Lauren Serota on Surprising Teaching Career Benefits

In Chapter 17 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "How Has Teaching Opened New Opportunities in Your Career?" Each graduating student becomes an ambassador not only for the school but also for each faculty member. This creates a feedback loop Serota uses to learn from alumni and build her reputation as a teacher willing to learn and share to new audiences. This opens new opportunities for her such as giving a design talk in Monterrey, Mexico.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Lauren Serota on Using Reflection to Understand How Others See You

In Chapter 18 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?" Serota finds reflection helps her avoid getting caught in her own head and pushes her to examine her actions from the perspective of others. This underscores an important lesson she has learned: the value of regularly asking for and receiving feedback on her actions and work.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Lauren Serota on Blending Life Passions and Career Goals

In Chapter 21 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Serota shares how work and life experiences integrate together into how she lives her life. She notes how life outside work - from exercise and cycling to personal relationships to traveling - inform life inside work and vice versa. As a creative leader, she looks to always learn and figure out the right homeostasis between her work and life that keeps her simultaneously happy and challenged.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Nina Godiwalla on Learning Work Ethic From Asian Immigrant Parents

In Chapter 2 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and entrepreneur Nina Godiwalla answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Godiwalla notes how her parents had a tireless work ethic and always put the needs of children and family before their own. Their behavior sets a role model example that teaches young Godiwalla that with hard work she can achieve anything. This helps prepare her for the hundred-hour work weeks of in her first Wall Street job. Nina Godiwalla is an expert on diversity, leadership and women in the business world. She is CEO of Mindworks, which provides leadership, stress management, and diversity training to companies all over the world. She is also a bestselling author and public speaker. Godiwalla earned an MBA from Wharton, a MA from Dartmouth and a BBA from the University of Texas.

Erik Michielsen: Where did you learn your work ethic?

Nina Godiwalla: Oh, I think from having immigrant parents, there is definitely a work ethic. There is a tireless work ethic from my parents, and it’s also selfless, life was never about my parents, it was all, always, about their children, and I don’t know if that’s being Asian, immigrant, or maybe a little bit of both, but everything—I can’t—you know when I was writing my book about Wall Street and my family, I had to go back and think about it. I could not remember a time where my parents would buy something for themselves. I still—I mean I still can’t think of a time where my mom had said, “Oh, you know what? I need to go buy this for myself,” or my father, ever. If they got a piece of clothing or something, it was for Father’s Day or for Mother’s Day, but, in general, everything was for their children. There was always an opportunity to do something else for their children, and I think that they had that mentality with work. They would work, work, work, either at their traditional jobs or doing something for us, and I think that was a huge part of it.

On top of it, I started off, when I went into Wall Street where the culture was you work day and night, you work day and night, and I think that kind of preparation, being with my family, was the perfect preparation for pulling off a hundred-hour workweeks on Wall Street. And there were a lot of things that I—pros and cons about my—starting your first job on Wall Street in this kind of environment where it’s work, work, work, and one of them, by far, was getting that very strong work ethic so early on because every job to me afterwards has been kind of I can do this. This is no brainer, I can do this pretty easily, so I think those two things were definitely huge.

Nina Godiwalla on How Job Success Can Isolate and Overwhelm

In Chapter 8 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and entrepreneur Nina Godiwalla answers "How Have Awards and Accolades Validated Your Work and Your Mission?" Godiwalla finds receiving awards, such as being inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame, validate her work and her mission. As a public speaker traveling extensively, she finds it progressively difficult to get to know people well during short trips. Travel-related time constraints limit her ability to connect with the amazing people she meets which leads her to feel frustrated and isolated. Nina Godiwalla is an expert on diversity, leadership and women in the business world. She is CEO of Mindworks, which provides leadership, stress management, and diversity training to companies all over the world. She is also a bestselling author and public speaker. Godiwalla earned an MBA from Wharton, a MA from Dartmouth and a BBA from the University of Texas.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: How have awards and accolades validated your work and your mission?

Nina Godiwalla: At this point, I feel like it just helps me realize I’m going in the right direction but it doesn’t necessarily change anything major for me. Now that I’m so clear in what I’m doing, the awards and the accolades are like an extra bonus, like it’s nice, but before I felt like I was almost choosing what I would do based off of awards and accolades to some extent because that would be a great thing to do to get this award or get that, and now I feel I’m more along the lines of I’m so clear on my mission, I’m so clear on the purpose, and what I need to accomplish, fantastic, they’re just not nearly as important to me, I think, now that I’m so clear on my path.

Erik Michielsen: And you’re meeting some other people that are part of those communities, do you feel like you share similar views and there’s more work to do?

Nina Godiwalla: We come from completely different areas, one of that, I mean when I got inducted in the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, Sandra Day O’Connor, as you know, she was one of the recipients, there are people that are colonels in the military. We all came out of so many different disciplines. Again, it’s like an amazing opportunity to meet fantastic, accomplished people, but definitely coming from very different backgrounds, and I feel like also, at this point, I’m so overwhelmed with—I feel like I’m constantly meeting such amazing people that I don’t even have time to get to know anybody anymore, and so the journey almost feels lonely at times because I’m overwhelmed with amazing people that I can’t follow up with. It’s absurd, it is absurd as it sounds, and I know that’s a choice, I mean don’t get me wrong, you create how busy you are, but there is always the next thing that I’m going to, the next thing I’m leaving for. And I mean I go to events all the time, I’m speaking. People give me their business cards, and I’d say I’ll follow up, and I have such good intentions, I really want to, I write it down, but by the time I get back, I’m already—there’s the next one where I meet 15 other people, and then I go back, the next one, so in a lot of ways, yes, I mean it’s fascinating, it’s amazing, but it’s also just completely overwhelming to be around, just meet all these amazing people all the time. (chuckles)

Erik Michielsen: Yeah, yeah, you wish for all that, sometimes, to come, and you get it, and you’re like I’m feeling more isolated and more lonely than ever.

Nina Godiwalla: Yeah, and I’ve heard that from several people, which I thought was interesting. I wouldn’t have—someone said it to me today, actually, she said— I was saying how, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to connect a little bit more with people geographically because several of us travel a lot?” And she said, “Yes. Sometimes it gets lonely,” and I hadn’t thought of it that way, and I was thinking, “That’s exactly what I mean.” I mean it feels lonely somewhere along the lines even though you’re constantly with such amazing people.

Nina Godiwalla on How Storytelling Can Elevate Employee Training

In Chapter 17 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and entrepreneur Nina Godiwalla answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" As an instructor teaching executive training and employee training, Godiwalla learns to balance informational sharing with storytelling. Storytelling helps Godiwalla build emotional connections in her corporate training and, from teaching in the classroom to speaking at events, helps make her entertain and create impact. Nina Godiwalla is an expert on diversity, leadership and women in the business world. She is CEO of Mindworks, which provides leadership, stress management, and diversity training to companies all over the world. She is also a bestselling author and public speaker. Godiwalla earned an MBA from Wharton, a MA from Dartmouth and a BBA from the University of Texas.

Yoav Gonen on His Experience Adopting an American Name

In Chapter 1 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" Gonen shares how moving around as a child - by 25 he had lived in 9 cities - proved challenging with having a foreign name difficult to pronounce. He changes his name during college to something easier to pronounce and later switches back to Yoav and embraces it for its difference. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. 

Yoav Gonen on Life Lessons Waiting Tables in First Job After College

In Chapter 3 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Did You Learn in Your First Job After College That is Still Relevant Today?" In his first job after college, Gonen waits tables working at a Philadelphia restaurant called Alligators. Waiting tables pushes Gonen to trust himself learning new things such as carrying a tray full of drinks over your head, especially when you do not have a choice. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Newspaper Reporter Yoav Gonen on Building Storyfinding Job Skills

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Skills Are You Using More as Your Career Advances?" Gonen shares how he is honing two types of job skills to find newsworthy stories. He first learns how to build better news source relationships and how to talk to news sources to obtain information the general public will value. Second, he hones his approach to story research and building online research skills. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Yoav Gonen on Identifying New Ways to Improve News Writing Skills

In Chapter 8 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" As Gonen gains confidence, he sees what other reporters are writing as a learning opportunity and not a threat. Following reporters he admires on social media helps him look for new ways to report the news. Additionally, Gonen invests time taking Hebrew classes and benefits from the process of learning a language. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Michael Margolis on Learning Work Ethic After Graduating College

In Chapter 4 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Margolis notes he did not develop a hard work ethic until after graduating college, when he knew he had to find work and decided to create jobs and businesses to make an impact. He finds motivation in the process of proving to himself and others his work is meaningful. Margolis notes how he Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

Michael Margolis on Growing into an Entrepreneurial CEO Job Role

In Chapter 16 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "Are You Feeling That As Your Business Grows and You Add More Employees and You Have Greater Responsibilities to Your Clients You Are Starting to Understand Some of the Management Boundaries That Will Appear Over Time as You Build Capacity?" Margolis understands this at a high level, sharing notes from Union Square Ventures venture capitalist Fred Wilson on keeping money in the bank, articulating vision and executing a strategy to achieve it, and recruiting the right people for the team. As a teacher honing a storytelling philosophy for business, Margolis finds it harder to find balance between developing concepts and leading as a CEO. Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

Doug Jaeger on Improving Teaching by Sharing Knowledge Online

In Chapter 4 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Jaeger finds that the Internet continues to make it easier and easier to share your knowledge and create a virtural mentoring environment with online learners and students. He looks for ways to share his thinking and work to get feedback and give away his knowledge to a larger audience outside the classroom. Doug Jaeger is co-founder and creative director at JaegerSloan Inc. where he focuses on brand and experimental marketing for clients such as Squarespace, Samsung and PwC. He is an adjunct professor at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) and co-curator of JnrlStr. He graduated from Syracuse University.

Doug Jaeger on Why Selling Your Work Starts With Selling Yourself

In Chapter 6 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" As a professional, Jaeger shares why having confidence can make or break your ability to sell work. He shares an experience from working in advertising and doing a professional photography look book shoot for a fashion brand. Skilled at photography, he finds indecisiveness working on a set with models leads to not being successful completing the project. He compares this to how having confidence in his branding and marketing work has allowed him to Doug Jaeger is co-founder and creative director at JaegerSloan Inc. where he focuses on brand and experimental marketing for clients such as Squarespace, Samsung and PwC. He is an adjunct professor at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) and co-curator of JnrlStr. He graduated from Syracuse University.

Ken Biberaj on Why to Make Time in Your Schedule to Mentor Students

In Chapter 15 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "Why Do You Make Time in Your Schedule to Mentor College Students?" Biberaj shares what he has learned being a mentor to first-generation college students at New York Needs You. For him, the rewards of making time for mentoring come down to helping students compete for and get great internships and jobs.

Ken Biberaj is currently a 2013 Democratic Candidate for City Council in New York City. He is also a public relations executive for the Russian Tea Room restaurant at One Fifty Fifty Seven Corporation, a family business focused on real estate development, investment sales and retail leasing. Previously Biberaj was Florida Research Director for the Kerry-Edwards for President Campaign. Biberaj holds a JD from New York Law School, a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in Political Science from American University. 

Slava Rubin on Ways Childhood Experiences Shape Your Values

In Chapter 1 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" Rubin moves from Belarus to the United States very young and learns work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit from his role model parents. After losing his father to cancer, Rubin grows up quickly at home and resulting new school experiences teach him the importance of respecting the differences in other people. Slava Rubin is CEO and co-founder of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform. Indiegogo empowers anyone, anywhere, anytime to raise funds for any idea—creative, cause-related or entrepreneurial. Prior to Indiegogo, Rubin worked as a management consultant. He earned his BSE degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What childhood experiences have been most fundamental in shaping who you are today?

Slava Rubin: Yeah, I think what happened when I was a kid is really important in terms of how you grow up. I had great parents, my mom and dad. My mom was a doctor and my dad was an engineer. And they were always very into education, into hard work, and they were entrepreneurs themselves, not in job but the fact that they were willing to take a risk and leave Russia, or Belarus, where we grew up, and right away move when I was 9 months old in ’78 to America. It was cool because I right away got to learn from my parents what it means to work for what you need to accomplish, to not have it handed to you, to really strive to do something better, and I right away had that work ethic and that entrepreneurial spirit, inspired into me.

Then when I was 15, my dad passed away from multiple myeloma, which we’ve talked about before, which had a huge impact, because right away I had to grow up pretty quickly, and with my mom and myself, I had to, I guess, be the two leaders of the household. It’s pretty interesting when I was actually helping to refinance the mortgage when I was 16 years old.  

Those two things really helped me to grow up. Plus just being the only Jew in high school, I think I got to learn about diversity and what it means to how people get treated, so I think that was really helpful in terms of wanting to create a platform for equal opportunity.

Clara Soh on Ways Korean Parents Help You Live the American Dream

In Chapter 1 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Soh shares how her Korean parents immigrated to the US to attend graduate school, met while studying and then married and started a family. Born in the US, Soh learns how the American education system offers more freedom of choice than what her parents had in Korea and takes full advantage of the opportunity in studies and career. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Clara Soh on Getting Your Parents to Support Your Career Choices

In Chapter 2 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?" Soh shares how her Korean parents have often had a hard time understanding her career decisions, from joining the Peace Corps to working in non-profit and public policy jobs. Over time, Soh shows her parents that not going to medical school is okay and her parents learn to accept her choices and give her emotional support. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.