Chris Hinkle on Finding Meaning By Improving the Lives of Others

In Chapter 4 of 10 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, software engineer Chris Hinkle answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?" Working in digital agencies early in his career, Hinkle recalls finding meaning by building things that impress other people. As he gains product design experience, Hinkle finds meaning not by impressing others but rather by creating things that improve the lives of others. Chris Hinkle is a senior software engineer working at Evernote in Silicon Valley. Previously, Hinkle worked at New York City digital agencies HUGE and R/GA in creative director and software engineering roles designing products and developing Internet mobile applications and websites.

Chris Hinkle on Learning Project Finance for Product Development

In Chapter 9 of 10 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, software engineer Chris Hinkle answers "What Job Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" After years honing his product design and computer programming skills, Hinkle focuses on learning more about how project financing impacts both startup and corporate product development. Understanding how capital is allocated and budgeted gives Hinkle a better sense of what is required to make a business venture or project initiative worthwhile. Chris Hinkle is a senior software engineer working at Evernote in Silicon Valley. Previously, Hinkle worked at New York City digital agencies HUGE and R/GA in creative director and software engineering roles designing products and developing Internet mobile applications and websites.

Jon Kolko on Designing Products That Improve User Engagement

In Chapter 8 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve at MyEdu?" Working at an internet company focused on designing job search products to help millennial college students find meaningful employment, Kolko finds the process comes down to understanding user engagement. He compares and contrasts user engagement and experience between college student users and job recruiter users. 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.

How to Teach Innovation to Graduate School Students

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Approach are You Taking to Design a Graduate Level Course Teaching Innovation?" Preparing to teach an innovation course to graduate students at CEDIM in Mexico City, Stallings focuses on bringing great innovation thought leaders such as Daniel Kahneman, Alexander Chernev, Clayton Christensen, Michael Porter, Youngme Moon into the curriculum and presenting them in a context tailored to both Mexican business culture and the more senior level of his graduate students.

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.

Jason Anello on Writing a Life Goals List to Guide Career

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?"  Anello always tries to slow down and reflect at different points in his life.  He shares an example from college, when he wrote a list of seven life goals and how he has worked toward achieving them in his life. 

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 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 Finding Happiness Blending Work and Play

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Anello finds he is happiest as a well-rounded person who draws no line between working and playing, professional and personal. 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 Validation Your Work is Meaningful

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Has Winning Ad Age's Small Agency of the Year Award Meant to You Personally?" Winning the award gives Anello a sense of achievement that provides a sense of validation for the company he helped create. The validation helps him better frame why his work is meaningful and understand the impact his work creates. 

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 Building Long-Term Client Relationships

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How are Progressively Longer Term Relationships Changing How You Do Business?" Doing multiple ad campaigns and projects for clients such as Microsoft allow Anello and his team to better understand the client business, from its brand to its products to the client team personalities. The experiences create reference points Anello uses to deepen the Microsoft client relationships and build upon past projects with new creative projects.

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 the Importance of Process in a Creative Business

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Procedures and Processes Are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?" Anello shares how he first learned the importance of process learning from his father, an auto mechanic, about how to take apart a bicycle. Early in his ad career working at Digitas, Anello learns how process actually helps a team generate creative. Now, as he grows his small agency from its founders to a larger team, Anello puts those lessons to work in structuring the business.

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 the Pros and Cons of Self-Financing a Business

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "Right Now, What Problems Are You Trying to Solve to Grow Your Business?" Anello details the challenges he and his Manifold business partners face, including managing cash flow, as they transition from self-financing the business to scaling it by acquiring growth capital. He shares his reasoning behind shifting financing from organic to non-organic and the pros and cons of doing so using outside investors instead of bank loans.

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 Building Employee-Friendly Company Culture

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Have You Created a Company Culture That Can Be Embraced by New Employees?" Anello notes that his business, Manifold Partners, started with five friends come together. As the company has doubled in size, Anello notes the importance of engaging new employees through inclusive programs that cultivate the creative business in fun ways.

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 Hiring Generalist Talent to Grow Small Business

In Chapter 16 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are Your Recruiting Priorities Changing As Your Business Grows?"  Now that his creative agency is at the 10 employee level, Anello notes the need tp hire talent for a flexible structure that blends generalist job skills across an advertising agency model of account management and creative departments.  He finds it is less about going deeper in a particular category and more about hiring, for example a developer, that can work laterally across teams. 

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.