Podcasts about creative directors

Welcome to The BrandBuilders Podcast! Today, we're excited to have Courtney Swift-Copeland joining us— she's the Owner and Creative Director of Salt Paper Studio + Productions, where she leads a powerhouse of a team, delivering full-service photography and video services. Known for her bold approach, collaborative leadership, and relentless pursuit of creative excellence, Courtney has built Salt Paper Studio into a destination for cutting-edge brand content and production. Courtney, welcome to the program! 

In this very special live recording of That's Total Mom Sense, host Kanika Chadda Gupta brings together community, culture, and conversation at OASES House in NYC. Joined by Sonam Sangmo (Partner and Creative Director of OASES) and Radhika Batra Shah (Founder of Radhika's Fine Teas & Whatnots), the panel explores what it means to be authentically South Asian living abroad, while honoring the origins of ancient traditions like yoga, ayurveda, and tea. From creating mindful spaces in a bustling city to preserving the heritage of tea as a ritual for wellness and connection, Sonam and Radhika share their journeys as entrepreneurs, women, and leaders rooted in purpose. Together, they discuss: The inspiration behind OASES and its role as a sanctuary for body, mind, and soul How tea can be more than a beverage — a daily practice of pause and presence Balancing entrepreneurship, identity, and motherhood Rituals, mantras, and lessons that keep them grounded Recorded in front of a live audience, this episode blends intention, tradition, and community — followed by a mindful tea tasting led by Radhika. Meet Our Sponsor: WEBSITE: ⁠Get1stWater.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.     This week, I'm reflecting on a conversation I shared with Ron Tite a while back. Ron is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, speaker and investor. He has been an award-winning advertising writer and Creative Director for some of the world's most respected brands. He is Founder and CEO of Church+State, an agency that unifies content and advertising for global brands and media companies. He has written for television, a children's book, a hit play and an award-winning comedy book. He was the Executive Producer & Host of the award-winning comedy show, Monkey Toast and now hosts the podcast The Coup.     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…brands looking for unique ways to build trust and talk about your purpose in an authentic and focused way.    TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…Ron gives us his insightful and humorous take on building brands. He talks about using humor and creativity to deliver insight, investing your time and creative energy in the “original.” Every brand and organization should have a belief that goes beyond product; a belief that provides purpose. Once you have that, you must do something actionable that reinforces that purpose, and if that purpose is truly sincere and essential to your brand, it will be worth talking about....So, talk about it!    WHAT I LOVE MOST…Ron talks about seizing the attention of customers and employees by staying curious, staying passionate, and building that authentic trust with a twist of humor.   Running Time: 30:57   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X   Find Ron Online: LinkedIn YouTube   Ron's Books:  Everyone's An Artist (or At Least They Should Be) Think. Do. Say.

Episode 171 - From Godzilla to God In this episode of the Faith and Family Filmmakers podcast, Matt Chastain welcomes Chris Kieffer, a seasoned creative in the film industry. With over 20 years of experience, including 12 years at Warner Brothers, Chris has worked on high-profile projects such as The Mandalorian & Grogu, Westworld, Interstellar, Star Trek: Picard, Fallout, and Godzilla He shares his journey from a graphic designer to a video playback graphics supervisor, offering insights into the intricacies of creating on-screen tech interfaces and how practical effects benefit post-production. Chris also opens up about his spiritual journey, detailing how he turned his life over to Christ and the impact of his faith on his career choices. Despite the industry's challenging environment, Chris navigates his professional and personal life with his goal to work more with faith-based content, and has recently worked on the upcoming Vindication project.Highlights Include:Career HighlightsWhat is a Video Graphics Supervisor?Challenges and Practical Solutions in Video Playback GraphicsCollaborating with Various Departments on SetChris's Journey into the Film IndustryWorking for Warner BrothersBalancing Family and CareerChris's Faith JourneyExperiences with Set CultureBio: Chris Kieffer is a writer, producer, and Creative Director creating faith-based, story-driven content that shares biblical truth through powerful storytelling. A father of four, Chris also brings 20+ years of film and TV experience, including 12 at Warner Bros., He has led creative teams on projects such as The Mandalorian & Grogu, Westworld, Interstellar, Star Trek: Picard, Fallout, and Godzilla, crafting immersive UI and visual storytelling for screen. A.K.A - Chris: a guy who makes stuff.https://www.chriskieffer.com/Editing by Michael RothContent Christian Media Conference: https://www.christianmediaconference.com/Screenwriters Retreat - Mexico: https://www.faffassociation.com/writers-retreatFAFF Association Online Meetups: https://faffassociation.com/#faff-meetingsJaclyn's Book - In the Beginning, Middle and End: A Screenwriter's Observations of LIfe, Character, and God: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9R7XS9VVIP Producers Mentorship Program https://www.faffassociation.com/vip-producers-mentorshipThe Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers, talent agents, and distributors. It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association Support Faith & Family Filmmakers Our mission is to help filmmakers who share a Christian Worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. If you would like to assist with the costs of...

Today we're diving into one of my favourite topics - SALES! What You'll Learn: The 4 essential elements to increase sales in your business (using the SALE framework) Why having a clear sales strategy is non-negotiable for business success Daily revenue-generating actions that actually move the needle How to show up as a leader in your business and community The role of energy in attracting your dream clients  

Austin Null is the Founder and Chief Creator Officer of We Get It. We Get It is a creative agency, powered by creators, looking to redefine what a creative agency is in a social-first world.He has 15+ years of experience in the social media and influencer marketing space working with brands like Intel, Microsoft, Samsung, Popeyes, Xbox, Wingstop, Choice Hotels, Henkel, Bytedance, and more, leading to over 400M+ views across multiple platforms. It's a unique background having 1) Worked at an MCN (Fullscreen) when social influencer marketing was beginning to bloom, 2) Been a successful full-time influencer amassing a collective 750,000+ followers across platforms, and 3) Ran both influencer and social media strategy for major advertising agencies.

Ever wondered what the creatives pulling in $10k, $20k - even $30k+ a month are doing differently?How they justify the premium prices they're charging - and how their clients have no problem paying them?

What does it take to run a multifaceted design business that balances creativity, leadership, and growth? Katie Kath, CEO and Creative Director of Jkath Design Build, has spent years developing a business model that integrates interior design, custom cabinetry, and renovation management. Her journey from joining a two-person operation to leading an 11-employee team offers invaluable lessons for designers looking to scale their businesses strategically.   In this episode, Katie explains her approach to building a team that supports both the CEO and the clients. She offers insights into hiring, delegation, and team alignment. Katie also shares how she identified the “sweet spot,” an optimal business size that allows for continued growth, strong collaboration, and consistent work quality. She discusses how internal review systems, setting clear expectations with clients, and maintaining team cohesion contribute to her company's success, and how you can apply similar principles to your business.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/149   For the resources mentioned in this episode, click here: https://www.desicreswell.com/resources

This week on the Theme Park Duo Podcast, Gabe and Nikki dive headfirst into Midsummer Scream 2025, the world's largest Halloween and horror convention. From the jaw-dropping highlights to the unexpected letdowns, they cover it all with their signature mix of excitement and insight. The conversation doesn't stop there, as they also explore the frights and reveals from Knott's Scary Farm's Nightmares Revealed event at Knott's Berry Farm. This extra-large episode is packed with exclusive interviews, featuring John Murdy, Creative Director of Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, alongside Mike Aiello, Sr. Director of Entertainment Creative at Universal Orlando Resort. They also chat with Knott's designers Gus Krueger and Daniel Miller, and wrap things up with none other than Karl Busche, Merchandise Manager at Knott's Berry Farm. It's a jam-packed ride through the world of haunts, horror, and theme park magic—you won't want to miss it! Follow us on Social Media: @themeparkduo Follow UUOP: www.uuopodcast.com Check out our Shirts: Teepublic.com  

Alex and Kevin are here to bring you their bottom-of-the-barrel takes on the hottest design story we've seen since Jaguar: Cracker Barrel. In classic form, Alex is pro-rebrand, and Kevin is against the modernization;  the two go back and forth in a spirited debate. They also discuss Caitlyn Clark's new logo, Notre Dame Football's new Irishman, America's first-ever Creative Director, and more!

David Rivera has spent 14+ years shaping one of the most important streetwear brands ever — and his story is proof that persistence, curiosity, and vision will take you further than “overnight success” ever could. We talk building creative confidence, keeping a heritage brand relevant, storytelling through fashion, and what it means to be a Latino creative in today's world. Creative Ambiance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sosupersam/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@creativeambiance Twitter: https://twitter.com/ambiancepodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rMRH8DVAWKrRGjdMkVMfk?si=0FHGGaYyRFWpEVRyqX0p7w Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambiance/id1466436193 David Rivera Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidrivera4/ Website: www.thehundreds.com Video Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Golden Era of Streetwear 4:30 “One Day I'll Run This Brand” 6:30 Creating a Timeless Brand 9:20 Creating Through Stories 15:00 From Intern to Creative Director 22:30 Work v. Personal Life 25:30 Creative Upbringing 33:30 Creating Freely 38:30 How ‘The Hundreds' Stays Relevant 41:30 Transparency 46:00 Creating Through Storytelling 51:00 Kid of Immigrants 1:00:00 Building Your Own Brand 1:06:00 Advice for Entrepreneurs 1:10:00 Staying Inspired 1:17:30 David's Philosophy 1:20:00 What's to Come SUBSCRIBE.

8 - Secrets Behind High-Performing Email DesignGet The Ultimate 2025 Email Design Guide for free! This episode is all about email design. Our Lead Designer, Anne Lamotte, and Creative Director, Amanda Lucaj, share secrets behind high-performing email design. They prepared a variety of examples to show you best practices and current email design trends. This is an inspiring and valuable episode you should not miss.Watch the video to see all the design examples!You'll LearnHow often email design trends changeWhy image-only emails are a bad ideaWhat white space is and how to use it in emailsWhy visual hierarchy is crucial in high-converting emailsHow to keep the text-to-image balanceWhat separates high-performing designs from average onesHow AI tools make email design easier (With Examples)and more!  Claim your free email marketing audit!

Jeremy Haun returns to If You Give A Dad A Podcast! In this episode, we dive into his work as Creative Director at Ignition Press, the exciting news that The Beauty is being adapted into a television series at FX by Ryan Murphy, and his experience running the Ignition Press store at San Diego Comic-Con. Jeremy also shares details about his brand-new podcast, Curious Haunts, and we chat about the stories, projects, and experiences that continue to shape his career. Whether you know him from The Beauty, The Realm, The Red Mother, or his creator-owned projects at The House of Haun, this is a conversation full of insight, creativity, and a look at what's next.   ======================== Podcast Networks:       Zeo to Hero Podcast Network: https://zeotohero.com/         OIW Podcast Network: https://www.oiwpodcastnetwork.com/         ======================== Merch! https://iygadapshop.etsy.com/    Stickers By Stasha: https://linktr.ee/stickersbystasha        =======================     Original Geek Comics: https://www.originalgeek.org   https://linktr.ee/OrgnlGeek    Original Geek: Beyond The Panels Podcast: https://www.redcircle.com/show/ogbeyondthepanels     ========================================== If You Give A Dad A YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IfYouGiveADadAYoutubeCha-uw7zm    If You Give A Dad A Cosplay: https://www.youtube.com/@IfyougiveadadaCosplay-nl9hc   ========================= musical credits for show:   Intro theme sampled from: https://pixabay.com/music   (find whole song there)       Outro music by: D.Cure Produced by: tunnA Beatz If you enjoy his music, be sure to check out his website as well! www.dcurehiphop.com         ===========================       Linktree to follow me: http://linktr.ee/Giveadadapodcast      

In this ImpactVest podcast, Auda Sakho, Founder and Creative Director at Redress Laboratory and Co-Founder of Grassroots Arts Studios CIC, shares how she works across fashion, policy, and cultural events to promote sustainability and systemic change in the fashion industry. Through Redress Laboratory and Grassroots Arts Studios, she supports underrepresented creatives, develops sustainable biomaterials, and advocates for Digital Product Passports to ensure traceability and transparency in fashion supply chains. She emphasises the need for educational reform, urging schools and universities to train system thinkers, material innovators, and compliance experts instead of just traditional designers.

In this episode of The Photographic Collective Podcast, Miles and Jared sit down with LA-based photographer and educator Summer Grace. Known for her film and digital artistry, as well as her growing influence in education, Summer shares a raw, authentic look into her journey of balancing business, motherhood, and creative fulfillment.The conversation touches on her shift from shooting a heavy wedding load to focusing more on Summer School, her educational platform, while raising her daughter Georgia alongside her husband Jake. Summer opens up about the tension between business and art, why success is not defined by six-figure income metrics, and how she finds balance by prioritizing sustainability, creativity, and family.Listeners will hear candid insights on avoiding burnout, defining personal success, resisting trends, motherhood as a creative discipline, and embracing business as an art form.Success is Personal: Summer redefines success as living to work (loving what you do so it doesn't feel like work), rather than working to live. For her, success blends creativity, financial sustainability, and family balance.Business as Art: She views business not as separate from creativity but as a complementary art form. Running a strong business allows her the freedom to be a better artist and parent.Resisting Trends: Summer emphasizes staying true to personal style and brand rather than conforming to industry fads.Education with Integrity: Instead of teaching “get rich quick” six-figure formulas, she focuses on holistic growth—helping photographers create art they're proud of and a life they love.Motherhood & Discipline: Parenthood has made her more disciplined and efficient, valuing her time more deeply while still embracing imperfection.Creative Renewal: Some of her best work comes from self-initiated, unpaid projects. She encourages artists to carve out time for shoots that are purely creative.✅ Key TakeawaysSuccess is Personal: Summer redefines success as living to work (loving what you do so it doesn't feel like work), rather than working to live. For her, success blends creativity, financial sustainability, and family balance.Business as Art: She views business not as separate from creativity but as a complementary art form. Running a strong business allows her the freedom to be a better artist and parent.Resisting Trends: Summer emphasizes staying true to personal style and brand rather than conforming to industry fads.Education with Integrity: Instead of teaching “get rich quick” six-figure formulas, she focuses on holistic growth—helping photographers create art they're proud of and a life they love.Motherhood & Discipline: Parenthood has made her more disciplined and efficient, valuing her time more deeply while still embracing imperfection.Creative Renewal: Some of her best work comes from self-initiated, unpaid projects. She encourages artists to carve out time for shoots that are purely creative.Stay connected with the hosts and exclusive content:Listen & SubscribeDive deeper into creative entrepreneurship and photography by listening to The Photographic Collective Podcast Instagram+6Apple Podcasts+6YouTube+6.Unlock the AftercastAccess exclusive Behind-the-Scenes content, extended lessons, and bonus material—like the conversation with Summer Grace—by enrolling in PhotoCO, the members-only platform: [ mileswittboyer.com/photo ]Apple Podcasts+10Miles Witt Boyer Photographic Collective+10Miles Witt Boyer Photographic Collective+10.Follow the CreatorsMiles Witt Boyer (Host & Educator): [@mileswittboyer]YouTube+1Instagram+8Instagram+8Apple Podcasts+8Jared Mark Fincher (Co-host & Creative Director): [@jaredmarkfincher]Miles Witt Boyer Photographic Collective+4Instagram+4YouTube+4

Katrina Ostrander has served as editor for over a dozen media tie-in novellas spanning multiple genres including cyberpunk, fantasy, Lovecraftian horror, and science fiction. She has worked with emerging writers as well as New York Times–bestselling authors. As the Creative Director of Story and Setting with the Asmodee Franchise Development Team, she oversees the internal and licensed development of the company's proprietary IPs. Besides her work as an editor of tie-in fiction and developer of IPs, she has written for or developed over a dozen roleplaying game products, including adventures, supplements, and core rulebooks. Please check out these relevant links: Website The Worlds of Android Asmodee Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

You know what I'm talking about. Kerning and re-kerning. Editing, and re-editing. Feeling like you're never quite done... The pursuit of perfection can be a major creativity energizer, but the dangerous combination of excessively high standards and overly critical evaluation can lead to anxiety, depression, and procrastination that feeds the hungry imposter beast.In this episode where we'll discuss:• 3 clinically recognized forms of perfectionism, how and when they show up for creatives• 3 key questions to ask yourself when you feel the pull of overworking • 3 science-backed strategies to help you break free from this harmful pattern and reignite the spark, balance, and joy in your creative career!Go to rockthatcreativejob.com for more creative career resources, including a full catalog of my podcast episodes, my Creative Resume-in-a-Day online course, or to inquire about hiring me as a speaker or workshop facilitator! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-roberts-rtcj/ Instagram: @rockthatcreativejob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RockThatCreativeJob --Jamie Roberts is the CEO & Founder of Rock That Creative Job™, where she provides both practical & emotional career support to creative professionals across the globe through coaching, speaking, workshops, and her podcast. She has given talks for AIGA, RGD Canada, universities, and other creative organizations. Jamie has a 20 yr. background as a Sr. Creative Director & Designer, working and leading teams in both agency & in-house environments, where she recruited, hired, and managed every type of creative role. Her mission is to provide all creatives with the knowledge and clarity they need to confidently take control of their careers, and get paid to do what they love.

A brand new contemporary art space opened up this week in downtown Seattle. It's called Cannonball Arts, and Soundside recently got a sneak preview. GUESTS: Brent Watanabe, a Seattle based artist who specializes in computer-controlled installations Greg Lundgren, Creative Director of New Rising Sun RELATED LINKS: Cannonball Arts Downtown Seattle’s Bed Bath & Beyond building to become an arts center Real-Deal Out-There Art - The Stranger Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dillon Snyder, Creative Director at Vail Resorts. Dillon makes the case that much of today's marketing output has become the equivalent of “yellow page ads.”   We unpack why so much creative feels homogenized, how overemphasis on bottom-funnel tactics hurts long-term brand health, and why simplicity is often harder than complexity. Dillon also shares his vision for a “reset button” on creative: more collaboration between creatives and marketers, less energy on commoditized tactics, and a greater willingness to take risks that actually give audiences a reason to care.     About: This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns.   Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below: Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show?  Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years. LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers. Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple. Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here. Patreon | Want to support us financially?   

Silicon Valley loves the story of a College Dropout Founder - the genius who was just too brilliant for school. The implication of these stories is that of course they could graduate if they wanted to… it just wouldn't be worth their time. But for every one of those, there are countless others who leave not because they want to, but because they have to. Computer scientist, Technologist, and tEQuitable Founder, Lisa Gelobter was one of them. And while finances played a big part, so did her deep struggle with something intrinsic to college coursework. Writing. Math and code came easy, but writing a paper was like being forced to write in perfect script with your left hand… despite being right-handed. The vision was there, but the execution felt impossible. In this episode, Lisa opens up about the 24-year long road to her college degree - a commitment she made to herself while doing groundbreaking work on the invention of Shockwave and holding leadership roles at Hulu, BET, and even the Obama Administration. Plus, Lisa chats with Brenda about the sources of her confidence, the power of perseverance and how to accept your limitations - without ever letting them limit you. /lisagelobter And Find out more about tEQuitable on the web - .tequitable.com --- At AnitaB.org, our mission is to enable and equip women technologists with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we empower women to chart new paths, better prepared to lead, advance, and achieve equitable compensation. Because when women succeed, they uplift their communities and redefine success on their terms, both professionally and personally. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org  --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson. Produced by Avi Glijansky Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond  Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski  Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull. Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine  Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org

From hand-lettering trucks at 14 to leading the world's most awarded home service branding agency, Dan Antonelli's journey is proof that passion fuels success. In this LFP episode, discover how the President and Creative Director of KickCharge™ Creative has built over 2000 brands, authored four books, and revolutionized service business design—one logo and truck wrap at a time.

I can't wait to share today's epsiode with you, because it's a juicy one!  Today I'm chatting with Zara Jarvis - the Senior Social Media Specialist at The Digital Picnic, where she leads strategic campaigns for major clients and oversees organic social media and partnerships. With a non-traditional marketing background that includes owning a music studio business and working at Adore Beauty, Zara brings a unique perspective to marketing strategy. She's also the creator of the viral TikTok series "Think Like a Marketer." Key Topics Covered Non-linear career paths in marketing The mindset shift needed to think strategically about marketing Platform-specific strategies for TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn Creating content series that build audiences Using AI tools effectively in marketing The Hero Hub Hygiene marketing framework Building authentic personal brands online Key Takeaways Embrace being a "try hard" - showing you care and putting in effort shouldn't be seen as negative Think holistically about marketing - it's not about individual posts, but how everything connects Content series create recognition and growth - Zara gained 3,000 followers from 13 episodes vs minimal growth from 100+ previous videos Different platforms need different approaches - TikTok is sound-on comfort scrolling, Instagram is visual and sound-off Use AI strategically - for planning and refinement, but ensure your unique voice and opinions remain central ***************

Kent Lewis grew up in the Seattle area. In college he studied business and marketing. After college he went to work for a PR agency but left to go into the digital marketing industry in 1996. Kent has formed several marketing agencies during his career. He is quite up front about challenges he faced along the way as well as what he learned from each issue he faced.   Kent's philosophy about community is quite interesting and well worth adopting. He believes very much in giving back to his community. Today his day job is serving as “Executive Director of NextNW, a non-profit trade association that unifies the Pacific Northwest advertising & marketing professionals interested in professional development, sharing best practices, and collaborative problem-solving”.   Kent gives us many relevant and timely business insights. I hope you agree that this conversation gives us some good business lessons we all can use.     About the Guest:   Kent Lewis, Executive Director, NextNW Lewis is currently Executive Director of NextNW, a non-profit trade association that unifies the Pacific Northwest advertising & marketing professionals interested in professional development, sharing best practices, and collaborative problem-solving. He is also Founder of pdxMindShare, Portland's premier career community, with over 12,000 LinkedIn Group members. With a background in integrated marketing, he left a public relations agency in 1996 to start his career in digital marketing. Since then, he's helped grow businesses by connecting his clients with their constituents online. In 2000, Lewis founded Anvil Media, Inc., a measurable marketing agency specializing in search engine and social media marketing. Under his leadership, Anvil has received recognition from Portland Business Journal and Inc. Magazine as a Fastest Growing and Most Philanthropic Company.  After selling his agency in March 2022, he became a CMO for the acquiring firm. Beyond co-founding SEMpdx, Lewis co-founded two agencies, emailROI (now Thesis) and Formic Media. As a long-time entrepreneur, he's advised or invested in a host of companies, including PacificWRO, Maury's Hive Tea and ToneTip. Lewis speaks regularly at industry events and has been published in books and publications including Business2Community, Portland Business Journal, and SmartBrief. For twenty years, he was an adjunct professor at Portland State University, and has been a volunteer instructor for SCORE Portland since 2015. Lewis tours nationwide, averaging 30 speaking engagements annually, including a regular presenter role with the Digital Summit conference series. Active in his community, Lewis has been involved in non-profit charity and professional trade organizations including early literacy program SMART Reading and The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO).  Industry recognition and awards include Portland Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40 Award, American Marketing Association Oregon Chapter Marketer of the Year, and Top 100 Digital Marketing Influencers by BuzzSumo.   Ways to connect with Kent:   Links https://kentjlewis.com/   And LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentlewis/     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 subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   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 ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today. We get to chat with an award winning entrepreneur, and he just told me a really interesting factoid. We'll have to, we'll have to talk about it, just because it is about one of the most fascinating things I've heard in quite a while, and a very positive thing. But I'm not going to give it away, because I'm going away, because I'm going to let him talk about it, or at least start the discussion. I'd like you all to meet Kent Lewis. Kent has been an entrepreneur for a while. He helps other entrepreneurs. He works in the non profit arena and does a variety of different kinds of things. And rather than me telling you all about it, you could read the bio, but more important, meet Kent Lewis and Kent, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Kent Lewis ** 02:05 It's, it's a pleasure to be on the show. Thank you for having me, sir.   Michael Hingson ** 02:10 Now where are you located? I'm based in Portland, Oregon, yeah. So you're, you are up up the coast, since I'm in Southern California. So yes, you know, one of these days I'll be up that way again. Well, Alaska Airlines will fly me up there.   Kent Lewis ** 02:27 Yeah, totally right. Yeah, good   Michael Hingson ** 02:29 to have you, unless you come this way first. But anyway, well, I'm really want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. And why don't we start? I love to do this. Tell me a little bit about kind of the early Kent growing up and all that stuff.   Kent Lewis ** 02:44 Yeah, so I grew up in Seattle, Washington. I think something that's influenced me is that my dad was is, or is, a retired architect. And so there was always this design esthetic, and he was an art collector enthusiast, I should say. And so I was always surrounded with art and mid century, you know, furniture and there's just style was a it was a thing. And then my mom was always in when she was a social worker and went into running nonprofits. And so I grew up around that as well of just giving back. So if you ever heard that common term, you know, learn, earn, return. Start your life you're learning, then you're maximizing your earnings during your career, and then when you in and around later in life, you start giving back, right, returning, right. And I learned from my mom that you never stop you never stop learning. You never stop returning. And my my mantra as an entrepreneur is never stop earning right? So, so I've always been giving back and donating my time, and I've always appreciated sort of good design and well thought out things. And I think that's influenced my career in marketing and as an entrepreneur, business owner, and now more of an advisor, Coach type,   Michael Hingson ** 03:59 well, so growing up in Seattle, did you visit pikes market very often?   Kent Lewis ** 04:04 My dad used to work right, right, like, two blocks away. So I would go there all the time. In fact, I remember when there was just one Starbucks when I was a kid, yeah, at Pike Place Market, and they used to sell large chunks of delicious, bitter sweet chocolate, I know, you know, in the behind the counter, and it was a very hi and you could smell the teas and all that. It was a very different experience, very cool place. And so, yeah, love   Michael Hingson ** 04:33 the pipe waste market. I understand that they don't throw the fish anymore. No, they do. They do. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Maybe it was just during the pandemic that they decided not to do that, but   Kent Lewis ** 04:44 think you're right about that. But they definitely, they, they're still, it's still a major attraction. It's too big of a thing to stop.   Michael Hingson ** 04:51 Wow, that's what I was thinking. And that's just way too big of a thing to to stop. My probably not the greatest fish fish catcher, I've been there, but I. I never caught a fish.   Kent Lewis ** 05:02 Yeah, that's only got, like, one or two in my life. And I don't, I don't do it much, but   Michael Hingson ** 05:08 Well, well, that's the place to go anyway. So where did you go to college?   Kent Lewis ** 05:13 I went to Western Washington University in Bellingham, uh, just 1020 minutes from the Canadian border, because, in part, when I was in school, it was a 19 year old drinking age in Canada, so I was 20 minutes away from my earlier drinking age. Turns out, I grew up going to Vancouver, BC quite often for the soccer exchange program when I was a real young youngster. So I fell in love with Vancouver, and as I've had been fortunate enough to travel the world a bit, I realized that it was one of my favorite cities, and it still is. It is such a global, amazing egalitarian, like, no matter your color, race, creed, you could be a millionaire or you could be a bus driver. There was no not the same class, classism you see in other US cities or around the rest of the world. It's truly an amazing and it's also, of course, beautiful   Michael Hingson ** 06:04 there. I found that true throughout Canada, and I've enjoyed every Canadian city I've ever been to. One of my favorites is really going to Toronto. I was always impressed as to how clean it really was.   Kent Lewis ** 06:17 You know, that's true. I've been there a couple times in conferences, and I found it to be clean and impressive, you know, and then, but my, one of my favorite, other cities I only spent overnight, there was Montreal. What a beautiful, beautiful place, absolutely stunning. I   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 spent two days in Montreal once when I was selling some products and turn the TV on at 1131 morning that I was there and watched the Flintstones in French. That was unique. That was unique. Cool. How cool is that? Yeah, it's awesome. That was kind of fun. But, you know, so you, you went to college. What did you major in?   Kent Lewis ** 06:58 I majored in business with a marketing concentration, which is great because I ended up doing marketing for a career, and for 22 years ran my own agency, or my own business, basically.   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 So what did you do when you got out of college?   Kent Lewis ** 07:14 I went immediately into the world of public relations agency life. I always wanted to be a found out after college that I, what I really wanted to be was a copywriter, you know, writing ads. I just coolest thing as a kid. I just didn't know that. It's, I didn't realize what it, what it you have to go to Ad School. You can't, you can't graduate regular college and become a copier. At least you weren't able to when I was, you know, back in the mid 90s. So I started in PR because it sounded hard to pitch the media and try and get them to say what you want them to say about your brand, your client and your brand. And that did me well, because when I got in from went from PR in 94 to digital marketing, SEO, search engine optimization 96 my PR background was extremely helpful. You know, in in that, in that whole world. So because doing PR builds Domain Authority, which builds your rankings in Google, and the rest is history. So, so it was very helpful. It gave me a bit of an edge. And then my business background meant I was better equipped to to go from doing the work to managing people, they're doing the work, to doing my own thing, you know, and running a instant running team, I was running a business. So that was super cool. You   Michael Hingson ** 08:38 know, it's interesting. I've especially because of the World Trade Center, but not only, but before it as well, I learned a lot about dealing with the press. And I've, I've watched a lot of press interviews today, and it's, it's amazing how often and then people have said that this is the way you should do it. No matter what the press person asks you, you answer with the with the answer you really want to give, whether you answer their questions or not. And I think that's an interesting approach, and I suppose it can be positive, but especially for for politicians who don't want to answer the tough questions. But I I know that for me, I've always tried to structure my answers in such a way that it gets them to take the question that they originally asked that I might sort of answer and reframe it so that I will answer a lot of times that, for example, talking about blindness and blind people, there are just so many misconceptions about it and and all too often, like first time I was on Larry King lives, Larry was asking questions about guide dogs. And he said, Now, where did you get your guide dog? And I said, from San Rafael, California. He said, well, but the but the main. School is a new is in Michigan, right? And I said, No, it's a different organization. And what we learned after doing that interview was that the way to deal with Larry was to program him and send him questions in advance with answers. Then he did a lot better, because the reality is, he didn't really know necessarily the answers in the first place. It's just amazing how you know how a lot of times it's just shallower. The Press tends to over dramatize. But I appreciate what you're saying about marketing and PR, I've done so much of that over my lifetime, and for so many reasons, in so many ways, I know exactly what you're talking about.   Kent Lewis ** 10:47 Yeah, yeah. That's, yeah, it's, it's a fascinating world that I've, that I've, you know, been live, living and working in. And I, yeah, I'm impressed, yeah, Larry King Live. That's pretty cool. And, you know, hopefully you've helped people just side note, you know, get a clear understanding of what it is, what it is both like to be blind and then how you navigate this world successfully, as if you're, you know, fully sighted. You know,   Michael Hingson ** 11:18 well, one of the things that I actually learned over the last couple of years is something that I've actually written an article and had it published about, and that is that we've got to change our view of disabilities in general. People always say, well, disability is a lack of ability. And I say, and I always say, No, it's not. And they say, Well, yes, it is. It begins with dis. And I said, then, how do you equate that with disciple, discern and discrete? For example, you know they begin with D is the reality is, disability is not a lack of ability. You think it is. But I've added to that now when I point out that, in reality, every person on the planet has a disability, but for most people, their disability is covered up. Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, or at least we give him credit for it back in 1878 so for the last 147 years, all we've done is spent so much time improving on the technology that provides light on demand, which just covers up your disability, but it's still there. And I realized that one day I was at a hotel in Los Angeles at three in the afternoon when we had a power failure, and everybody started to scream, even down in the lobby, when they had all these nice big windows that were letting in all sorts of light, but it wasn't giving them the light that they wanted and the amount that they wanted, and people panicked. So I realized then, oh, well, now the reality is they're light dependent, which is as much a disability as my light independence is. It's just that it manifests itself differently, and there are a whole lot more light dependent people than light independent people. But we've got to really change our definition and how we view it. So   Kent Lewis ** 12:58 that's really insightful. It's good to think about.   Michael Hingson ** 13:01 Yeah, it's kind of fun. But, you know, so, so where did you, where did you go off and go to work in the in the marketing world? So you did? You didn't go to Copyright School? Or did you? No, no,   Kent Lewis ** 13:13 I just know. I once I talked to the creative director at this agency in Seattle where I did my first internship. He's like, Yeah, you'd have to go back to art school. And I was like, what school I just finished? So, you know, it didn't really matter. And we So, with that said, we, you know, I moved into PR, and then I moved to down to Portland from Seattle, because I could actually get a paying job because the internship I did three months full time, virtually, basically no pay, I found a low paying job instead in Portland. So I moved I only knew one person here in Portland, my cousin. She's still here. We both have families now, and I know a lot more people, but I basically have, since moving here to do my second agency job. I've been, I've been a part of 10 agencies in my career. I've been, I founded two, co founded two, fired from three and exited the four that I created, or co, co founded, basically. And so right now I have a consultancy. I could say that's my 11th agency, but I don't even really count it as an agency. I'm just a fractional CMO, you know, marketing advisor at this point, just a few hours a month, because my my day job as of January, is running a nonprofit called next northwest.org which is a it's a trade organization for marketing and advertising and creative community, the creative services world. And it has 119 year history in Portland. And now it's, it's now expanded to five states and into Canada. And so I've got this I'm working. I manage a board of, you know, decent sized board, and a decent sized advisory. Committee that I created, and just the last couple months, and we do learning events for the creative community and networking events and celebrations, like, you know, awards, award shows to celebrate the work. So that's kind of my day job. And then I also speak and write a lot you and I share a passion for for education and learning and sharing knowledge. And so I've been, I've probably averaged 25 speaking engagements a year for the last 20 years, and last year was 30. For instance, I fly yours, mentioned your your travel. I'm flying to Tampa on Sunday to present on Monday, on a panel about AI in the senior care space, for instance. And then I come back and I, I, you know, got it. I got one or two more. But I, you know, I typically do a dozen fly flying gigs, and then I do a lot of webinars and local gigs as well.   Michael Hingson ** 15:55 So what are you what are you going to say? What are you going to say about AI in the senior care space?   Kent Lewis ** 16:01 That's a great question. So what my focus as a marketer is, here's how you can use AI to streamline and automate and maintain or improve quality. So it's not meant to it's not a secret hack, cheat code to lay people off. It's a It's get more out of your current resources, basically, and do more with less, and do it more effectively. That's kind of, that's, you know, that's my, what I'll be talking about is the how you know how to use it for research, ideation, content creation, content editing, reporting, synthesizing information, customer service, that kind of thing. So I only have, you know, it's a panel event, so I'm only doing like a 10 to 15 minutes part, and then there are other presenters doing their part, and then we have a little Q and A, usually, I'm a sole presenter on whatever topic, usually digital marketing or employee engagement, which is what I got passionate about. Once I sold my agency. After 22 years, I became an employee at that the agency that acquired my company, and I was immediately underwhelmed and disappointed in what it was like to be an employee, and wanted to fix it. So that's what I had been focusing on when I given a choice. I want to evangelize. You know, what I learned from my experience, and I've done a good amount of research, and, you know, two weeks ago, I presented in Portland on the topic to entrepreneurs. Then the next day, I flew to Denver and did the same presentation to a group of agency owners. And then the next day, I did a webinar for similar group of entrepreneurs, you know, so three versions, three days in a row, a 3060, and 90 minute version. So,   Michael Hingson ** 17:42 pretty fun. Yeah. So how many books have you written?   Kent Lewis ** 17:47 Ah, I knew you'd say that so or ask that. I have not written any books, but I have, darn but I've written, you know, probably 200 articles. I could easily AI them into some sort of book, if I wanted to. You know, I went from writing 80% to 90% of my art content was on digital marketing for the first 20 years. And then the last 10 years, I focused almost exclusively on writing about entrepreneurship and and business ownership, leadership and employee intention, retention, engagement. And, you know, so I mostly syndicate my articles, like business journals, occasionally in Ink Magazine, etc. So if I were to write a book, it would be about the business side of things, instead of the second, I would write something about digital marketing. Not only am I no longer an expert, and consider myself an expert relative to others, those books are outdated the second they're printed, right? So, so it doesn't make sense to really write a book on digital marketing, and everything's already been said, etc. So, so if I wrote a book, it would be probably more on the employee engagement side versus anything. But I will say that I don't know if you know who Seth Godin is. He's the number one marketing blogger in the world. He's written many best sellers, Purple Cow, permission, marketing, etc. He's remarkable guy. And I had was fortunate to talk with him and then meet with him over lunch in New York City 15 years ago. And he said, after our two hour lunch, he charges $75,000 for speaking engagement. So it gives you a sense of who he is. He has for for 20 years. And so he said, Kent, you've got a book in you. I was like, I wish you hadn't said that, because now I don't want to, I don't want to disappoint him, right? So there you go.   Michael Hingson ** 19:31 Well, if you write one at some point, you have to send us a picture of the cover and we'll stick it in the show notes whenever. Yeah, that sounds great, but yeah, I you know, I never thought of writing a book, but in 2002 we went to the AKC Eukanuba canine championship dog show in Orlando. It was in December, and among other people I met there. Here I met George Berger, who was at that time, the publisher of the American Kennel Club Gazette, and he said, You ought to write a book. And I went, why? Well, because you you have a great story to tell. You should really write a book. Well, it took eight years and a lot of time sitting in front of Microsoft Word to get notes down, but eventually I met someone named Susie Flory who called because she was writing a book called Dog tails. And it was a story of what she wanted to write stories of, actually, 17 different dogs who had done some pretty interesting and miraculous things. And she wanted to write a story about my guide dog at the World Trade Center, Roselle. And she said, Tell me your story, if you would. And I did. And when we were done, there was this pause, and then she said, You need to write a book. And since I've written books, I'll help you. And a year later, underdog was published, and it became a number one New York Times bestseller. So that was pretty cool.   Kent Lewis ** 21:01 That's fantastic. Congratulations. Very impressive.   Michael Hingson ** 21:04 And then last year, well, in 2013 we published a children's book called running with Roselle, but more adults by a thing kids, because it's not a picture book, but it tells the story of me growing up and Roselle growing up, and how we met, and all that. So it isn't really as much a World Trade Center book. But then last year, we wrote, live like a guide dog. And the intent of live like a guide dog is to say to people, look fear is all around us, and so many people just allow themselves to be paralyzed, or, as I say, blinded by fear, so they can't make decisions. They don't learn how to control it. But if you learn how to control fear, you can use fear as a very powerful tool to help you stay focused, and you'll make better decisions. So we use lessons I learned from my guide dogs on my wife's service dog to write, live like a guide dog. And so it is out there, and it's it's a lot of fun, too. So you know, it isn't the easiest thing to write a book, but I would think you have a book in you, and you should, well, I   Kent Lewis ** 22:03 appreciate that vote of confidence. And hey, I mean, you did it, and you had an amazing story, and you've done it multiple times. Actually, it's great inspiration for me.   Michael Hingson ** 22:16 Well, I'm looking forward to reading it when it comes out. You'll have to let   22:20 us know. Yeah, will do so   Michael Hingson ** 22:23 you at some point, switched from being an employee to being an entrepreneur. How did that all happen? Why? Why did you do it? Or what really brought that about?   Kent Lewis ** 22:38 Well, I kept getting fired.   Michael Hingson ** 22:40 So why'd that happen?   Kent Lewis ** 22:42 Yeah, so that's the fun part. So I I've never been fired for cause like a legit clause. I'm a high powered, high performer, and so I actually, that's why. So the first time I was fired was by the guy that invited me to co found an agency. His name was Ryan Wilson. He was my he was my boss. And then he was fired by our larger agency. He ran a team that I worked on. I worked for him. I was inspired by him. I I was mentored by him. I thought the world of him. So when he came to me three months after he got fired, it was about, it's always about a girl. So he he basically, he got divorced. And so this other woman, they met at the office, and they were soul mates, and they he had to clean up his life. And he did, and he said, I've got an agency die. I've got two clients ready to sign. I need key employees, and you're one, one of them, then I would hope you would join me. I said, No, the first time he got his act together. I said, yes, the second time, and that. So I we built an agency together with, you know, we start with six people. I brought in two other people and another gal that ran the PR side. I was running the digital side. She brought in somebody said we had six of us on day one, and a year later, we didn't have a formal share shareholder agreement for our percentage of the company that went from being worth zero to being worth a few million dollars, and we felt that we should have something in writing, and before he could, we could get something formally in writing. My, my other partner, she, I didn't really want to do the business with her, but I didn't really have a choice. I want to do the business with him. She said, I'm asking for more equity. I said, Okay, I feel like that's fair. I think we've earned it, but, and I'll, I'll be there with you, but I wouldn't have done this if she hadn't said, I'm going in. Are you with me? So when I we asked, she asked me to make the ask. I wasn't necessarily prepared or thinking about it, and it really offended him. He was really mad, and he was playing to fire her, and by me teaming up with her, he felt, you know, slight. And he fired us both, and the next week, I started anvil, my agency, Anvil Media, that I ran for 22 years, I did a couple other starts, one with a college friend and a guy I had met at that that at one of the first, one of the earlier agency agencies I'd worked at. He and we, he and I and my college buddy started an email marketing agency in 02 and then I decided, well, this isn't for me, but I now learn it's not that scary to hire employees. So then I started hiring employees at anvil and late 03 and so I ran anvil with employees for, you know, 20 years. Two of those first two years were just me and some contractors and and then, oh, wait, I started a second agency because I needed a more affordable solution for my partners in small business called Formic media. Ran that for five years before I merged it with with anvil. But in between, I was also fired. When I first started anvil, I was it was just a hang of shingle in 2000 to do some consulting, but I wanted a full time gig, and a year later, I had an opportunity to run my my team from the agency. I was fired from that company. That agency was sold to another agency for pennies on the dollar. And when my old boss died, rest in peace, we hadn't really cleared the air yet, which is it still is one of my greatest regrets. You know, for nine months we didn't talk, and then he passed away. Everybody peace, not before he passed away, I was able to get, yeah, his his soul mate. They weren't married yet, but they were going to get married. She told me that two weeks before he died, he expressed regrets and how we had ended the relationship, how he had fired me, and he was looking forward to reconnecting and re engaging our friendship. And so that made that meant the world to me. I had a lot of peace in knowing that, but I so the first the second place I got fired was this agency again about a girl. So the first time was a girl telling me, you need to ask the boss for more money or more equity. And I did, and that offended him. And the second time was my girlfriend at the time, who's who moved over from that agency to the new agency where my my old boss died before he could really start there. She was dating on the side the Creative Director at that agency, and he'd been there over 20 years. And so when I started there, I saw something was up, and I was like, Is there anything going on? She's like, No. And so eventually I just broke up with her anyway, because I just it wasn't working, even if she wouldn't admit that she was having a side relationship. But I was eventually fired because he was a board, you know, he was on the board. He was, he wasn't my boss, per se, but he was one of the senior partners, and they just wanted me out. You know, she might have money. Wanted me out. He definitely wanted me out. So that was the second time I got fired. And then the third time I got fired was it kept the stakes get given, getting bigger. When I sold my agency 14 months later, they fired me, really, not to this day, not for any cause. It's that they asked me to take an 80% pay cut a year into my buyout, and I and then I they were going to close my Portland office, which I was, I own the building, so I didn't want to lose my own myself as a tenant, so I offered to reduce my rent 30% so I basically, for two and a half months, worked for free for this agency that had bought my agency. So they were making payments to me. I was carrying the note, but they they couldn't. A year later, they're like, I'm sorry. So they a year later, I took a pay cut for two and a half months, and when I asked them, you know, when am I getting back to my pay? They said, Well, you know, we can't guarantee. We don't have a path for you back to your full pay. And I was like, Okay, well, then I told my wife, let him inform them that we're going to go back to, we are going to go back to our full rack rate on our rent. And when I, when we notified them, they they totally, they totally fired me. So they canceled the lease, and they fired me, and so they so it. And you know, I, my team was slowly being dismantled, a 10 of us, 11 of us, I guess 10 or 11 us went over, and within a year, there were only two wait. Within two years, there was only one person left on my team. So it was a really sad, sad experience for me. It wasn't as hard to sell my business as I thought. It wasn't as hard, you know, just emotionally, it wasn't as hard to sunset my brand after 22 years. Wasn't easy, but it was way easier than I thought. What was hard for me was watching them was was closing the office. It broke my heart and and then watching them dismantle my team that I spent, you know, two decades building, most of that team was within 10 years, the last 10 years, last even five years of of our business. Us. There was a relatively new team, but we were so tight, and it was just heartbreaking. So, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 30:09 yeah, wow. So what do you think was your biggest mistake in running your own agency?   Kent Lewis ** 30:19 That's a great question. I think the biggest, biggest mistake was not understanding the Hire great people and get out of the way. Lee Iacocca, you know, to paraphrase him, I hired great people and I got out of their way. But what I didn't do was make sure they had all the proper training, alignment of core values that they had, there was enough trust between us that they could come to me with they were struggling or failing. Apparently, I was a fairly intimidating figure for my former my young recruits, but most of that time, up until the last five years, I always had a senior VP my right hand. I hired her with the attention that she might take over the business someday, she was totally creating a wall between me and my employees, and I didn't know it until 2012 and so, you know, I had 10 years to try to undo what she had created the first 10 years, basically of a fear based management style, so that that didn't help me, and I didn't believe it. I didn't really see it. So then I rebuilt the company, and from the ground up, I blew it up in 2013 so 10 years after of having employees, 13 years of having the business, I completely dismantled and blew it up and rebuilt it. And what did that look like? It started with me just not wanting to go to work in the building, and I realized I can't quit because I'm the owner, so I have to fix it. Okay? I don't mind fixing things. I prefer to fix other people's problems instead of my own, but I really a lot of people do, right? Yeah. So I wrote a credo, basically, what would it take for me? What are, what are it got down to 10 truths, what? What are the truths that I need to go into work and that others around me, co workers, team members, need to also agree on so that we can work together successfully. So it went from being about clients to being about the team and being about accountability. And you know, it was so it was so decisive. It was so radical for my current team that had been with me five to 10 years of they lose clients, I get more clients. And I eventually told them, I can't replace clients as fast as you're losing them. It's not a sustainable business model, so you need to be accountable for your actions and your decisions. That's the new anvil. You and you're out. I gave them 72 hours to think about it and sign it. Signed literally to these credo. It's not a legal document, it's just a commitment to credo. And half the team didn't sign it, and they quit. And then within 12 months, the rest of the team either quit or we've I fired them because they did not fit in the new anvil. And it's funny because everybody else that I brought in didn't even it didn't even register. The credo was so unremarkable to them, because we were already aligned by the time we hired them, we'd done our research and the work to know who fit, and so they didn't register. So eventually we just dropped the credo was no longer needed as a guide or a framework. It's still on the website, but, but you don't, you know it doesn't really matter. But that's what I got wrong, is I did not build the trust. I did not have I had processes in place, but but without the trust, people wouldn't tell me how they felt or that they were struggling. So a lot of process wasn't recognized or utilized properly. So I rebuilt it to where and rebuilt the trust to where the team that was with me when I sold I was very close with them. There was 100% trust across the board, a mutual respect, arguably a mutual love for the craft, for each other, for the company, for our clients, and it was a lot of fun to work with them. I didn't sell because I was unhappy. I sold because I was happy, and I thought now's a good time to go and find a good home. Plus my wife was my operations manager for five years, and she wanted out. Frankly, I thought it was easier to sell the business than try to replace my wife, because she was very good at what she did. She just didn't like doing it, yeah? And she also didn't like, you know, me being her boss. I never saw it that way. But once she explained it, after I sold, she explained, like, you know, you boss me around at work, and then you try to boss me around at home, and I'm not having it. You pick one? Yeah, so, so I was like, I think, like, I bossed you around. And she's like, Hey, you just, it was your company. It was always going to be your company. And, you know, that's fine, but you know, I want to move on. I was like, Okay, why don't we just sell and so that, yeah, they the operational people. And so it took her, took that load off of her. She's worked for. Nonprofit now, so she's happy, and so that's good.   Michael Hingson ** 35:05 Well, it also sounds like there were a lot of people that well, first of all, you changed your your view and your modus operandi a little bit over time, and that's why you also got you fired, or you lost people. But it also sounds like what you did was you brought in more people, not only who thought like you, but who really understood the kinds of goals that you were looking at. And so it was a natural sort of thing. You brought in people who really didn't worry about the credo, because they lived by it anyway.   Kent Lewis ** 35:38 Yeah, that's exactly right. And that was, that was my lesson. Was, you know, I always knew there's a concept called Top grading. You know, you thoroughly vet client, you hire slow and you fire fast. Most entrepreneurs or business owners hire fast and fire slow, and it's very, very expensive and but, you know, I got that part and I just better. I was far better at, I was far better at, what would I say, creating processes than kind of feeling, the love? And so once I figured that stuff out, it got a lot it got a lot better.   Michael Hingson ** 36:16 It's a growth thing. Yes,   36:18 exactly, yeah. Well, you   Michael Hingson ** 36:21 have something, and you sent me something about it. You call it Jerry Maguire moment. Tell me about that.   Kent Lewis ** 36:28 Yeah. So that's, you know, I just, I just sort of backed into the story of just being unhappy. But what ended up happening more specifically that Jerry Maguire moment was putting my son to bed in March of 2013 and I mentioned that feeling of not of dread. I didn't want to go to work. I was frustrated with my team, disappointed in my clients, not appreciating the work we were doing, frustrated with some of my partners. You know, in the business, I felt disconnected from the work of digital because I'd worked on the business for longer than I'd worked in the business by that point, and so I just, it was, it was, I was a bit of a mess. And I realized, like, I need a reason to get up and go to work in the morning. And that's when I came up. I was inspired by Jerry Maguire's manifesto from from the movie, and apparently you can find it online. It's a 28 page manifesto. So I ended up distilling into those 10 truths that we called the credo, and so what happening is just again to recap, it took me a like a couple days. I had instant clarity. I like I fell asleep like a rock. Once I realized I had a plan and I had a framework, I felt better about it, even though there was much work to do. So as I mentioned, you know, half the team quit within the first week, the other half bled out over the next year. That meant 100% employee turnover for two years in a row. As like as I upgraded my team, that was painful. I had to hire three people in order to keep one good one. You know, as I as I search, because we don't have formal degrees in the world of digital marketing, right? So it's hard to find the talent, and you want to hold on to the good ones when you get them. So it took a long time to get the team dialed. Meanwhile, my clients got tired of the turnover. As I was trying to figure it out, they started leaving in droves, and so in 2014 in March, a year later, exactly, I lost my five biggest clients in a 30 to 45 day period. So I lost, you know, 40, over 40% of my revenue vaporized, and I could not replace it fast enough. So I didn't take a salary for nine months. I asked two senior execs to take small pay cuts like 10% and as we hunkered down, and so I didn't have to lay off any good talent, and so I didn't, and we sprinted, we rebuilt, you know, the pipeline, and brought some new clients in. By the end of the year, I paid back my my two senior employees, their 10% that they pay cut. I paid them back, but I didn't take a salary for nine months of that year. It was the worst year I'd ever had, and the only time I ever had to take a pay cut or miss a paycheck myself. So that was the price I paid. The plus side is once I realized that the focus should be on the employees, which was what the credo was, I didn't realize at the time that it wasn't about my clients anymore. They were the life blood. They were the blood flow, right? But we have this organism that needed love, so we I breathe life back into it, one employee at a time until we had a higher functioning group. So it took me five or six years, and in 2019 so six years after I blew the business up, I had an offer on the table, had a sale agreement finalized, and we were less than a week away from funding, and I backed out of the deal because I felt, one, it wasn't a good cultural fit, and two, there was more work to do. It wasn't about increasing my valuation more. It was about finishing my journey of an employee first agency and. Three years later, I sold for one and a half x higher multiple, so an additional seven figures to to another agency based on a stronger profitability, even though the revenue is about the same, stronger, you know, profitability right better. Happy clients, stable clients. It was a lower risk acquisition for them and the so that was the high point. The low point was becoming an employee and wanting to be the best damn employee that agency had ever seen to being a very disappointed, disengaged, disheartened, disheartened employee. And I then I decided I started writing notes of everything, not to do that they were doing wrong. And I decided, once they let me go, I need to focus on this. I think I needed to help my other fellow entrepreneurs ways to avoid going through what I went through as an employee, because I had just been one, and most of my employ, my entrepreneur friends, haven't been an employee for over 10 years. You easily, quickly forget what it's like to be an employee, and I want to remind them and as other senior leaders, how important it is to put your employees first, otherwise you can never deliver on your brand promise no matter what it is, because they won't deliver to your standards. Because it's you know, they don't feel the same attachment to a business if they as if they're not owners, right?   Michael Hingson ** 41:22 But it sounds like you also, when you did sell, by that time, you had employees, one who had bought into the credo, into the philosophy, and two were satisfied. So it was a much better situation all the way around. Anyway,   Kent Lewis ** 41:38 exactly. It's right? And that's, that's the thing is, I realized it's not about throwing money at a problem. It's about throwing time and care at a problem. And the problem is that most employers, there is no loyalty employ to employees anymore, and therefore there's no employee loyalty to brands anymore, to their employers. And so I'm trying to unwind that. And it's not about pension plans, per se. It's not about bonuses, really at all. That's one of 120 items on my punch list of auditing and employee journey is, yeah, do you have a bonus program? Mine was basically spot bonuses, little spot bonuses for timely things, because the big cash bonuses blew up in my face. You know, i i the biggest bonus check I ever wrote. The next day he quit and created a competing agency. Now, he had planned that all along it, the bonus was only helped him do it faster, but I realized there was no appreciation for the bonuses. So stop doing that. So instead, I would bonus, reward the team with experiences rather than cash. And they the cash they got from a really, I paid over market, so that money was not an issue, and so that experiences were the memorable part and the fun part, and it helped motivate when we'd have a little contest with, you know, the wind being a dinner or whatever it was, something fun, right?   Michael Hingson ** 43:00 I was, earlier today, talking with someone who's going to be a guest on the podcast. He's in Germany, and we were talking about the fact that there's a major discussion in Germany right now about the concept of a four day work week, as opposed to a five day work week, and in the four day work week. Inevitably, companies that subscribe to the four day work week have higher productivity, happier employees, and some of those companies have a four day work week with a total of 36 hours and up through a four day work week with 40 hours, which is, of course, 10 hours a day. And what he said, I asked the question, did it make a difference as to whether it was 36 or 40 hours? What he said was mainly not, because it was really about having three days with family, and that that whole mental attitude is really it that we, we have forgotten, I think, in this country, about employee loyalty so much, and we just don't see anything like what we used to see.   Kent Lewis ** 44:09 100% you are correct,   Michael Hingson ** 44:13 and so it is. It is an issue that people really ought to deal with in some way. But you know now the new chancellor in Germany wants to go back to a five day work week, just completely ignoring all the statistics and what's shown. So the discussion is ongoing over there. I'll be interested to see how it goes.   Kent Lewis ** 44:36 Yeah, yeah, totally. I would be in Troy. Yeah. We know for whatever reason, for whatever reason that they've you know that well, I guess it kind of makes sense. But you know, you wouldn't think you could be more productive fewer days a week, but the research is showing that these people, that you know, that the like the Northern Europeans, are the, you know, Finnish and Scandinavians are like the half. People on the planet, despite not being in maybe the friendliest climate, you know, 12 months of the year because of a lot of how they value, you know, work life balance and all of that. And I think that's the thing, you know, we we came from an industrial age where unions got us the weekends off. You know, it's a very different we've come a long way, but there's still a lot more to go, so I, I will be interested to see what happens with the with that concept that four day work week.   Michael Hingson ** 45:26 Well, the other part about it is we had the pandemic, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic, at least, I think, in the minds of a lot of employees, was even working at home, and having to do that, you still got to spend more time with family and people value that. Now I don't know how over time that's going to work, because I know there's been a lot of advocating to go back to just everybody always being in the office, but it seems to me that the better environment would be a hybrid environment, where, if somebody can work at home and do at least as well as they do at the office. Why wouldn't you allow that?   Kent Lewis ** 46:04 Right? Yeah, I think it's that's the other thing is, I do believe hybrid work is the best solution. We were doing three three days, two days in the office, required, one day, optional flex. I ended up going in most days of the week before I, you know, even after we sold and we sell at the office, because I like, I'm a social being, and I really enjoyed the time at the office. And it was, it was, I designed the space, and it was, you know, as my place, and it was my home away from home, you know. So I feel like I've lost a little bit of my identity, losing that office. Yeah, so, but yeah, I do think that it makes sense to be able to do remote work, whatever, wherever people are most effective. But I do know there is a reality that companies are fully remote have a struggle to create cohesiveness and connectiveness across distributed teams. It's just it's just science, right? Psychology, but you can be very intentional to mitigate as much as you can the downside of remote and then play up as much as you can the benefits of remote people having their life and they see, on average, I heard that people valued their remote work about to worth about $6,000 on average, that there's a number that they've quantified.   Michael Hingson ** 47:21 Wow. Well, I know I've worked in offices, but I've also done a lot of work at home. So for example, I had a job back in the late 1970s and worked and lived in Massachusetts until 1981 and the company I worked for was being pursued by Xerox. And the the assumption was that Xerox was going to buy the company. So I was asked to relocate back out to California, where I had grown up, and help integrate the company into Xerox. And so I did. And so that was the first time I really worked mostly out of home and remotely from an office. And did that for two and a half, almost, well, a little over two and a half years. And my thanks for it was I was terminated because we had a recession and the big issue really was, though, that Xerox had bought the company and phased out all the people in sales because they didn't want the people. They just wanted the technology. And I've always believed that's a big mistake, because the tribal knowledge that people have is not something that you're going to get any other place. Totally, totally agree. But anyway, that occurred, and then I couldn't find a job, because the unemployment rate among employable blind people was so high, since people didn't believe blind people could work. So I ended up starting my own company selling computer aided design systems, CAD systems, to architects. Some of the early PC based CAD systems. Sold them to architects and engineers and so on. So I did have an office. We started, I started it with someone else, and had an office for four years, and then decided I had enough of owning my own company for a while, and went to work for someone else, and again, worked in an office and did that for seven years. Yeah, about seven years, and then I ended up in at the end of that, or the later part of that time, I was asked to relocate now back to the East Coast, because I was selling to Wall Street and New York and Wall Street firms really want, even though they might buy from resellers and so on, they want company, companies that make products to have them an office that they can deal with. So I ended up going back and mostly worked out of the office. But then, um. I left that company in 1997 and it was, it was a little bit different, because I was, I I had my own office, and I was the only person in it for a little while. We did have some engineers, but we all kind of worked in the office and sometimes at home. But for me, the real time of working at home happened in 2008 I was working at a nonprofit and also traveling and speaking, and the people who ran the nonprofit said, nobody's interested in September 11 anymore. And you know, you're you're not really adding any value to what we do, so we're going to phase out your job. Yeah, nobody was interested in September 11. And three years later, we had a number one New York Times bestseller, but anyway, your face yeah, so I ended up opening the Michael Hinkson Group Inc, and working out of home, and I've been doing that ever since. I enjoy working in an office. But I can work at home and I can, I can adapt. So my exposure to people and working not at home is when I travel and speak and get to go visit people and interact with them and so on. So it works out   Kent Lewis ** 51:05 that's, that's fantastic, congratulations. That's awesome.   Michael Hingson ** 51:10 It is, it is, you know, sometimes a challenge, but it works. So for you, what is your philosophy? You obviously do a lot of giving back to the community nowadays, is that something that has kind of grown over time, or you always had that? Or what's your philosophy regarding that?   Kent Lewis ** 51:29 So I I believe that, as I mentioned, I believe earlier that learn and return us. I believe that you should giving, giving back your entire life, as soon as you're able to, in whatever way. And so I, you know, when I first moved to Portland, I barely knew anybody. I was volunteering at this local neighborhood house where it was, you know, as tutoring this kid, and ironically, in math. And I'm terrible at math. Then I went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters for a while, and then I for the last 19 for last 25 years, I've been a volunteer, and for eight or nine of those years, I was on the board of smart reading. It's a, it's a, it's not a literacy program in that you're not teaching kids to read. You're teaching kids a love of reading. So you just sit with, you know, title, title, one school kindergarteners in an area near you, and you sit and read with them for 10 to 15 minutes, that's it. And it's a game changer, because some of them didn't own any books. And then they get to take books home with them, you know, like scholastic style books. So anyway, I I decided, of all, like I have friends, that their their passion is pets, others, it's like forests or planet or whatever. To me, I think I can, I can solve all of those problems if I invest in children, because they're shaping our future, and we can put them on a trajectory. So for instance, statistically, prison capacity is based on third grade reading levels in blue. So if you're if you can't learn to read, you can't read to learn, so you need to have a be a proficient reader by third grade, or you're left behind, and you're more likely, 10 times more likely, to be in the system, and you know, not in a good way. So I realized, well, if I can help these kids with a love of reading, I was, I was slow to learn reading myself. I realized that maybe we, you know that one kid that you find a love of reading, that finds books they love and is inspired by the books and continues to read and have a successful educational career, then that's that person may go on to solve cancer or world hunger or whatever it is. So that's kind of how I look at so that's my theory in general about giving. And then specifically my passion is children. So that's kind of my thing, and I think there are a lot of different ways to do it. Last night, I was at my wife's auction or the fundraiser for her nonprofit, which is around the foster system. It's called Casa court, important court, court appointed special advocate. So these kids in the foster system have an advocate, that that's not a lawyer or a caseworker, you know, by their side through the legal system. And I think that's a fantastic cause. It aligns with my children cause. And I was, I had seven my parents fostered seven daughters, you know, Daughters of other people, and the last two were very that I remember were transformative for me as an only child, to have a sister, you know, foster sister that was living with us for, in one case, two years. And it was invaluable and helpful to me. She helped me find my love of reading, helped me learn my multiplication tables, all that things that your parents might be able to do, but it's so much cooler doing with somebody that's, you know, I think she was 17 when she moved into our house, and I was, like, nine, and she was so helpful to me, so inspiring. So in a nutshell, that's, that's what we're talking about   Michael Hingson ** 54:55 when you talk talk about reading. I'm of the opinion and one of the best. Things that ever happened to reading was Harry Potter. Just the number of people, number of kids who have enjoyed reading because they got to read the Harry Potter books. I think that JK Rowling has brought so many kids to reading. It's incredible.   Kent Lewis ** 55:14 Yeah, yeah. 100% 100% I Yeah. I think that even you may, you know, you may or may not like rolling, but I as a person, but she did an amazing thing and made reading fun, and that that's what matters, yeah, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 55:33 yeah, well, and that's it, and then she's just done so much for for children and adults. For that matter, I talked to many adults who've read the books, and I've read all the books. I've read them several times, actually, yeah, now I'm spoiled. I read the audio versions read by Jim Dale, and one of my favorite stories about him was that he was in New York and was going to be reading a part of the latest Harry Potter book on September 11, 2001 in front of scholastic when, of course, everything happened. So he didn't do it that day, but he was in New York. What a you know, what a time to be there. That's fantastic. But, you know, things happen. So you one of the things that I've got to believe, and I think that you've made abundantly clear, is that the kind of work you do, the PR, the marketing, and all of that kind of interaction is a very time consuming, demanding job. How do you deal with work and family and make all of that function and work? Well,   Kent Lewis ** 56:41 good question. I, I believe that that the, well, two things you have to have, you know, discipline, right? And so what I've done is really focused on managing my time very, very carefully, and so I have now keep in mind my oldest, I have three kids, one's graduating college as a senior, one's a sophomore who will be a junior next next year, and then The last is a sophomore in high school, so I'm there at ages where two are out of the house, so that's a little easier to manage, right? So there's that, but similarly, I try to maximize my time with my youngest and and with my wife, you know, I built in, you know, it was building in date nights, because it's easy to get into a rut where you don't want to leave the house or don't want to do whatever. And I found that it's really been good for our relationship at least once a month. And so far, it's been more like almost twice a month, which has been huge and awesome. But I've just intentional with my time, and I make sure 360 I take care of myself, which is typically working out between an hour and an hour and a half a day that I'm I really need to work on my diet, because I love burgers and bourbon and that's in moderation, perhaps sustainable, but I need to eat more veggies and less, you know, less garbage. But I also have been at the gym. I go in the Steam Room and the sauna, and I'm fortunate to have a hot tub, so I try to relax my body is after my workouts, I've been sleeping more since covid, so I work out more and sleep and sleep more post covid. And because I'm working from home, it's really I find it much easier to get up and take breaks or to, you know, just to manage my time. I'm not traveling like I used to, right? That's a, that's a big factor. So, so anyway, that's, that's kind of my take on that. I don't know if that really helps, but that's, that's kind of where I'm at.   Michael Hingson ** 58:59 The other part about it, though, is also to have the discipline to be able to be at home and work when you know you have to work, and yeah, you get to take more breaks and so on, but still developing the discipline to work and also to take that time is extremely important. I think a lot of people haven't figured out how to do that   Kent Lewis ** 59:19 right exactly, and that is so I do have an immense amount of, I do have an immense amount of, what would you say discipline? And so I don't know, yeah, I don't have that problem with getting the work done. In fact, my discipline is knowing when to stop, because I get into it, and I want to get things done, and I want to get it off my plate, so I tend to do sprints. But the other lesson I have from covid is listening to your biorhythms. So, you know, we're a time based society, and we look, you don't want to be late for this and that I you know, that's great, fine. But what's really more important in my mind is, um. Is to, is to be thinking about, is to let your body tell you when it's tired, if and and more importantly, is to not stress about in the mornings when I wake up early. By that, I mean between four and 6am before I really want to get up at 630 and I just if I'm awake, then I'll write stuff down to get it out of my head, or I will just start doing my start my day early and and not stress about, oh, I didn't get enough sleep. My body will catch up, yeah, it will tell me to go to bed early, or I'll sleep better the next day, or whatever it is. So that was important, and also to learn that I'm most I can get a lot of tasks done in the morning. And I think bigger picture, and that's what, that's why I wake up early, is all the things I need to do that I forgot. I didn't write down or whatever, and I think of them at between four and 6am but the other is that I do my best writing in the afternoon, like between four and six. So I told my, my wife and my, you know, my my kids, you know, my first figures out when they were both in the House. I was like, I may be working late, jamming out an article or doing whatever right before dinner, or I might be a little late. Can we can wait for dinner for a little bit? They're like, Yeah, that's fine. We don't care, right? So, but normally I'd be like, I gotta get home because it's dinner time. But now that I'm already home, I just keep working through, and then, and then, oh, I can take a quick break. But my point is, they're totally adaptable.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:27 But you communicate, yes, communication issue is key. Is key, absolutely. That's really the issues that you do communicate.   Kent Lewis ** 1:01:36 It's all about setting expectations. And they had no expectations other than eating dinner. And we've been eating dinner later. Just, just a natural evolution. So it's not, it's not even an issue now, because I don't want to, I don't want to, what, right? What? Late at night, I just found it late afternoon, I just in a zone. Anyway, yeah, you listen to your body, and I'm way less stressed because I'm not worried about, oh my god, I have to get to bed at a certain time or wake up at a certain time. It's like, just kind of run with it, you know, and and go from there. So what's next for you? What's next? So I want to shift from going from speaking for free to speaking for a fee. There you go. And the re the reason why is I never asked for, and I'd even waive, you know, honorarium or pay because I got more value out of the leads. But now that I don't have an agency to represent, two things. One is, I want to get paid to do my employee engagement retention talks, because it's I'm getting great feedback on it, which is fun. But I also am being paid now by other agencies, a day rate, plus travel to go speak at the conferences. I've always spoken on that like me and want me and I just represent. I just changed the name that I'm representing. That's it, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:56 well, and there's value in it. I realized some time ago, and I k

We're joined by Ramon Amaro, Creative Director of Design Academy Eindhoven — an engineer, philosopher, writer, curator, and altogether critical-force-to-be-reckoned-with on the subject of computation as it intersects with concepts like culture, race, and being. We were drawn to his tour-de-force “The Black Technical Object: On Machine Learning and the Aspiration of Black Being” (2023), which is an absolute banger, re-reading Gilbert Simondon's technical object through the lens of blackness, race, and racialized technologies. This one is a wild ride, a really deep and incredibly thoughtful episode, and we make an effort to define some initial terms on the podcast — specifically the ‘pre-individuated milieu' (the space where things or ideas live before they become crystalized into social or racialized relations) and the ‘technical object' (a way that Simondon helps us think through the autonomies enjoyed by technology, that even though technological objects may be initially bound in some ways to their human partners, they are able to exert influences not just backwards on us, but influences that determine their own design evolution over time). Ramon starts the conversation with a distinction that is critical to the whole episode — that blackness is not a racial category, or moreover, that blackness is distinct from race. Race is something that happens after blackness, that impinges upon blackness as it moves from pre-individuated space and enters into the field of social relations we currently live within. This independence is critical, because it invites alternatives (and suggests, we think very rightly, that this field of social relations we currently live within, while historically situated in imperial or colonial violence, is arbitrary and exchangeable with any other possibility). A few works that are important to consider here: W.E.B Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk — total canonSylvia Wynter's work is discussed throughout, specifically on the concept of “Man” (particularly Unsettling the Coloniality of Being/Power/Truth/Freedom: Towards the Human, After Man, Its Overrepresentation—An Argument).Gilbert Simondon, On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects and Two Lessons on Animal and Man — both places to look for autonomy in Simondon's workFrantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks — implied by discussions of phenomenology/perception under racialization.Stefano Harney and Fred Moten, The Undercommons — no spoilers, but more on this later :)Thanks soooo much to Dr. Amaro for joining us! 

Dennis Muren sits down with me to talk about his fatherhood journey. He shares the values he looked to instill into his kids as they grew up. In addition, he shares what his kids have taught him about life. After that we talk about his career working on films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and many more. Afterwards, Dennis shares some stories from his time working at Industrial Light & Magic. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.  About Dennis Muren Dennis Muren is the Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic. Muren is the recipient of 8 Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Plus he worked on design and development of new techniques and equipment. Muren is the first visual effects artist to be honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Muren is working on a book focusing on ‘observation' for digital artists. As Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic, Muren is a key member of the company's leadership team and collaborates with all of ILM's supervisors on each of the films that the company contributes to. In addition, for more on ILM's history that created movie magic check out Light & Magic, a two-season, documentary series now streaming on Disney+. Brainiac Is This Week's Podcast Sponsor Brainiac is the first and only line of snacks to contain the BrainPack, a blend of Omega-3s and choline. The company was started as part of their pursuit to provide the healthiest and smartest food for their our own kids. Brainiac Snacks offers foods kids love that parents can feel good about. They can be found at retailers like Walmart, Target and regional grocers nationwide. To learn more about their products and discover where you can purchase them, check out their website over at brainiacfoods.com.  About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast  The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. Therefore you get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Bob Odenkirk, Hank Azaria, Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more.

In Episode 2 of the *How To Cut It* Women in Business Takeover, Samantha Cusick, owner of Samantha Cusick London, founder of Sta Studios, hosts an inspiring conversation with twice-nominated British Hairdresser of the Year (2024 & 2025) and former London Hairdresser of the Year, Jordanna Cobella. Jordanna is a popular and much loved guest on the How To Cut It podcast and an ambassador for Wella. She also owns Cobella London, one of London's leading salons. In this conversation, Samantha explores Jordanna's journey that has seen her become one of the leading names in hairdressing, alongside sharing her insights on salon ownership, leadership, managing multiple roles including motherhood. This uplifting episode is a must-listen for hairdressers and salon owners looking to grow their businesses and fuel their passion for the industry.   Chapter Timestamps 3:10: Meet Jordana Cobella 7:11: Navigating Hairdressing and Law 9:42: The Journey to Creative Director 14:29: Balancing Business and Motherhood 26:28: Embracing Life's Changes 30:17: The Salon Fire Incident 33:38: Managing with Emotional Intelligence 37:24: Building Business Culture 38:47: Plot Twists and Lessons Learned 42:04: Surrendering to Control  To find out more on Jordanna Cobella and Samantha Cusick see the links below Jordanna Cobella on Instagram @jordannacobella Cobella visit cobella.co.uk Samantha Cusick salon website click HERE Sta Studios visit sta-studios.com Silly Little Girls Club podcast on Spotify click HERE Samantha Cusick on Instagram @smantha.cusick Sta Studios on Instagram @sta__studios

Solitude is great for creative work, but do you know when you're slipping from solitude into isolation? Your body certainly does. Neuroscience research shows that loneliness triggers a physical pain response in the brain, as well as a few other dangerous reactions that are especially detrimental for creatives. In this episode we'll discuss the specifics of solitude vs. isolation so you can learn how to tell when you're sliding into a potentially harmful situation AND I'll share the 3 key ways you can pull yourself out!Please share this with anyone you feel like could use the professional mental health support and LET'S ROCK!Go to rockthatcreativejob.com for more creative career resources, including a full catalog of my podcast episodes, my Creative Resume-in-a-Day online course, or to inquire about hiring me as a speaker or workshop facilitator! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-roberts-rtcj/ Instagram: @rockthatcreativejob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RockThatCreativeJob --Jamie Roberts is the CEO & Founder of Rock That Creative Job™, where she provides both practical & emotional career support to creative professionals across the globe through coaching, speaking, workshops, and her podcast. She has given talks for AIGA, RGD Canada, universities, and other creative organizations. Jamie has a 20 yr. background as a Sr. Creative Director & Designer, working and leading teams in both agency & in-house environments, where she recruited, hired, and managed every type of creative role. Her mission is to provide all creatives with the knowledge and clarity they need to confidently take control of their careers, and get paid to do what they love.

Ready to build you personal brand in a simple and structured way? I got you! What You'll Learn: How to create a clear brand umbrella that organises your entire messaging hierarchy Why specificity in your target audience is crucial (and won't scare away good clients) The four levels of your brand umbrella framework How to audit your products and services for brand alignment Why your messaging needs to make people feel like you're reading their mind Key Takeaways: Your brand umbrella is what you want to be known for - not just what you do, but what you're here to do in the world Get so specific with your ideal client that you could call them out in a crowd Content themes should blend business expertise with personal insights (70/30 split works well) If you don't love your product suite, you won't sell it effectively Train your AI tools with your authentic voice and client problems for better messaging Resources Mentioned: Amplify Accelerator (Suz's main programme) AI tools: Claude and ChatGPT for content creation   **************** ⋒ WORK WITH SUZ Foundations - Brand Builders Academy - https://www.suzchadwick.com/bba Scale - Amplify Accelerator - https://www.suzchadwick.com/amplify 1:1 Coaching - https://www.suzchadwick.com/bc Shop - https://www.suzchadwick.com/shop   ⋒ My 2025 YouTube Equipment & Tech: Descript - www.suzchadwick.com/descript DJI Pocket Osmo 3 - www.suzchadwick.com/DJI Softbox Lighting - MSKIRA Softbox DJI Tripod - EUCOS 62' Tripod   ⋒ PODCAST LINKS Listen on Apple: https://suzchadwick.com/applepod Listen on Spotify: https://suzchadwick.com/spotify Listen anywhere else: https://kite.link/BrandBuildersLab   ⋒ FOLLOW SUZ CHADWICK TikTok: /suzchadwick Instagram: /suzchadwick LinkedIn: /suzannechadwick Join the community: https://www.suzchadwick.com/subscribe   About: I'm Suz Chadwick, a personal brand & business coach and the Creative Director of Bold Vibes Consulting Personal brand agency. I (mainly) work with women to help you build the confidence and strategies to build a brand that sells for you and finally step off the content hampster wheel to sales strategies that work!  

Guest Ashley Royer, the Creative Director of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, joins hosts Brady and Jillian on Louisiana's Playground to discuss ICM's many cultural offerings and scheduled events. From rotating art shows to history exhibits that range from fascinating to spooky, there is always something to see at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum.  Find more information on where to eat, things to do, and events happening this weekend at VisitLakeCharles.org. Stop by Twanie's Terrific Treats for his famous chocolate chip cookies and other delicious desserts! Keep up with hosts Brady Renard on Twitter, @RenardSports and Jillian Corder on Facebook, @JillianCorderKPLC. 

Too many brands pour endless time and money into “perfecting” their logo, thinking that's the brand. It's not. In this episode, Mark, Justin, and Jekyll+Hyde's Creative Director, Paul Perzyk, break down what truly makes a brand memorable — and why overcomplicating your design can hurt more than help. From international slogan mishaps to why Jaguar's rebrand tanked sales, this conversation is packed with insights that can save you from expensive mistakes. You'll learn: Why your logo should be simple enough to draw in the sand How to make packaging work for new, unknown brands The right way to choose slogans that connect with customers When and how to evolve your brand identity without losing its essence Listen now and start building a brand people actually remember.

In this episode, Jessica and I begin with a question: How does one stay rooted in beauty without being consumed by it?Our conversation traces the slow emergence of Babalon—the archetypal force of erotic creativity, sovereignty, and sacred presence—as she rises from beneath perception and into felt experience. We explore how this creative power nourishes when embodied, but also how it can distort when separated from feeling.We draw on priestess and magician lineages to consider what it means to grow in relation to beauty—to open without losing oneself, to feel deeply without flooding, and to hold the creative current with integrity.This is an episode for those navigating the subtle path between inspiration and fragmentation, and seeking to rise gently, steadily, into the sacred power of presence. --------------------Jessica Christine is the creator of DeerWomen. Her work has been featured internationally. As a Creative Director, she has brought together worlds and traveled worldwide with event management, welcoming and taking care of all needs of visiting high-profile ambassadors, including royals of Belgium. As a STEM teacher, she has taught coding and 3D printing through gaming and robotics. Mentored by Francesca Lia Block, Maja D'Aoust and attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium amongst others. At an early age, she cultivated a strong interest in mythology, evolution, travel, and esoteric sciences and applied those interests to the several facets of visual arts. In 2006 she began traveling to the Middle East, where she lived and worked for a number of years. In 2010, she launched DeerWomen, a world to combine her fascination with the art of travel, tea and folklore's long and wonderful history of ritual objects with intent. In 2022, we welcome DeerWomen's reopening in the heart of Belgium, Antwerpen.Jessica strives to join the quiet intimacy and elegance of herbs with the magic of storytelling: narratives that emerge from myths, cultures, and stories, both new and old; universal and personal.Moreover, every work of art holds beauty and strength over time while imbuing the atmosphere of unique traditions and histories. Pieces are sourced from around the globe, made from nature and crafted with intention. --------------------Songs for the Witch Woman by Jack Parsons & Marjorie CameronPoems written and read by Marjorie Cameron from An Evening with Cameron - MOCA U - MOCAtvAn interview with Kenneth Anger on Cameron, Jack Parsons etc - Düsseldorf 18.II.2013 --------------------Support Jessica --> https://deerwomen.comSupport V --> https://saturnvox.comSupport the Show --> https://ko-fi.com/saturnvox156

Meg Young is the Founder and Creative Director of Cailíní Coastal, a luxury home décor  and furnishings brand inspired by timeless coastal style. With a decade-long career in public relations and influencer marketing, Meg brings a refined eye for storytelling, branding, and design to every detail of the Cailíní Coastal experience. Her passion for beautiful, livable spaces and her East Coast-meets-West Coast roots shape the brand's signature aesthetic - elevated, approachable, and always inspired by the sea. Use code PREPPY20 for 20% off at https://cailinicoastal.com/

Jess Jacobs is the chief executive officer of Coterie—a premium, high-performing diaper essentials brand. Before Coterie, Jacobs spent years making a name for herself in creative advertising. She got her professional start as a copywriter for an ad agency, working on campaigns for noteworthy brands like Saks Fifth Avenue, LG, and Revlon. She continued her work at Kettle as a Creative Director, partnering with big names like Apple, Nike, and Glossier. Jacobs then transitioned into the personal care industry when she became vice president of creative at Lola, a women-owned feminine care brand that promotes transparency and clean ingredients. Jacobs appreciated Lola's mission, especially after becoming a mom. Having a baby made her more aware of the ingredients in and efficacy of the products she used in her everyday life, such as diapers. When she tried a diaper from Coterie, she fell in love with the product and the brand's mission to make parents' lives easier. She then joined Coterie as its senior vice president of brand, creative, and product management, using everything she'd learned over the years to build the brand into something worthy of its superior product. It wasn't long before she was appointed chief brand officer and later CEO. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How to Glow from the Inside Out After 40 with Melissa Meyers In this inspiring episode, we're joined by Melissa Meyers, the Founder and Creative Director of The Glow Girl—a lifestyle blog dedicated to helping women over 40 live their most radiant lives. Melissa is a Los Angeles-based social media influencer, clean beauty expert, and lifestyle contributor with over 20 years of editorial experience in beauty, fashion, wellness, and travel. We dive into her powerful journey of transformation after moving from NYC to LA, adopting a clean lifestyle after health issues, and how that shift led to her clean beauty revolution. Melissa shares her favorite non-toxic products, self-care rituals, and the daily habits that keep her glowing at 54. You'll learn: ✨ What inspired Melissa to create The Glow Girl

OK, how many times do you hear on your team's meetings “You need to be more creative!” Well, I have this question: “How can I be more creative with my app's ad creatives?” Yes, today we're featuring another App Talk interview that covers how creative drives app growth. It was taken by our Peggy Anne Salz with Megan Evans, Creative Director at ConsultMyApp during App Promotion Summit London 2025. In this interview, Megan talked about treating app creative as a specialized, data-driven discipline — not just design — means testing systematically, embracing what works (even if it's off-brand), integrating across the user journey, and using AI to scale strategy, not just production. Today's topics include: App creatives deserve the same strategic focus as acquisition and product decisions. Generalist designers often miss the nuances that drive mobile conversions. “Ugly” or off-brand ads can outperform polished ones because they connect better with users. Isolating variables is key to knowing what actually works in creative testing. AI helps creative teams save time and focus on strategy by automating repetitive tasks. Creative assets for ASO, UA, and retention should work together as part of a unified strategy. Success comes from treating creative as a specialized, system-driven discipline. Links and Resources: Megan Evans on LinkedIn ConsultMyApp website Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Megan Evans “Sometimes it's the one you don't want that wins, which is difficult for brands to understand.” “Don't change too much at once — otherwise you're never going to understand exactly what's moving the needle.” “Instead of spending time on things that can be automated through AI, we're now focusing on the parts that need the human brain.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

How to Glow from the Inside Out After 40 with Melissa Meyers In this inspiring episode, we're joined by Melissa Meyers, the Founder and Creative Director of The Glow Girl—a lifestyle blog dedicated to helping women over 40 live their most radiant lives. Melissa is a Los Angeles-based social media influencer, clean beauty expert, and lifestyle contributor with over 20 years of editorial experience in beauty, fashion, wellness, and travel. We dive into her powerful journey of transformation after moving from NYC to LA, adopting a clean lifestyle after health issues, and how that shift led to her clean beauty revolution. Melissa shares her favorite non-toxic products, self-care rituals, and the daily habits that keep her glowing at 54. You'll learn: ✨ What inspired Melissa to create The Glow Girl

In this inspiring episode, we're joined by Melissa Meyers, the Founder and Creative Director of The Glow Girl—a lifestyle blog dedicated to helping women over 40 live their most radiant lives. Melissa is a Los Angeles-based social media influencer, clean beauty expert, and lifestyle contributor with over 20 years of editorial experience in beauty, fashion, wellness, and travel. We dive into her powerful journey of transformation after moving from NYC to LA, adopting a clean lifestyle after health issues, and how that shift led to her clean beauty revolution. Melissa shares her favorite non-toxic products, self-care rituals, and the daily habits that keep her glowing at 54. You'll learn:✨ What inspired Melissa to create The Glow Girl

Farbod Khoshtinat is an award-winning Iranian-born filmmaker, creative director, and visual effects artist whose career spans underground art, international music videos, political storytelling, and acclaimed cinema. His work has been recognized on global stages, including screenings at the United Nations, and he earned Best Visual Effects at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Rhino Season. Beyond cinema, he has created music videos and campaigns for artists such as Arash, Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, and T-Pain, blending art and technology in innovative ways.In this conversation, we explore his journey from Tehran's underground creative scene to global recognition, the evolution of visual storytelling, and how AI may shape the future of filmmaking.00:00:00 Introduction00:01:40 From Hichkas's music videos to artificial intelligence00:05:51 Information threats and starting a new life in Malaysia00:19:57 How did you go beyond yourself?00:26:25 Hollywood in the age of AI00:36:25 Why is the “entrepreneur artist” important?00:46:13 Intro and demo of AI tools for video production00:56:42 AI art vs. human art01:04:16 Creating new tools and current projects01:21:25 Music marketing strategy in the “long tail” era and the future of content distributionفربد خوش‌طینت فیلمساز تحسین‌شده و برنده جوایز بین‌المللیه که مسیر کاریش از هنر زیرزمینی و موزیک‌ویدیوهای جهانی تا روایت‌های سیاسی و سینمای مطرح رو در بر می‌گیره. آثارش در رویدادهای مهم دنیا به نمایش درآمده، از جمله اکران در سازمان ملل، و برای «فصل کرگدن» جایزه بهترین جلوه‌های ویژه جشنواره آسیا پاسیفیک رو گرفته.فراتر از سینما، موزیک‌ویدیو و کمپین‌هایی برای هنرمندانی مثل آرش، اسنوپ داگ، پیتبول و تی‌پین ساخته و همیشه هنر و تکنولوژی رو به شکل‌های خلاقانه در هم آمیخته.در این گفت‌وگو از مسیرش گفتیم؛ از روزهای خلاقیت زیرزمینی تهران تا شناخته‌شدن جهانی، تحول روایت تصویری، و نقشی که هوش مصنوعی می‌تونه در آینده فیلم‌سازی داشته باشه.Sponsorحامی این قسمت، لیموهاسته. یه سرویس قابل‌اعتماد برای هاست، سرور و دامنه که خیلی از استارتاپ‌ها و کسب‌وکارهای آنلاین ایرانی ازش استفاده می‌کنن. https://limoo.hostTabaghe 16اطلاعات بیشتر درباره پادکست طبقه ۱۶ و لینک پادکست‌‌های صوتی https://linktr.ee/tabaghe16#پادکست #طبقه۱۶ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cet épisode est présenté par Squarespace.La plateforme tout-en-un pour créer un site élégant et professionnel, même sans compétences techniques.Templates au design impeccable, outils puissants, et un assistant IA qui simplifie tout.Essayez gratuitement 14 jours et profitez de -10 % avec le code BOLD sur squarespace.com/BOLD.

Cet épisode est présenté par Squarespace.La plateforme tout-en-un pour créer un site élégant et professionnel, même sans compétences techniques.Templates au design impeccable, outils puissants, et un assistant IA qui simplifie tout.Essayez gratuitement 14 jours et profitez de -10 % avec le code BOLD sur squarespace.com/BOLD.

Billy Joel's longtime creative director, Steve Cohen, served as executive producer of the HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes"As Billy says in the doc 'the most authentic thing he did in his life was screw up.'  But, it's all about the recovery"Steve talked-Sean Hayes & Tom Hanks also produced the doc-The early years with a love triangle and suicide attempts -His first impression of Billy Joel back when they met in 1974-"All we knew is we had to show up and play.  That was our north star.  That was where we all felt the most comfortable.  And everything fell into place after that"-What caused the breakup with Christy Brinkley "I don't know man, marriages are complicated"-"As Billy says in the doc 'the most authentic thing he did in his life was screw up.'  But, it's all about the recovery" To subscribe to The Pete McMurray Show Podcast just click here

Natasha Brito is a Creative Director and Marketer in the music industry, and the Founder + CEO of Austere and Artist House. From her beginnings as a MySpace artist to leading creative campaigns at Sony Music, Natasha has helped shape the visual and marketing identities of both emerging and major artists. Her course, The Iconic Artist Blueprint, has empowered over 10,000 artists to build standout brands and viral social strategies. Natasha's visuals-first approach helps musicians thrive by turning attention into loyalty and aesthetics into impact.In this episode, Natasha shares how musicians can build iconic brands and create viral content that connects deeply with fans. Key Takeaways: Why consistent branding and aesthetics are essential for artist credibility and long-term growthHow to balance organic and paid social strategies to grow your audience fasterProven tactics to turn engagement into email list growth and loyal fan relationships---→ Learn more about Natasha's work at https://www.artisthousekey.com/.Book an Artist Breakthrough Session with the Modern Musician team: https://apply.modernmusician.me/podcast

When I think of founder stories that move me to my core, Octavia Morgan's journey is right at the top.  In this episode, I sit down with Octavia Morgan, CEO and Creative Director of Octavia Morgan, to discuss building a fine fragrance brand rooted in intention, courage, and community. From her early mornings in meditation to the emotional moment a customer cried after finally finding a scent she could wear, this is a conversation about listening to your calling, even when it's scary. Octavia left a stable nursing career to create a fragrance brand for people like her—those with scent sensitivities who still wanted complexity, boldness, and beauty in what they wear. She shares how she took her brand “to the streets,” grew through word of mouth, and developed a fragrance line that's now carried by Ulta Beauty nationwide. This isn't just about perfume—it's about purpose. Here are a few highlights from the interview: * The meditation that sparked Octavia's leap from nursing to entrepreneurship—and the fear she had to face head-on.   * How a tearful customer showed her the deep emotional impact her product could have.   * Why Octavia sells $100+ fine fragrances at upscale markets—and how it built a grassroots community of superfans.   * The real reason so many people suffer from scent sensitivity, and how her clean, filler-free formulations are changing that.   * Her powerful advice for anyone with a dream they're too scared to pursue: “Why not you?”   Join me, Ramon Vela, as I listen to the episode and discover the story of a founder who's redefining what it means to follow your intuition and create beauty with integrity. You'll walk away inspired and probably wanting to smell every scent she's ever made. For more on Octavia Morgan, visit: https://octaviamorgan.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.  Plus, don't forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.  Your support helps us bring you more content like this! * Today's Sponsors: 1 Commerce: https://1-commerce.com/story-of-a-brand Scaling a DTC brand gets harder the bigger you grow, especially when you're stuck selling on just one channel.  While you're focused on day-to-day ops, your competitors are unlocking marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and even retail shelf space—and capturing customers you're missing. That's where 1-Commerce comes in.  They help high-growth brands expand beyond their sites, handle end-to-end fulfillment, and scale through a revenue-share model that means they only win when you do.  As a Story of a Brand listener, you'll get one month of free storage and a strategy session with their CEO, Eric Kasper.    Color More Lines: https://www.colormorelines.com/get-started Color More Lines is a team of ex-Amazonians and e-commerce operators who help brands grow faster on Amazon and Walmart. With a performance-based pricing model and flexible contracts, they've generated triple-digit year-over-year growth for established sellers doing over $5 million per year. Use code "STORY OF A BRAND” and receive a complimentary market opportunity assessment of your e-commerce brand and marketplace positioning.

We've all experienced some sort of creative identity loss in our lives. These are usually initiated by a career transition, whether it's a job loss, a title promotion, a re-org, or even the acquisition of a new client or contract role. And since our creative identities drive our behaviors, a sudden change can create unwanted or unhealthy results.Join me in this informative and inspiring episode for more juicy mental health strategies & neuroscience insights, like:• Why this experience feels extra terrible for creatives• What your brain is doing to you when these changes occur• Healthy ways to begin moving forward again• The difference between hope and toxic positivity• 3 steps to strategically reconstruct your creative identityLET'S ROCK!Go to rockthatcreativejob.com for more creative career resources, including a full catalog of my podcast episodes, my Creative Resume-in-a-Day online course, or to inquire about hiring me as a speaker or workshop facilitator! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-roberts-rtcj/ Instagram: @rockthatcreativejob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RockThatCreativeJob --Jamie Roberts is the CEO & Founder of Rock That Creative Job™, where she provides both practical & emotional career support to creative professionals across the globe through coaching, speaking, workshops, and her podcast. She has given talks for AIGA, RGD Canada, universities, and other creative organizations. Jamie has a 20 yr. background as a Sr. Creative Director & Designer, working and leading teams in both agency & in-house environments, where she recruited, hired, and managed every type of creative role. Her mission is to provide all creatives with the knowledge and clarity they need to confidently take control of their careers, and get paid to do what they love.

In this episode, Janet Carlson—CEO and Creative Director of 1.11 Group—takes us on a journey through three decades of fearless entrepreneurship. From learning negotiation skills at just 9 years old to building the first pharmaceutical website without any prior experience, Janet's story is a testament to grit, innovation, and the power of reinvention.She opens up about losing 98% of her business after 9/11 and rebuilding with the help of an SBA loan, creating groundbreaking programs for healthcare professionals, and transforming pharma brand planning with AI. Along the way, Janet shares how she's balanced business and family, including the decision to adopt a third child during COVID, and how running, reading, and boxing fuel her creativity and strength. With unwavering support from her father and husband, and the guidance of the Entrepreneurs Organization, Janet reminds us that when things get tough, there's always a way forward—if you're willing to pivot, ask for help, and keep going.Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.

We're kicking off our Sexy Italian Summer miniseries with J.J. Martin, the California-born, Milan-based founder, Creative Director, and Chief Spiritual Officer of La DoubleJ, the maximalist fashion and lifestyle brand celebrated for its bold vintage prints, spiritual energy, and Italian craftsmanship. JJ is also the author of “Mamma Milano: Lessons from the Motherland.”J.J. joins host Kerry Diamond to share her journey from Harper's Bazaar editor to creative force in Milan, her favorite spots and foods in Italy, the inspiration behind her brand's summer collection, and more. From what she's eating and drinking to how she built her beloved brand, J.J. brings all the color, style, and la dolce vita vibes.Thank you to Nonino and Square for their support. Learn more at square.com/bigTickets for Jubilee L.A.Join the Summer Tastemaker Tour waitlistSubscribe to Cherry Bombe's print magazineMore on JJ: Instagram, La DoubleJ, Sisterhood, healer book, “Mamma Milano” bookMore on Kerry: InstagramPast episodes and transcripts

Disclaimer: This episode includes brief use of strong language. As part of our mission to support real, lived experiences in tech, we've chosen to preserve the authenticity of this conversation. 2023 was not a great year for Betsy Tong. Only three years after losing her mother to cancer, Betsy found herself navigating a series of personal challenges - a sick father, the end of a long-term relationship - and sudden unemployment at the age of 56.  For years, Betsy had been a near-unstoppable Tech Industry badass, leading teams that developed complex systems for companies like IBM, Lenovo, Symantec, and Intel. But now, just when she thought she'd be able to coast and enjoy the payoff of all her hard work, Betsy's entire life felt like it was falling apart. For the first time in decades, Betsy had no idea what her next step was - or how she'd achieve it without the clout of a big company behind her. But, Betsy did figure it out, and in this episode she talks to Brenda about how she set aside fear, resolved to reinvent herself, and ultimately found purpose - and a thriving second act - in helping other women do the same through her consulting firm, FocusOS. Brenda and Betsy talk about what it takes to release outdated assumptions, rebuild the architecture of our authority, and recognize the unexpected people who help us find our way, like Betsy's own “Shannon.” For more, check out Betsy on... LinkedIn And, read The Edge : Your Brain on AI, the book that Betsy set out to write in 72 hours! --- At AnitaB.org, our mission is to enable and equip women technologists with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we empower women to chart new paths, better prepared to lead, advance, and achieve equitable compensation. Because when women succeed, they uplift their communities and redefine success on their terms, both professionally and personally. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org  --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson. Produced by Avi Glijansky Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond  Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski  Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull. Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine  Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org