Jon Kolko on How to Use Buckets to Manage a Busy Schedule

In Chapter 6 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Do You Find Are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" Kolko shares how he uses bucketing to break down his commitments and work through tasks. He shares how he has learned how much capacity he has to take on projects and why he needs to say no to thing above and beyond five things to do. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How to Reduce Stress and Improve Nonprofit Fundraising Success

In Chapter 20 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Courtney Spence answers "What Steps are You Taking to Make Fundraising a Less Stressful Part of Your Job?" Fundraising for her nonprofit causes Spence a lot of stress and she looks for ways to reduce that stress in her work. She decides hiring a development director who loves to do fundraising will reduce her stress, allow her to focus on other parts of the business, and boost fundraising success. Social entrepreneur and storyteller Courtney Spence founded 501c3 nonprofit Students of the World (SOW) to shine a light on progress and celebrate the world's problem solvers. She is building a movement of next-generation storytellers and creative activists through the SOW program The Creative Activist Network. Spence is a graduate of Duke University.

Audrey French on What It Means To Be an Introvert

In Chapter 5 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "What Does It Mean to Be an Introvert?" French defines her introversion as having a need to recharge away from people and activity. Her need to find quiet space - a need she shares with her husband - pushes her to carve out time on her calendar for alone time often when others seek to fill that time with company. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who 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 currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Audrey French on Using Calmness Skills Each Day at Work

In Chapter 14 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "What Skills Are You Using More as Your Career Advances?" As she gets older, French finds she accepts calmness, stillness, and balance as skills and works to improve how she uses them. She admittedly wonders if she would have been able to embrace these skills as an entrepreneur given the chaos and hectic nature of starting and growing a company. Audrey Parker French is an entrepreneur who 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 currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and teaches children's choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University and lives with her husband in Austin, Texas.

Bijoy Goswami on What It Means to Be Trustworthy

In Chapter 12 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" To Goswami, being trustworthy means being true to where you are and what you believe. By presenting yourself truthfully, trust ensues.  He notes trust and happiness are not achieved by reaching a destination, but rather are achieved by being true to yourself.

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.

Bijoy Goswami on Living a More Present Life

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Goswami notes how his personal and professional worlds are collapsing into one and references author and Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson's work "Transformation" as a way of describing how he shows up in a world with no distinctions.

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.

Bijoy Goswami on Using Self-Awareness to Help Others

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "How is Your Personal Journey Experience Informing How You Help Others Find Their Way?" By working to understand himself - the individual and collective impacts of spirituality, relationships, career ambition, etc. - Goswami is able to apply what he learned as a model or process to help others on their respective life journeys.

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.

How to Find Interesting Friends Who Accept You For You

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "How Are Your Personal Priorities Changing as You Get Older?" Stallings notes how the people around him provide him the space and accommodation to have selfish or individual moments. He also discusses why he tries to surround himself with interesting people who teach him things.

Hammans Stallings is a Senior Strategist at frog design. Previously he 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.

Jason Anello on Living a Work Hard Play Hard Life

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Do What is Best for Your Family and Future?" Anello shares how he and his wife are both Type A personalities and are very comfortable with a "Go, Go, Go" lifestyle that puts career first today while leaving room for fun adventures along the way.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series. He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Finding Happiness Blending Work and Play

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Anello finds he is happiest as a well-rounded person who draws no line between working and playing, professional and personal. Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on How Aspirations Get More Money Motivated

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" As a creative, Anello shares how his aspiration has always been to make work like play. As he builds a company, he becomes more aware of how making money can also be an aspiration and help him make a greater difference in his work.  He finds challenge reconciling his creative mindset and money motivation.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Mike Germano on Planning Family Goals at Age 30

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Do What is Best For Your Family and Your Future?"  Germano talks about the work he is doing to be a more attentive husband and to take better care of his own health.  He notes how this will become increasingly important as he and his wife have children and start a family. 

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.

Phil McKenzie on Why Patience is Key to Small Business Success

In Chapter 11 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve to Grow Your Business?"  McKenzie finds impatience is the greatest challenge he faces.  The more he wants to do to grow his business, the more resources he needs.  McKenzie learns to set priorities that align with incremental goals and manage that time constraints that come with things like closing a deal and getting paid on that deal. 

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder and Global Curator of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss the current and future state of influencer culture. Prior to that, he was Managing Partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC and an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co.  He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Finding a Management Style to Lead a Company

In Chapter 16 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Would You Describe Your Management Style?"  Starting his company, McKenzie leads loosely.  Over time, he finds the managerial style that works best for him and his team is more assertive, hands-on, and built on structure and boundaries.  He learns to separate how he works and how he gets motivated from what others require to thrive. 

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder and Global Curator of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss the current and future state of influencer culture. Prior to that, he was Managing Partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC and an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co.  He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Cathy Erway on How to Communicate More Effectively Online

In Chapter 7 of 17 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, writer and healthy food advocate Cathy Erway answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?"  Erway finds it comes down to the quality of your communication and making sure that your message is the best it can be.  She finds setting personal standards an important way to evaluate what you have said and how well you said it.  She finds she is hard on herself when evaluating how she communicates and also finds it helpful to do more with less when sharing or writing. 

Cathy Erway is a Brooklyn-based author, part-time cook, freelance writer, radio host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy.  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.

CFO Andrew Epstein on Transitioning into a General Management Role

In Chapter 2 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, charter school CFO Andrew Epstein answers "How Are Your Responsibilities Changing As Your Career Evolves?" Working as a CFO in a charter management organization, Epstein manages a finance and operations team across multiple schools and the overall network.  His responsibilities change most by giving him a global view of the organization and putting good people to work for the organization. 

Andrew Epstein is CFO of the Ascend Learning Charter School Network.  Previously, Epstein was a finance executive at Democracy Prep Public Schools and an operations executive at Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Records.  He is a former Teach for America corps member and middle-school science teacher.  He holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

How to Manage Across Work Disciplines - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 9 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, charter school CFO Andrew Epstein answers "How Have You Learned to Work More Effectively Across Different Disciplines?"  Epstein shares how he first puts people he trusts in place to do very specific jobs.  He then is able to make a specialist to generalist transition in his own role to then be a more effective general manager. 

Andrew Epstein is CFO of the Ascend Learning Charter School Network.  Previously, Epstein was a finance executive at Democracy Prep Public Schools and an operations executive at Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Records.  He is a former Teach for America corps member and middle-school science teacher.  He holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Andrew Epstein on Making Time for Reflection in Your Life

In Chapter 17 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, charter school CFO Andrew Epstein answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?"  Epstein is always thinking about ways he can get better - as a partner in his personal relationships, as a partner to his boss, as a friend.  Setting aside time before and after dinner Epstein tries to make it a habit of having these thoughts so he can put them to work in his life.

Andrew Epstein is CFO of the Ascend Learning Charter School Network.  Previously, Epstein was a finance executive at Democracy Prep Public Schools and an operations executive at Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Records.  He is a former Teach for America corps member and middle-school science teacher.  He holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Columbia Business School.