, as I mentioned earlier, I went to Hampton University, historically black college to study graphic design and photography. After leaving there, as I mentioned, I went to private Institute to get my masters. And then after maybe about seven or eight years of losing, like I said, while winning but losing different battles, because I didn't know how to speak that language. I then went to get my second Master's in integrated marketing, I didn't want you. And what I realized lately is that not only did my high school guidance counselor not have a one, even one conversation with me about college, but in those three institutions, there was no one black teaching design or, or strategy. And then I became a design professor, then I became a strategy professor. I think, when you look at what's going on in society, when you look at design needing to become more diverse, when you look at the demographics in America, when you look at how some people will describe what's going on the southern border as an, you know, an infestation. terrible word. Other people describe it as will, it's what humans do, when they're fleeing, or in a situation where they have to flee. It's what happens on every border, because if if we're having a crisis, here you go, and seek a better place to be. I think when we're talking about relevance, when we're talking about representation, when we're talking about being able to see yourself, I can't say that I teach because I, I didn't see someone like me. But I can say that, if we're talking about design changing, if we're talking about the issues that are in our profession, also being a part of what's in our society. I think that when we talk about relevance, I think we have to really have the conversation that is on the base of the Statue of Liberty. It's calling out to immigrants. But our policy has been so different in the past, you know, very different in the past four years, if equal justice under law is on the top of the Supreme Court, and yet, we're watching the George Floyd trial right now in front of us. And there is witness after witness up there telling you that the sequence of events that happened were completely unique and different than what would have normally happened. Then, I think when we talk about relevance, and when we talk about America living up to its melting pot, you know, equals and, you know, liberty and justice under our equal justice under law. I think we have to really talk about belonging. We have to really talk about the fact that people are coming to us because they believe what we say If we were a company, these would be our mission statement documents, these will be our vision documents, but there's so many mixed signals that are built into what they say, and what the actual experiences. And a lot of times, as you mentioned earlier, alignment is what we're being asked to do as creative people we're being asked to come in and align some problem. And I always start with, well, where's the gap between what we say? And what the people's experience is, whenever they trust us? I close that. And I think relevance and belonging are why people are coming to us. But I think that we have to start asking ourselves, as institutions as an industry, are we relevant? Because there's a call and response here? various people come to various institutions or employers or countries, they're basically asking, do I belong? And based in their interactions with the country or with the employer, or with the client, good or bad? They're going to conclude yes or no. And I think that if we can, as an industry, but also as individuals continue to ask ourselves a question that you asked, am I relevant? Are we relevant? If your metric on yes or no, I am relevant or not, I'm not relevant. It's tied to how many groups of people feel comfortable in the space that you've created, how wide your arms are open, then that is a call and response because it's connected. And if you do care about being relevant, but you do see that some people have decided that they don't belong, based on whatever environment you influence or which is created, or what you're a part of, the next step is to go get those people to understand why, right? And so I'm mixing culture, I'm mixing, you know, what's going on in America. But you can't separate it from the problems that are in our industry, you can't, it's not possible to separate the two. And when you look at it like that, it explains what's going on in our industry, whether we're talking about relevance, or belonging. And I think that if we don't become really serious about this, we're there will be threats to creativity, because of diversity being hindered. And I'll go back to just on this point, I'll go back to again, we got clubhouse. Before that it was you know, tick tock. And before that it was Snapchat before that was Twitter, right? And before that Facebook, and I can keep going because it's gonna keep going. So why in the world, would you not want as many different types of minds on the problems when the industry moves at the speed of business, and we've already covered that we have to keep changing, we have to keep growing, we have to keep learning, to even keep up to even remain relevant. Why would you not want as many different minds or perspectives on a problem that you can grab? And so I say this, in hopes of some of your listeners who I know are creative professionals who have influence over their studios, who could determine how exactly to staff, I'm saying this to your listeners, because I'm hoping that they can really think about the new barriers that COVID-19 has posed, since we're all in our houses. You know, right now, going to school depends on your own bandwidth, your own internet speed, your own Mac, your own whatever, right. But if you think about it, we're asking people who don't have a lot to buy the equivalent of a computer that cost as much as the car just to go to school. And, you know, if you don't control what your internet speed is, because if you live in public housing, you know, again, people are going to college in order to get out of this the circumstances that they were born into in many cases, and all they need is a chance. And so, the Coronavirus has put us in a situation where, you know, there are a lot more barriers that are different. And some of the barriers that were there before are not there anymore. So some of it is leveled the playing field. But I think that belonging and relevance like these, these words that we we often talk about as people who are tasked with solving brands problems, you know, do our customers feel like they belong? are we creating a culture where we're solving their problems, like what are their pain points that we discussed that stuff all the time, we talk about relationship management, we're a field built on targeting, we craft messaging, you know, there are all these different words that we talked about. And yet, when we exclude groups of people from sitting around the table, then not only can we not hear their perspective of what creativity is, and how we can solve this problem that it's, it should be different than ours. But we also put ourselves in a situation where we're not helping ourselves in in the demographics that are shifting, you know, because either what's either your client base is going to become more black and brown, or either the people sitting at the table, this should be it should be, shouldn't be really an ad or should be both. But overall, on order to serve that client basis, becoming more black and brown with the demographics of the nation, you got to make sure that they're people behind the concept, who actually understand how to talk to these groups, so that you're being authentic, and you can build that trust. And that you can actually build the customer base because that takes, you know, making promises, and then actually delivering on them. So, again, I know I expanded that into way more, but it's bigger. And again, the strategist in me won't allow me to sort of just look at those two words, as just those two words. The strategist in me says, You know what, this is much bigger. And there are a lot of pieces to this, if we're going to continue to evolve to remain relevant, if we're going to continue to, you know, now I think apply our skills to new systems design, operations, forecasting, decentralized decision making, all those things are the things that I believe are the new creative skills as a result of the Coronavirus. All of that is what's coming out of how you got to pivot because your clients are asking how we're going to pivot, then it's going to be your job to also have an opinion on some of those things. This is the next evolution of all the things that creative people have to learn. In order to stay relevant. I'll give you this one last piece. I literally just days ago finished a class on finance, from Harvard Business School online. I hate Numbers, chapter one in the book, first paragraph, I take you back to NYU when I'm sitting in my statistics class, and I want to somebody shoot me in the face, because it was too much. However, what is my point? I understand that at my altitude, and at my point, like where I'm at in my career, if I don't understand how to talk to other people who do get it. If I don't understand how to ask the right questions, if I don't understand which levers I can pull on my level, then I'm not going to get the business, I'm not going to be chosen, somebody else is going to be chosen. So me taking a finance class 15 $100. Okay, I hate numbers. But I'm going to find the fear. Gonna find the fear just like I did when I was bad at typography. And I said, I'm only going to use type on this particular solution, because I'm going to turn my weaknesses into strengths. And that is the evolution. It's a mindset leading is a verb, and a posture. And as creative people, I believe that we will lead us out of this crazy mess that we're in right now. Whether it's climate change, whether it's our social ills that we're going through right now, this just horrible Asian hate, or just you know, what happened in your area with, you know, people not having access to mental health and just having so many guns, I don't even know why people do what they do, but that the systems need to be redesigned. And relevance and belonging are the questions that we will be judged by. It's bigger than just words, this is how we are going to survive. And I'm hoping that in talking about it in a way that I'm scaling it up, unpacking all the different pieces, connecting these dots on something that's much bigger than just your job, the problems your client has, and you being able to like navigate that stuff. It's much bigger than that. And if we can see it as creative people, as bigger than that, I believe that they're the opportunities there for us to lead. That's what I believe. That's what I believe. Wow. Marc Gutman 49:36 I mean, I believe the same and taking that leadership role. And you know, what I've always loved about this idea of design. So when we take it in a very literal sense, you know, I think of it in terms of graphic design of aesthetics of type and I'm like, I wish I was a designer. I'm not a designer. I love designers. I love being around them. I love being in their spaces. There's every there's something magical about it. But when I really think about what design means to me, it's exactly what you just articulated. It's it's seeing the problems, both the ones in front of us and the ones that that expand out of Yeah, of the the the first maybe insight or initial problem, and then coming up with creative, innovative solutions to solve those problems. And I agree, I think creatives are our only hope right now. And they're going to lead us to, to the new world. And yeah, no dog was on that topic of diversity. I mean, what is the step that creative leaders can take? Besides the the obvious of like, Hey, we need more representation at the table, because I hear that a lot. And I hear people putting energy into it, but I'm not seeing it in the way that you just articulated. And I think that's where we want to get to, you know, no doubt. Douglas Davis 50:56 So I'm gonna be I'm gonna be blunt, like we are in Brooklyn. I think a lot of times when I hear, again, our industry that's built on targeting and messaging and, and like, we get that stuff, but yet there are a lot of people are excluded. Right? as a percentage of the population, you can't understand that stuff. Like that can't be your job, your industry, and yet, we're leaving people out. Right, like, and that's what targeting is right? You not you, you, not you, right. So we're deciding to leave people out. And I like to tell people who asked this question, I think it would come from a really good place who really do want to do something different. Now school, you know, what do we find people can't really find, you know, qualified candidates of color and x y&z. I, my answer to that is that I'm not a black white person. Don't look for me in the same places, and in the same way that you would if you're looking for white person, of course, you can't find me. Of course you can't. I'm not there. You're looking for me as if I was not me. And then when you say, Well, I looked, and I can't No, you didn't look, and you didn't even understand that you're not looking for me. And I think that that's the part that has to be corrected. I also think that we have to rethink the measures of what we've used to determine someone's aptitude or potential, whether it be for leadership or, or carrying a gun, frankly, as a policeman. I think we've got to rethink what we've used to judge someone's worthiness or potential. I took the LSAT probably about three times. And again, I mentioned earlier that my guidance counselor in high school, we never had one conversation about college, not 1/11 grade summer, I said to myself, you know, what, if I don't go to college, I wanted to be because I didn't choose to go versus I couldn't go. So I chose to go to summer school, I chose to finish my foreign language requirements, I chose to take extra math, like get it right, I chose to take the LSAT three times. And in those three times, I got to like a 720, or 780, I can't even remember. But on that measure, Marc, I'm stupid. If I were to let that number, tell me dictate to me what I was and was not capable of in the future, then I'm stupid. And I'm so thankful that that's not how I didn't listen to that, like, What do you know about me? None of these questions were even crafted with me in mind. So of course, I didn't do well. And I'm not just saying that, like, Everything about it is wrong. I am saying though, that we can't measure everybody by the same yardstick. And that doesn't mean that one is better than the other. It just means that there are other ways. And and people learn differently as creative people, you know that we all know that. And yet, we don't apply that to the standard measures that we've always used to gauge someone's potential. And I think that there's something wrong with that. Because, you know, creative people like me, and you can grow up comparing themselves to other people based on those measures, and conclude that something's wrong with them, when they're the ones with the superpowers. You know, and I think that that is something that's really important. We have superpowers and I'm not saying that being able to crunch numbers is not a superpower. It definitely is. But I am also saying that being bad at numbers is an indicator that you might be a creative. Think Overall, we really have to rethink our measures. We've got it and again, this is back to new systems design. This is back to us thinking through what's wrong? And if you if you really look at this right, I love this example. You know, there are more design decisions than there are visually literate people to make them. How do I know this? Well, if on live TV, the best picture is announced lala land and not moonlight because of the card, then that tells me that there was a problem that needed to be solved. There were people around who who had the title and the tools, but who are not visually literate. What is another example, if the wrong Mr. Universe gets crowned on national TV? What is another example if the Supreme Court has to determine who the President is because of the ballot design? What is another, I can keep going all day? Right? So there are more visually, there are more design problems than there are visually literate people to make them. And so again, like I'm back to this place, that we've got to redesign our systems, there's so much broken, and there's so many sort of problems to solve. And, you know, if you're like me, as a creative person, you can't unsee all the work around us. Because there's so many things to redesign. There's so many things to rethink, but I think we can do it. And I think, you know, I was thinking about Okay, so what are the new measures, I would argue that we should have a grid metric, you know, if you don't come from money, the money's not the first thing that you think about to solve a problem. I want that person on my team, because that person had everything but money, that person has creativity, that person is thinking creatively, that person is not just like, yeah, we'll throw XYZ in the budget at the problem. Yeah, we're gonna need money at some point. But if you don't have money, you still got a problem that you got to solve. And, you know, I would much rather have a grip metric, somebody who had to fight through some stuff. In order to get here. I want to know your story. How'd you get here? What do you do when you have more ambition and resources? You know, how did that work? And how, you know, what is your origin story? How did you get here, I can only see you now. You know, and oftentimes, I'm always really, really clear that, yes, I have three Emmys, you know, over my shoulder, and yet, it was not always like that. And so I'm making a point to tell young creators, that it was a struggle, it was a struggle, because I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea. It wasn't always easy. And it's not easy now. And so I think there's so much work to do. There's so many systems that we have to redesign and rethink. And the right people to do that, are you and I want to put another link in the chat that sort of deals with all of this, this sort of social, creative sort of mix that I'm putting together, because I'm looking at this as our competitive advantage as a nation, just like Michel Porter's book, you know, competitive ventures of nations, this is a big problem that if we're not careful, we are going to lose out because there's so much human potential that we don't allow, because of the color of somebody's skin, or because of their gender, or because we're worried about which bathroom, you're going to use stupid stuff that if we could just focus on, you know, how someone's mind would process dealing with this issue. We can be so much farther ahead than we are right now. But we're caught up on stupid things that divide us. And I think that, you know, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful, especially in this generation, because they grew up in a time where, you know, the only president that they knew was black. But it wasn't even a hurdle that like a black person could be president, right? They grew up in a time where now the vice president as a black woman, who also is, you know, has Asian descent as well, like these MCs, these these barriers that we had, like, you can have same sex unions, like all the stuff that took forever, right? It was just it was here, we had made the progress by the time that they were born. And so I hope that they can do something about the climate. I hope that because of their energy, and because they don't have the same limitations that we had. I hope that their creative problem solving skills that we we get out of the way that we let them apply themselves to these big problems. Because if we, if we're not talking about if we keep talking about logos, we keep talking about like the job, then we're part of the problem because we're not even addressing all the other things that we better start to like attention to. And it you know, it would be embarrassing if I didn't speak out, based on all the things that I had to navigate to even get here. And I think that, that that's just always a really important thing that, you know, I have to touch on those things, things that, you know, may seem, you know, like third rail, but I, you know, I think we have to be more deliberate about closing the gap, the mixed signals that are there between what we say and what the experience is in America, you know, none of us as professionals would advise our client to do the complete opposite of everything hit the brandy, mission statement, and just the who would do that? Who would do that? No, but none of us. And so why do we tolerate it? Why do we tolerate it in society? And I think that again, because that's what we do, we should be the ones leading the conversation about how to make change. And I know that, you know, some people might be listening to like, well, this is outside of the lane of what I do. You know, I'm here to learn about tips and tricks about how to, like, you know, do better my job. And yes, I hear you, you know, I hope that there was something there that you could also listen to, but I also hope that you'll take your superpowers and think about our systems that are broken, they need your skills. That's why I'm talking to you about this, because you're a part of who can fix it, because of your creativity. And so I'm calling out, because, you know, we need a different type of person to go into these other professions, you know, or else we're lost. We're lost. But I'm hopeful. Marc Gutman 1:01:52 In that is Douglas Davis. I've goosebumps as I sit here, goosebumps and a bit like I was just shaken into my senses, that we need to stop talking and start doing that I me, because it starts here must work to close the gap, to open my arms and bring more of the world into the conversation. I hear you, Douglas. There was so much gold in this episode. And I can't wait to get Douglas back on the show. So we can hear his story. As he shared it hasn't been easy. And he's worked his tail off to find success in this industry. I hope you're as excited as I am to hear all about that in the future as well. Inspired by Douglas, I challenge you. What new thing are you going to decide to learn? make a commitment to learning something new, put a flag in the sand. Email us if you're so bold with what it is. I want to know that I'll share it with Douglas as well. We are living in such an exciting time as the story is being written as we live it. We have an incredible opportunity to reinvent ourselves, learn new things and change the world. really change the world. It's our job to reinstate that American mission statement on the Statue of Liberty. I'm up for the challenge. Are you a big thank you to Douglas Davis. You inspire me professionally, personally, and culturally. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my friend. We will link to all things Douglas Davis, his book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, imported from Brooklyn, and much more in the show notes. If you know of a guest who should appear on our show, please drop me a line at podcast at wild story calm. Our best guests like Douglas come from referrals from past guests and our listeners. Well that's the show. Until next time, make sure to visit our website www.wildstorm.com where you can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher or via RSS so you'll never miss an episode. I like big stories and I cannot lie. You other storytellers can't deny.
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