In Chapter 5 of 13 in his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, musician and writer Conrad Doucette reflects on his post-college years and big media and Internet job experience (MTV, Heavy.com, Fuse). Doucette advises recent college graduate job seekers to use their youth, curiosity, and energy as strengths. Media companies seek these attributes, not industry experience, when hiring recent college graduates. Doucette found his own direction post-college during months living in London. He spends the London months listening, not talking, learning the practical elements that motivate him, including media, big cities and industries that produced the things he loved. This, and an expired visa, then result in his move to New York City, where he lands his first Internet media job at Heavy.com.
Transcript:
Erik Michielsen: To what did you aspire as a college graduate and, compared to where you are now, what has changed?
Conrad Doucette: I did not know what I wanted to do, which I think is normal. But, I did know what my interests were, which in retrospect I’m pleasantly surprised with myself. I knew enough that I wanted to go find others and be somewhere where I could figure things out. When I graduated, I went to go live in London for eight months.
Erik Michielsen: How did it inform how you developed?
Conrad Doucette: I was an outsider right away, which is fine. I have no problem with that. It forces you to be on your toes more. I became more of an observer and listener than a talker. I saw what others were doing but realized I had to surround myself with certain elements to achieve what I want.
Erik Michielsen: What elements?
Practical elements. I enjoyed the media. I enjoyed big cities. I enjoyed being around the industries that produced the stuff I loved. When England kicked me out after my visa ran out – otherwise I would have happily stayed – I came back and moved to New York. I had a bunch of friends, bizarrely, from my Canadian high school living here. All of my closest friends were here. I got dropped running into New York life. It was through a high school friend that I started at my first full time job which is Heavy.com. Which is how I got involved in web.
Conrad Doucette: It’s funny, they say that connections are everything. I’m glad I had that connection. If there is one thing I could change about my post collegiate one or two years. … I felt the city was almost overwhelming. I was happy to be here. I don’t know how to go work at MTV. Now that I’ve worked at MTV on stuff and work at Fuse and other big media companies, I know it is a snap and I know we are always on the lookout for somewhat smart, definitely excited young people.
In Chapter 3 of 13, musician and music writer Conrad Doucette learns to take responsibility for choosing a non-linear lifestyle and career. This provides Doucette, drummer for Takka Takka, Blender.com writer and Fuse TV online producer, to resist peer-pressure and focus on pursuing new opportunities in both music and the Internet.
In Chapter 2 of 13, Takka Takka drummer and writer (Fuse.tv, Blender.com) Conrad Doucette shares building blocks shaping his sense of fulfillment - interaction, teamwork, patience, and focus - and how they enable his passion for music. He elaborates on importance of asserting a focus to "make a certain type of music with a certain group of people" while developing non-performance music interests in media and publishing.
In Chapter 1 of 13, Takka Takka drummer and music journalist Conrad Doucette (Fuse.tv, Blender.com) highlights the engaging feeling present when progressing on the fulfillment path. Not only is the engaging personal feeling uplifting, but also it creates a confidence boost resulting in improved communication with others that benefits all.
In Chapter 11 of 11, author and writer Rachel Lehmann-Haupt shares lessons learned from her first book proposal writing experience for "In Her Own Sweet Time", including her approach to style, voice, and confidence, and how she is applying them in writing a second book proposal.
In Chapter 10 of 11 of her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, author Rachel Lehmann-Haupt shares how acceptance, relinquishing control, and facing anxiety and doubt all contribute to her personal and career development. Haupt shares how these roles have impacted her life and work. Lehmann-Haupt is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time: Unexpected Adventures in Finding Love, Commitment, and Motherhood." She is also a journalist, writer and editor. Lehmann-Haupt graduated with honors in English Literature from Kenyon College and earned a masters degree at The Graduate School of Journalism at The University of California at Berkeley.
In Chapter 9 of 11, author Rachel Lehmann-Haupt builds self-confidence through experiences pursuing passion, developing purpose, and accepting open debate from those with contrasting point of view. "In Her Own Sweet Time" author and journalist Rachel Lehmann-Haupt relates this view to her experience dealing with conservative men and challenging assumptions throughout her book tour.
In Chapter 8 of 11, "In Her Own Sweet Time" author Rachel Lehmann-Haupt compares foreign travel to reading a great novel and discusses her own book's impact on changing cultural perceptions and breaking stereotypes. Lehmann-Haupt's immersive foreign travel experiences visiting different cultures fuel creativity, reduce bias, and broaden cultural curiosity in her life.
In Chapter 7 of 11, New York Magazine founder and new journalism pioneer Clay Felker mentors author and writer Rachel Lehmann-Haupt during her time at the Felker School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley. Haupt reflects on new journalism's influence on her career, starting with Tom Wolfe's famous essay and continuing with Gail Sheehy and Gay Talese. She continues by sharing story from Clay Felker's July 2008 funeral and memorial service, where Gloria Steinem shared how "[Clay] gave me the confidence that it was okay to get angry."
In Chapter 6 of 11, "In Her Own Sweet Time" author Rachel Lehmann-Haupt navigates the changing publishing business by complementing writing work with event production and editorial consulting. Her diversified focus provides exposure to new experiences Lehmann-Haupt integrates into book proposal ideas.
Since 2009, Capture Your Flag has interviewed a cohort of rising leaders who share lessons from their journeys to help others plan, pursue and achieve life and career aspirations. The resulting 3000+ Near Peer Video Library can be licensed for commercial use.
