Matt Curtis on Turning Low Self Esteem into High Self Confidence

In Chapter 14 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" Recalling his twentysomething years battling obesity, Curtis remembers his self esteem problems and depression battles. Over time, Curtis learns to take a more confident approach and emulate Bill Clinton, and using a smile and undivided attention to win over a room. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Matt Curtis on Improving Public Speaking Skills by Singing Karaoke

In Chapter 15 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" For Curtis, performing under pressure in his work means presenting to or speaking to elected public officials. He shares how performing karaoke and singing karaoke has helped him get more comfortable standing up in a crowded room and presenting with confidence. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Matt Curtis on Two Easy Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

In Chapter 16 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?" Curtis shares how showing enthusiasm and curiosity when having a conversation or meetings lifts the quality of communication. This helps him as he seeks to improve writing, grammar, and speaking skills. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Matt Curtis on How to Have a More Productive Day at the Office

In Chapter 17 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "What Skills Are You Using More As Your Career Advances?" Curtis finds scheduling and prioritization skills are becoming more and more important. He learns ways to tap into his network to gain access to information on short notice and to say no to countless coffee and lunch requests when a short phone call will accomplish meeting objectives in shorter amounts of time. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Matt Curtis on Learning to Work With Different Personality Types

In Chapter 18 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" Curtis shares how working in public service has helped him realize the importance of giving someone space to share their feelings and vent a little. This helps Curtis better connect with people who act, feel or think differently than he does. He also learns how the pace quickens in shifting from public service to working in the private sector. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Courtney Spence on How to Build Relationship Trust

In Chapter 3 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" Spence shares how building relationship trust comes down to honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. She finds you create and maintain trust by being committed to honest communication and accepting that it is okay to be vulnerable.

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. 

Courtney Spence on Getting Mentor Advice on How to Conduct Layoffs

In Chapter 6 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Have Mentors Helped Motivate You to Do Your Best Work?" Spence shares how mentors have supported her through challenging situations by sharing examples of how they acted in similar circumstances. She highlights a recent need to conduct layoffs and how mentors supported her through decisions to lay off employees. 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.

Courtney Spence on When to Run a Nonprofit Like a Business

In Chapter 7 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve to Grow Your Nonprofit Organization?" Spence learns to use business decision-making skills more to understand how to operate Students of the World as a sustainable business. This includes being comfortable making decisions that are not black and white, including needing to layoff staff and form a strategic partnership with Participant Media. 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.

Humor and Other Leadership Skills You Use More as Your Career Grows

In Chapter 10 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Skills Are You Using More As Your Career Advances?" Spence embraces humor - in particular learning not to take herself so seriously - and finds it incredibly helpful in her professional development as a nonprofit leader. She sets goals to develop stronger relationships and learns to hand off responsibility and put the right team members in the right places. 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.

How to Communicate Better to Make Sure You Are Understood

In Chapter 12 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?" She learns that just because you say something to someone does not mean they heard you. Spence finds it useful to communicate a message different ways at different times to make sure her message is received and understood. 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.

Courtney Spence on Managing a Busy Schedule to Get Things Done

In Chapter 13 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Do You Find Are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" For Spence, staying productive and getting things done comes down to two things: prioritizing and delegating. With effective prioritization comes more effective focus on the right tasks. She finds delegating tasks to the right people also helps her get the focus to help her be more productive at work. 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.

How to Be a More Flexible Manager and Lead Teams Through Change

In Chapter 14 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage and Motivate Teams?" Spence learns to recognize that individuals that make up a team are in a constant state of change. She learns to be more adaptive, flexible, and responsive in her management style to bring out the best in her team as the organization evolves and grows. 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.

How to Give Better Advice When Someone Asks You For Help

In Chapter 15 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" Spence finds giving pause when someone asks her a question is a useful first step. By taking time to answer, she is able to better formulate a response and more fully understand context behind why the person is asking her for help. 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.

How to Help Young Working Women Prepare for 20s to 30s Changes

In Chapter 16 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Learning to Be a Better Mentor to Young Women Professionals?" Spence, now in her mid-30s, shares how connecting with her sisterhood of friends in the past year has given her greater context for where she can be most helpful to young women professionals in their 20s. She learns to appreciate the difficult decisions that make a woman's professional life more complex and the realistic professional trade offs that women make in their 30s to achieve personal goals. 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.

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.

How to Turn Self-Confidence into Confident Leadership

In Chapter 18 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" To Spence projecting confidence is everything. By being confident in her work, her mission, her self, she is able to fully embrace her knowledge and skills and maximize what she can do with them pitching ideas, selling donors, and inspiring staff. 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.

Audrey French on How Grade Skipping Impacts Child Development

In Chapter 1 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" French starts preschool early and then skips 2nd grade. Being the youngest in her class by two years has a profound impact for French as she goes through school.  She shares the challenges of being 11 years old in 8th grade and then starting high school at 12. The experience ultimately helps her succeed as a young entrepreneur doing business with much older people. 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 Get Comfortable Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

In Chapter 4 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "What is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do to Break Free of Living in It?" French notes she has lived her life constantly outside her comfort zone, nearly always in environments where she is the outsider. This pushes her to always be moving and developing. As an introvert, she finds solace spending quiet time in those rare moments she is able to slow down.

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.