Business & Economy

Audrey French on How to Find the Right Mentor at the Right Time

In Chapter 6 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Have Mentors Helped to Motivate You to Do Your Best Work?" French shares how different mentors have been valuable at different stages of her career. Out of college, French works for a female small business owner who inspires her own entrepreneurial leap. Later, after leaving the business world, French finds a female mentor that helps her come to terms with her new life after the company and her motherhood aspirations. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on How Emotional Vulnerability Can Build Relationship Trust

In Chapter 7 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" French finds sharing a vulnerable moment or being open to showing emotional vulnerability is a good way to build relationship trust. This helps her create and open, sharing and accepting environment to engage others in and out of work. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey Parker on When Not to Take Relationship Advice From Friends

In Chapter 8 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" Reflecting back to when she was running a fast-growing business, French notes how she was constantly getting advice on how to solve her life problems, namely relationships. She realizes that there is a time and place for this and that it is okay to give yourself space to not ask for or take advice and instead to address these challenges in due course. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on How Make Your Communication More Effective and Enjoyable

In Chapter 9 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?" French learns to see communication as more than getting information across to another person. Specifically she advances her communication skills by embracing the relational or relationship way shared experiences can foster more effective communication and understanding between two parties. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on How to Be a Better Mentor to Young Women Professionals

In Chapter 10 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Are You Learning to Be a Better Mentor to Young Women Professionals?" After selling the company - CLEAResult, she co-founded, French is able to get space and be a more engaged and useful mentor to young women professionals trying to better navigate their careers. Her own entrepreneurship experience teaches her the importance of not needing to have all the answers before moving forward on a big decision. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on How to Adapt When Things Do Not Work As Planned

In Chapter 11 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" French learns adaptability in the entrepreneurship experience she had starting and growing a business. She learns how to deal with situations and people that demand calm and flexible responses. This helps her manage uncertainty and be less uptight in doing so. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on Choosing to Have Kids and Start a Family

In Chapter 13 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" French shares how her aspirations are shifting beyond leaving her company and getting married to starting a family. She notes that she already has captured her flag professionally and found fulfillment starting a company. She now aims to capture her flag by becoming a mother. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Bijoy Goswami on a Simple Way to Improve Public Speaking Skills

In Chapter 8 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "How Are You Improving Your Public Speaking Skills as You Gain Experience?" Goswami notes the importance of being present when he speaks. He finds presence allows him to be more flexible and adjust his approach to best fit the audience and the environment. He learns this over many years after taking a public speaking course as an undergrad at Stanford. 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.

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.

Bijoy Goswami on Managing Complexity by Embracing Simplicity

In Chapter 18 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "How Are Your Responsibilities Changing as Your Career Evolves?" As Goswami develops a greater mastery of his stewardship skills, work opportunities expand from individual-level into organizational- and community-level. By striking a balance embracing simplicity and managing complexity Goswami shares how he makes the transition.

Goswami is able to perform at higher levels. 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.

Bijoy Goswami on Why Not to Set Goals and Measure Outcomes

In Chapter 19 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "What Goals are You Setting as You Look to What Comes Next in Your Career?" Goswami shares why he does not use goals and milestones to assess performance and motivate progress. He finds goals to be limiting and instead focuses on a journey focused neither on safety nor outcome.

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.

4 Ways to Manage a Busy Schedule and Do Great Work

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Do You Find are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" For Stallings it comes down to setting expectations with others, finding accountability partners, understanding his capacity and setting the right pace, and maintaining empathy with others.

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 and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

How to Admit Failure and Adapt When Things Don't Work Out

In Chapter 5 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" Stallings first notes the importance of being quick to admit failure. Once this is established, Stallings adapts and works out the situation by getting guidance from trusted relationships and using his own intuition.

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 and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

How to Plan Your Future by Aligning Your Passions

In Chapter 8 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" He notes that while you cannot control your past you can take steps to create experiences that will shape your future. He finds places where his passions align and plans his goals around the possibilities that exist at that juncture.

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.

Why to Work With People Who Think Differently Than You

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" Stallings seeks out different personality types at work because they help him learn new subjects, new problem solving approaches and new ways of thinking.

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.

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.

How to Make Employee Culture a Competitive Advantage

In Chapter 12 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Has Working at frog design Taught You About What It Takes to Build a Strong Company Culture?" Working at 40-year old design strategy company frog design, Stallings sees firsthand how people not only can come together to solve client problems but also can individually contribute to shaping what the company represents in carrying on the company history via actions and values. As he assimilates into frog culture over time, Stallings learns how to contribute, embrace the impromptu nature of interaction, and, ultimately, add to how the company differentiates with its culture.

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.

How Nonlinear Thinking Facilitates Innovative Problem Solving

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "How Are You Developing an Innovation Process to Help How You Solve Problems?" Stallings notes the non-linear and interdisciplinary inquiry or thinking that comes with producing innovation often is at odds with how organizations are structured. These silos block potential cross-fertilization that comes with approaching problems with resources and tools - ethnography studies, case studies, etc. - that may not be readily available in any one business or organizational unit.

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.