Phil McKenzie on How West Indian Grandmothers Inspire Family Values

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Were Your Grandparents Like and How Did They Influence Your Development?" McKenzie shares how his West Indian grandmothers shaped his family values, teaching him to appreciate life and also what it means to be a committed caretaker in a large family. Being around them gives him the confidence to aspire high and develop a strong sense of ambition.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Measure the Quality of Relationships in Life

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" McKenzie shares how he stays away from assessing relationships based on tit-for-tat gestures. Instead, he goes with his gut feeling to assess whether or not he has felt validated in the relationship. This helps him determine the health of the relationship, which then leads to him deciding what action, if any, to take around growing or repairing the relationship.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Managing an Overseas Long-Distance Relationship

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Has It Been Like Managing an Overseas Long-Distance Relationship?"  McKenzie finds it challenging not being physically present in a long-distance relationship and finds workaround ways to stay connected. He uses WhatsApp and Skype tools to bridge that presence gap and finds ways to communicate consistently to keep the bonds strong in between visits.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Finding Incredible Kindness Traveling Abroad

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Did Traveling Abroad This Past Year Teach You About Yourself?" McKenzie shares how traveling overseas during the past year has reinforced how rich the world is with kind and generous people. McKenzie constantly meets new people in new places and is overwhelmed how willing people are to support him on his journey.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How Brooklyn Builds Character and Confidence

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do to Break Free of Living in It?" McKenzie shares how growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s taught him to adapt and be comfortable in new situations. He takes this Brooklyn mindset with him wherever he goes and shares how it helps him appreciate diversity and connect with people in new places all over the world.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How Aspirations Change as Experience Grows

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" McKenzie shares how growing his global conference series has opened new possibilities not only for new event locaitons but also for different types of product offerings. He builds upon his globally distributed Influencer Conference series to create a research program and salon talk series to complement the core annual events.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Empowering Remote Workers by Letting Go

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Get Better at Your Job?" McKenzie shares how he is working on letting go of project management responsibilities and handing them over to remote project teams working all over the world. Between time differences and cultural connections, McKenzie finds it is time to give his overseas teams such as one in Mumbai, India, a chance to lead their own projects.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Why Accountability is a Two-Step Process

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Approaches Do You Use to Hold Others Accountable For Their Actions?" McKenzie shares how he has learned from experience that accountability is a two-step process. First, it is his responsibility to clearly define project objectives and communicate this to his team. The second step is to provide space and structure to measure performance against those goals within a given timeframe. This helps keep his team on track as they work on a project and helps McKenzie provide coaching and support to make changes if things do not go as planned.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Adjusting Habits to Live a More Fulfilled Life

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Role Do Habits and Routines Play into Your Pursuit of Living a More Fulfilling Life?" McKenzie shares that having a plan in place, including set habits and routines, helps him structure his days and weeks. However, he tries to stay flexible, embracing things that come up and making adjustments to accommodate and embrace unexpected opportunities.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Choosing Work That Aligns to Best Life Purpose

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are You Learning to Better Balance Service and Self in How You Live Your Life?" McKenzie shares how he has blended service and self in his life and work, choosing a path building a global conference series that he believes is his best life purpose. In his work, he helps frame more positive and less destructive conversations around influencer culture and how they can make the world a better place.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Do More With Less When Starting a Business

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are You Learning to Do More With Less?" McKenzie reflects back on when he started his business and how he tried to be everywhere at once. Over time, he learns to cut out unnecessary steps and streamline his process planning and producing a global event series. While resources grow, he is able to apply these efficiency lessons with his team and be more resourceful as budgets, teams and projects grow.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Managing Time Producing Events for a Living

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "As a Business Owner, How Do You Decide What Time Horizon to Focus on in Your Work?" McKenzie shares how managing time projects depends on the type of event he is planning and producing. For his Influencer Conference, given it is an annual event, managing time is consistently year-to-year. However, for new programs and smaller events, such as the Influencer Salon speaker series, he needs to be more flexible to accommodate shorter deadlines and delivery dates.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie: Why High Confidence is Key to Entrepreneurial Success

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" McKenzie notes confidence is everything. When selling his ideas to potential clients and partners, McKenzie notes being highly confident in what you are doing and why you are doing it is essential to influence others to understand you and commit to you. That confidence can take you over the top and go from having others appreciate what you do to having others want to be part of what you do.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on When to Stop Comparing Yourself to Peers

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" As an entrepreneur, McKenzie pushes himself to stay away from peer comparisons because those comparisons are rarely apples to apples with the same circumstances. His approach performance assessment and motivation is more individual and stems from his days running track in college at Howard University.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Handle a Confrontational Conversation

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" McKenzie shares what he has learned about turning a confrontational conversation into a positive experience. He finds making a point clearly and also removing any connotation of a personal attack allows the confrontation to turn into a constructively critical dialogue.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Adapting to Adversity by Being Resourceful

In Chapter 16 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" McKenzie shares how he works through obstacles by being resourceful and remaining open to scaling down when necessary. As a bootstrap entrepreneur, McKenzie shares how starting the company with very little has taught him to continue his mission in times of challenge and resource scarcity.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Asking for and Receiving Critical Feedback

In Chapter 17 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Type of Feedback Do You Respond to Best?" McKenzie shares why he prefers constructive or critical feedback over positive feedback and reinforcement and how he seeks it out and uses it. He finds getting pushback criticism is especially helpful when you are very passionate about something and may not be able to see faults in an approach.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Give Better Advice When Asked for Help

In Chapter 18 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" McKenzie prefaces his willingness to give advice with the fact that knowledge he shares is based on his own circumstances or experience. This brings context to the conversation and prevents him from coming across as judgmental or biased.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.