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Few photographers have had the privilege of documenting history as closely as Pete Souza. As the Chief Official White House Photographer for both the Reagan and Obama administrations, Souza captured some of the most defining moments in modern political history. In this episode, we sit down with him to discuss the stark differences between the White House administrations he covered, the evolution of photojournalism, and what it takes to tell an honest and compelling visual story. From film to digital, from carefully curated moments to the instantaneous nature of modern media, Souza has witnessed firsthand how photography's role in shaping public perception has changed over the decades. Tune in as he shares behind-the-scenes insights, his approach to storytelling, and the lessons he's learned about patience, access, and the power of a single image. Whether you're a photographer, a history buff, or just love a good story, this episode is one you won't want to miss! Watch the video of this interview with the photos we discuss, exclusively available for the first 7 days to members of our YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/2kWSl1K9gqQ Episode Promos This episode contains promos for the following: Nerdy Photographer Photography Resources - https://nerdyphotographer.com/resources Nerdy Photographer YouTube Channel Memberships - https://youtube.com/@CaseyFatchett Casey Fatchett Photography Print Shop - https://caseyfatchettphotography.pic-time.com/art Support The Nerdy Photographer Want to help The Nerdy Photographer Podcast? Here are a few simple (and mostly free) ways you can do that: Subscribe to the podcast! Tell your friends about the podcast Sign up for the newsletter - https://nerdyphotographer.com/newsletter Buy a print from the print shop - https://caseyfatchettphotography.pic-time.com/art Follow on Instagram - https://instagram.com/thenerdyphoto Follow on Threads - https://threads.net/@thenerdyphoto Follow in Tiktok - https://tiktok.com/@thenerdyphoto Subscribe to our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@CaseyFatchett Get some Nerdy Photographer merchandise - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/nerdy-photographer If you're feeling extra generous, check out our support page - https://nerdyphotographer.com/support-nerdy-photographer/ About My Guest Pete Souza is a best-selling author, speaker and freelance photographer. He is also Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Ohio University. For all eight years of the Obama administration, Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer and the Director of the White House photo office. His book, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, was published by Little, Brown & Company in 2017, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. His 2018 book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions.It is one of the best-selling photography books of all time. In 2021, Souza was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. In 2022, Souza was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Photographers of America. Souza started his career working for two small newspapers in Kansas. From there, he worked as a staff photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times; an Official Photographer for President Reagan; a freelancer for National Geographic and other publications; the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington, D.C. bureau; and an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University; before becoming Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama in 2009. In addition to the national political scene, Souza has covered stories around the world. After 9/11, he was among the first journalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in three feet of snow. Also while at the Tribune, Souza was part of the staff awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for explanatory reporting on the airline industry You can view Pete's work on his website - PeteSouza.com - or you can follow him on Instagram @petesouza About The Podcast The Nerdy Photographer Podcast is written and produced by Casey Fatchett. Casey is a professional photographer in the New York City / Northern New Jersey with more than 20 years of experience. He just wants to help people and make them laugh. You can view Casey's wedding work at https://fatchett.com or his non-wedding work at https://caseyfatchettphotography.com If you have any questions or comments about this episode or any other episodes, OR if you would like to ask a photography related question or have ideas for a topic for a future episode, please reach out to us at https://nerdyphotographer.com/contact
Welcome to this new Pulse Check series on the power of storytelling. This is Part 2: From News to Narrative: Frank Tramble on Transforming Higher Ed Storytelling. Frank Tramble shares about the importance of an integrated marketing and communications strategy, understanding your audience's core motivations to create more impactful messages and the need to always to be learning.Guest Name: Frank Tramble, Duke UniversityGuest Bio: Frank Tramble is a highly accomplished communications professional currently serving as the Vice President for Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs at Duke University. With extensive experience in strategic executive communications, crisis communications, integrated marketing, and brand management, he plays a pivotal role in shaping Duke's reputation and strategic priorities. As a trusted strategic adviser to President Vincent Price, Frank leads Duke's central communications, marketing, media relations, and brand management activities. He provides guidance and leadership to communications professionals across various schools and units, ensuring a cohesive and impactful approach.Previously, as Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Howard University, Frank elevated the university's reputation through innovative initiatives such as the award-winning redesign of their magazine and the establishment of The Dig, a groundbreaking daily storytelling hub.Frank's accomplishments have garnered national media coverage, including Howard's swim and diveteam becoming the first all-Black swim team featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He hascollaborated with renowned figures like Pete Souza and spearheaded communication strategies forhigh-profile individuals, including Phylicia Rashad, Nicole Hannah-Jones, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.An adjunct professor at Georgetown University, Frank imparts his expertise in brand strategy. He alsoserves as a lead judge for prestigious industry awards and is a sought-after speaker on topics such ascrisis communications and branding.Frank Tramble holds a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Georgetown and abachelor's degree in advertising management from Michigan State University. With his dedication toexcellence and passion for effective storytelling, Frank continues to shape Duke University's success as aleading institution of higher education. - - - -Connect With Our Co-Hosts:Mallory Willsea https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/https://twitter.com/mallorywillseaSeth Odell https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/https://twitter.com/sethodellAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register
There is a Madisonian whose name you might not know, but you've certainly seen his work. He is the photojournalist behind the photo of President Obama in the White House situation room during the Bin Laden raid. He captured the iconic moment when a five-year-old child reached up and touched Obama's hair, after asking if it was like his own. White House photographer Pete Souza captured history as it was happening, and then when he was done with his work at the White House, he moved here to Madison, Wisconsin. He currently freelances and occasionally pops off about current events online, when he's not taking beautiful images of our fair city. We caught up with him last year to learn what it was like to be a witness to history during those years. And of course, how we can become better photographers. Pete Souza's most recent book is called The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency. Also on the show: Beginner's Photography Class from the Madison Photography Group Mansion Hill West Historic Architecture Walking Tour from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation This episode originally aired June 28, 2023. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jak wygląda praca fotografa politycznego od kuchni? W dzisiejszym odcinku Michał Kolanko rozmawia z Łukaszem Kamińskim, fotografem, który przez lata uwieczniał polityków, w tym prezydenta Bronisława Komorowskiego, podczas kampanii i codziennej pracy. Praca fotografa politycznego to nie tylko robienie zdjęć, ale także oddawanie emocji, dokumentowanie kluczowych momentów i współtworzenie wizerunku. W pierwszej takiej rozmowie Łukasz Kamiński – fotograf m.in. prezydenta Bronisława Komorowskiego, Władysława Kosiniaka-Kamysza dzieli się swoimi doświadczeniami, zdradza kulisy prezydenckich sesji i opowiada o wyzwaniach związanych z fotografią w kampaniach wyborczych. W nowym odcinku „Pałacu Prezydenckiego” Kamiński opowiada, jak jego zawód zmienił się od czasu prezydentury Baracka Obamy, którego legendarny fotograf Pete Souza wyznaczył nowe standardy w uwiecznianiu polityków. „Zdjęcia to nie tylko dokumentacja – to sposób na pokazanie człowieczeństwa polityka,” mówi Kamiński. Szczególne znaczenie ma uwiecznianie emocji, które „nie zawsze da się ukryć, zwłaszcza w kampaniach.” Podczas sesji wszystko musi być dopięte na ostatni guzik. Kamiński opisuje, jak przed kluczową konwencją Władysława Kosiniaka-Kamysza w Rzeszowie przyjechał dwa dni wcześniej, aby zaplanować kadry. „Fotografia powstaje najpierw w głowie – zanim nacisnę spust migawki, wiem, co chcę uchwycić,” podkreśla. W dobie Instagrama i memów praca fotografa politycznego nabiera nowego wymiaru. „Czarno-białe zdjęcia przyciągają uwagę w świecie zalanym kolorami,” zauważa Kamiński, tłumacząc, że to klasyka pozwala skupić się na emocjach i szczegółach. W rozmowie też poruszono temat nowych trendów w polityce i mediach społecznościowych. Czy rozwój technologii i coraz lepsze aparaty w smartfonach zmienią zawód fotografa? Kamiński uważa, że zdjęcia polityków robione przez profesjonalistów wciąż będą kluczowe. „Im bliżej fotograf jest polityka, tym ciekawszy materiał powstaje,” podsumowuje. Podcast „Pałac Prezydencki” ukazuje się co poniedziałek – aż do wyborów prezydenckich w maju 2025 roku. Planowanie i wyczucie chwili – sekret dobrego zdjęcia
In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Media Relations Director Deborah Broide talks with Voracious and Spark VP/Publisher Michael Szczerban about the changing landscape of publishing.Deborah Broide is the media relations director for the food media company Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, and she also works on select publicity projects for the Mayo Clinic and The Jerome Robbins Foundation and Trust. Before joining forces with Kimball 31 years ago, at what became Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, she began her career in publicity at Crown Publishing, where she worked with Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She has also held senior positions at Workman Publishing, where her successes included the Silver Palate Cookbooks and What to Expect When You're Expecting, and Putnam, where her authors included Tomie dePaola and Eric Carle. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, and her passions include books, theatre, ballet, music, and her family.Michael Szczerban is the vice president and publisher of Voracious and Spark, two imprints of Little, Brown and Company that help readers improve their lives by making them more delicious, more beautiful, healthier, and happier. He started his career as an editor at Simon & Schuster, where he worked with Samin Nosrat on her mega-bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and then joined Little, Brown ten years ago. He has edited numerous bestsellers and established several million-copy series that include books from White House photographer Pete Souza, cookbooks from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, and Sarah Knight's collection of “No F's Given Guides.” His upcoming books include titles from activist and icon Pamela Anderson, chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, star baker Bryan Ford, online phenomenon Accidentally Wes Anderson, and more.Resources: America's Test KitchenMayo Clinic PressSparkFrankfurt Book FairLondon Book FairBooks:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Silver Stream Studio in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell and Bree Testa. Special thanks to Timmy Kellenyi and Derek Mattheiss. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!
Ik praat met Salih over de invloed van beeldregie op het vertrouwen in de overheid en hoe hij geïnspireerd door Pete Souza twee jaar lang burgemeester Aboutaleb van Rotterdam heeft gevolgd. We noemen zijn journalistieke werk voor Vers Beton, we verwijzen naar de geregisseerde foto van Marc Rutten op de fiets en we verwijzen naar het beeld van The Situation Room. De foto van Vincent Mentzel van Minister Pronk die door zijn vrouw wordt uitgezwaaid (1971?) kon ik online niet vinden. De expo van Salih in de Kunsthal (Rotterdam) is te zien van september – december 2024. Alle fotografie van Salih staat op zijn website. Dit gesprek is opgenomen op 3 juli 2024 in Rotterdam.
Pete Souza was Chief Official White House Photographer during Barack Obama's presidency. His photo from when Bin Laden was killed by US soldiers in 2011 has become one of his most famous.He tells Uma Doraiswamy what that day was like leading up to the moment when he took the photo.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden. Credit: Getty Images / Pete Souza, White House)
Op Instagram kun je beelden tegenkomen die met AI gemaakt of bewerkt zijn, en dat wordt gelabeld. Na kritische opmerkingen komt daar echter een andere aanduiding voor, vertelt Joe van Burik in deze Tech Update. 'Made with AI' is de oude naam voor dit label, maar dat wordt aangepast naar 'AI info'. Zoals voor fotograaf Pete Souza, een zeer ervaren vakman die onder meer Barrack Obama als Amerikaanse president van dichtbij volgde, en ruim drie miljoen volgers op Instagram heeft. Een foto van hem van - een NBA-basketbalwedstrijd van veertig jaar geleden, toen de Boston Celtics tegen de LA Lakers speelden - kreeg plots het label 'Made with AI'. Waarschijnlijk kwam dit omdat de afbeelding met Adobe was bewerkt, hetzij alleen bijgesneden. Zo zijn er meer voorbeelden, dus past Meta het label aan, van 'Made with AI' naar 'AI info'. Die laatste melding kun je vanaf nu dus tegenkomen in je feed. Een boeiende wijziging, waarvan je ook zou kunnen zeggen dat de kracht om gelijk duidelijk te krijgen dat iets met AI gemaakt is wat verloren gaat. Dus moeten we maar gewoon goed naar beelden staren, elke keer dat je twijfelt: is dit nou AI of toch echt? Verder in deze Tech Update: Google gaat strenger kijken naar advertenties kijken gemaakt met AI, juist gericht op verkiezingen Spotify is bezig om je ook noodmeldingen te kunnen laten horen via de app van dit audiostreamingplatform See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introduction: Minutes 0 to 5:15 We will be off for a couple of weeks due to Easter. I watched Dream Scenario on HBO with Nicolas Cage. He's a great actor but I don't recommend it. I really liked The Map of Tiny Perfect Things on Amazon. It reminds Chandra of The Summer I Turned Pretty. She's been watching Tennis but her favorite, Daniil Medvedev, didn't win Indian Wells. Royals: Minutes 5:15 to 22:45 Over the weekend we got a cover story in the Sun that Kate was seen out shopping with William at a farmer's market. Then on Monday we saw a super grainy faraway video where the person supposed to be Kate is kind of bouncing around carrying a large bag. The woman in the video didn't exactly look or walk like Kate. Assuming that was Kate, it reflects poorly on the Waleses because she hasn't done any events since Christmas. Also, if that was Kate in the photo in the car with her mom, her face has since thinned out. After TMZ published the video of Kate at the farmer's market, their executive producer said he wasn't sure it was her. There's still fallout from the Frankenphoto too. Before we got the whole fake Kate video, Kensington Palace did a sourced story with the Times of London again explaining that Kate edited that photo, that she feels bad about the fallout and that she's just trying to make her family look good. The quote that really stood out is where they called out the press agencies for noticing how janky that photo was. As Obama's photographer Pete Souza said on Instagram, there's a difference between adjusting the lighting or cropping a photo and pasting in different people. The royal rota tried to accuse Harry and Meghan of editing their photos, but the photographers, Misan Harriman and Chris Allerton, said that wasn't true. Part of the Frankenphoto fallout is that the wire agencies are reviewing all the photos ever submitted to them by Kensington Palace. One photo that's particularly bad was released after the Queen's death on what would have been her 97th birthday in 2023. It shows her at Balmoral on a couch with a bunch of her great grandchildren posing around her. That was obviously cobbled together from several photos. Getty added an editor's note that “the image has been digitally enhanced at source,” and Reuters has announced that it's “updating its procedures related to vetting images from Kensington Palace.” Another really janky photo featuring the great grandchildren was released after Philip died. As we talked about last week, there's renewed interest in Prince William's alleged 2019 affair with Rose Hanbury. Rose's lawyer went on the record to Business Insider last weekend to say the rumors are false. Other pundits are also defending her. Chandra thinks that the affair has been over a while. As part of the fallout from that, people have noticed stolen Qing Dynasty artifacts in family photos taken of Rose and her husband, David Rocksavage. We talk about the $10 million brooch that Camilla wore for an outing, which seemed meant to troll Kate. Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles and Camilla's office, seems pleased that Kensington Palace, Kate and William's office, is screwing this up so badly. They don't understand that it reflects poorly on them too and that most people don't get the distinction. Meghan has announced her new lifestyle brand, it's called American Riviera Orchard. I will definitely buy what she's selling and so will so many other people. So far she has just shown the logo and they have a one page website with an email signup. We also heard this week that three hospital staffers are under investigation for trying to access Kate's medical records at the London clinic where she was treated. Kate's cancer announcement: Minutes 22:45 to 27:30 We recorded this section on Friday after Kate made the announcement that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. Hopefully she is OK and will make a full recovery. Comments of the Week: Minutes 22:45 to end Chandra's comment of the week is from ML on the post about Archie's Christening pics being called out incorrectly for edits. My comment of the week is from Olivia on Rosie's post about Kevin James losing 60 pounds by not eating for 40 days. Thanks for listening bitches!
Pete Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer for the entire tenure of the presidency of Barack Obama. He is the author of several books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Obama: An Intimate Portrait and Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents. A photojournalist since the late 1970s, Souza was also an official White House photographer during the Reagan administration, a freelance photographer for Life and National Geographic, and the Washington-based natural national photographer for the Chicago Tribune. A documentary about his work at the White House, The Way I See It, was nominated for an Emmy, and its Premier was the highest rated non-news, non-live program in MSNBC history. He is a professor emeritus at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication. In 2021, Souza was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. As Obama‘s photographer, Pete had one of the coolest jobs on the planet. And when he left the White House, he for years threw shade on Donald Trump through his humorous and sarcastic Twitter posts. Join us for this captivating look back on Pete's illustrious life and career. He also has some interesting insights into how the Biden Administration could be handling the "age" issue more effectively through its photos. It's a truly don't-miss conversation! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
Join us for an insightful episode as we sit down with Pete Souza, the renowned photographer who captured moments of history as the White House photographer for both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. His empathetic touch and mastery of visual storytelling have set the standard for aspiring photographers worldwide. From best-selling books to the documentary film "The Way I See It," Souza's work transcends mere documentation, shaping our collective memory. Tune in as Pete Souza discusses the power of photography in preserving and narrating the stories that define our times. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio
Kristin Rae Cronic joins me in a conversation about balancing income with happiness, starting a live wedding painting business, publishing a book, knowing where to spend your time, and the power of sending a cold email. Find Kristin Online:https://www.kristincronicart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kristinraecronic/ https://www.instagram.com/easelonstribling/ Find her work online:https://www.serenaandlily.com/search?q=kristincronic https://stellersgallery.com/artist/kristin-cronic https://wellandwondercollective.com/collections/kristin-cronic Mentioned in the episode: Austin Thomas: https://www.austinthomas.org/ Pete Souza: https://www.petesouza.com/ Proof to Product: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/ Kristin Rae Cronic artist statement: I make work about the journeys we take as it relates to human connection, empathy, individual worth, and adventure. I intend for my work to exist where people live, rest and reflect, and connect with one another.While medium varies based on the project at hand, color and intuition are common threads. My paintings often use nature as motifs for such themes, but I also use textiles and knot tying in soft sculptures intended for domestic and public spaces. Host and artist Stephanie Scott breaks down the practicality of the art career with topics including: sustainable creative practices, social media skills, and the mindsets that keep it all together. New episodes every Tuesday!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniescott.art/ Website: http://www.stephaniescott.art/brushwork Music by @winepot https://www.instagram.com/thewinepot/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniescottart Podcast Cover photo by Maryna Blumqvist https://instagram.com/picturemaryna
To wrap up the year, we thought we'd turn our attention to selections from The Photo Book, a massive, rich collection of photography from some of the best photographers throughout the history of the art form. Out of hundreds of images, we each picked five photos and explain what about them caught our eyes. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website (https://jeffcarlson.com), Jeff's photos (https://jeffcarlson.com/portfolio/), Jeff on Instagram (http://instagram.com/jeffcarlson), Jeff on Glass (https://glass.photo/jeff-carlson), Jeff on Mastodon (https://twit.social/@jeffcarlson) Kirk McElhearn: website (https://www.kirkville.com), Kirk's photos (https://photos.kirkville.com), Kirk on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mcelhearn), Kirk on Glass (https://glass.photo/mcelhearn), Kirk on Mastodon (https://journa.host/@mcelhearn) Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co (https://www.photoactive.co/home/episode-155-photo-book)) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/photoactive/id1391697658?mt=2) Order your copy of The Photo Book, Second Edition (https://amzn.to/3Tk9usj) Pete Souza episode - Photocombobulate podcast (https://photocombobulate.com/episodes/25) (Jeff confused his podcasts; he talked to Pete Souza on his other podcast Photocombobulate.) Jeff's Picks: Lessing, Erich: Erich Lessing's best photograph: Eisenhower raises his hat to peace (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jan/20/erich-lessing-best-photograph-president-eisenhower-geneva-summit-1955-interview) Meisel, Steven: Untitled, 1996 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/136270744@N06/26149298861) Pinkhassov, Gueirgui: Tokyo, Japan, 1997 (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/271060471306981472/) Salgado, Sebastião: Serra Pelada Goldmine, Pará, Brazil, 1986 (https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5433229/?intObjectID=5433229) Bubley, Esther: Greyhound Bus Terminal, New York City, 1947 (http://www.estherbubley.com/sonj_bus_story_frame_set.htm) Kirk's Picks: Carjat, Etienne: Charles Baudelaire, 1978 (https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Baudelaire#/media/Lêer:Étienne_Carjat,_Portrait_of_Charles_Baudelaire,_circa_1862.jpg) Sammallahti, Pentti: Ristisaari, Finland (Frog in Water), 1974 (https://www.peterfetterman.com/privateviews/bbd08448abe7456f806c64/37569-pentti-sammallahti-ristisaari-finland-frog-in-water-1974/) Erwitt, Elliot: USA, New York City, 1974 (https://www.elliotterwitt.com/?lightbox=dataItem-kcuwb4mg12) Moriyama, Daido: Woman, Yokosuka, 1970 (https://www.artsy.net/artwork/daido-moriyama-yokosuka-1966) Larrain, Sergio: Passage Bavestrello. Valparaiso, Chile. 1952 (https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/sergio-larrain-valparaiso/) Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site (https://photoactive.co) to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you've already subscribed, you're automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/photoactive/id1391697658?mt=2) or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/photoactivecast/) to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
As the person responsible for documenting the Obama Administration, Pete Souza spent more time with Barack Obama than almost anyone else, which left him with some deep in sights on Obama and the office of the Presidency. In this episode, Pete joins Bob for a conversation about his work as Chief Official White House Photographer, the state of American politics, and the power of photography. Pete's most recent book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents (Little, Brown, & Co, 2018) uses photography to contrast the stark differences between the Presidency of Barack Obama and that of Donald Trump. If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to check out Pete's other appearances on the show in episodes #251 & #151. This is a rebroadcast of RTN #131, which originally aired on June 3, 2019. The original episode was edited by Gary Fletcher and Bob Crawford; this rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.
There are certain qualities, like leadership, empathy, kindness, respect, and compassion, that we all aspire for our children to embody as they grow. In this episode, Adam and Marc get a bit deep with Pulitzer Prize winner and Official White House photographer for two presidential terms, Pete Souza, who had the remarkable opportunity to capture these qualities in iconic moments throughout the Obama presidency. The guys chat with Pete about dangerous situations, split-second decisions, and the tremendous responsibility of working in the highest office in the land, documenting the values we wish to see in our leaders and our children.Episode 93 of Modern Dadhood opens with a conversation about storytelling and what features make for a strong spoken word story. The guys waste no time welcoming Pete Souza into the chat. Pete's credits an accolades include International Photography Hall of Fame Inductee, Pulitzer Prize winner, documentary film subject, and Chief Official White House Photographer for both terms of Barack Obama's presidency. He has taken some of the most iconic photos in history over his decades-long career, and while he still stays very busy putting out books, public speaking, and teaching photography workshops, his main photography subject matter... has become his grandkids.Pete opens up about his method for capturing authentic moments with a leader who exemplifies traits that all parents hope to see in their children. Topics include:• Pete and his wife Patti's marriage and children• How Pete's "always on" work schedule impacted his personal life• The choice to work under physically dangerous circumstances• The shift from film to digital photography• The qualities that make a photo "authentic"• And more!LINKS:Pete Souza (official)Pete Souza (Instagram)Pete Souza (Twitter/X)The Way I See It (Documentary on Amazon Prime Video)Red Vault AudioSpencer AlbeeCaspar BabypantsStuffed AnimalPETE'S BOOKS (please buy locally if you can!)Obama: An Intimate PortraitShade: A Tale of Two PresidentsDream Big Dreams Photographs from Barack Obama's Inspiring & Historic Presidency Young ReadersRise Of Barack ObamaThe West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency
Dieser Tage bin ich auf Netflix auf einen Dokumentarfilm über Pete Souza gestossen, den ehemaligen Cheffotografen des Weissen Hauses. Souza arbeitete zunächst von 1983 bis 1989 unter Ronald Reagan als Fotograf im Weissen Haus und dokumentierte dann die achtjährige Präsidentschaft von Barack Obama mit zum Teil atemberaubenden Bildern. Souza bezeichnet sich selbst als unpolitisch. Doch während der Präsidentschaft von Donald Trump begann er, oft ohne viele Worte, Bilder von Obama, die zum aktuellen Geschehen passten, auf Instagram zu posten. Er sah die Präsidentschaft als Institution durch Trump beschädigt. Seine Sichtweise hat mir zu denken gegeben, gerade vor dem Hintergrund, dass die Schweizer Bundesverfassung diese Woche ihr 175-jähriges Jubiläum feiert. Ich glaube, auch bei uns ist das Bewusstsein verloren gegangen, dass der Regierungsrat und der Bundesrat Institutionen sind, die immer grösser sind als die Personen, die sie ausfüllen. Mein Wochenkommentar über den Unterschied zwischen Präsident und Präsidentschaft.Matthias Zehnder ist Autor und Medienwissenschaftler in Basel. Er ist bekannt für inspirierende Texte, Vorträge und Seminare über Medien, die Digitalisierung und KI.Website: https://www.matthiaszehnder.ch/Newsletter abonnieren: https://www.matthiaszehnder.ch/abo/Unterstützen: https://www.matthiaszehnder.ch/unterstuetzen/Biografie und Publikationen: https://www.matthiaszehnder.ch/about/
Hello from three far-flung cities! This week, we're joined by our pal Vinson Cunningham, staff writer and theatre critic for The New Yorker. After briefly interrogating Jay's recent pivot to dad-hiker fashion (pic for subscribers only), we hear Vinson's take on the Trump mugshot. [4:05] The image gets us talking about aesthetic self-perception, the celebrity accused in popular culture, and the lack of a good analysis of Trump's true appeal. [41:45] Next, we discuss last week's G.O.P. primary debate, which causes Jay to confront what fascinates him about Vivek Ramaswamy, Tammy to question her EMILYs List impulses, and Vinson to call b******t on right-wing claims of populism. In this episode, we ask: How does the Trump mugshot, a visual anomaly in the history of presidential imagery, reflect on our political system? What's the value of similar pix in countries where former leaders are regularly imprisoned? Is there any ceiling on this Trump thing? Why didn't the G.O.P. primary debate feature more culture-war talk? For more, see: * Vinson's recent piece about the Trump mugshot, plus older ruminations on presidential imagery: * From 2017: Pete Souza and the Politics of Looking at Barack Obama* From 2018: The Politics of Race and the Photo That Might Have Derailed Obama* Jay's recent articles about integration in Shaker Heights, Ohio and Vivek Ramaswamy's debate performance * A Q&A by Isaac Chotiner (apols for the New Yorker plugs) about the constitutional case for barring Trump from the presidency* Previous TTSG episodes featuring Vinson: * “Tár,” a film for the chattering class (February 2023) * "Mare of Easttown" special impromptu episode! (May 2021) * Vinson Cunningham on the NBA, Yang, and IRL theatre (May 2021) And pre-order Vinson's forthcoming novel! * Out of respect for our many repeat guests, we note that this episode marks Vinson's fourth TTSG appearance, which ties him with Hua Hsu and Jenny Wang Medina. Subscribe on Patreon or Substack to join our Discord community (and see photo evidence of Jay's newfound style). You can also follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and email us at timetosaygoodbyepod@gmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe
You've surely seen his work. The photo of President Obama in the White House situation room. The iconic moment when a five-year-old child reached up and touched Obama's hair, after asking if it was like his own. These photos are by White House photographer Pete Souza. Souza has since moved to Madison, where he freelances and occasionally pops off about current events online, when he's not taking beautiful images of our fair city. We caught up with him to learn what it was like to be a witness to history during those years. And of course, how we can become better photographers. Pete Souza's most recent book is called The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency. Also on the show: Beginner's Photography Class from the Madison Photography Group Mansion Hill West Historic Architecture Walking Tour from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation And you have until Friday, June 30th to vote for your favorite local podcast in the Best of Madison contest. We're in the running! Vote here: https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/best-of-madison/best-of-madison-2023-vote-now/article_81bb44d4-9dae-11ed-8778-831b6146a870.html Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week's conversation features PETE SOUZA, the esteemed White House photographer who captured the essence of two iconic presidents—Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. Join us as Pete discusses behind-the-scenes stories, the deep friendship between Souza and Obama, and the unforgettable images that defined their time in the White House. From historic moments to intimate glimpses, Souza's lens offers a unique perspective on the power and humanity of these leaders. Don't miss this fantastic interview with Pete Souza, where we explore his extraordinary journey, the art of storytelling through photography, and the enduring legacy of Obama and Reagan.THIS WEEK'S LINKS:Check out our sponsor: www.dvestore.comJOIN THE CAMERA SHAKE COMMUNITY for the latest news and some behind the scenes insights: https://camerashakepodcast.comINTERESTED IN THE LOFOTEN VIKING PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP?https://www.idavewilliams.com/trainingPete Souza on the web:https://www.petesouza.comPete Souza on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petesouza/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeteSouzaJOIN THE CAMERA SHAKE COMMUNITY for the latest news and some behind the scenes insights: www.camerashakepodcast.com======================================CAMERA SHAKE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/camerashakeFULL EPISODE 158 IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON: YouTube - https://youtu.be/8YpqsEbKY7kApple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2Y2LmfmSpotify - https://spoti.fi/304sm2G======================================FOLLOW US ONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerashakepodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camerashakepodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ShakeCameraKersten's website:www.kerstenluts.comKersten on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kerstenluts/https://www.instagram.com/threeheadsinarow/#PeteSouza #BarackObama #RonaldReagan #interview
Dawn Porter was reluctant to call herself a Director, even after her movie premiered at Sundance and got picked up by HBO. Today her award-winning documentaries (John Lewis: Good Trouble, The Way I See It) are an invaluable addition to the historical record, but her humility keeps her from calling herself an activist. In this episode, we're using Dawn's expertise – she was once a practicing attorney – to renegotiate the contracts that keep women from assuming titles we don't think we're qualified for, even when we have more than enough on our resumes. Dawn takes us through her incredible journey from comfortable DC lawyer to celebrated documentarian, covering topics such as: The importance of advocating for yourself with as much passion as you advocate for others How to free yourself from the traps of structure and comfort to take on your next, great adventure How to use mistakes as stepping stones to your next success Learning how to get comfortable with discomfort Stepping into your power and your title as a woman in charge Acknowledging the danger of “if it ain't broke, don't fix it,” because sometimes breaking things is the first step to your next great adventure. In Dawn's case, it led her to flying on with Oprah in her private jet to meet Harry (yes, that Harry)OUR GUEST: Dawn Porter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her latest film, The Lady Bird Diaries - about first lady Lady Bird Johnson, just premiered at SXSW. She has had a busy decade - she made a great ESPN documentary series 37 Words about Title IX, the civil rights legislation that gave women the equal opportunity to play sports, and her mental health series The Me You Can't See, which she made with Oprah and Prince Harry, premiered on Apple TV. You may also have seen her films John Lewis: Good Trouble about the legendary Congressman and Civil Rights leader or The Way I See It, about photojournalist Pete Souza, who served as Chief Official White House photographer for President Barack Obama.Make sure to watch Dawn's latest film The Lady Bird Diaries, when it airs on Paramount Plus and Showtime this fall. Want more Dawn? Learn more about her here. While you're at it, find her online: Website: https://www.trilogy-films.com/dawn-porter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-porter-1286632a Twitter: https://twitter.com/dawnporter Instagram:
Dawn Porter has emerged in the entertainment industry as a leader in the art of storytelling; directing and producing critically acclaimed films and series. A two-time Sundance film festival director, Porter's work has been featured on HBO, Netflix, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, ESPN, Discovery, National Geographic and others. Porter's latest film, "The Lady Bird Diaries," an all-archival documentary about Lady Bird Johnson will debut at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. Her next project “Supreme,” is a four-part docuseries, exploring the history of the United States Supreme Court, the justices, decisions, and confirmation battles that have shaped America. Her prior films include "Gideon's Army", "Bobby Kennedy For President", "John Lewis: Good Trouble" and "The Way I See It", about photojournalist and former Obama and Reagan chief White House photographer Pete Souza. Join us for this truly fascinating conversation about Dawn's successful journey from corporate entertainment lawyer to one of America's most prominent documentary filmmakers. We also revisit her childhood, her early influences, sexism, racism and the state of the documentary film business today. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Associate producer Jennifer Hammoud Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel
On Legends Of Sport Friday, Arash chats with Andy Bernstein about this week's special guest, Pete Souza, an award-winning photojournalist, best selling author, public speaker, social media disruptor, former Official Photographer for President Reagan and the Chief Official White House Photographer during the Obama Administration! In 2021, Pete was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. Hear Andy & Pete discuss championship sports teams visiting the White House, President Obama's 49th birthday pickup game with the like of Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, Obama and Derek Jeter, Pete's approach while documenting some of the toughest moments in history, Obama's final day in office, starting his “Shade” book and Instagram campaign and so much more! To hear the full episode, find Legends Of Sport wherever you listen to podcasts. And do not forget to follow or subscribe to The Arash Markazi Show on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, & I Heart Radio. Also check out his daily columns on themorningcolumn.com and The Sporting Tribune. Music Credit: Alright by Kendrick Lamar Humble by Kendrick Lamar I Get Around by 2Pac To Live and Die in L.A. by 2Pac Social Media: Instagram & Twitter: @thesportingtrib
Andy chats with award-winning photojournalist, best selling author, public speaker, social media disruptor, and former Chief Official White House Photographer during the Obama Administration - Pete Souza! Andy & Pete discuss professional sports teams visiting the White House, Obama's 49th birthday pickup game with the like of Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, getting to know Obama & gaining his trust, Andy's experience with Kobe on his final game day on April 13, 2016, Obama's conversation with Derek Jeter, his approach while documenting some of the toughest moments in history, being in the line of fire in active war zones, Obama's final day in office, speaking out on social media, and his new book "The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency"!Beyond the Lens workshop - coming soon! Sign up now at BeyondTheLens.live
Today's guest, former White House photographer Pete Souza, is a bucket-list item for me. I started Behind the Shot because I am a fan of great photography, or more specifically great photographers. Through the over six years I have been doing the show, I have had a range of guests, in a range of genres, from legends, to people I wasn't aware of before asking them to be on the show. While I have discovered many amazing creatives through doing this podcast, when I started there were a few specific people I hoped would someday be on the show. Joe McNally checked off one of those boxes last year when he came on for the show Master of Light, and again when he helped with the show on the Best Photo Advice You've Been Given. Scott Kelby has now been on a few times, with Insights From Scott Kelby and Timeless Photography. Trey Ratcliff stopped by twice, for Raise Your Dynamic Range and Documenting Burning Man, Christie Goodwin did Fireworks, Ed Sheeran: Memories We Made, and also helped with the Best Photo Advice You've Been Given show, and Rick Sammon, David Bergman, and Don Komarechka each have been here too many times to list. Well, today checks off the name I never thought I would get, and excited doesn't begin to cover what I am feeling. Often described as the White House photographer for the eight years of the Obama administration, Mr. Souza's career, and influence on the industry, is so much more than that. Pete Souza is a best-selling author, speaker and freelance photographer. His actual title during the Obama years was Chief Official White House Photographer and the Director of the White House photo office. That job alone would instill fear in most photographers, but Souza has done it more than once! He was also the Official White House Photographer for Ronald Reagan. As an author, Pete has written some of the definitive books related to White House photography. His book, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, was published in 2017, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and to date it is one of the best-selling photography books of all time. His 2018 book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. His most recent book, The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency, was published in September 2022. This book lets us behind the scenes of the West Wing — and into the Oval Office, the Situation Room, aboard Air Force One, and beyond — in intimate detail. Based on his best-selling books, Souza became the subject of a documentary film, The Way I See It, in November 2020. If you haven't seen it, I can't recommend it enough. It is absolute fantastic. The film takes an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in history, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through Souza's eyes and camera. As Official White House Photographer for both these Presidents, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful man in the world. The film also reveals how Souza transformed from a respected White House photographer and photojournalist to a searing commentator on the importance of having someone with empathy and dignity in the office of the Presidency. In addition to the national political scene, Souza has covered stories around the world. After 9/11, he was among the first journalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in three feet of snow. While at the Chicago Tribune, Souza was also part of the staff awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for explanatory reporting on the airline industry. As an educator, Pete Souza is Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Ohio University, and as a lecturer he is in high demand. He has lectured on his photography at the Smithson...
With the Bark Off: Conversations from the LBJ Presidential Library
Hosts Mark Lawrence and Mark Updegrove look back on 10 of their favorite "With the Bark Off" moments from an incredible year.Featured guests:Amity Shlaes on Calvin CoolidgeJohn Farrell on Richard NixonPaul Gregory on Lee Harvey OswaldNicole Hemmer on Ronald ReaganJonathan Martin on Donald TrumpPete Souza on Barack ObamaGabriel Debenedetti on the legacies of Obama and BidenAnthony Fauci on his own legacyAli Vitali on Queen Elizabeth II and female leadershipDarlene Superville and Julie Pace on Jill Biden's influence on Joe Biden's decision whether to run for reelection
With the Bark Off: Conversations from the LBJ Presidential Library
Pete Souza is one of our nation's leading photojournalists—and few have risen to greater prominence. He has worked as an official White House photographer for Ronald Reagan and the chief official White House photographer for Barack Obama. Among many other distinctions, he won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 along with colleagues at the Chicago Tribune, and last year he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. His books include Obama: An Intimate Portrait, one of the bestselling photography books of all time; Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents; and his latest, The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency.Mark Updegrove and Mark Lawrence talk to Pete about his unique vantage point on the presidency and the presidents he has worked with and captured for history.
For the first time ever, a guest has returned to the podcast! Drew Hill is here to share all about his latest exciting projects, including a brand new book.Drew is a talented crochet artist who specializes in creating fun, adorable characters to add to a collection he calls “Drewbie's Zoo”. Back on episode 28, we talked about how he learned to crochet, what inspired him, and how he dreamed up all of the cute characters he could bring to the world. Since then, he's created an even bigger creative community for himself, made tons of fun videos and hosted livestream chats to share his love of crocheting, and he even wrote a book! It's called “Crochet Magical Creatures” and includes 20 patterns for how to crochet your own stuffed animals. On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Drew about what intrigued him about using videos to share projects and connect with new people, the creative challenge he took on by writing a book, why he's been doing so many more collaborations, and how his own creativity has been influenced by friends and family members such as his uncle, Pete Souza (a renowned photojournalist and former Chief Official White House Photographer for two Presidents of the United States - Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama).Say hi to Drew: Website Instagram TikTok Twitch Facebook----Creative Pulse Podcast socials: Instagram: creativepulsepodcast Twitter @CreativePulseTWMusic credit: https://www.purple-planet.com
Augmented reveals the stories behind the new era of industrial operations, where technology will restore the agility of frontline workers. In this episode of the podcast, the topic is "How Academia Shapes Manufacturing". Our guest is John Hart (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajhart/), Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director at the Center for Advanced Production Technologies at MIT. In this conversation, we talk about John's research on micro and nanotechnology and material science, which universities and colleges that teach manufacturing, the role of MIT in this ecosystem, and why now is a key moment in manufacturing history. If you like this show, subscribe at augmentedpodcast.co (https://www.augmentedpodcast.co/). If you like this episode, you might also like Episode 92 on Emerging Interfaces for Human Augmentation (https://www.augmentedpodcast.co/92). Augmented is a podcast for industry leaders, process engineers, and shop floor operators, hosted by futurist Trond Arne Undheim (https://trondundheim.com/) and presented by Tulip (https://tulip.co/). Follow the podcast on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AugmentedPod) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/75424477/). Trond's Takeaway: There has never been a more interesting time to be in manufacturing or to watch manufacturing. The tremendous breakthroughs that we are about to witness have been made possible by a confluence of emerging technologies and startup innovations, as well as a growing awareness of the importance of building human-centric technologies. We are indeed at a crossroads with profound challenges in the growing talent shortage, the need for workforce training, an aging industrial base, and the demands for manufacturing competency from the wider innovation ecosystem. We have to make progress fast, and innovations are just maturing to be able to do so at the scale and pace required. It will, again, be amazing to watch the manufacturing industry. Parts of it will perhaps, again, become the industry of industries. Transcript: TROND: Welcome to another episode of the Augmented Podcast. Augmented reveals the stories behind the new era of industrial operations where technology will restore the agility of frontline workers. Technology is changing rapidly. What's next in the digital factory, and who is leading the change? And what are the skills to learn and how to stay up to date on manufacturing and industry 4.0. In this episode of the podcast, the topic is How Academia Shapes Manufacturing. Our guest is John Hart, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director at the Center for Advanced Production Technologies at MIT. In this conversation, we talk about John's research on micro and nanotechnology and material science, which universities and colleges that teach manufacturing, the role of MIT in this ecosystem, and why now is a key moment in manufacturing history. Augmented is a podcast for industrial leaders, for process engineers, and for shop floor operators hosted by futurist Trond Arne Undheim and presented by Tulip. John, how are you? Welcome. JOHN: I'm well, Trond. Great to see you. Thank you for having me. TROND: Well, I'm excited to have you talking about...well, hopefully, a lot of different things, but how academia gets to shape manufacturing, this fascinating venture that is manufacturing. But you yourself, John, you grew up in Michigan, is that right? You were close to this from an early age. JOHN: I was close to it. Yeah, I grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan, a suburb north of Detroit. If you know the Detroit Metro area, there are the mile roads, and the Detroit River is sort of Zero Mile. And I grew up between 14 and 15 Mile Roads, so in the hotbed of the good, old U.S. auto industry. TROND: Well, exactly. Because looking a little bit at your background here, you spent quite a few years as a summer intern at General Motors before you got yourself to...or actually perhaps in the beginning, in your undergrad years from UMichigan, is that right? JOHN: I did. After my first year at UofM, I worked as a summer intern at GM and went back a few years in a row in different roles in different areas. And honestly, when I decided to pursue a graduate degree and ended up at MIT, I thought I might just get my master's and go back and work in the auto industry, but things changed, and here we are today. TROND: Well, here we are today. You got yourself an undergrad from UMichigan. And you worked there for a little while, I believe, but then came to MIT with a master's, Ph.D. This is way back. But you won the prize for the best doctoral thesis in micro and nanotechnology. So that set you off on the path to rediscover nanomaterials, I guess. JOHN: Yeah, well, it's a really maybe exotic combination of topics. My master's thesis was on precision machine design, the design of these large mechanical couplings for industrial robots. And then, for my Ph.D., with the same advisor, I worked on carbon nanotube synthesis. But there you have the dipoles of manufacturing research, materials, processing, and mechanical design that have shaped how I've taken things forward since then. TROND: Well, but it is in these unique combinations that innovation starts to occur, right? JOHN: Yeah, exactly, combining different topics. And that's one reason I love manufacturing is that it is the union of materials processing, and automation, and software, and now also getting more interested in the organizational workforce aspects. It's a very rich, multidisciplinary layered topic. TROND: Yeah. And we'll explore this both from the organizational angle, and, indeed, I'm super interested in this material angle on things because it seems to me like you're exploring the very, very small nanostructures, but then you're then printing them on the very large canvas. So you're exploring materials from one extreme to the other. JOHN: Yeah. Well, it depends on your objective and what topic you're working on. There are cases in our research where we need to understand the formation of materials, not quite from the atom up but from the nanoscale or microscale up. And there are cases where we more or less abstract or coarse grain those link scales and focus on macroscale properties. TROND: Well, and then you also focus quite a bit on teaching. I noticed that you actually launched the first massive online course on manufacturing processes, and hopefully, we'll get to this a little bit as well. JOHN: Sure. TROND: But teaching and basically working on the next generation of manufacturers, whether they be the engineers or really anybody else, has certainly been one of the big challenges in manufacturing really forever. What is it that fascinates you so much about teaching this to a grander audience than the usual university audience? JOHN: Well, first, I'll say I believe that the top priority of universities, including in the area of manufacturing, is to educate future leaders and engineers. That said, the number of people we educate on our campus is a small fraction of those who could really benefit from what we teach and the way we teach. And that's not just geographically, but it's also in terms of their role in the workforce. So I believe manufacturing education should address all levels of the workforce. And to get at your question more directly, when I came to MIT, I was asked to take over our core undergraduate manufacturing class in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. And as I learned to teach the class for myself, I was intrigued by this emerging trend of digital learning, and this was 2015, 2016. And I was able to get some funding from MIT internally to create an online version of the course that would be offered free to the world, and probably 100,000 People have taken it so far. And it's been a great experience and evidence of how there is very broad interest in manufacturing really across the world. TROND: 100,000 people have taken this course. JOHN: Yeah. Well, I'll say 100,000 people have signed up for the course. This is the classic trade-off with online courses. It doesn't mean 100,000 people complete the course. It means that number signs up and hopefully took something away from it. It also speaks to the flexibility. You can sign up for a course and maybe just listen to one lecture, but if you take something valuable away from it, that's great. TROND: So I wanted to talk a little bit about how academia shapes manufacturing. And I know that there are, you know, you and I work at MIT, and you've had experiences obviously at University of Michigan. But there are other manufacturing centers and institutes all around the world. Could you lay out this landscape a little bit for us so that we get a sense of where the excellent centers of manufacturing are located? I mean, one structure, just to pick that, is manufacturing institutes, and I know that's sort of dear to your heart for a couple of different reasons that we'll get into. But what are some of the centers beyond MIT where there is activity that is organized in a way that really is something to focus on? JOHN: First, I think of in the U.S., Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, Stanford, places that have defined manufacturing centers or have a body of work that relates to manufacturing that I would say there's a critical mass of faculty, and students, and affiliation with industry. Also, Penn State in the area of additive manufacturing and product design. It's hard to be comprehensive. I don't want to forget anyone big, but that's a sample of some of the notable ones. Internationally, a lot of activity in Europe; I admire the University of Cambridge, the Institute for Manufacturing there, where manufacturing is more or less a department, or it's within the Department of Engineering, which is analogous to what we would say is a school or college of engineering here in the U.S. And they have a broad set of activities that have been there for decades focused on manufacturing at the IFM. TROND: And if you think about the best schools to get educated in this topic, is it necessarily only the top brands? I mean, certainly, they have different roles. So when it comes to undergrads or even shorter, or I guess even community colleges have a really fundamental role in the formation of this sector, can you talk a little bit about that? JOHN: Oh, for sure. When you think of manufacturing education, we must think of the full stack of institutions that educate the workforce, from vocational institutions to community colleges where the student's goal may just be to complete a vocational program or complete a two-year degree and then exit the workforce, all the way to the four-year degrees, advanced degrees, and executive education. And given how manufacturing is paramount in the workforce and the economy, we need to educate folks at all those levels. But by far, the largest number of people are at those vocational community college levels and then to the bachelor's level. So I have a Ph.D. I love to mentor Ph.D. students. But that's a small fraction of the manufacturing workforce. TROND: What about in the U.S. setting? There's something called the Manufacturing USA, and there are these institutes that have sponsorship from various government agencies, most of them through the Department of Defense. But there's also a bunch at the Department of Energy and one, I guess, from the Department of Commerce. What is the role of basically government-sponsored sort of research and innovation activities in this field? It would strike me, I guess, that historically, it's quite important. JOHN: Certainly. You're alluding to the manufacturing innovation institutes, the MIIs that were started during President Obama's administration. Actually, MIT's work, the Production in the Innovation Economy study, and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which emerged from that, was key in scoping the MIIs, and now there are 16 or so around the country. It's one example of public-private partnership. Public-private partnership is key to cultivating interest in manufacturing and also providing resources for technology translation and commercialization. I think the MIIs have had a great impact on awareness of manufacturing, on R&D, and really applied research in some critical technology areas. But it's only a small part of what we need to do to regrow and expand our industrial base in the U.S. TROND: So I want to move us shortly to MIT to discuss both your own research activity and how extensively you are now aiming to take a more organizing role to kind of get more out of all of the exciting work that's happening at MIT. But before that, I just spotted perhaps an older project of yours that I thought was extremely cool. You were once called a nanoartist, and you had this NanoArt Nanobliss gallery with visualizations. You previously mentioned Obama. I believe you made a NanoArt structure called Nanobama or something of that sort. How did this come about? And, again, I mean, I'm guessing this just sort of testifies to your interest in science communication as much as in the depths of science, which we'll get into in a moment. JOHN: You got it. The inspiration was how do we communicate what we're doing in the lab to broader audiences just to make them aware of what's happening in new technology, new materials? In that case, it was nanotechnology. If you don't mind, I'll tell you a bit more of the story. When I was an assistant professor at Michigan, we were doing a lot of work on carbon nanotube manufacturing, which was a follow-on from my graduate work at MIT. And I admired President Obama, or he was a presidential candidate at that time. And without implying a political inclination, I somehow put together the words nano and Obama in my mind. TROND: [laughs] JOHN: And I said, wow, it would be cool to have a Nanobama. So one thing led to another, and I actually worked with some students in my group to fabricate these little portraits out of carbon nanotubes representing Shepard Fairey's portrait of Obama that was used widely during that first presidential campaign. And I just posted it online, I think one day after the election, and it took off. It went viral, so to say, and was featured as Nature's Image of the Year. It was printed on the newspapers you used to get as you walk onto the subway in the morning around the world. There was a company that would syndicate this stuff, and they just sent it around. So it got a lot of attention. And it showed me the power of an image in communicating something. And, of course, President Obama, that was a historic election. The play on words was exciting, and also the fact that it was a little bit intriguing science and technology that was nano was interesting. And one more thing, a colleague of mine at Michigan then was working in the White House, and he said, "Hey, can you send us a Nanobama?" So I made this frame with a little piece of the real material, and a picture of it from the microscope sent it to Washington. I didn't hear anything about it until I got a call from the White House asking me to declare the value for the President's tax return because he decided to keep it; I kid you not. And then, after Obama left office, I was with my family at a bookstore in Wellesley, and I saw the book, the retrospective book of Pete Souza, the White House photographer. And I opened up the book, and I see a picture of Obama and John Boehner in the Oval Office in the middle of this book. And right on the doorframe is the Nanobama. So it actually made it to the White House, which was a pretty awesome feeling. TROND: It must be an awesome feeling, and, again, I think that, especially in this field of manufacturing which is so challenged at times, right? And people are talking about how these factories are greedy, or is this a great job, or whatnot. And there have been all of these historical moments. But then there is also this fascination around the topic of certainly of technologies and the excitement around it. Why don't we continue a little bit on this strand before we get into sort of the overall role of MIT? I'm really curious about how your research has evolved. So generally, I get that you're combining these nanostructures with manufacturing and materials research, and certainly, you have applied it to additive manufacturing. How would you say that your research has evolved over these years? What are the things that you have been doing? I've picked up on a few things that I definitely wanted to cover. I mean, certainly, you've been working on this industrialization of 3D printing, both as a research area and as a commercial area. Carbon nanotubes must have been kind of where you started. I'm curious where that work is going. And then I saw that very recently, with a student, you've been doing some work that I'm personally very enthused about, which is a plant-derived composite that might replace, hopefully, plastics with sort of a hardness and stiffness that is somewhere at the boundary between conventional plastics and metals. I mean, for me, I don't quite see how all of these things are intimately connected. Where do you go for, you know, where's my next proposal here, and where's my next patent? JOHN: They aren't necessarily closely connected. But I like to say that the themes are typically one or more of materials, manufacturing, and mechanical systems or automation. And what I love about manufacturing, especially in the materials domain, is to control a process, to understand a process, and then to do something new, you need to investigate its fundamentals. And sometimes, you need to design a new instrument or machine to get the job done. So our work is often problem-inspired or opportunity-inspired. Like, the cellulose work that you mentioned recently was actually sponsored by a large consumer products company interested in a more sustainable composite material that could be used in packaging. And we looked at potential routes to formulating different materials, and we landed on cellulose. And then, we developed a formulation, a mixture of cellulose nanocrystals and polymers that ended up having exciting mechanical properties, particularly very high hardness, and toughness, more so than existing polymers. And another unifying theme is scalability. It's important not to worry too much about scalability in the early stage of research, and there's lots of amazing research that's just for science. But we like to do things that we hope will be scalable one day, so choosing ingredients that would be cost-effective or using techniques that could be industrialized, even if the techniques look very different in the lab. And maybe I've lacked to give a precise definition or focus, but I think it's also indicative of the broad span of manufacturing. And manufacturing has many, many dimensions beyond the ones that we work on in my lab at MIT. TROND: Well, you kind of answered a question that I was going to ask, too, which is it doesn't seem like you start in a linear fashion, you know, in other words, you start with some sort of basic problem that everybody in their literature has established and then you move to this, that, or the other. Sometimes it comes from a company. The challenge comes from a company, but you formulate the solution completely. It seems to me that students also have lots of ideas and kind of formulate projects. Talk to me a little bit about this process of where the problem comes from versus where the solution and impact comes from because you seem to...sometimes the output truly is just, you know, like, in this case, art or a physical prototype, and you're sort of happy with that outcome. Other times, you're actually delivering something into, presumably, eventually, an assembly line. JOHN: Yeah. And we work as hard as we can on technology translation, both in terms of the knowledge that we publish but also in terms of the steps that we take to spin technology out. You're right; the early stage is very important. And I like to often see the early stage as a collaboration between myself and the researchers. And in many cases, the core idea we end up pursuing comes largely from the research or the research team. In many cases, it might be seeded by the interest of a sponsor or an idea I have, and then we work together on actually figuring out what's the approach, what are the outcomes, and what's the path to success. MID-ROLL AD: In the new book from Wiley, Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations, serial startup founder Dr. Natan Linder and futurist podcaster Dr. Trond Arne Undheim deliver an urgent and incisive exploration of when, how, and why to augment your workforce with technology, and how to do it in a way that scales, maintains innovation, and allows the organization to thrive. The key thing is to prioritize humans over machines. Here's what Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, says about the book: "Augmented Lean is an important puzzle piece in the fourth industrial revolution." Find out more on www.augmentedlean.com, and pick up the book in a bookstore near you. TROND: You have commercialized at least two ventures together with others at MIT and external people as well that I know about for sure. I wanted to just briefly mention both Desktop Metal and VulcanForms. Let's perhaps cover Desktop Metal first, so that's a 3D printing company. Tell me how that got started and what your role was there. JOHN: So I was very fortunate to be a member of the founding team of Desktop Metal. So there were seven co-founders, and we launched the company in early fall of 2015. And Ric Fulop, who's the lead founder and CEO, approached me at that time, and he heard that I was interested in working on 3D printing and, of course, knew a bit about my background in manufacturing and machine design and asked me to jump on board. And funny story, how just connections persist over the years; I actually knew Ric when I was a grad student because I was doing my carbon nanotube work using the space of now my colleague, Yet-Ming Chiang. And at that time, Yet and Ric were launching A123 Systems, a successful battery company. So that was a reason why I think Ric knew to get in touch with me when he heard about me. And serendipity was a great experience. TROND: Serendipity when you are in the right places, right? If you're hanging around Yet-Ming Chang, yeah, that's right, very special serendipity. Tell me a little bit about VulcanForms. Until very recently, you couldn't talk so much about it. Nowadays, you did go out in New York Times. I've read that piece. So there is a little bit more detail around it. Let me ask a very basic and perhaps dumb question, large-scale metal 3D printing, what's the big deal there? I thought didn't Desktop Metal do 3D printing? So it's kind of a dumb question. Why is there a second company? Is there really such a variety? I think that the regular person just thinks 3D printing is 3D printing. JOHN: 3D printing is a broad and deep subject. Like, first of all, 3D printing processes exist for polymers, for metals, for many other materials. And there are even several 3D printing technologies for metals. I'll tell the origin story for VulcanForms quickly if that's okay, and then get back to the question. So when I came to MIT as faculty in 2013, I had been a professor at Michigan for a few years. And I landed, and one of the topics I thought of looking into was 3D printing. I was actually asked by a colleague to teach a class not on 3D printing, but I was able to propose the topic. And in that class, there were many incredible students. One of them, named Martin, stuck around at MIT after finishing his master's in manufacturing, and we ended up comparing notes and launching VulcanForms in 2015, a little bit before Desktop Metal came to be, but not that long before. And we stayed quiet for seven years. We raised our seed round a couple of years ago. And the focus of the company is number one, laser-based metal additive manufacturing. And second, while we've built our own additive technology, we're a manufacturing company. So we produce parts at scale, and that is a real need and has been a barrier to growth of the additive industry. There's so much interest and uptake in additive. But the ability to achieve high-quality production using additive as the formative step in the process at scale has largely been untouched. So from the early days, we thought that we could approach the market with that plan to become a manufacturing company. TROND: Staying quiet for seven years that can't have been [laughs] particularly easy. JOHN: Yeah, it's not easy, but it's very, very worth it because we got to focus. And also, there are different boundary conditions that allow you to keep your head down and get work done, and one of them is having great and patient investors who believe in your approach and who see the progress behind the curtain. And as a result, we felt we would hold off launch. And we were fortunate to get picked up by the New York Times earlier this summer. And now we're excited to talk about what we do. TROND: Yeah, that article did hint a little bit at what your printers can print that others cannot and kind of at what scale. Can you give some examples of the kinds of things that you are now contracted to print or are perhaps already printing? JOHN: So the company is focused on a variety of industries, generally industries where high-value metal parts are difficult to manufacture and where there is a real pent-up need for more agile, high-value manufacturing medical devices such as medical implants, semiconductor components, not microchips but cooling devices for various computer systems. We have a lot of business in the aerospace and defense area, working with several of the defense primes, both on additive parts and on machining, honestly. The company, as described in the New York Times article, we acquired a machine shop in Newburyport, Massachusetts, earlier this year. And that was twofold, one because in order to deliver finished parts, you need to often integrate additive with machining. So it's not just 3D printing; it's building a stack of software and physical processes to create a finished part. Second, advanced machining is also a digital manufacturing technology, and as a company, we're very interested in applying our capabilities as a digital manufacturing organization to the area of CNC machining as well. TROND: So, taking that experience then from these two companies and your vast interest and research area plus your interest in communication, what is it that you're now focused on at MIT more largely? That's another kind of secret that's slowly being let out. But you have had this notion and have shared this with me and others, obviously. There was a seminar open to whoever was invited, I think, but not a full public launch. Manufacturing at MIT has historically been quite important, but you think that there's even more, to be done. You lined up a couple of the projects, but there are many more things that MIT has done. Could you maybe just briefly address the role of MIT historically in influencing manufacturing? And what else is it that you now want to accomplish? JOHN: Yeah, for sure. And since I came to MIT nine years ago, I've learned of the incredibly rich history that the institute has in manufacturing, both on the technology side, you know, in the mid-1950s, building among the first CNC machines, ultimately transformed commercial aviation in 1980 building one of the first 3D printers in the world, and so on. But not only that, but also, historic accomplishments in the social sciences, understanding the globalization of manufacturing, you know, what delineated the U.S. versus the Japanese auto industry in the 1980s. What is the intrinsic role of manufacturing in innovation, the production, and innovation economy led by my colleague Suzanne Berger in around 2010. And then broader than manufacturing, though, the work of the future study just a couple of years ago looking at the connection between technology and work. So looking at all those accomplishments and understanding the present moment that we're in, which I can also reflect on later, I've been exploring how to create a new presence for manufacturing at MIT. And the term manufacturing at MIT is more or less a placeholder representing the community of faculty and students across disciplines, both technology and social sciences, that touch on all the dimensions of manufacturing. So as we've returned from Zoom life to more in-person life, I've been making my way around campus and building a team of folks, faculty advisors, external advisors, industry partners, and so on to hopefully put forward a new center at MIT that has a focus on manufacturing across the disciplines. And this is not to replace existing activities but just to augment those activities and bring industry together with us to support research, to lean deeply into workforce training programs, to collaborate with public organizations at the state and federal level and internationally, and also hope to cultivate more entrepreneurship. Because my experience, fortunate experience as an entrepreneur over the past several years tells me that there's opportunity for more new companies that contribute to the future of manufacturing, whether they're manufacturing companies actually making stuff, whether they be software and services companies. Or perhaps the biggest need is hardware companies for whom manufacturing is a route to success. So you may not be manufacturing something yourself, or you may not be manufacturing goods for others, but understanding manufacturing and scaling a process is really key. And that intellectual DNA of manufacturing is more cross-disciplinary than ever. And I've observed over my nine years at MIT how there's just more engagement in manufacturing as a discipline, as this cross-disciplinary theme. And that's an area where I feel such a center can really play a role by adding something to the intellectual community across the institute. TROND: There are so many things that come to mind when you produce this narrative because, I guess, on the one hand, manufacturing is a little bit of everything. On the other hand, it is clearly very delineated because it's all about making things and making them at scale. And there's a whole industry, but, of course, every industry almost has a manufacturing arm. How do you delineate the subject of manufacturing? And I'm sort of curious, you know, at MIT, if you use a broad church definition, almost everybody there contributes to manufacturing. So that would be both a challenge and an opportunity, I guess. JOHN: Yeah, you're exactly right. So, first, within MIT, we have many collaborations with different departments and other research centers. And the nature of the collaboration depends on what the focus is. Second, when it comes to interfacing with industry, I've come to look at industry as kind of a grid where you could say the columns are the end users, say, aviation and space or consumer or construction. And then, the horizontal lines in the grid are technologies, robotics and automation, 3D printing, software and IT, et cetera. And getting a little bit in the weeds of the organization here, so first, we're working on launching a flagship industry consortium, or we're recruiting flagship industry partners for a new center. And those will be companies, world-leading manufacturing companies across the grid. Second, we will operate consortia in different technology in industry areas that may be located within our center that may be in collaboration with others around MIT to really drive focus. And when industry comes and interacts with us, I want them to understand how their business fits into the broader spectrum. And we find particularly in the work related to 3D printing that companies appreciate being connected with peers across the value chain. They say 3D printing is materials at the frontend and finished parts at the backend, and there are some machines and software, and so on. When you bring companies together across their value chain, across their supply chain, under the umbrella of an academic organization with this sort of problem-solving mindset, we find that that can be valuable to the companies that we partner with. TROND: And, John, there's obviously a scale at MIT that's hard to replicate for any university or school just because there are so many people involved in technical innovation. But on the other hand, I would say there has been a sense that other sectors if you could call them that, have always been moving much faster than manufacturing. And, you know, okay, fine, there are industrial revolutions, but the ones we talk about now as industrial revolutions are more, you know, they are maybe on the software side and stuff, but that the core of manufacturing it may be because of its inherent nature. It's complex; it's about physical infrastructure, at least a lot of it still. So it's hard to innovate in that sector. Would you say that one of the ambitions you have with this manufacturing at MIT initiative is to speed up that innovation? And if so, what are the mechanisms that would bring manufacturing as a whole, I guess, on an even faster sort of clip? JOHN: First, if I look within MIT, we see the opportunity to combine the physical side, the mechanical engineering, the material science, with the digital side, with software, and controls, and computation. And that's an area where it's clear that new technologies can be de-risked, can be scaled more quickly. And it really requires this symbiosis of the physical processes and the digital intelligence. Second, I think we can do better research. I can do better research by understanding where the big problems and opportunities are. And by connecting closely with industry, forming networks with various stakeholders, we can define better problems that we can ask our students to solve. And third, I've noticed, especially over the past year with all the geopolitical discussions and the imperative for sustainability, that we're at a time where there's this alignment between industry and government and the investment community and manufacturing, physical manufacturing, physical industry is vital. We can't do enough there to catch up, to grow. And I think that's a real opportune moment to recognize that while I think the pendulum has swung to the digital world and software over the past 10, 20 years, life has changed for the better in so many ways. We have to focus on the physical world now, especially to address the climate crisis, and also think of how we can improve economic equality across our communities, how we can provide better job opportunities, how we can deliver education to individuals who don't have the opportunity to go to university or don't have the resources to travel, all those things. So that's another reason why, one, I see manufacturing as this rich, cross-disciplinary topic that I can file a patent and write some exciting papers and graduate with a Ph.D., but it means so much more to feel technology at scale. And second, you need the intersection of these disciplines to understand not just technology but organizations and human dynamics to create change and create positive impact. TROND: So I realized that we're going to have to cover... there are so many other questions I have for you is what I'm trying to say here. But my last question in this round, I think, is going to be one on...we briefly mentioned, or you briefly talked about augmentation. And you know that I have a special interest; obviously, the topic of the podcast and the title is augmentation. So there is something here about the tension, perhaps between augmentation and automation. How do you see that tension or the relationship between working from the human-centric perspective that technologies are in service to perhaps augment people and processes versus this automation perspective which maybe takes, and I'm paraphrasing here, a little bit more of an efficiency approach and tries to go for machine scale first and then just adjust everything later? How do you see those two things now, as perhaps, you know, manufacturing is coming into another kind of growth moment? JOHN: If I understood you correctly, I don't think they're mutually exclusive, right? Certainly -- TROND: No. Not necessarily. Not necessarily. JOHN: Certainly, manufacturing will become more automated in places where automation makes sense. Certainly, automation is challenging to implement to scale, to get right. But in some cases, the driver to more efficient technology-first manufacturing is automation. In other cases, and hand in hand with that, human workers and businesses, organizations can only become more effective and efficient, working in synergy with data and automation. I'll use the example of someone overseeing a 3D printer, a state-of-the-art 3D printer, and watching the screens to make sure everything is going well and doing a better job by being presented with information that shows, hey, this might be a problem, or there are no problems here, but being empowered to make that data-driven decision. And also, from my work outside of MIT, we find that folks who do best operating that advanced equipment with digital data might have a machining background. They might also have a passion for gaming on the side. So they might be used to sensing and responding to dynamic digital events. And that's another comment on skills evolving in the workforce too. TROND: Well, I mean, one thing that is for certain is that if MIT gets its act together on manufacturing, things will happen. I trust that we're going to have to come back and talk about a lot of emerging projects here in the coming years if you get people lined up. So very exciting. Thank you for speaking to me. Is there sort of a challenge that you want out there to the community when it comes to how, you know, not just academics can contribute to shaping manufacturing but how we all should think of these manufacturing challenges? Is it something that we should leave to experts right now because it's so complicated? Or are there ways that the broader interested public can get engaged in this problem? Is it possible to engage, and where should one engage? JOHN: That's a great question. First, to the general public, I'd say stop and think about what manufacturing means to you, or find one of your favorite things and look up how it's manufactured. Imagine the life, the journey of the product as it comes to your door. And second, I'd say the area where most of us can make an impact is in education and learning and contributing to our communities. Perhaps if you're an engineer working somewhere, you might want to teach at a community college one night a week if you have time in a future semester or explore ways that you can bring new knowledge, new technology to your organization if it makes sense. TROND: Exciting challenges. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of what you're up to with us, John. JOHN: Thank you, Trond. TROND: You have just listened to another episode of the Augmented Podcast with host Trond Arne Undheim. The topic was How Academia Shapes Manufacturing. Our guest was John Hart, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director at the Center for Advanced Production Technologies at MIT. In this conversation, we talk about John's research on micro and nanotechnology and material science, which universities and colleges that teach manufacturing, the role of MIT in this ecosystem, and why now is a key moment in manufacturing history. My takeaway is that there has never been a more interesting time to be in manufacturing or to watch manufacturing. The tremendous breakthroughs that we are about to witness have been made possible by a confluence of emerging technologies and startup innovations, as well as a growing awareness of the importance of building human-centric technologies. We are indeed at a crossroads with profound challenges in the growing talent shortage, the need for workforce training, an aging industrial base, and the demands for manufacturing competency from the wider innovation ecosystem. We have to make progress fast, and innovations are just maturing to be able to do so at the scale and pace required. It will, again, be amazing to watch the manufacturing industry. Parts of it will perhaps, again, become the industry of industries. Thanks for listening. If you liked the show, subscribe at augmentedpodcast.co or in your preferred podcast player, and rate us with five stars. If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 92 on Emerging Interfaces for Human Augmentation. Hopefully, you'll find something awesome in these or in other episodes, and if so, do let us know by messaging us. We would love to share your thoughts with other listeners. The Augmented Podcast is created in association with Tulip, the frontline operation platform that connects the people, machines, devices, and systems used in a production or a logistics process in a physical location. Tulip is democratizing technology and empowering those closest to operations to solve problems. Tulip is also hiring, and you can find Tulip at tulip.co. To find us on social media is easy; we are Augmented Pod on LinkedIn and Twitter and Augmented Podcast on Facebook and YouTube. Augmented — industrial conversations that matter. See you next time. Special Guest: John Hart.
Pete Souza has spent more time inside the ‘Presidential bubble' than almost anyone. The more than thirteen years he spent photographing Ronald Reagan (1983-1989) and Barack Obama (2009-2017) gave him a singular view into the executive branch that he has captured and shared with the public through his photography. In this episode, Pete joins Bob & Ben to discuss his new book The West Wing & Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency, which looks beyond the Presidents themselves and to the people and spaces that define the office of the US President. You can learn more about Pete Souza's work at his website, petesouza.com, and by following him on twitter and Instagram at @petesouza. You can also check out the documentary film The Way I See It (Focus Features, 2020) which tells the story of Pete's work inside the White House (and features a brief cameo by Bob & Ben). If you enjoy this episode, check out Pete's previous appearances on The Road to Now in episode #131 and episode #151. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
Join me for a one-on-one discussion with Obama & Reagan White House Photographer, Pete Souza.
On top of his incredible career working for publications such as National Geographic and The Chicago Sun Times, Pete Souza has documented the presidential administrations for Ronald Regan and was the Chief White House Photographer for the Obama administration. Today Pete Souza comes on the Beginner Photography Podcast to talk about what its like working in the Presidential Bubble and his new book “The West Wing and Beyond” which gives us a behind the scenes look at the people and the human element that goes into supporting an administration. Resources:Former Chief White House Photographer Pete Souzas websiteGrab your copy of Petes newest book “The West Wing and Beyond”Join The Beginner Photography Podcast Facebook CommunitySign up for your free CloudSpot account to deliver beautiful images galleries todayFree Lightroom Presets!Grab your Free CloudSpot Account at DeliverPhotos.com Grab your Free CloudSpot Account at DeliverPhotos.com
Are the roots of African American English mainly African? Or English? Or something else? Linguists—and others—don't agree. Ciku Theuri guides us through the theories. Opinions from Nicole Holliday, John McWhorter, John Rickford and Sunn m'Cheaux, who we also profiled in a previous Subtitle episode. Music in this episode by A P O L L O, Jobii, and Tilden Parc. Photo of Michelle Obama by Pete Souza via Wikimedia Commons. Read a transcript of the episode here. Subscribe to Subtitle's fortnightly newsletter here.
Are the roots of African American English mainly African? Or English? Or something else? Linguists—and others—don't agree. Ciku Theuri guides us through the theories. Opinions from Nicole Holliday, John McWhorter, John Rickford and Sunn m'Cheaux, who we also profiled in a previous Subtitle episode. Music in this episode by A P O L L O, Jobii, and Tilden Parc. Photo of Michelle Obama by Pete Souza via Wikimedia Commons. Read a transcript of the episode here. Subscribe to Subtitle's fortnightly newsletter here.
Pete Souza spoke with WBUR's Weekend Edition host Sharon Brody about his time as Chief Official White House Photographer for all eight years of the Obama administration along with his latest book, “The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency.”
Pete Souza, was the former Official White House Photographer for President Ronald Reagan and former Chief White House Photographer for President Barack Obama. We speak to him about his career documenting presidencies and his latest book of photographs, The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside The Presidency.
Photocombobulate is a podcast about photography hosted by Jeff Carlson and Mason Marsh. Each episode seeks to unravel a complex topic and make it understandable. The show notes for this episode, along with all of our episodes, can be found on our website: https://www.photocombobulate.comFor Jeff Carlson's work, visit https://jeffcarlson.comFor Mason Marsh's work, visit https://www.masonmarsh.comPhotocombobulate Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/photocombobulate/Photocombobulate Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/photocombobulate/Photocombobulate Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/photocombob
Pete Souza, was the former Official White House Photographer for President Ronald Reagan and former Chief White House Photographer for President Barack Obama. We speak to him about his career documenting presidencies and his latest book of photographs, The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside The Presidency.
Tonight on The Last Word: Trump-appointed judges present an unprecedented challenge to the Justice Department's investigation of Trump. Also, Uvalde students return to the classroom. And the Obamas return to the White House for the traditional presidential portrait unveiling. Professor Laurence Tribe, Andrew Weissmann, Neal Katyal, Beto O'Rourke and Pete Souza join Lawrence O'Donnell.
Pete Souza has taken some iconic photographs. A former Chief Official White House Photographer for both U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan AND Barack Obama, Pete's career has taken him from teaching basic photography in Kansas to taking pictures for National Geographic, Life Magazine, and other dream outlets. In this episode, he talks about carrying out a vision for a project, how he built his unique path in the field, and why he sticks to the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is an episode of Design Matters with Debbie Millman, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. For more conversations on how incredibly creative people design their careers and lives, follow Design Matters wherever you're listening to this.
Javier Muñoz (Hamilton, In The Heights) stars in The Devil Wears Prada, the new musical based on the film and novel, with songs by Elton John and Shaina Taub. Javier plays Nigel (instantly erasing any memories of Stanley Tucci), and discusses how creating a role is less about ego and more about serving the story and character; the challenges of rehearsing changes during the day while performing the existing show at night; how he gave his first Broadway performance of Alexander Hamilton in front of President Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle; what originating the song “Seen” means to him and his activism (and how precious it is to work with his “Seen” partner); and how debuting a song written by Sir Elton John differs from performing songs written by Sir Lin-Manuel Miranda. (Length 33:05) (PICTURED: Above, Javier Muñoz in The Devil Wears Prada, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. Photo by Joan Marcus. Below, Javier Muñoz, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr, and the cast of Hamilton greeting President Barack Obama backstage, July 2015. Photo by Pete Souza.) The post Mr. Javier Muñoz appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.
The Books I Picked & Why| Humans of New York: Stories By Brandon Stanton Book cover of Humans of New York: Stories Why this book? I had someone in my language class in my master's program whose whole life changed by being one of the stories from the book Humans of New York. I was so inspired and realized the power of one single image. I also like this book because every time you open it you learn something new. Not many photo books can do that. Buy this book at: Bookshop.org Amazon When you buy a book we may earn a small commission. The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level By Gay Hendricks Book cover of The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level Why this book? Artists (but this book is for everyone) are often talented but need to overcome mental hurdles that are imposed on us by society, family, and our surroundings that are telling us only to dream so big or achieve so much. The Big Leap teaches you how to go beyond your limitations to make your dreams come true and see things differently. Buy this book at: Bookshop.org Amazon When you buy a book we may earn a small commission. Obama: An Intimate Portrait By Pete Souza Book cover of Obama: An Intimate Portrait Why this book? I am a huge fan of Pete Souza, Obama's resident photographer. Not only does he show you the day in and day out of the most historically positive president of our time, he continues to this day to educate his audience and show us how a president can be. He also sheds light on some extremely difficult topics like school shootings, and Obama's historic singing of “amazing grace” while consoling families. This book shows me that anyone can be president and that it's a human's job because you see his humanity through these photos, not the “superhero” president that historically is how presidents are portrayed that makes us feel somehow separate from them, and unreachable. Buy this book at: Bookshop.org Amazon When you buy a book we may earn a small commission. Orientalism By Edward W. Said Book cover of Orientalism Why this book? This 1978 published book drove immense controversy. Orientalism pushed heated debates surrounding the nature of Western attitudes towards the Middle East. It pushed millions of people to rethink their prejudices. Said argued that throughout Western history, writers on the Middle East, regardless of the somewhat varying attitudes of their day, reinforced an image of Arabs as uniform, incompetent, and unreflective. But to Said, “the Orient” was a creation of the Western imagination. This work spurred the removal of insensitive words at the beginning of Aladdin. I value this book because it allows us to see how the media is formed and how we can change it. It teaches you agency and power. Buy this book at: Bookshop.org Amazon When you buy a book we may earn a small commission. Why We Can't Wait By Martin Luther King Jr. Book cover of Why We Can't Wait Why this book? Why We Can't Wait is an easy way to get into the psychology of MLK. It is a 1964 book by Martin Luther King Jr. about the nonviolent movement against racial segregation in the United States, and specifically the 1963 Birmingham campaign. The way it is written makes it understandable from a 1:1 perspective. I am connected to this because it helps a person be actionable in their own way about causes they care about. No frills, just action! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scopio/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scopio/support
This episode features the incredibly talented and famous photographer, Pete Souza. He has accolades that go on for pages, but he also adores Brandi and the Twins just as much as we do. Listen in to hear his story as well as how he originally became a fan and later had the band perform for his wedding at the White House!
This episode features Bramily member, Melissa Naulin! She is currently the Associate Curator of Decorative Arts at the White House. Listen in to hear the insider perspective and to learn about her connection to the famous photographer, Pete Souza.
Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza, shares specifics of his career-defining role documenting the Obama presidency. Through our candid conversation and his generous response to questions, we receive insights and behind-the-scenes stories of his iconic images. Pete explains how he, with skill and intent, used the visual archive he created to expose the truth of the Trump years in his book, Shade.In this book group, Pete Souza, discusses, among other things:The primary message is to document for history aka not for social media platformsBeing in the room when shit is going down90% of documenting is the in-between-momentsInspirational documentary photographersGender parity in the White House Photo OfficeEditing as the act of selection The value of collaborating with a photo editorCreating a searchable photo archive Secret rose garden weddings and famous petsReferenced in the episodeThe Way I See ItCharlottetheTortoiseGroundTruth ProjectReport for AmericaMary Anne Fackelman-MinorDavid Guttenfelder, John Moore, Drew Angerer, Mark OstowSeacoast African American Center ExhibitBridge GalleryPete Souza Website | InstagramEngage with J. Sybylla Smith https://www.jsybyllasmith.com Instagram @jsybylla and Facebook @j.sybylla.smith
We love a good book discussion. Reading is one of the ways we learn, grow, relax, and entertain ourselves. But, is one book format better than the other? Listing to and Audiobooks is convenient. Reading E-books makes your book library easily accessible. Reading a physical book is a classic experience. Today, Brittany, Tyler, Kendra, and JayJay debate about the best book format. Tune in to listen to their arguments as they try to convince you that their format is the best way to enjoy a book. Points Worth Listening To: Our favorite books within the last year. (1:03) Using the library to enjoy reading. (8:20) Buying books vs. renting them. (19:37) How we fit reading into our days. (22:49) Do audiobooks count as reading a book? (25:04) Closing arguments - what book format is better? (29:07) Final book recommendations (34:08) Books mentioned in this episode: No Exit by Taylor Adams (1:14) More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth (1:25) Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (1:32) Traction Gino Wickman (1:59) A Promised Land by Barack Obama (7:23) Becoming by Michelle Obama (7:23) The Harry Potter series (7:44) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling (12:50) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (15:43) The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Alex Haley (18:55) EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey (19:10) Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey(20:15) Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs by Barack Obama, & Pete Souza (21:05) When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bandele, Angela Y. Davis & Patrisse Khan-Cullors (34:52) Bron a Crime by Trevor Noah (35:33) The Glitter Plan by Gela Nash-Taylor, Booth Moore, & Pamela Skaist-Levy (36:15) A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum (37:42) Links mentioned in this episode: Pitch Pro Academy Orange Collab Bookclub Final Thoughts: Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to the podcast. Follow us on Instagram @theorangecollab Join The Orange Collab Community on Facebook
BGBS 060: Tim Parr | CADDIS | Own Your Age Aging. Most of us try our best to slow it down. But can you blame us? How do we learn to embrace our age in a society that trains us to want to feel 15 years younger than we are? Tim Parr's company, CADDIS, is challenging those standards and redefining what it is to “age” in contemporary culture. CADDIS has a refreshing take on aging, rallying around the notion that it is absolutely right to be the age that you are, and beyond that, they demand that you own it. Tim definitely knows what he's doing, but don't take it from us. Brands such as Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Filson, Burton, and many more have trusted his methods and guidance on big issues that steer ships over long periods of time. He has also conducted lectures at the Stanford School of Design, the San Francisco Academy of Art, and the California College of Arts. Before CADDIS, it all began with the founding of the iconic bike brand, Swobo. We also can't forget touring with Tim's Bluegrass band throughout the Western US and how learning guitar was an essential influence for CADDIS's messaging today. This episode celebrates the irreverence of 80s Thrasher magazines and emphasizes selling the message more than the product (though this product speaks for itself! I mean, check out the top of these rims). You'll learn lots about building a brand in this episode, but if you forget it all, make sure you remember this: The fun lies in changing people's minds. Quotes [0:02] I think developing some type of talent as you recognize your passions is super important. If you just blindly go after your passions, I think it's a good way to get hurt. [8:45] It felt punk rock. It was like, okay, we're going after a taboo subject matter that freaks the hell out of people. That seems like fun. And we'll create this house called Age and the reading glasses are the door prize. Join our club and here's your badge, which became the glasses. [12:19] The dusted over, unsexy categories? That's where the gold lies. [17:37] I attribute a lot of how I was wired to the early 80s, Thrasher magazine…I viewed that as communication. And it was visual communication in a way that was very new. It was that irreverent part that that didn't really exist before that. It was irreverence meets punk rock meets some form of street culture, fashion, all wrapped up into that magazine. [19:20] I remember going through old W magazines and Vogues and the rest of them when I was like 10 years old and just rapidly flipping through because I didn't care about the content, I cared about some type of communication… At the time I just thought, what were the hidden easter eggs inside this medium, to where I can get knowledge of what's happening? [25:38] I don't know if we go into it trying to be the cool kids. That might be a byproduct of it. Or a semi-intended consequence. I have to just think it just boils down to: it's just more fun. And then when you really kind of peel away the onion on it, it's more profitable. Because there's less people doing it, which makes it a whitespace. [48:12] There's no easy path. It doesn't matter what it is or what gifts you have, they're all hard. Resources Website: caddislife.com Instagram: @caddis_life LinkedIn: Tim Parr Facebook: @caddislife Music Farming Nonprofit: musicfarming.org Podcast Transcript Tim Parr 0:02 I think developing some type of talent as you recognize your passions is super important. If you just blindly go after your your passions, I think it's a good way to get hurt. So for some reason, and it goes back to those, as you recognize it does early 80s, Thrasher magazines and you know, for the for most of my life I've been stewing on what works and what doesn't work when you're talking to people through this particular medium. Marc Gutman 0:37 Podcasting from Boulder, Colorado, this is the Baby Got Backstory Podcast, where we dive into the story behind the story of today's most inspiring storytellers, creators and entrepreneurs. I like big back stories and I cannot lie. I am your host, Marc Gutman, Marc Gutman, and on today's episode of Baby Got Backstory, we're talking about readers. That's right. Those cheap glasses you buy at Walgreens the supermarket when you get older and can't see so good. Well, not exactly those readers. We're talking about cool rock and roll readers. Trust me, you'll love it. And before we change your perception on what readers are and who they are for, here's a gentle reminder. If you like and enjoy the show, please take a minute or two to rate and review us over Apple podcasts or Spotify, Apple and Spotify use these ratings as part of the algorithm that determines ratings on their charts. Does anyone really listen to this and review us over at Apple podcasts and Spotify? Probably not. So let's get on with the show. Today's guest is Tim Parr. Tim has both founded new companies as well as worked for some of the most respected brands in the lifestyle industries, brands such as Patagonia or being filson. Burton, and many more have trusted his methods and guidance on big issues that steer ships over long periods of time. In his conducted lectures at the Stanford School of Design, the San Francisco Academy of Art in the California College of Arts. It all began with the founding of the iconic bike brand Swobo. And then, as Tim puts it, elevated the shoveling Yak manure with Yvon Chouinard, the Patagonia throwing some years as a touring bluegrass musician, and now he has founded CADDIS, the brand that will redefine what it is to age in contemporary culture. CADDIS is a unique brand, because they're making readers cool. They're helping their community to own their age. And this topic is especially resonant with me, as I think about age. I have an ageing father. And that gets me thinking about my own age a lot lately. And the truth is, I've never felt the right age. When I was young, I wanted to be old. And as I get older, as we all do, I want to be younger. I think it's about time that I hear Tim's message and own my age. Maybe it's a message you need to hear as well. Tim power has had quite a journey, always able to follow his passions and start businesses. I am fascinated by Tim's outlook on brand and business and I know you will be too. And this is his story. I am here with Tim Parr, the founder of CADDIS and Tim, let's let's get right into it. What is CADDIS? Tim Parr 3:55 CADDIS is a lifestyle brand that is specifically going after 45 to 65 year olds, which is a market that hasn't seen lifestyle marketing branding, go after them. And go after is the wrong term. I would say rally around is a better way to put it. Marc Gutman 4:16 Yeah. And to clarify a bit CADDIS also, I mean, you specialize at least your flagship product and your I see you're starting to branch out a bit but your flagship product, you're the product you started with readers, which is a very interesting kind of product to start with. Because I think the perception of readers as Walmart and old people and a lot of things, we can talk about that. But what really, I think is cool about this brand and I'd love to talk about it is right away right up front, you kind of you're not selling readers, you're selling this idea of owning your age and it being okay to grow older. And I can tell you personally, that's something that I struggle with. It's something that I have a really hard time with. And I think about a lot. So this idea of age is this is this something That's that's consumed You or been on your mind is as you start to grow older? Tim Parr 5:03 No, not at all. And in fact, it wasn't even prior to us selling anything, I was in the process of raising money. And before we had this clarity on on what we were really doing, which was what you just described, we were in the reader market. So, I mean, as a as a concept, and we were just, you know, we were selling cooler, hipper, and for terrible words to use, but they cut to the chase, reading glasses, you know, with a lifestyle marketing angle. That was the entirety of, of what we were selling. And then it wasn't until prior to that, we weren't selling anything. Up until this point, we were I had, I had six pairs of glasses, and I was trying to raise a little bit of money to get this thing off the ground. So I was in a meeting with someone in San Francisco, at a at a venture capital place, and the person is, you know, going to the gym stood the product, and everything was lining up perfectly. And on the back of our packaging, there's this quote, about aging, and just to own it, and they go, well, what's this, and I had literally just slapped it on there in the 11th hour, subconsciously, it seems like a good idea at the time to call people out about how they think about aging. But But we hadn't really delve into it. I go well, I just kind of think that people should own age. And they told me like, you can't do that. And everyone wants to believe that they're 15 years younger that they are, and this won't work, you can't do that. And meeting was over at that point, because of our position, which wasn't even a position at a time. It was it was some flipping copy that I wrote on the back and had it printed on the packaging. And then by the time I walked from that desk down to the street, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Like oh my god, like that's what we're doing. Like, we're not in the reading glass market. Like there's a whole much larger idea here. It was the first moment where I really found our why in our business, like why should we even matter? Like, why do we exist, and it feels just to cut different frames and put reading glass lenses in. It wasn't enough. And then by the time I hit the street, it was I had it like that this is the business that we're in, we're in the business of owning age, just like Patagonia owns corporate stewardship, or, you know, Casper owns sleep or a way owns travel. Like we're gonna own age. So that's where it that's basically where that's where it came from. Marc Gutman 7:58 Yeah. And it to this point, were you were you searching for that Why? Or like what was going on? Tim Parr 8:03 Yeah, but I didn't know it. Yes. It is on hindsight, because I wasn't like I was in it, but I wasn't fully bought into it. Like, okay, like this is a white space. Like the only product that's on the market is $10 garbage from Walgreens or CVS. We know we can do the design, we know we can do the marketing. We know we don't know. But we have a strong inclination that the market is there. We're not the only ones that feel this way about the product and the experience of buying the product. But it wasn't, it wasn't enough and there hadn't one foot in, and then after that meeting I had both feet in because at that point, it felt punk rock. Like it was like, okay, we're going we're going after a taboo subject matter that freaks the hell out of people. Like that seems like fun. And we'll we'll create this house called age. And the reading glasses are the are the door prize? You know, it's like, join our club. And here's your here's your here's your badge, which became the glasses. Marc Gutman 9:11 And so you said it wasn't working? Like tangibly what wasn't working for you? Like why? What was going on? Tim Parr 9:17 I don't, I didn't, because I didn't need to do it. And these things are hard. Let's be honest, they're really hard. Most of them don't work. You know, it's not my first one. It's like my third or fourth one. So and it was like okay, it was just that So what, you know, okay, so what so so you found a niche to sell more reading glasses, and it wasn't enough. And it again, remind you, I don't have this type of foresight. This is all looking backwards and I can evaluate what was going through me after the fact and I didn't have that that Big Picture, this is why we exist. We're going to own age and we're going to change how people feel about aging in an in this culture. Marc Gutman 10:11 And so you're walking out of that meeting, it hits you and and, you know, help me fill in the gaps if I'm if I'm not retelling the story. it hits you, it's like a lightning bolt. It's punk rock like, this is what we're selling. Like, how did you know that that was the thing to hold on to now and that this was what you were going to the market, you were about to enter? Tim Parr 10:33 Pattern recognition. So it was the thing that when I got that response from that person, who is a venture capitalist, who you know, has a very conservative, you know, point of view about a lot of stuff. And if I could get that reaction out of somebody, I can get a different reaction out of a subculture. So if if that person was so against that idea, if something tells me inside of me, I could tap into a crew, that would be the Yang to that ying. Marc Gutman 11:14 So who was the first person that you ran, and said, I got this and told this? Tim Parr 11:19 I remember, dialing my phone, because I had that we there is after, after I started, I grabbed four or five co founders with me to do the heavy lifting in the early days. So I remember running down the street in San Francisco and dialing each one of them saying, Okay, this is what we're doing now. And it was that it was a 50/50. I don't know. And all right, awesome. Sounds great. So yeah, I remember vividly. Marc Gutman 11:53 And so like why even readers? So you mentioned that this is, you know, you've had multiple experiences in starting businesses. We'll talk a bit about your past. I mean, you've had some great brand building experience in education, like of all the things, you know, and that you could have, you could have done like what, why readers? Tim Parr 12:11 That's exactly it's the, your reaction to it is exactly why you should do it. And so the dusted over unsexy categories. That's where the gold lies. Not the cool sexy categories. does sound kind of redundant, but I knew that's where the fun lies, is to change people's minds about things. So one, it's a product that people need. And it's a it's a, by definition, it is a medical device. So people need it. It's not like we were making another pair of denim jeans, or you know, something that you'd have to justify, you know, picking yet another pair for your closet or something. So there is there was that aspect to it. When I needed him, and I couldn't find anything that worked. So I wanted to create the ones that I wanted. And it just felt right, because everyone thought, you know, like, Who? Who cares about readers. And if you go back to my pass, like I had a stint in cycling, and it was the same thing. It was like we went up against a black lacquer short. So it was almost like it was doing it all over again. I had another foe to go against it, which was the crappy $10 only option at the moment. Marc Gutman 13:42 Yeah, and the way that I'm imagining it, and filling in the gaps of your story is that like you're at Walmart or something, and you're standing there looking at readers, and you're like, these things are messed up. And it's weird, like I you know, like, I don't have a lot of experience with readers. And so it's also confusing, you know, like, when I first became aware of your company, I was like, do I need readers? You know, like, how do they work? And there's like this magnification, there's this kind of like this weird thing around them. They're not, you know, I think I grew up where you you go to the optometrist, and you get glasses or whatever, you know, they tell you, you it's not like really the self diagnostic thing. And to your point, I think, to me, readers just seemed like this thing that you did, because maybe you couldn't afford glasses or like like, like it was like a stopgap or something. But that that's neither here nor there. Was this how it happened? Where you were you you mentioned, you needed readers, readers standing there in front of the display being like this thing. This is this is just messed up. Tim Parr 14:36 Yeah. And I don't wear glasses, normal eyewear until I need reading glasses. So the whole process of corrective eyewear, I had no clue. I didn't know how things get fixed. So I was down in Malibu and I was killing time. So I walk into this optometry shop. I'm like, I got this problem or I can't see and like oh yeah, you reading glasses, pick a frame. And we'll, you know, we'll figure out what you need. And we'll pop them in, we'll send it to you in 10 days or so. All right, I guess that's how it works. And I don't know. But I started looking at the frames I want and there's, you know, between 300-800. And then I had to wait like 10 days and long story short, I ended up getting nothing. And walking out of there just thinking something's broken here. And I asked the guy in the story go like, Is it true? Like, either I'm spending $10 at Walgreens? Or I'm spending $400 here? And is that kind of it? He goes, Oh, no, no, no. So he goes in the back of the store, pulls open a drawer, you know, it optometry store in Malibu, it's just like, you know, like a beautiful merchandise thing. The readers were all crammed into a drawer in the back. And they're like, purple and blue, and like cateye, and you know, they fold 800 different ways. And it goes, Well, you can choose from any of these. And, you know, those are like 40 bucks, or, like, really, like, That's it, I'm going to put these things on my face. And that's the spectrum of choice that I'm looking at. So it was like one of those classic situations where, you know, person needed thing thing didn't exist, go make the thing that you want. So that's, that's basically how it all started, was from that moment, and then did some homework and you know, reading glasses 90% of people in this country will need them at some point over the age of 40. Marc Gutman 16:39 That's a great stat when you're starting a business and looking for a target market. Tim Parr 16:44 Yeah, 90, 90% of people over 40. Marc Gutman 16:49 And that's my that's my case, you know, these are reading glasses. I don't wear them all the time I wear I'm in front of the computer. And exactly to your point. I mean, I felt like I had two options was Walgreens, so the optometrist and end up going to the optometrist. And here I could have been doing things a lot different. And so Tim, what I get is this real sense, though, that, that you have this this quality about you that you look, and notice when things are broken, and where things don't make sense. And so and I could gather that's probably you can you can tell me if it's untrue, but you know, looking at your past experience as well, that kind of holds true that you're a serial entrepreneur. I mean, it was not always the case for you. Like when you were a young, young kid, were you looking around the world and being like this, this is this isn't working, or this is, this is what I want to do. Like, where were you like, as a kid, were you entrepreneur? Tim Parr 17:37 No, but I think I attribute a lot of how I was wired to early 80s, Thrasher magazine. Marc Gutman 17:48 Which I am a massive fan of, you probably aren't a big fan of Baby got Backstory, but I talked about it a lot on the podcast, and it's a whole reason I moved to California after I went to college, because I had fallen in love with the beautiful imagery of Venice Beach, only to realize that none of that was true. You know, it was Venice was it was it was a lot harder. And their kids, those kids who had really hard lives, but I thought it was awesome. And so I'm a big fan, so I can't wait to hear where you're going with this. Tim Parr 18:15 So I viewed that as communication. And it was a it was it was visual communication in a way that was very new. It was that irreverent, you know, part that that didn't really exist. Before that. It was it was it was irreverence meets punk rock meets some form of street culture, fashion, all wrapped up into into that magazine. And I remember, I remember doing that. And with something like let's say, I mean, back in the day, it was like action now or surfer magazine, just flipping through the pages as a teenager or even younger, and registering what was right or what was wrong, just from just from cues. And I think that had a much larger impact on me than just about anything in my life. And I remember my mom used to collect a lot of fashion magazines and I would do the same through those I'm or going through old, old web magazines and Vogue and the rest of them now has like 10 years old or something and just rapidly flipping through because I didn't care about the content and I cared about some type of communication and like I would just I wouldn't know it until I saw it and then I would see it and at the time I could just kill I just thought like okay, well what's what's talking what's cool, what can I what were the hidden hidden almost like easter eggs inside this inside this medium, to where I can I can get knowledge of of what's out. happening. And I put most of how I am from those early days. Marc Gutman 20:07 Do you have a sense of where that came from? And where your parents in the communication were they into That kind of stuff? Tim Parr 20:13 No, it's probably a lack of. I mean, to this day, it's probably why I started companies is so I can talk to people. Marc Gutman 20:21 Yeah. And were you Where did you grow up? Was it Southern California, Northern. And so when you were growing up in Northern California, and you're looking at these magazines, like, what did you think you wanted to do with your life? Like, were you your kind of plans at that point? Tim Parr 20:37 I didn't have any. It was it was to surf and skate. And that was my plans. So my whole existence in high school was surfing and skating. And then when I got to senior year, it was okay, how can I get to live on the beach? And to really do that was UCSB because you are living on the beach. So that's where I ended up going to school so I could serve, you know, and it's just it. It was trying to just find that critical path of the least that I had to do in order to achieve the lifestyle that I really wanted. So I went to UCSB so I could serve, you know, got out of there with a 2.0. And then, you know, just kind of started figuring stuff out after that. But it was it was really that drove everything. Marc Gutman 21:24 Yeah, and were you interested in anything other than surfing at UCSB did you start to think like, hey, like, there might be something else out there? Was it all surf all the time? Tim Parr 21:34 Yeah, it kind of was, you know, living in it after that and lived in a van and, and that was in riding mountain bikes. You know, mountain biking was just coming on the scene and the to complement each other really well. So now I can't really say I thought past the next month. Marc Gutman 21:54 So when would you say you got your first real job? Tim Parr 21:57 I'm still working on it. Marc Gutman 22:02 I like that. That's you, you've mastered that. But it did look like that you had some experience at some other companies prior to starting your own? Tim Parr 22:13 Yeah, I would say the first real job was the company that I started, which was called Swobo. In the in the cycling industry. And before that I was you know, racing bikes. And I was lifeguarding or something, you know, just to make ends meet. But yeah, the first job real job was simply one that I created. Marc Gutman 22:34 And what's the story behind that? Tim Parr 22:37 It was early 90s, mid 90s. It was and the answer to the to what was happening in cycling. So you had at that point suspension fork had come to mountain bikes, which opened up the category immensely. And you had snowboarding's snowboarders in the summertime now hopping on mountain bikes, because there were now fun because of suspension and, and became relevant to a much broader group of people rather than cyclist. So, when that started getting off the ground, the apparel world was still just black lycra shorts and jerseys from Europe, you know, tight like rich jerseys. So we were credited with kind of changing the look of, of mountain biking culture, in a way. And not unlike reading glasses. I mean, the first product that we had, we were we were, besides the traditional one or two, three vendors that had been doing it for last 100 years, we were the ones to bring back first bring back wool jerseys. So we brought back a traditional fabric that no one wanted anymore. And then we paired it with a with a bike messenger kind of punk culture. And we urbanized so cycling before that was pretty tight, a, you know, serious athletics, blah, blah, blah. And what we wanted to do was just take that and change it. So people fixated on the bicycle itself, and the lifestyle around a bicycle that one could have without needing to be an Uber athlete. Marc Gutman 24:22 And then was that business plan the way you just articulated it? Was it that concrete and thought out at the time, or were you just like, Hey, I like cycling. I like mountain biking. Like, I want to do something cool. Like Like, where did it land on that spectrum? I mean, were you really saying like I could make this a disruptive business? Tim Parr 24:40 We didn't use that word back then because I don't think it existed. Because it was early 90s. But yeah, I think there was that mentality because we just watched what snowboarding did to skiing, right? Which was massive, right? It turned to ski on its head. So we saw that there's a similar thing you could do in the streets, specifically, and in urban centers with, with the bicycle and with cycling, like modern cycling. So, yeah, I think it was pretty conscious actually. Marc Gutman 25:21 And so what is it about that idea that that punk rock counterculture idea that, you know, we're gonna come into a category and disrupt it say, hey, like we're the cool kids? Like, what is it about that for you that that's appealing? Tim Parr 25:38 I don't know, if we go into it trying to be the cool kids. That might be a byproduct of it. Or in semi intended consequence. But what is it about that? I have to just think it just boils down to it's just more fun to write. And, and then when you really kind of peel away the onion on it, it's more profitable. Because there's less people doing it, which makes it a whitespace. So if you can, which makes your marketing cost lower, right. So if you're not competing with it with similar messages, there's less noise, therefore you can maximize whatever it is that you are saying. So I mean, that's not anything that I was conscious of at the time. But in hindsight, if you're to look at why would you do that, there's economic reasons for doing it. And there's reasons to do it. Because it's, I just find it way more fun. Marc Gutman 26:46 Then, as you were trading this new brand, it's Swobo I have that right? Kind of like with? Yeah, Tim Parr 26:51 yes. S W O B O Marc Gutman 26:53 Yeah. Swobo? Like, were you getting resistance? Where people not happy with you, you know, that we're the establishment in the category? Oh, yeah. Tim Parr 27:04 Yeah, there are plenty people who are not happy with us. And that's how you rally the people who are happy with you. You know, but, uh, you know, it's a fine line. And I think we had incredible respect for all the right things, and no respect for things that didn't matter. So when if you were, so when we were do the trade show, I would have bank messenger from New York City, you know, let's say 25 years old blue hairs, you know, piercings all over their face, holding up the same piece of clothing as like a 65 year old nostalgics skater or skater, cyclist, they could point to the same thing and go, that's cool. And I and that's always been a goal of mine is is to make the product almost agnostic to the message, make the message be the product, and articulate that better than most. So, so so so that there is old school cyclists that really appreciated what we were doing, and respected the craft of the, of the merino wool and, and the heritage of it and bringing it back and caring about it. And then there is a kids in the streets that were stoked, because it wasn't all, you know, super clean athletes that the sport was about. Marc Gutman 28:33 Yeah. And you said, and I'll paraphrase, because I probably won't get it get it totally right. But it was this idea about make the message, you know, something bigger than the product and articulate it better than most. And that's a pretty, like, advanced sort of idea. You know, I don't think most people just enter the market and think think that way. Now, was that something that was intrinsic to you that that came natural to you? Or did you learn this idea that like, hey, you're really selling something else, something bigger than the actual product? Was that was that something you actually learned or that just come naturally? Tim Parr 29:10 It came naturally. I didn't learn it anywhere. I think it's just instincts Marc Gutman 29:15 Some good instincts. Tim Parr 29:16 Good. Thank you. It sounds like taking it. So you say you take a very true the most traditional piece of cycling apparel you could possibly make, which is the the wool jersey. And then when we first came out, we had a model, this woman with a short crop punky like purple hair. And like that picture was spread everywhere. Every media channel picked it up. I mean, it leads people to ask the question, What's going on here? It's not so straightforward. And that's something that I always am shooting for, is the brand is always on a journey to keep people engaged on a level to where they Asking questions rather than a brand just pushing answers back out. Marc Gutman 30:09 This episode brought to you by Wildstory. Oh, wait, isn't that your company? It is. And without the generous support of Wildstory, this show would not be possible. Brand isn't a logo or a tagline, or even your product or brand is a person's gut feeling about a product service or company. It's what people say about you, when you're not in the room. Wildstory helps progressive founders and savvy marketers build purpose driven brands that connect their business goals with the customers they want to serve. So that both the business and the customer needs are met. And this results in crazy, happy, loyal customers that purchase again and again. And this is great for business. If that sounds like something you and your team might want to learn more about, reach out@www.wildstory.com. And we'd be happy to tell you more. Now back to our show. And so as you're as you're building this brand, is your building slow, like, What's going on there? I mean, did you know that? I mean it? Was it just a rocket ship from the beginning? Or were you? Tim Parr 31:20 No it was a shit show! It was my first business. Marc Gutman 31:29 What happens to what happened with that business were to ultimately go, Tim Parr 31:32 I sold it to Santa Cruz bicycles. Marc Gutman 31:35 it was it was not a good was that a good sale for you? Tim Parr 31:38 No, no. No, but you know, it's, it's it's live and learn. You know, I've been asked this a lot, you know, like, would you consider it a success? And what would you do different? And mainly people ask like, well, what would you do different. And I honestly wouldn't do a single thing different. I would have. I mean, it was pain, like to liquidate, you know the brand when you're young and and to take that one right in the chops, dealing with some unsavory invest investors. But come the end of the day, like we had a mission to change the way people thought about the bicycle. And I think we we helped in that in some way, shape or form. So it was a success. We learned a lot. It sucked in many ways at towards the end. But at the same time. I just I know it sounds cliche, but I just when seriously wouldn't change a single thing. Marc Gutman 32:43 And so coming out of that experience you you liquidate did you go work for Santa Cruz or did Tim Parr 32:47 no no's actually, like that same month, I got a call from Patagonia CEO. They're saying we have this surf business that's fledgling and can you come and fix it. Marc Gutman 32:59 And was Yvonne, Yvonne are the CEO at the time. Tim Parr 33:03 He was not his name is Michael crook. And that's who called me. And then Luckily, I did get to work with Avon because Avon was very passionate and wanted this thing to work, it was going to work. So he wanted to make sure that it was somewhat hands on so to this day, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have you know, driven up and down the California coast with him and go out to the ranch to Hollister ranch and just have long conversations with him about all kinds of stuff. Marc Gutman 33:36 So I imagined that had to be an incredibly well maybe not like what you're hoping for for someone to offer you a job if someone's gonna offer you a job after your first business to get the call from Patagonia to come get involved in something you love and care so deeply about surfing. I had to be pretty awesome. Tim Parr 33:53 It was great. It was great again lucky. So I was there a year year and a half and it was turned it around. It was successful. People were happy Yvonne was happy. And then from there started a brand consultancy. Marc Gutman 34:09 So why not stay at Patagonia why why start a brand consultancy? Tim Parr 34:15 Because we were living still up in up in Noe Valley, California, which was a plane flight away from Ventura. So I was literally flying down Monday mornings, and I'd leave the house about 4am to get to the airport for a six o'clock flight. I'd stay down to Ventura till Thursday night, and then fly home Thursday night and do it all over again Monday morning. And so I did that for a year. That was a big part why Marc Gutman 34:46 I'm exhausted just listeningto you talk about it, I can only imagine. I get it and so you decide that you're going to part ways and you you form a brand consultancy. Like how did that go? It was Tim Parr 35:00 Again, I see I feel that was another gift. I mean, anytime people welcome you into their home like that. So that was fun. So I called it par Goldman and burn. And there was no Goldman and there was no burn. But sounds. Yeah, it worked up until I was I was in the boardroom of LL Bean. And I just delivered a project that I'd spent. God knows how long eight months maybe. Can't remember. And it all went well. And I had my business card there picks it up. And the guy looks at he goes, Okay, so where's Goldman and burn? I go, Oh, you know, Oscar Goldman from the $6 million, man. Yeah, I guess. Well, I kind of wish that he was my partner, but he's not really my partner. And then David Burns from the talking heads. I love that guy, too. So I wish he was my partner, but he's not really my partner. Okay, I think it's funny. They didn't think it was funny. Marc Gutman 35:58 They didn't think it was funny? I mean, like, from from the, if you're gonna hire a brand consultancy, it might as well be one that's like, you know, having made a partner's of their boyhood dreams, you know, and Tim Parr 36:10 the logo looked really regal. You know, if the shield if you look really closely, there's like a Shaka inside shield. So that was like the giveaway that maybe something was up. Marc Gutman 36:23 Literally, you had a part with LLBean and as a customer, because Tim Parr 36:26 oh, no, no, no, it was it was over it because I had delivered the goods. And I was done. But it was the only time that that name didn't work. And, you know, I had great and fantastic clients like Kona mountain bikes. To this day, I'm still close friends with and Patagonia and a lot of outdoor industry or sports or surf related, talking about big, you know, big strategic thinking around brands. And I remember having one meeting where it was just painful, as in every consultant has, has these clients. And I just remember walking out thinking I'm done. And I remember reading this quote, which I thought is so brilliant. And it never occurred to me, but the quote was in order to do something different, you can't do things the same. Yeah. So if I don't want to do this anymore, like I need to stop doing this. Like right now. I can just stop and I need to do something different. And that's when I stopped consulting. Marc Gutman 37:31 And it was it was it as cut and dry. Is that did you fire? You know, fire any existing clients? Tim Parr 37:37 well, they were not? Oh, well, I was I was not I ran out a couple of clients. You know, I did tell him that I was kind of closing up shop. And yeah, and then that was that. Marc Gutman 37:49 What was your personal life? Like at this time? Did you have a family did you have? Yeah. And so what was that conversation like? Tim Parr 37:57 Well, it gets better because then I think a month after that, I decided that I was going to learn guitar and start a bluegrass band and tour the United States, the western United States. So my, my wife has a successful dance business in in Northern California. So we were able to I could work for the dance business, doing marketing related things while I was on the road playing music. So it all kind of worked out in a way. So I joined the family business for a while. And played music. Marc Gutman 38:36 Yeah, how did that that musical career go? Tim Parr 38:40 It was super fun. I mean, I didn't really know how to do any of it. So I spent time learning how to learn, which was interesting. And a lot of this with the music was a catalyst for what we're doing now with CADDIS because I had to learn I had to learn how to learn being at the time in my mid 40s, late 40s. And your brain is different. So there's a strategy to learning something difficult, like acoustic guitar, you know, flat picking bluegrass, and, and you don't want to waste time when you're that age. So I did a lot of reading on how to learn and then got a really good teacher. And I was practicing six, seven hours a day and to get up to speed. But a lot of that process is is context for your this whole aging platform of what is now CADDIS. This is actually before CADDIS was even created. So it's all it all kind of leads to where we are today. Marc Gutman 39:51 Yeah, and you mentioned that we we learn differently and their strategies for that. Like are you able to talk at like a high level like, what those are like? Tim Parr 40:00 So, I mean, specifically for music, let's just stick to a sentence. So it's concrete. But I'm sure you can apply it to a lot of different things. You have to really pinpoint what you want to learn, break it up to a bunch of different pieces. Don't spend any more than 15 to 20 minutes on, like, focus on it. And then go just like put it down and go do something else, like completely leave it and then go back and do it all over again. And you have to break everything down in small chunks of material and in time. And there's a consistency to it. Which makes your your learning curve, do this instead of this, which isn't 100% true, because eventually you do this and you plateau. And then you kind of need to find these incremental gains. But in a nutshell, it's and this is complete layman's terms, but it's break things into small chunks. Don't spend, you know, hours and hours kind of dwelling on IT spend like because your mind will wander, like spend 15 2030 minutes in a real deep dive, and then chill out and go do something else. And then come back to it and deep dive again. Marc Gutman 41:17 Well, thanks for sharing, that's awesome. Like, I just assumed we kind of had a normal learning pattern throughout our lives, I didn't realize that we, we learn differently as we as we grow older. Tim Parr 41:27 Yeah, the brain, the brain changes. And one of the best things you can do for your brain as you age is learn music. Because it's one of the few things if you think about it, you're using audio, you're hearing something, you're thinking about something you're acting, there's a physical action to it. And then you have to, you know, recreate there's the hand movement, his left hand, right, and it basically hits every lobe on your brain. Marc Gutman 41:56 Well, you just gave me permission to tell my wife, I'm going to read new guitar for the 10th time in my career. I think I picked it up and set it down too many times. But I love that. And so after the the music career did is that when you started CADDIS? Tim Parr 42:11 Yes. So it was actually during, you know, I thought I could do both. So I'm going to start this company. I'll tour I can work out of the van, you know, with my laptop. All good. That's a bad idea. Let the record show that that's a bad idea. Marc Gutman 42:34 You heard it here first. Why? Why do that you made the comment, I think earlier in our conversation that you probably really didn't have to do this like this, you didn't have to start another company. Sounds like that you had the ability to work for the family business and pursue your dream of playing bluegrass on the road. Like, isn't that enough? Like why? Like, why start a company? You know, at this point in your life and what what you have going on? Tim Parr 43:02 Yeah, it got to a point where I couldn't not do it. Like it was it was irresponsible of me like to do it and not to do it. If I didn't do it. Like it was like, Okay, my circle of friends are my contacts are the people to do this thing. If you don't do this thing. Someone's gonna do it. And it's, it may not be as good. So you have to go do this thing now. Marc Gutman 43:34 And were you starting to circulate this idea and get positive reinforcement? Or was this just bubbling up in the back of your own mind? Tim Parr 43:40 No Yeah, I was getting I was getting a mixed bag. Some people just didn't get it. And some people really got it. And it took a friend of mine. I just came back from playing. You know where it was it was we played the the the telluride Bluegrass Festival. And I remember coming as long as drive home and and I went to dinner a couple days later with a friend of mine. who at the time was, I believe he's the CEO of Nixon watches. And he asked me like, and I've known him forever. And he goes, well, where are you at with this reading glass idea? He didn't told me about it. Oh, yeah. Looking into this and I'm looking into that and, and he just he saw right through the bullshit. He goes, No goes you start that tomorrow. Okay, so then I came home and told my wife what Scott told me and and I, what do you think she's like, Well, what do you think? Oh, all right, let's let's do it. You know, because you got to have everyone on board because as we noted earlier, they're hard and they take a toll on everybody. So kind of got the sign off on it. And away we went, but It was that feeling of, like, you can't not do it. I was gonna say it's just too late, like it got to be too late. Marc Gutman 45:11 And so I love imagining like, you know, Scott just giving you the tough love. And Tim Parr 45:15 Oh, he gave me that the talk, dropping, Marc Gutman 45:18 Dropping truth bombs. And so like, what was the first thing you did after that? Like, how did you get started? Tim Parr 45:24 So I knew I didn't want it well. So I had I brought it up to a certain point. And I don't even know what that point was at this juncture. But then I knew I didn't want to do it alone. And I knew if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it with the best people that I've ever worked with. And so I made a couple of email calls, I think the first one was to Dustin Robertson, who was at bat country calm forever, who I'd known through my suavo days and ran by him. And he just sent me like this email back that says, Okay, let's go. And that was that. And so him and then it kind of trickled to my partner at suavo, which was, you know, 20 years prior, if not longer, getting him on board. A friend, Enoch Harris, those were the three cores. And then those people, new people, and then it grew out to think five people total by tally watch it, but I wasn't going to go it alone. I've done that before. And there's no reason to do it. You need really good, experienced people to get something like this going. Marc Gutman 46:46 Yeah. And that, that leads me I was gonna ask, like, as you're assembling this team, this kind of a tribute band, so to speak of, of players like we actually what are you looking for? Like, what do you what are you thinking? You know, because obviously experience but you know, that's, that's pretty easy. What else are you looking for in these in these people that you're bringing on board to help you achieve this goal? Tim Parr 47:07 Personality types. So I know that these things are rollercoasters. So, you know, people that the shits gonna hit the fan, and, you know, it's all gonna be okay. I mean, most of these people who I started with, I've known for over 25 years. So, you know, we're gonna succeed together or fail together. And both were okay. Marc Gutman 47:36 So now that you've built up catalysts, and it's it's got momentum, it's turning into this brand that stands for more than than just readers. But like, what's hard about it? Like, what don't we know? Like, what's hard about the reader business? Tim Parr 47:50 Oh, you know, it's not the reader business as hard as businesses that are hard. So, I mean, I wouldn't really say that the reader business is hard, because they're all hard, you know, it doesn't matter. I don't care what you're doing. This is something like I've given talks at, at colleges or whatever, and you get a lot of questions, and there's no easy path. It doesn't matter what it is, or what gifts you have, like, they're all hard, especially in I shouldn't say especially, that's biased, I'm biased to think that when you make stuff, like the amount of crap that can go wrong, on any given moment, you know, from shipments being bad to boot, you know, fabrics that bleed into, you know, and, and all kinds of, there's just a myriad of things that can happen. So, I mean, into right now, today, you know, the company is growing really fast. And we're just, you know, we're adding people at a fast rate. And, you know, the hardest thing is seeing it, it's always been the same thing. And we are a remote business. So that's part of the beauty. And the challenge is that we've always been a remote business. So So communication will always be a challenge. You know, how we move ideas around and get projects done. But I mean, in a nutshell, answer your question. I think they're all just hard. And Marc Gutman 49:23 So one of the things that I think is really cool and distinguishable about your brand is on the top of I don't even know what you call the top of the frame here. I'm sure you have. Tim Parr 49:31 I don't know either. Marc Gutman 49:33 Okay, there's not like a fancy name. I was like, he's gonna tell me it's like, Tim Parr 49:37 I'm not saying that there's not a fancy name. I'm telling you. I don't know what it is. Marc Gutman 49:42 But you have things like regular and Goofy over the eyes, imprinted on the frame, I think Yeah, a port and starboard one. Where does that come from? Like, where the whose idea was that and why why do you that? Tim Parr 49:55 Kind of why not? returns on these. So these are the Another Mr. cartoons. So there's what he says is Canada and that he, which is left and right in Spanish. There's port starboard Goofy, regular. It seemed like a good surface. Somehow. Marc Gutman 50:16 Yeah, under utilized. No one else is doing it. It's really, yeah, it's really, really cool. I mean, it's Tim Parr 50:24 Maximize your assets. Marc Gutman 50:28 And so you know, you just showed us the the Mr. cartoon, what's your favorite frame? Is it the Mr. Cartoon? Or is there Tim Parr 50:35 I don't have one. And I always compare this. I listen to Terry Gross, interviewed Keith Richards. And she asked him what his favorite song was. And she just, he just ripped her head off, saying how, ah, Jerry, it's like trying to pick a favorite child. You don't do that then other than that, so I kind of feel the same way. Marc Gutman 50:58 Yeah, well, I agree, kids. And I'll tell you right now I have a favorite. It's not always the same one. It changes from time to time, but at any given time, I do have a favorite one that says they don't lie. Tim Parr 51:11 Okay, you're probably true. me close Miklos? I would say. And this is my favorite Marc Gutman 51:18 Story about Keith Richards makes me think you know, I know that you work with a lot of like really cool influencers and ambassadors that are like aging athletes and surfers and musicians. But who have you seen where your product that you didn't have a relationship with that just really like blew your mind? You're like, I can't believe the day that they're wearing my stuff. Tim Parr 51:42 Man. Lately, there's been a few you know, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Julia Louis, Julianne Moore. Did girl. And I heard that Shepard Fairey has Pete Souza, the White House photographer. So they're just I mean, it's like Katie Couric? Yes, posting about them and doing okay. So like, I don't run in those circles, obviously. So it's, it's cool when you see that and people have, there's a lot of pride around the discovery. And the people that take selfies, you know, and are posting and saying that, like, I support this, you know, and without any prompting from us, I think it's fantastic. It means that the, the communication is leaving, and it's coming back, that it's been received. And to me that's like, I don't care if I die tomorrow, like when people do that with our brand. It's, it's the Holy Grail. Marc Gutman 52:54 And so as you're building this brand, as you're spreading this message, what's next for CADDIS? Where do you want this thing to go? Tim Parr 53:00 What we're gonna do is, is further develop this idea of owning age. So beyond reading glasses, and one of the first things we're doing is we're starting a newsletter that's going to grow into something bigger, but that's called humongous living. And then, from humongous living, we've just started a new nonprofit called music farming.org, which I'm super excited about, because the company from the get go, took 1% of gross revenue. And we and we gave it to music education programs across the United States. That's a soft spot for me personally, what was happening, we're growing so fast that that bucket of cash grew to a size that I couldn't manage. So the idea is, okay, let's pull it out of CADDIS create a separate entity to which other brands can contribute it into and we actually grow this thing where we can start helping people doing the hard work on the, you know, in the trenches, getting instruments, paying teachers, whatever they need, so that we can make make music education, something important again in this country. Marc Gutman 54:26 And that is Tim Parr, founder of CADDIS. As I reflect on our conversation, Tim said something to me that I can't get out of my head. He said, that's where the fun lies in changing people's minds. And I couldn't agree more. I thought Tim's journey was full of gold nuggets about building a brand and building a business. But if you were to take one thing away from this conversation, it's sell the message more than the product is a big thank you. In part and the cat is team. I love this mission you're on to help people own their age. I could probably use a little of that secret sauce myself. We will link to all things Tim Parr, CADDIS, and music farming, the nonprofit Tim discussed in the episode in the show notes. And if you know of a guest who should appear on our show, please drop me a line at podcast@wildstory.com our best guests like Tim, come from referrals from past guests and our listeners. Well, that's the show. Until next time, make sure to visit our website www.wildstory.com where you can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher or via RSS so you'll never miss an episode I like big stories and I cannot lie. You other storytellers can't deny.
Pete Souza is the top photojournalist in the country. He has been an official white house photographer for Reagan, and the chief official white house photographer for both Obama terms. His photos are viewed all around the world and now he has become a social media icon with 2.7 million followers on his Instagram account where he throws shade accompanied with a photo during the Obama presidency at the current administration. Pete's Website with Book Info: https://www.petesouza.com/ The Way I See It Documentary: https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-way-i-see-it Our Website: themadisonianpodcast.com Merchandise: teespring.com/stores/themadisonianpodcast Patreon: patreon.com/themadisonianpodcast Music Credits: Voices by ASHUTOSH | https://soundcloud.com/grandakt Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Dawn Porter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on HBO, PBS, Discovery, and Netflix among others. She has had two feature documentaries premiere this year -- John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It. Good Trouble explores late Congressman John Lewis' pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement and decades of political and social activism on important issues including voting rights, immigration laws, and much more. The Way I See It is about photojournalist Pete Souza, who served as Chief Official White House photographer for President Barack Obama and previously as an Official White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan. In this conversation, Dawn and I discuss the overlapping themes and unique storytelling challenges of these two movies, creative ways of managing production during covid, and tips she has for aspiring documentary filmmakers. Follow Dawn Porter Follow Austin Meyer
It's Election Day 2020! To celebrate democracy, we discuss the new political documentary The Way I See It, which follows the career of White House photographer Pete Souza and his years working with President Reagan and President Obama. Arkansas filmmaker Chad Hill stops by the virtual podbooth to break the film down and how well it works as a film, as a historical document, and as a piece of political activism. Read a full episode transcript. LINKS Stream The Way I See It free on PeacockFollow Chad Hill on instagram CONNECT WITH US Instagram Facebook Twitter Letterboxd Email us at Andrew@ArthouseGarage.com Subscribe to the monthly email newsletter: arthousegarage.com/subscribe
We run through what we watched this week — the third presidential debate, the new Borat movie, Pete Souza's The Way I See It, and a vintage season of Road Rules. We also discuss celebrity Trump supporters (ahem, Chris Pratt) and election day predictions.