Mike Germano on Getting Better at Teaching Others What You Know

In Chapter 19 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Germano shares how transparency helps him relate his experiences to mentees and staff in need of guidance. By making this connection, he can also find the right fit for students, putting them in a place where they will succeed, while sharing small lessons that over time add up to something larger and more profound.

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 How to Give Better Advice When Asked for Help

In Chapter 20 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" Germano shares how advice requests can often be asks for other things, including asking for money. He also learns to know when not to give advice - including unsolicited advice - and instead help others make their own decisions.

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 Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 21 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Germano shares how his wife provides him the support he needs to succeed professionally and how time spent with his son makes him stronger. He also shares his struggle with wanting to please everybody and worrying about too many outsider requests can cause him to lose focus.

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 Aligning Financial Planning Goals to Personal Values

In Chapter 22 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "As You Get Older, How Are Your Financial Planning Goals Change?" Germano shares how after many years putting all his money back into his business, Carrot Creative, after selling his business to VICE Media he is in a position to invest. He looks at nontraditional outlets, such as investing in a pizza business and buying a stake in a minor league baseball team, the Brockton Rox, to complement angel investing and stock market investing.

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 Setting New Career Goals Working at VICE Media

In Chapter 23 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "What Goals Are You Setting as You Look to What Comes Next in Your Career?" Germano shares how after nine years building Carrot Creative he is now shifting his attention to help VICE become a world leader in digital media and news reporting.

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 How Childhood Influences Career Choices

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?"  Germano shares what he learned from his grandfather's small manufacturing business.  Watching the company contract as foreign competition increased teaches Germano to pursue innovative, creative work that is more price inelastic and offers him an opportunity to create new jobs. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

How to Learn and Develop a Hard Work Ethic - Mike Germano

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?"  He notes how he looked up to his parents as role models and learned to work hard from his Mom and Dad.  At 14 years old, Germano gets his first job selling hot dogs at St. Louis Cardinals baseball games and learns that by outworking others he is able to outperform them. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

How Supportive Parents Make Mike Germano a Better Entrepreneur

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  Germano notes how his parents have never made him feel held back.  By being encouraged to freely pursue his own path and receiving constant support through the journey, Germano is able to more fully embrace his entrepreneurial career path. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Motivating by Reflecting on Company Milestones

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?" Germano does not use reflection to think on bad decisions. Instead, he reflects to think about where he has been and the story that has developed since.  He uses an example of how he can relate the story of his company to where he was and who he was with when celebrating success.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Learning from a Middle East Office Expansion

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Did You Learn From Expanding Your Business Into the Middle East?"  After speaking in the Middle East before the Arab Spring in 2011, Germano and his team opened an office there in 2012.  The experience teaches him what it means to do business in new locations and the challenges doing business in different cultures can present.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on What Lawyers Do to Protect Your Company

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2013 Year 4 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Has Working With Lawyers Taught You About Business?" Germano builds upon his Year 2 Capture Your Flag answer by sharing more about what lawyers have done to protect his company as it grows and becomes more successful.  By building relationships with the attorneys who serve his company, Germano stays better prepared for potential legal challenges that may arise.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on When to Promote an Employee to Partner

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Is Your Business Partnership Structure Changes As Your Company Grows?" As the company grows, Germano and his founding partners see jobs get more specialized and roles become less evenly distributed. Germano learns that what comes next requires hard decisions, including adding new partners and parting ways with a founding partner.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative. Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on 6 Manager Job Skills You Learn Running a Business

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Skills Are Becoming More Important to You as Your Career Advances?"  As a CEO responsible for managing a 60-employee firm, Germano finds he needs to trust his gut decision more as he gains experience and needs to do things more quickly.  Also, he learns to better understand people, especially what they are NOT saying and how it relates to what they really want.  Staying passionate, keeping employees balanced, managing time better and learning when to drop responsibility are also key to helping Germano grow.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Motivating Teams by Setting Clear Expectations

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are You Learning to Manage and Motivate Teams?"  For Germano, managerial effectiveness as a leader comes through clear communication when setting expectations with his team.  He makes sure his employees understand why their client or project is important and why they are the right person for the job. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Why Culture Comes Before Community

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Maintain a Strong Company Culture in Your Growing Business?" Germano differentiates culture from community.  Culture is about what employees understand the company to be about.  He defines Carrot Creative culture as "hustle, team, adventure".  He promotes an underdog culture set by its founders, built on hard work and fun, and maintained by its employees. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on How Management Can Inspire Employee Loyalty

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Procedures and Processes Are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?"  Germano talks about how role definition and operational processes are necessary to create managed growth at his company.  He shares how his business reached a point of needing dedicated human resources staff and how he arrived at and acted upon the decision to fill the position with an internal hire. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Why Not to Outsource Software Development

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "Why Does Your Company Choose to Keep Development In-House and Not Outsource It?"  Germano keeps his software development team in-house to maintain respect for the development process, to integrate the feedback more fully into the creative project process, and to maintain an innovation culture.  It comes at a cost; however, he finds the benefits outweigh the costs. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Building a Talent Acquisition Business Strategy

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are Your Recruiting Priorities Changing As Your Company Grows?"  Germano discusses the recruiting, interviewing and hiring processes his social media advertising agency has developed over time to recruit top millennial talent and managerial talent.  He shares how initiatives such as online interviewing tests and dedicated college campus recruiting - for example the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - has helped the company find the right Gen Y and millennial talent.  Moreover, he shares how he presents a value proposition around engaging and rewarding work when recruiting managers from larger digital ad agencies. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University.