Jon Kolko on Making an Impact in an Executive Leadership Role

In Chapter 10 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "At This Point in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Kolko shares how work experience in his new Vice President role is helping him learn entrepreneurial strategy and executive leadership skills from colleagues. The senior-level role and its related exposure to higher level conversations open opportunities for Kolko to champion design strategy as a company leader. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Why Confidence Matters in Creative Jobs

In Chapter 11 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" Kolko notes why confidence is fundamental in a creative design career, namely that in a work environment where repeated failure is a given, resiliency is everything. Having a creative career making things depends on having the confidence to iterate past the failures to get to solutions and solve problems. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Learning the Nuances of General Management

In Chapter 12 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage and Motivate Teams?" As he gains general management experience managing larger design teams at MyEdu, Kolko learns to handle challenging situations and help individuals and teams execute by using hands-off and hands-on techniques. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How to Lower Higher Ed Tuition and Enhance Curriculum

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Was Your Approach to Determining Whether or Not You Wanted to Pursue Accreditation for Your School and What Did You Decide?" Kolko and his team choose not to pursue accreditation. Without it, he is able to more quickly adapt curriculum to meet changing student needs, hire non-PhD graduates to teach, and keep operational costs and hence student tuition low. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Why to Work With Business Partners Who Share Your Values

In Chapter 17 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Has Been Your Approach to Finding Business Partners Whose Mission and Values Align With Your Own?" Spence notes organizational success is highly predicated on working with individuals and organizations who share your mission and goals. She learns the power of mission-alignment participating in the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meetings. She applies this approach to partner with Participant Media to create entertainment that inspires people to take action. Social entrepreneur and storyteller Courtney Spence founded 501c3 nonprofit Students of the World (SOW) to shine a light on progress and celebrate the world's problem solvers. She is building a movement of next-generation storytellers and creative activists through the SOW program The Creative Activist Network. Spence is a graduate of Duke University.

Bijoy Goswami on Why to Seek Out a Creative Project Partner

In Chapter 14 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "What Skills are Becoming More Important to You as Your Career Advances?" Goswami shares why it is important to take initiative and find collaborative work partners, especially when work becomes increasingly complex.

Bijoy Goswami is a writer, teacher, and community leader based in Austin, Texas. He develops learning models to help individuals, organizations and communities live more meaningfully. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software.  Goswami graduated from Stanford University.

Honing Interdisciplinary Job Skills to Do More Impactful Work

In Chapter 10 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Stallings finds honing his interdisciplinary skillset - psychology, design, marketing, and strategy - is helping him contribute more to a team and take on more leadership responsibilities.

Hammans Stallings is a Senior Strategist at frog design. Previously he worked in strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Brett Goldman on Making the Most of Living in New York City

In Chapter 7 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, real estate developer Brett Goldman answers "How Do You Make the Most of Living in the City?" Beyond walking around appreciating the architecture and buildings, Goldman soaks up city life by finding things that interest him culturally and expose him to new things. To do this, he makes it a weekly habit of reading about what is happening and making plans to see ballet performances, visit museums, and more fully embrace New York City.

Brett Goldman is a Real Estate Acquisitions Director at Triangle Equities in New York City.  He holds a BA in General Studies from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Real Estate Development from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Jason Anello on How Parents Support Creative Career Choices

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  Anello shares how his parents have found ways to give him independence and encouragement even in times when they did not quite understand his decisions.  He notes how his father, a union man working a blue collar job as an auto mechanic, needed to accept an advertising career path was more fluid and less stable. 

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Being a More Confident Creative Leader

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in What You Do?" Anello takes heart in author Malcolm Gladwell's message that confidence is leadership. When running his company and when presenting to clients, Anello understands there is a time and place to be assertive and project confidence to communicate a point.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

3 Ways to Handle Pressure and Excel in a Creative Director Job

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Working in advertising creating experiential marketing events, Anello details the three areas where he needs to handle the pressure.  The first is in pitch meetings. He learns to understand he will never be in control and learns to let go. The second is in coming up with ideas. Here, he learns to set expectations that the ideation process is anything but consistent. The third is executing a marketing event and blending your plans with a need to adapt on the go.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Getting a Guerilla Marketing Event to Go Viral

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Did Doing a Zynga Blood Drive Project Teach You About Doing More Effective Guerilla Marketing?" To promote a new Zynga mobile game, Anello and his team send 100s of Zombies into the streets of New York City, trailing them with rhubarb and hibiscus mint flavored "blood pops." By handing out tiny stickers, Anello is able to get people to share the Zombie experience online and create a nationwide buzz that ties back to the Zynga game release.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Pitch Advice on How to Better Present Your Creative Capabilities

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Have Your Client Experiences Evolved the Way You Present Your Capabilities When Pitching New Business?" Working in experiential marketing that combines physical and digital environments, Anello learns through experience to focus less on the creative flair of past projects and more on the core problems his team has solved for clients and the ROI and results the work has generated.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series. He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Finding New Ways to Share What You Know

In Chapter 18 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Anello finds the more experience he has to draw on and share, the better he can distill and impart the knowledge to others. He tries to find teachable moments in everyday, non-classroom moments which help him look for new ways to learn and to share.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on How Aspirations Get More Money Motivated

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" As a creative, Anello shares how his aspiration has always been to make work like play. As he builds a company, he becomes more aware of how making money can also be an aspiration and help him make a greater difference in his work.  He finds challenge reconciling his creative mindset and money motivation.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Cathy Erway on How to Find a Literary Agent Right For You

In Chapter 5 of 17 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, writer and healthy food advocate Cathy Erway answers "What Advice Do You Have for Writers Looking to Build a Literary Agent Relationship?"  Erway notes the two literary agent sources, the sole proprietor agent and the literary agency.  She gives advice on how to build a relationship with the agency and its agents that is in line with your long-term career goals as a writer. 

Cathy Erway is a Brooklyn-based author, part-time cook, freelance writer, radio host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy.  Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  She earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College.

Lulu Chen on How Reflecting Helps You Plan for the Future

In Chapter 3 of 16 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, art director Lulu Chen answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?"  Reflecting helps Chen appreciate what she has today.  It helps make better career plans, especially as she has grown into her 30s. 

Lulu Chen is a photo art director working in retail e-commerce in New York City.  Previously, Chen worked as a freelance stylist for leading fashion catalogs and magazines.  She earned a BFA in design and art history from the University of Michigan.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What role has reflection played in shaping your personal growth?

Lulu Chen: I think it’s given me perspective just reflecting back on previous jobs and like life experiences and relationships. It’s—I don’t know. It makes me appreciate what I really have today, and it gives me perspective on what’s really important and what my priorities are. 
I think when I was younger I just kept working so hard but I didn’t necessarily think about the direction, you just think, “Oh, you just work really hard. You just keep doing this, and good things happen,” which generally I—you know, I try to be positive and hope that that’s still true, but sometimes I think you also have to strategize directionally, you know, sort of—kind of plan it out a little bit, and I’ve gotten better at that too as I’ve gotten older.

I think sometimes speaking to some of my friends, my peers, and having them kind of compliment me or point things out, that’s when I reflect back, and I really appreciate it, you know. It’s very hard for me to take compliments sometimes and I also—Yeah, I just forget, you know? I forget to stop and just think about things and, you know—just, you know, keep going.

Lulu Chen on How Confidence Improves Your Work Performance

In Chapter 4 of 16 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, art director Lulu Chen answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?"  As a fashion professional, Chen finds confidence helps improve your own performance and, as a result, those working around you. 

Lulu Chen is a photo art director working in retail e-commerce in New York City.  Previously, Chen worked as a freelance stylist for leading fashion catalogs and magazines.  She earned a BFA in design and art history from the University of Michigan.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What role does confidence play in the work that you do?

Lulu Chen: So I think confidence comes into play in a lot of different ways actually. I think it comes into play for yourself, in that you trust your own abilities and, you know, if you have to lead a team or direct for—in what I’m doing now, you direct a team of people, you also—I think when you exude confidence, they trust you, and they, you know, they trust in the process and the project, and—I mean, no one really wants to take direction from someone who seems unsure of themselves, right?

When you’re confident, I think you stress less. You’re just more sure, you’re more steady. I think that’s great for yourself and anyone you work with. But also when you aren’t confident, I think it snowballs, you know. Everybody kind of through osmosis, everyone becomes a little, you know, unsure of themselves. And that’s just a disaster. Right? Because—And also, you know, when you confidently present something to someone in a meeting even or let’s say a prospectus or something, it definitely sells better than if you carry yourself in an unsure way. You know, the way you speak, and how you feel about it too.