Learning the Science of Sales at Salesforce - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 12 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "How Did Working at Salesforce Teach You to Be a Better Salesperson?"  Over an immersive 18-month rotational training program, Ferrentino learns sales the a culture built on founder and CEO Marc Benioff's mission in cloud computing enterprise software.  With a better understanding of enterprise sales strategy and solution selling, Ferrentino is better prepared to excel in his senior leadership role.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How Expat Experience in China Reshapes Career Aspirations - Andrew Hutson

In Chapter 15 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Andrew Hutson answers "How Has Working Abroad in China Shaped Your Ambition for What You Do Next?"  Hutson reframes the question around not ambition but aspiration.  Working in China teaches Hutson to appreciate where he is from.  He notes that while he will likely work internationally often on short and medium term assignments, being a lifelong expat working abroad is not something he will pursue.  Hutson compares and contrasts several abroad experiences and how each overseas living experience has affected his life and trajectory, personally and professionally.  Hutson is a senior project manager at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where he advises corporate partners such as Wal-Mart on sustainable supply chain initiatives.  Hutson holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MEM from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.  He earned his BA from Michigan State University. 

Why to Live a Global Lifestyle - Anatole Faykin

In Chapter 9 of 18 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "Why Do You Prefer to Live a Global Lifestyle?"  Faykin learns to appreciate things when he is gone.  By switching from living at home in the United States and doing stints abroad, Faykin is able to embrace what makes home great and what he can pick up living internationally.  Faykin is the founder of Tuanpin, a Shanghai-based daily deals site he grew to 25 employees and sold in the fall of 2011.  Previously, he worked for British Telecom in London, Intel in Shanghai, American Express in New York, and Oracle in San Francisco as well as several startup ventures.  He holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BS in computer science and biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Nina Godiwalla on Speaking Up for Corporate America Minority Workers

In Chapter 9 of 22 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, author Nina Godiwalla answers "How are You Learning to Adapt Your Message to Reach Broader Audiences?"  Godiwalla spends considerable time on the public speaking circuit while promoting her book.  By listening to audience stories and challenges, Godiwalla accepts responsibility to be the voice of the unspoken and unheard on workplace diversity issues in corporate America.  Godiwalla is the author of "Suits: A Woman on Wall Street". She is also a public speaker on workplace diversity and founder and CEO of Mindworks, where she teaches mind-based stress reduction techniques to help organizations improve employee wellbeing.  Godiwalla holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, an MA in Creative Writing from Dartmouth University and her BBA from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  How are you learning to adapt your message to reach broader audiences?

Nina Godiwalla:  I’m less worried about broader audiences because I feel like I didn’t realize how broad my group would be.  What I want to do is have a message that’s more focused.  That’s become more important to me.  Right now, I get invited by all different kinds of institutes and organizations that I love.  I love speaking at the literary – from literary festivals to woman in leadership to Mind Science Foundation, I mean literally I’ve been invited so I have the broad audience and now what my focus is, is giving messages that are impactful and trying to find out what it is that’s my passion – through this process, I didn’t know, I mean I wrote a book and I didn’t know what it – I didn’t know that I had a message that I specifically want to get out there.  I didn’t know what that message was and through all of these events and all these presentations and these speaking events, I’ve started to realize I’m really passionate about diversity. 

I’m really passionate about giving a voice to people that don’t necessarily have a voice and I’m in a place of power to do that.  I used to be that person that was at the bottom of a company that came from the public school background, the woman where there were no women, the minority that didn’t – there weren’t a whole lot of minorities and the attitude is is a little bit of, you don’t necessarily get an opinion at the table because you are trying to prove yourself.  You are sitting there and you don’t belong and everyone around you knows that you don’t belong and they want you to do well and they want you to succeed but you’re not in a place to say, “Hey I don’t agree with anything you all are doing and I – actually, you know, what you said was offensive and this is…”  It’s not – you’re still that little person they’re trying to make it like them and I think I’m out of that.  I’m kind of out of that mindset and unfortunately, I think a lot of people that are in several different corporate cultures feel that way.  Like, “I don’t get to have that.  I don’t get to say what I want to say all the time.” 

So, I think of myself as being that voice and saying the – I mean they’re not even controversial things but things that people would like to say and I get so many emails and you know things that people say to me afterwards of, “I’m so glad you said it because I can’t say it.”  Because if you say that while you’re part of a corporation, it’s almost like you’re not being part of that team.  You’re not, you know, “Why don’t – do you think we don’t treat you well?”  And it’s not that they don’t treat you well, it’s just that sometimes I don’t agree with the things that go on around me but I don’t always have the, you know, the comfort to say it because I don’t want to be put on the side as that that person that was too vocal about things I didn’t agree with.  So I see myself as their voice if you will.

How Note Taking Helps Comedian Generate New Material - Matt Ruby

In Chapter 8 of 18 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "What Role Does Note Taking Play in Your Creative Process?"  Carrying a notebook and writing things down allows Ruby to capture ideas and material in spontaneous life moments.  He prefers the continuous process rather than a formalized and structured idea generation process. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

How to Control Comedy Voice Entertaining Audiences - Matt Ruby

In Chapter 12 of 18 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "Why Do You Choose to Write Comedy for Yourself and Not Other People?"  Ruby prefaces his answer with understanding that satisfying the audience is a huge goal.  He notes, however, that it not always about giving the audience what it wants because they may not know what they want.  Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

How Standup Comedian Learns to Be a Better Storyteller - Matt Ruby

In Chapter 16 of 18 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Storyteller?"  Over time, Ruby learns to combine punch line jokes with narrative stories and delight and entertain his audience. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

How Grad Student Becomes Internet Startup CTO - Ben Hallen

In Chapter 6 of 21 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, business school professor Ben Hallen answers "What Led You to Launch Your Own Startup While in Grad School at University of Virginia?" Hallen notes that while studying computer graphics and software engineering, he connects interest in participating in the Internet with providing advice to young DC-based entrepreneurs. He soon finds himself working as the CTO in the startup while finishing his masters before committing full time to the startup. Hallen is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Management and Organization at University of Maryland. Hallen earned his PhD from Stanford University and its Stanford Technology Venture Program (STVP). He has been a startup CTO and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Computer Science.

Using Entrepreneur Experience in Business Strategy Research - Ben Hallen

In Chapter 9 of 21 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, business school professor Ben Hallen answers "How Has Your Own Entrepreneurial Experience Informed Your Academic Development?" Hallen notes how it has given him a great appreciation of what entrepreneurs do each day. As an academic, Hallen embraces his ability to take the time to research different entrepreneurs and learn optimal behaviors shaping positive outcomes. Hallen is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Management and Organization at University of Maryland. Hallen earned his PhD from Stanford University and its Stanford Technology Venture Program (STVP). He has been a startup CTO and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Computer Science.

Stacie Bloom on Getting a Post Doc Lab Job Working for a Nobel Laureate Scientist

In Chapter 8 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, Stacie Grossman Bloom answers "How Did Working for a Nobel Laureate at the Rockefeller University Shape Your Science Career?" After earning her PhD, she looks to return to New York City for her post doc. She applies to Rockefeller University and gets an opportunity to work for Paul Greengard, who goes on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine five months later. The Rockefeller lab experience shows her the best of science and what is like to be in a world renown successful laboratory where funding is not an issue. Ultimately, she finds the lab environment was not for her and decides to choose something different.

Stacie Grossman Bloom is the Executive Director at the NYU Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center. Previously, she was VP and Scientific Director at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). She earned her PhD in Neurobiology and Cell Biology at Georgetown University and did a post-doctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University in New York City. She earned her BA in Chemistry and Psychology from the University of Delaware.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How did working for a Nobel laureate at The Rockefeller University shape your science career?

Stacie Grossman Bloom: So, that was a pretty serendipitous event in my life. I knew I wanted to come back to New York City and I was applying to post doctoral positions in New York City and a friend of mine at the time who was in New York City said to me, “if you are going to go and do your post doc there, you should go to the best possible place you can go and that’s The Rockefeller University.” And, for people who are not familiar with it, The Rockefeller University is one of the most unique universities you will ever come across. It doesn’t have an undergraduate program; it has a graduate program and an MD-PhD program. It’s small, it has no departments, it has no silos, it’s unbelievably well funded, it’s an amazing intellectual place.

And I applied and got an interview in this guy, Paul Greengard’s, lab. I was interested in the stuff that he was doing. I went on my interview and gave my presentation, went out to dinner with him and got the offer, and five months later he won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. And, I never could’ve known that that was going to happen when I accepted my position in the lab. And I always joked with him that it’s good that I got in before he won the Nobel Prize because after he got it, the applications to the lab were skyrocketing and I always thought I would never get in and he always said, “yes, you would still get in, you would still get in.” But that experience showed me the best of science - what’s it like to be in one of the most world-renowned successful laboratories,  what’s it like to be a scientist in a lab where funding isn’t the biggest issue, like it is in most labs.

And for me, even in that environment, I knew I didn’t want to stay in the lab. The fact that I chose a different path, even though I was in this amazing environment was really emblematic of the fact that that environment wasn’t for me and I needed to get out of there and choose something different.

What Makes a Good Business Partner - Audrey Parker

In Chapter 10 of 21 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, entrepreneur Audrey Parker answers "What Makes a Good Business Partner?" She notes a good business partner combines instinct, trustworthiness, a sense of humor, commitment to success, and an ability to be flexible. She enjoys being around a positive-minded person who is optimistic who also can inspire and unify teams across different environments. Parker is currently on a one-year sabbatical. Parker co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm. In 2010, CLEAResult ranked #144 in the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies. In late 2010, CLEAResult was sold to General Catalyst Partners. Parker graduated from Wake Forest University.

Courtney Spence on Making Your Work More Meaningful

In Chapter 4 of 16 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, non-profit founder and executive Courtney Spence answers "How are You Learning to Make Your Work More Meaningful and Lasting?" She makes it a priority to enjoy the process and the journey of her organization's impact and story. Spence is founder and executive director of Students of the World a non-profit that partners with passionate college students to create new media to highlight global issues and the organizations working to address them. Spence graduated with a BA in History from Duke University.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen :  How are you learning to make your work more meaningful and lasting?

Courtney Spence:  I think it’s really important to enjoy the process.  I think, for a while, there it was so much about we haven’t met these goals.  Where are we?  I was so disappointed in not being where I wanted to be.  And when you sort of – I had to let that go this last year because we were giving it one last shot, and it was, you know, making some crazy decisions, and, you know, making some risky decisions, and it started slowly, it’s starting to pay off, but what I realized is I had a great team.  I mean the women that I work with, I love, and we laughed more, and we have more fun than I’ve had in the long time, so I have really, really enjoyed the process because that’s all we have.  We have the journey, the destination is not guaranteed, and when you get there, it doesn’t look like you thought it would look, and then there’s another place you gotta go.  So if you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re not gonna enjoy your life, and the work that you do won’t be as impactful as it could be.

Finding Purpose in Humanitarian Focused Design - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 9 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko shares where he finds purpose in humanitarian focused design. He calculates purpose using a comparison between humanitarian efforts to large scale social problems and consumer product design. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How Teacher Mentors Advance Art and Design Career - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 16 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko shares how three teachers have been great mentors in his life, shaping his personal and professional approach. The first, his ceramics teacher, teaches him a Buddhist approach to living. The second mentor, Richard Buchanan, founded the Carnegie Mellon design school and influences Kolko in his writings. The third mentor, Robert Fee, mentors Kolko while he teaches at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). There Kolko learns to treat teaching challenges as design problems. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Why to Aspire to Solve Big Problems - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 6 of 12 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings shares how he channels his ambition and aspiration toward solving big, strange problems. By solving problems, Stallings sees problem solving as the means to pioneer a personal leadership. He looks at large media as well as small relationship based means to channel his efforts for the greater good. Stallings is currently a Senior Strategist at frog design. Previously he worked in business strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

How to Apply Design Passion in Business Career - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 13 of 13 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings shares how he came to blend business and design in his career. Growing up around the arts and studying studio art at the University of Virginia, Stallings then spends years working in business solving problems. He connects the problem solving back into design problems and consumer experiences, ultimately building a bridge between his business and design interests. Stallings is currently a Senior Strategist at frog design. Previously he worked in business strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Why Experiences are More Valuable Than Material Goods - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 14 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares why she places a higher value on experiences than material goods. Serota notes material goods are temporary and do not exist unless someone uses them. She focuses more on the user experience, as experiences are ultimately the end goal, not the product itself. She shares a story from working abroad in Zambia where material goods were rendered useless when lacking experience design and associated instruction. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How International Upbringing Benefits Child Development - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 3 of 15 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami shares his personal experience in answering what are the benefits of an international upbringing. At its core, it teaches both the diversity of experience and the commonality of experience. Born in Bangalore, India and raised in Hong Kong, he learns to see people as individuals and not as races or nationalities. He also learns to appreciate where he lives, for example the United States, by gaining perspective living abroad. Goswami lives in Austin, TX, where he develops models, including MRE, youPlusU, and Bootstrap, to help others live more meaningfully. He teaches his models through community activism, lectures, writing, and online communication. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software. Goswami graduated from Stanford University, where he studied Computer Science, Economics, and History.