Cathy Erway on Getting More Comfortable in Front of the Camera

In Chapter 8 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Have You Learned to Be More Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations?" Erway shares how she has dealt with uncomfortable situations, namely being on camera. She shares how scripted television segments can be difficult given the time constraints and production needs. Erway finds unscripted media, especially radio, preferable to on-camera, as she gets a more liberating feel from the spontaneity of the shows. As she prepares for a new round of television appearances for her cookbook, she embraces the challenge by focusing on the Taiwanese food and cultural stories she plans to share with audiences.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Cathy Erway on Why It Helps to Sometimes Be Hard on Yourself

In Chapter 11 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" Erway shares how she uses self-discipline to stay motivated and hold herself accountable to her goals. She prefers being hard on herself to get things done and finish projects rather than relying on pressure from others.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

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.

Mike Germano: What MBA Programs Don't Teach About Selling a Business

In Chapter 8 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "What Did You Find Most Educational About Going Through the Process of Selling Your Company?" Germano shares what he learned selling his business Carrot Creative to VICE Media. He notes how it is something you are not likely to learn in business school. He finds the process is about self-realization and embracing challenge of taking a mission to another level, in this case a global-level with a billion-dollar digital media company.

Mike Germano is Chief Digital Officer at VICE Media, a global youth media company based in Brooklyn, New York. Germano joined VICE Media via its 2013 acquisition of Carrot Creative, a social media agency he co-founded and led as CEO. 

Mike Germano on Being Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations

In Chapter 17 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Have You Learned to Be More Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations?" Germano shares how getting comfortable being uncomfortable is something he embraces. Knowing others may see this scenario as a negative thing, Germano sees it as an opportunity where he can be at his best. He cites Robert Duvall's character Lt. Bill Kilgore from Apocalypse Now, who embraced discomfort enough to surf amidst a firefight.

Mike Germano is Chief Digital Officer at VICE Media, a global youth media company based in Brooklyn, New York. Germano joined VICE Media via its 2013 acquisition of Carrot Creative, a social media agency he co-founded and led as CEO. 

Mike Germano on Knowing When to Concede and When to Confront

In Chapter 18 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" Germano shares how he is better at working through larger confrontations. He struggles with smaller confrontations, where he often gives in to appease the other side. Larger conflicts, however, motivate him to stand up for his team and work to win for his side. Mike Germano is Chief Digital Officer at VICE Media, a global youth media company based in Brooklyn, New York. Germano joined VICE Media via its 2013 acquisition of Carrot Creative, a social media agency he co-founded and led as CEO. 

Hammans Stallings on How to Handle Confrontation

In Chapter 11 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" Stallings shares how handling confrontation is first about understanding the process is grey, not black and white. Second, it is about embracing the friction that comes with confrontation and using that to find a win-win outcome that makes the conflict worth addressing.

Hammans Stallings is a Principal Strategist at frog design. Previously Stallings 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.

Hammans Stallings on How to Get Better at Performing Under Pressure

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Stallings shares why grace is important with or without high pressure situations. By being building experience and being prepared, Stallings finds the challenge of high pressure work can be extremely motivating individually and useful bringing teams together collectively.

Hammans Stallings is a Principal Strategist at frog design. Previously Stallings 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.

Matt Curtis on Building Leadership Skills in a Director-Level Job Role

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Leadership Skills are Becoming More Relevant to You As Your Career Progresses?" Curtis shares that in his director-level role, the two leadership skills that stand out are 1) embracing the experience learning from failures and mistakes and 2) the importance of being encouraging and positive independent of team size.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Bijoy Goswami on Helping Others Be More Accountable to Themselves

In Chapter 4 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into How You Live?" Goswami finds his challenge is about ensuring the people he works with on self-reflection coaching exercises remove expectations from him and shift them to accountability for themselves. As a teacher employing a self-interrogation model with others, Goswami works to create a space where these people can more clearly realize the expectations on him are to be a reflective mirror back to those he helps.

Bijoy Goswami is a writer, teacher, and community leader based in Austin, Texas. He develops learning models to help individuals, organizations and communities live more meaningfully. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software. Goswami graduated from Stanford University. 

Audrey French on Why Not to Fear Confrontation

In Chapter 18 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" French shares how she has overcome a fear of confrontation by not taking emotional outbursts from others, especially anger, personally.

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French 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 graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Courtney Spence on What It Means to Contribute at Work Each Day

In Chapter 12 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "On a Daily Basis, What Does It Mean to Contribute in the Work That You Do?" For Spence, she finds making a daily contribution comes down to staying composed and being present as a leader. By maintaining positivity and sheltering adversity she may be facing outside of work, she is able to rise to the challenge of being a team leader at work.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Courtney Spence on How to Make Negotiation Less Stressful

In Chapter 17 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Role Do Negotiation Skills Play in Your Work?" Spence shares how, like confrontation, she traditionally does not enjoy negotiating. To make negotiating less stressful, she tries to bring in trusted teammates for the negotiation. Additionally, she finds it helpful to keep your higher purpose in mind so as to not get lost in the details during the negotiation process.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Courtney Spence on Overcoming a Fear of Confrontation at Work

In Chapter 18 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation at Work?" Spence shares how avoiding confrontation is a problem she is working to solve as a leader. She notes how she has started to face confrontation as it has come up in her office, especially when she decided to relocate her organization from Austin to San Francisco.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Hattie Elliot on Learning Work Ethic Studying Least Favorite Classes

In Chapter 2 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" As a creative child, Elliot has a difficult time with science and math in school. She learns a work ethic by studying hard to do well in these subjects that do not come naturally to her. Elliot uses this approach later in life an entrepreneur, investing time to learn hard subjects like budgeting and financing that also do not come easy but, once learned, help her be a better business owner.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Hattie Elliot on How Building a Business is Like Raising a Child

In Chapter 9 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "How Are the Stakes Increasing as You Invest Another Year Building Your Own Company?" As a small business owner, Elliot finds raising a small business is like raising a child. In the early infancy stages, she is more forgiving of wrinkles but as it matures, she is less forgiving and more focused on a plan. She learns to embrace getting older and becoming more confident and assured in her approach to raising the business.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Hattie Elliot on How to Communicate More Effectively With Others

In Chapter 12 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?" To Elliot, effective communication in both personal and professional relationships comes down to one thing: properly setting expectations. Setting clear expectations allows her to make a promise to another - a boyfriend, a family member, a client - that she can deliver on in the future.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Matt Ruby on Handling Work Pressures of Making People Happy

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" For Ruby, work pressures from writing and producing a web series comes down to making people happy. This encompasses both client relationships and keeping them happy with the branded content and product placement advertising he creates as well as audience relationships and keeping them consistently entertained.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University.