Stacie Bloom on How Increasing Diversity Improves Communities

In Chapter 15 of 18 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, Neuroscience Institute Executive Director Stacie Grossman Bloom answers "What Have You Found to Be the Keys to Build More Effective Communities?"  Bloom feels more effective communities can be built with multi-sector stakeholders.  The background diversity helps the community learn from each other from its different backgrounds, experiences and problem solving approaches. 

Stacie Grossman Bloom is Executive Director for the Neuroscience Institute at the NYU Langone Medical Center.  Previously, she was VP and Scientific Director at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) and, before that, held editorial roles at the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Nature Medicine.  She earned her BA in chemistry and psychology from the University of Delaware, her PhD in Neurobiology and Cell Biology at Georgetown University and did post-doctoral training in Paul Greengard's Nobel Laboratory of Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience at Rockefeller University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen:  What have you found to be the keys to building more effective communities?

Stacie Grossman Bloom:  I think more effective communities are built when you bring multi-sector stakeholders to the table. I think an effective community is one that comprises individuals with all sorts of backgrounds who can bring their own experiences and their own perspectives to the table. I think usually that’s a community who can really learn from each other, who really represent a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences and problem solving techniques, so those multi-sector communities, I think are really the most effective.

How Your Social Experiences Can Boost Your Career - Randall Metting

In Chapter 3 of 7 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, brand marketer and on-air radio personality Randall Metting answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?"  Metting talks about how his social experiences - from watching live music to attending sporting events to volunteering at numerous Austin charities - are instructing him how to better bring people together in his life and career.  Randall Metting is an on-air radio personality at 93.3 KGSR Radio in Austin, Texas.  When not on the radio, Metting consults organizations on integrated marketing strategy and brand development.  He also writes the Austin community music and entertainment blog at www.randallmetting.com.  Metting earned a B.A. in Advertising from the University of Florida.

Thinking for a Living Working in Design - Ross Floate

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2012 interview, branding and design strategist Ross Floate answers "How Do You Use Design as a Process to Solve Problems?"  Floate shares how getting to solve a wide array of interesting problems allows him to have a career where he goes to a job where he thinks for a living.  He notes the ease of doing jobs on topics that match your interests, and shares the reward of applying a design discipline and enthusiasm to different kinds of companies.  Ross Floate is a principal at Melbourne, Australia-based Floate Design Partners.  Experienced in branding, design and both online and offline publishing, Floate and his team provide marketing services to clients seeking to better communicate business and culture goals via image, messaging, and story. He is a graduate of RMIT University.

Finding Meaningful Work in Problem Solving Career - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 5 of 22 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?"  Stallings finds meaning in the fit between his academic and work background and the problems he tackles on the job.  By framing and understanding problems Stallings gets meaning using tools  from his cumulative education across psychology, economics, and business.  This is Hammans Stallings' Year 2 CYF interview.  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 Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 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. 

The Personal Rewards of Traveling for Work - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 6 of 22 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?"  Stallings specifically discusses work travel and how it has given him the ability to quickly and repeatedly immerse himself into and appreciate different cultures.  This is Hammans Stallings' Year 2 CYF interview.  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 Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 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 to Seek Career Advice Outside Your Industry - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 16 of 22 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "At This Moment in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?"  Stallings notes that after immersing himself in a field after several years, he looks across fields to identify others who are thriving and developing mastery in their environment and applying it back in his own life.  This is Hammans Stallings' Year 2 CYF interview.  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 Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 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 Use Varied Perspectives to Solve Problems - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 19 of 22 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What is the Importance of Understanding a Problem from Different Perspectives?"  Stallings shares a quote how the same mind that led to the creation of a problem is rarely the one that leads to the resolution of the problem.  Stallings discusses the importance of bringing a different set of eyes, experiences, and tools to a problem.  He uses a Swiss Army Knife in a problem solving analogy and how different tools have varying impact on successfully resolving a problem.  This is Hammans Stallings' Year 2 CYF interview.  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 Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 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. 

Idan Cohen on Balancing Work and Social Life Living in a Big City

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, Boxee co-founder and head of product Idan Cohen answers "How Do You Make the Most of Living in the City?"  After growing up in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, Israel, Cohen lives in Tel Aviv and embraces the casual nature of connecting with friends after work.  After relocating to New York City, Cohen finds connecting with friends after work more challenging and shifts his attention to making weekend plans.  

This is Idan Cohen's Year 1 Capture Your Flag interview.  Cohen is co-founder and head of product at Boxee Inc, an online video software company.  Previous to Boxee, Cohen held telecom software innovation and developer roles at Comverse.  He was a Captain in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and graduated from Tel Aviv University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Geophysics and Art.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How do you make the most of living in a city?

Idan Cohen: I grew up in Israel, and for about 20 years, I grew up in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. And then for about 10 years, I lived in Tel Aviv after I got out of the army, which was great because something about the life there, people hang out very late, and people are very spontaneous, so you can easily—you come back from work, and even if it’s around 8 or 9, it’s still, you know, what are you doing? What are you doing? You know, I’m just—I’m outside of your apartment. Should I come up? Should you come down? It’s very easy. 

In New York, it’s a little bit different, so I moved to New York just over 2 years ago. And it’s much more strict, I work a lot of hours, I mean very long hours so by the time I get home, there’s not a lot of things to do and people usually start hanging out and socializing around 6 and when I get home around 8 or 9, it’s already kind of past that time. And so I find myself not doing a lot of things, so I don’t take advantage of the city in that perspective. 

Weekends are definitely a great way and a great time for me to do that, and I try and do that mostly on the weekends, so I just—I usually just go around wherever my, you know, wherever I find myself, I just walk around. That’s the thing for me, but I, you know, living in New York which is the cultural kind of mecca of the world, and I still—I don’t feel that I see enough, you know, I go to enough museums and see enough exhibitions or access enough music, or whatever. I need to do that more. But that’s—if it was a, you know, if I could, I would just do that, all the time. 

How to Use Government Experience in Private Sector Job - Matt Curtis

In Chapter 17 of 18 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, public affairs and communications strategist Matt Curtis answers "How Are You Applying Your Government Experience Working in a Private Sector Job?"  Curtis shares how his experience working across local, state, and federal governments has given him the knowledge to help private communities better navigate the political landscape.  He notes how positive and solutions-oriented initiatives are more successful than simply pointing out problems.  Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn.  In 2011, Curtis won "Austinite of the Year" in the Austin Under 40 Awards.  He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Finding Personal Best by Being Present in the Moment - Ken Biberaj

In Chapter 8 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council candidate and public relations executive Ken Biberaj answers "When Are You At Your Best?"  Biberaj notes that inside his full schedule, from morning runs to afternoon business meetings to weekend campaign meetings, he tries to be present in the moment.  Additionally, he finds doing multiple things helps him set priorities and focus on the task or meeting at hand.  Ken Biberaj is currently a 2013 Candidate for New York City Council for the West Side of Manhattan.  He is also a public relations executive for the Russian Tea Room restaurant at One Fifty Fifty Seven Corporation, a family business focused on real estate development, investment sales and retail leasing.  Previously he was Florida Research Director for the Kerry-Edwards for President Campaign. He holds a JD from New York Law School, a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in Political Science from American University. 

How Coaching Advice Advances Career - James McCormick

In Chapter 17 of 18 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, legal career advisor James McCormick answers "At This Moment of Your Life, Where are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?"  He shares how his fellow partners and business colleagues provide him experienced insight into new perspectives and points of view and how his approach is transferable into personal matters such as living fully and raising a family.  James McCormick is a Partner at Empire Search Partners in New York City.  Previously, he practiced law as an employee benefits and executive compensation attorney for Proskauer Rose and Jones Day.  He earned a JD at Tulane Law School and a BA in History at the University of Michigan. 

Fabian Pfortmüller on The Rewards of Project Collaboration

In Chapter 8 of 15 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, community builder and entrepreneur Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Do You Find Most Rewarding About Collaborating With Others on Projects?"  Pfortmüller shares how diverse perspectives make collaboration rewarding.  He notes how both senior executive collaboration and volunteer young professional collaboration can both be so valuable educational experiences.  Pfortmüller is co-founder of the young leader accelerator, Sandbox Network, and HOLSTEE, an apparel and design firm that sells meaningful products to mindful shoppers.  Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University and its school of General Studies. 

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: What do find most rewarding about collaborating with others on projects?

Fabian Pfortmüller: I'm fascinated by every person you collaborate with has quite a different perspective on life, on your project, on your situation and being able to think yourself into that perspective and understand where they’re coming from and then kind of connect there, I think is super valuable.

I’ll give you an example, at Sandbox we work with a variety of stakeholders and every one of them is quite in a different position in life. We work with very, very senior executives on our consulting side. We have volunteer ambassadors who run our 25 hubs across the world and they’re young entrepreneurs, they’re super crazy busy and at the same time they’re as volunteers running our community. And collaborating with that kind of crowd is super different than collaborating with someone like a very senior executive.

And thinking about what is going on in their world and understanding what is it that drives them and how do they approach this problem has been an incredible experience for me to learn from them and I would say that not one of them is better than the other. I learn just as much of collaborating with a Sandboxer in Brazil than working for an executive here in the US.

Plotting a Real Estate Development Career Path

In Chapter 7 of 14 in his 2012 interview, real estate development executive Brett Goldman answers "What Have Been the Milestones in Your Real Estate Career?"  Goldman shares how small, detail-oriented project experiences have helped him gain experience and become a better big picture, strategic decision maker.  He finds his acquisition and project management experience builds by working across several elements, including financing, market analysis, construction analysis, approvals, and real estate contract law.  Brett Goldman is a Real Estate Acquisitions Director at Triangle Equities in New York City.  He holds a BA in General Studies from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Real Estate Development from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  What have been the milestones in your real estate career?

Brett Goldman: Well, I started by just doing the details. I mean that's pretty much how you start in real estate business.

Erik Michielsen: What do you mean by that?

Brett Goldman: Real estate is so experience-centric that you can't really learn it in school, though I did go to school for real estate. It's all about making good decisions. There's always two or three or four different paths you can travel, and the more correct paths you travel the more successful you'll be. 

I mean I've been doing acquisitions for a long time but also project management. And you can't really do acquisitions without project management because even in just in acquisition, there's a lot of different things that go into it, there's financing, there's market analysis, there's construction analysis, there's approvals, and, you know all the things, there's law, there's real estate contract law, just to get to an acquisition is a milestone. So each of my acquisitions have been milestones. But then each -- along the path to each one of those acquisitions there's a bunch of littler milestones that are individual successes.

Pros and Cons of Short and Long Term Project Work - Jason Anello

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2012 interview, creative director Jason Anello answers "What are the Pros and Cons of Project Based Work?"  Anello details what he has learned working in both shorter and longer form projects and what he has found most meaningful about each type of work.  He goes further into how he is using this experience to think about his future.  Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at marketing services agency Manifold Partners.  He is also the co-founder of the Forking Tasty Brooklyn supper club.  Previously, Anello held creative leadership roles at Yahoo! and Ogilvy & Mather.  He graduated from the University at Albany. 

How Changing Surroundings Promotes Creativity - Jason Anello

In Chapter 19 of 20 in his 2012 interview, creative director Jason Anello "How Has Changing Your Surroundings Made You More Creative?"  Anello finds releasing himself from routine work places opens his eyes to new ways of thinking about ideas and problems.  Moreover, he finds going to the places he thinks would be least stimulating often prove to be the best places for creative thinking.  Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at marketing services agency Manifold Partners.  He is also the co-founder of the Forking Tasty Brooklyn supper club.  Previously, Anello held creative leadership roles at Yahoo! and Ogilvy & Mather.  He graduated from the University at Albany. 

How to Break Out of a Comfort Zone - Jason Anello

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2012 interview, creative director Jason Anello answers "Where is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do to Break Free of Living in It?"  He finds security in doing things he has never done before.  He breaks out of his comfort zone by revisiting things he once thought he mastered and pushing himself to improve his skills or views.  Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at marketing services agency Manifold Partners.  He is also the co-founder of the Forking Tasty Brooklyn supper club.  Previously, Anello held creative leadership roles at Yahoo! and Ogilvy & Mather.  He graduated from the University at Albany. 

How to Deepen a Friendship by Doing a Project Together

In Chapter 3 of 16 in her 2012 interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Do You Finding Most Rewarding About Collaborating With Others on Projects?"  She notes how she is able to deepen her friendships by collaborating with friends on projects.  She notes how it adds a different dimension to the relationship. 

Cathy Erway is an author and food writer living in Brooklyn.  Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  She earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen:  What do you find most rewarding about collaborating with others on projects?

Cathy Erway:  I like to see people from a different point of view than I have encountered before. A lot of times I go into a project with a friend because it seems like a good idea and all of a sudden you get to know how they operate in a group situation or in maybe a stress situation and, or in a fun -- when you're like, "Yes! We did it. We're done," situation.

All these things that you don't really get to have when you're hanging out and, you know, there's no project, there's no like fight, I guess.  So, I just, I love entering projects with people that I know and I have a good feeling that we’ll, you know, we could work together well.

Erik Michielsen:  You find ways to give that relationship more depth?

Cathy Erway:  Yeah, basically.

Erik Michielsen:  And you find some surprises along the way I'm sure.

Cathy Erway:  Yeah, sure. Definitely but I think it only gives one another more respect for each other in the end, because you feel closer to them, you get to know so much more about them.

Erik Michielsen:  You get to know more about them over time too.

Learning Cooking Skills Staging in Restaurant Kitchens

In Chapter 5 of 16 in her 2012 interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Did You Decide to Stage in California Restaurant Kitchens and What Did the Experience Teach You?"  Erway finds it highly educational immersing herself in kitchens, be they restaurants or supper clubs.  She takes a trip to California, where she stages, or interns, at several restaurant kitchens, including Tartine Bakery and Chez Panisse. 

“I like the idea of being silent and being told what to do and just doing something manually for a long time. I think that’s a good intern at a restaurant—just listen, just zone out and like listen to everything that’s going on. ”

— Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway is an author and food writer living in Brooklyn.  Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  She earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen:  How do you decide to stage in California restaurant kitchens, and what did the experiences teach you?

Cathy Erway:  Oh, man, I love staging, so I just love butting into kitchens, no matter if it's a real restaurant or a supper club production of some sort, or my friend's dinner party. So I was in San Francisco for a month and I really wanted to stage at Tartine Bakery. And they were doing some renovations. They were like, "Yeah, come back tomorrow." "Okay, yeah, I'll come back to tomorrow." I was like, "Shoot."

So I went around town asking to stage other places, and in one case, it was actually like a no-brainer. I was sitting at a bar, having a beer, and then somebody walked in wearing a chef's coat and sat down and like drank a beer in like 5 seconds and then got up and was about to leave to go back to cook. And I was like, "Oh, what restaurant?" He's like, "Oh, this place in SoMa district and," you know, he described it, and I was like, "Can I come cook sometime?" He's like, "Yeah, sure." And it was great. And then I made some friends or I had some friends in the area, who very graciously -- I think that it's a small world or in the food scenes, I don't know, but he knew everybody. So he hooked me up with a stage opportunity at Chez Panisse, which was pretty amazing. Loved it.

Erik Michielsen:  What did you learn?

Cathy Erway:  Well, I feel like I have a good sense of the differences of California cuisine and New York cuisine. They use so many herbs, it's insane. Like going into their walk-in, there's like a whole walk-in just for herbs. And there's like drawers of like every single kind of herb. Chervil? Who uses chervil in New York City? I don't know of too many. But they all have this. And sometimes salads are just like simply a pile of beautifully fluffy fresh herbs. And I mean, they're lucky they can grow it anywhere. It's temperate. They have it all year round, you know, kind of spoiled, right? But, yeah, I mean, that's -- and that's naturally what they cook with, you know, all these--you know, sometimes wild fennel because it grows everywhere, we used that -- and oh, Chez Panisse, there was a great dish where they pounded the wild fennel in this mortar and pestle.

Chez Panisse is really into using archaic instruments too. At one point, we were pounding roasted red peppers with the mortar and pestle and I was like, "Why aren't we using a food processor?" But that's -- you know... It's all about doing things by hand.

Erik Michielsen:  And what questions did you ask?

Cathy Erway:  Aside from "Why don't we use a food processor?"  I don't -- I didn't really want to ask too many questions. I like the idea of being silent and being told what to do and just doing something manually for a long time. I think that's a good intern at a restaurant--just listen, just zone out and like listen to everything that's going on.