Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

Embracing Challenge

Cathy Erway on What a Cookbook Writer Does After Recipes are Written

In Chapter 4 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Has Writing a Cookbook Compared and Contrasted to What You Expected It Would Be Like?" Erway shares what it has been like writing a full-color, photo-heavy cookbook and how it contrasts to writing her first book, a memoir. Erway's cookbook demands she cast a creative vision and also play a project manager role to complement the team of assistants, designers, editors, food stylists, and food photographers.

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 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. 

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 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.

Mike Germano on Opening Up About Entrepreneurship Struggles

In Chapter 11 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "Now That You Have Sold Your Company, Do You Feel Like You Can Be More Open About Sharing Your Entrepreneurial Story?" Germano shares how much of a relief it was to sell his company, Carrot Creative, and be able to open up more about the struggles the company faced as it grew. He shares stories about last-minute family loans to cover expenses and times when he and his partners had to show confidence when things were unstable.

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: What It Means to Contribute at Work Each Day

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "On a Daily Basis, What Does It Mean to Contribute in the Work That You Do?" Stallings shares how he makes a contribution at work by synthesizing what he has learned about solving difficult problems on past projects and repurposing them to solve current problems on his team. He finds it joyful and motivating to solve problems he is uniquely qualified to solve based on his job experience.

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 Make Rejection an Ally Not an Enemy

In Chapter 10 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "How Are You Learning Better Ways to Handle Rejection?" Stallings accepts that rejection is part of learning and embraces the process of being rejected. Working in innovation, Stallings finds rejection a normal occurance that is part of risk-taking, failure, learning and development. He notes that working on ethnography studies in people's homes teaches him that skills learned handling rejection are transferable to managing expectations in relationships too.

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 How to Make Plans to Move in With a Girlfriend

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "How Did You Manage the Transition of Moving in With Your Partner?" Curtis shares how he and his partner Christie worked through conversations about when, where and how to move in together. He shares why they decided to get their own new place rather than have one person move into the other person's place. He shares how they figured out where to live and adjustments they made after making the move to help the relationship grow.

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. 

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. 

Matt Curtis on Finding Strength and Struggle Losing Nearly 250 Pounds

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Curtis shares how this applies to his weight loss journey. After starting at a high weight of 490 pounds, Curtis is closing in on a 245-pound milestone. He shares how challenging it has been to lose those final 25 pounds given his desire to live life fully and travel extensively with his girlfriend. He shares how she has given him strength by providing him emotional support on his journey.

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 Finding Strength Through Conscious Living

In Chapter 17 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Goswami shares how he tries to live a life where he consistenty expands his consciouness through experiencing and learning. He struggles when he tries things when the situation or timing is not right but ultimately finds strength through the process of embracing and not retreating from new experiences.

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 How to Get More Comfortable With Negotiation

In Chapter 19 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Are You Using Negotiation Skills in Your Life?" French shares how she has a lot in common with many other women in that she has not been comfortable with the win-lose concept of negotiation. As she negotiates more by selling a condo, buying a house, selling a car and setting a consulting pay rate, she finds seeking win-win negotiation scenarios mae her feel better about negotiating.

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 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. 

Randall Metting on Growing Into a Craft Spirits Marketing Manager Job

In Chapter 5 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Randall Metting answers "How Are Your Responsibilities Changing As You Gain Work Experience?" Promoted into a marketing manager role, Metting shares how increasing sales and marketing responsibilities are giving him deeper exposure to what life is like working at a fast growing craft spirits beverage company.

Randall Metting is a brand development and marketing manager at Dulce Vida Spirits in Austin, Texas. Over 17 years, he has built brands in spirits, luxury real estate and lifestyle, music, and sports industries. He has been a radio personality at KGSR Radio and a marketer at a hyperlocal startup acquired by NBC Universal. Metting earned a BA in Advertising from the University of Florida and started his career at The Coca-Cola Company. 

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 the Learning Curve of Working With Investors

In Chapter 7 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "What Experiences in the Past Year Have Most Influenced the Direction of Your Company?" After years running a self-financed business, Elliot raises outside capital and faces a new challenge: learning to work with an investor. She adapts to now having a boss figure and the accountability as a steward of the investment that comes with it.

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.