Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take a Slow Approach to Travel

In Chapter 3 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Pfortmüller notes how his travel philosophy has shifted from "visit as many sites as possible" to a more "slow travel" approach to staying in a foreign place and appreciating his daily surroundings. He compares traveling to India in his early twenties with a recent trip to Iran and how appreciating the little things can be so rewarding. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Cultivating Middle Eastern Culture Passions

In Chapter 4 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are You Cultivating Your Passion for Middle Eastern Language and Culture?" After graduating with a college degree in Middle Eastern studies, Pfortmüller travels to Iran to hone his Arabic and Farsi language skills while learning about the culture. While in New York, he channels his passion for Middle Eastern culture into food adventures sampling Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian and the conversations they start. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take Employees on a Destination Retreat

In Chapter 12 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "Why Did You Plan a Month-Long Employee Retreat and What did the Experience Teach You?" Taking Holstee employees on a month-long destination retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico teaches Pfortmüller the value of getting out of the office and coming together as a team to bond as a family. This family culture element allows teambuilding to develop naturally through the shared experiences of going somewhere new and experiencing it together as a team. Fabian Pfortmüller is co-founder of Holstee, a socially conscious online marketplace, and Sandbox Network, a global community for young entrepreneurial people. Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University.

Michael Margolis on Life Lessons From Going to Kathmandu

In Chapter 2 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Margolis shares how traveling to Kathmandu, Nepal informed his life perspective. While in Kathmandu, he learns more about how language can either attract or repel people. He puts this in content of his communications career working in storytelling and how to prioritize the safety of your audience. Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University. 

Richard Moross on Why to Get Out of the Office and Travel the World

In Chapter 4 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Travel Adventures Have You Had This Past Year and What Did You Learn From Them?" Moross learns how taking holidays - in this case traveling to Israel, Namibia, and Japan - gives him space not only to appreciate culture but also to reflect, to refresh and to put his work in a more global context. He talks about traveling to Israel with business partner Hewlett Packard (HP) and going to Namibia to take a 1000-mile road trip. Richard Moross is founder and CEO of award-winning online print business Moo.com. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member at Ladbrokes PLC. Before Moo.com, Moross was a strategist at design firm Imagination. He graduated from the University of Sussex.

Clara Soh on Getting Your Parents to Support Your Career Choices

In Chapter 2 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?" Soh shares how her Korean parents have often had a hard time understanding her career decisions, from joining the Peace Corps to working in non-profit and public policy jobs. Over time, Soh shows her parents that not going to medical school is okay and her parents learn to accept her choices and give her emotional support. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Clara Soh on Learning by Reflecting as a Peace Corps Volunteer

In Chapter 4 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Your Personal Growth?" Soh shares what she learned about herself as a Peace Corps volunteer working in West Africa. Living in a Muslim country learning the language and slowly breaking into the community, Soh learns to embrace time alone and use the downtime for reflection on her life. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Clara Soh on How to Make Complex Research Easier to Understand

In Chapter 14 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "How Have You Learned to Translate Complex Research into Easily Digestable Writing?" Soh shares how she has learned to translate what she does at work to the level of communication her audience prefers such as academic or legislative or journalistic. Early career experiences reading extensively while in the Peace Corps give Soh the appreciation for diversity she then hones in her health economist career. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Matt Curtis on What to Pack When Traveling to Big European Cities

In Chapter 3 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "What Did Taking Your First International Trip Do To Inform How You Planned Your Second?" After taking his first trip to Ireland to visit distant family and hike the countryside, Curtis takes a second trip to visit London, Madrid and Paris. He learns from experience to pack fewer clothes and bring nicer clothes for evenings out after a long day touring the town. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Matt Curtis on Traveling Europe to Find City Planning Best Practices

In Chapter 4 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, HomeAway government relations director Matt Curtis answers "What Did Your Travels to London, Madrid and Paris Teach You About How Cities Can Better Plan for the Future?" Curtis discusses how his European travels have informed him about the importance of city planning around population growth. He finds European cultural centers such as London, Madrid and Paris understood the importance of transportation infrastructure and integrated it into the city fabric. This is a valuable takeaway that Curtis takes back to the United States and his city planning conversations. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.

Bijoy Goswami on How Boarding School Influences Early Development

In Chapter 1 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" In his childhood, frequent moves teach Goswami to be open-minded about context and not to assume the way he sees things is the way others see things. He highlights his 6th grade Catholic boarding school experience at Montfort in Tamil Nadu, India where he learns routine and structure in a very regimented setting. 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 Make Employee Culture a Competitive Advantage

In Chapter 12 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings answers "What Has Working at frog design Taught You About What It Takes to Build a Strong Company Culture?" Working at 40-year old design strategy company frog design, Stallings sees firsthand how people not only can come together to solve client problems but also can individually contribute to shaping what the company represents in carrying on the company history via actions and values. As he assimilates into frog culture over time, Stallings learns how to contribute, embrace the impromptu nature of interaction, and, ultimately, add to how the company differentiates with its culture.

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 Experiencing Joy Traveling Somewhere New

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Traveling somewhere new fuels Anello's creativity, as does finding new places to explore in places such as Barcelona and Madrid he has already been. He shares how big trips need not always be planned and shares an example of a long weekend trip to Amsterdam he and his wife took in the past year.

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 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 Winning Global Deals by Meeting Clients Face-to-Face

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" To Germano traveling abroad is less about the travel experience and more about in-person opportunity he gets to connect to international clients who, when given a world of choices, choose to work with his Brooklyn business and team.

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.

Kyung B. Yoon on Learning to Care for Your Parents as They Get Older

In Chapter 15 of 17 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, non-profit executive Kyung B. Yoon answers "What Is Your Approach to Manage Long Distance Family Relationships?"  Yoon notes how her parents have relocated back to Korea where they engage with church and social life, live independently and remain healthy.  Yoon and her two siblings, all of whom live in the United States, start a conversation with her parents on how to manage long distances when caring for them as they get older. 

Kyung B. Yoon is the executive director of the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) in New York City.  An award-winning journalist and documentary film producer, Yoon earned an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in History and Political Science at Wellesley College.

Hattie Elliot on Why Travel to Distant and Unfamiliar Places

In Chapter 3 of 19 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, female entrepreneur Hattie Grace Elliot answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?"  Elliot notes how she find motivation to travel by her curiosity and interest in learning about family dynamics and social dynamics of different cultures.  Additionally it teaches her to value her liberty, freedom, and security she has as a United States citizen.  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.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What have you found most rewarding about traveling to new places?

Hattie Elliot: Wowsers… I’m just a curious person. I love to experience the different cultures, and everything that comes along with that, the tastes and smells. And, you know, the different relationships people have with their careers, with their family, like family structure, and the way they treat their elders and their children, and the way elders treat their children, and the way that, you know, they—that they—their expectations on different, everything from homosexuality to marriage to political affiliation. I find all that stuff really fascinating because I think—especially in a place like the States, it’s very easy to become content and think that, you know, it’s our way or the highway. You drink the Jesus juice. 

And, you know, when you step outside of that box, I think in many instances, you—it gives you a new perspective and you’re able to realize that there’s other ways to think about things and other cultures that have really wonderful qualities that are really valuable, and that we can really deduce a lot of value from and really benefit from here, and personally, you know, things that we can take lessons from. And it also—on the other end, really makes you realize in many circumstances how lucky we are for certain freedoms we have, especially for me, I lived in South Africa for so many years and I love that country, but, you know, I really appreciate now more than ever how much freedom I have to travel, to speak my mind, that I’m safe, that I don’t have to lock my car door and worry about that every single time I step into my car, or walk into my apartment. 

So I think it just—it’s good for everybody, it’s—it gives you a better perspective on the world that it’s something that challenges you to—to just, like, any of these things to really, you know, reevaluate the way that you think about life in the world, and your home, and your friends and your family, and your everyday life, your career, all aspects.

Adam Carter on Searching for Meaning by Traveling Abroad

In Chapter 4 of 13 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, micro-philanthropist Adam Carter answers "Where is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do to Break Free of Living in It?"  After graduating college, Carter decides not to pursue traditional career paths and instead looks for meaning traveling abroad.  He starts his adventure by buying a one-way ticket to China.  Over time, he works summers selling beer at baseball games to finance international travel.  Ultimately, Carter decides to break out of this routine, walk away from the beer vendor life, and relocate to Brazil. 

Adam Carter is a micro-philanthropist currently living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  He is the founder of the Cause and Affect Foundation which raises small amounts of financing to provide direct-to-source project funding for individuals and communities in need across the globe.  To date, Carter has traveled to over 80 countries.  He earned an MA in International Development from George Washington University and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: Where is your comfort zone, and what do you do to break free of living in it?

Adam Carter: I broke out of my comfort zone when I graduated from college because I decided that instead of following the kind of pre-described path, of, you know, starting to interview and starting to work, and working towards a certain career goal and then retiring, whatever, that I just completely broke away from that, and that’s when I started to travel. So I think buying a one-way ticket to China is a great way for anybody out there to break out of their comfort zone. 

I’ve always respected those that have been able to do that on a professional level or on a personal level, and I’ve often had to reinvent myself or do that myself and then constantly thinking, okay, what can I do to challenge myself? What can I do to present a whole new set of stimuli or opportunities? And so as I continued to travel, I realized that I wanted to find a way to live abroad and continued to seek out a new comfort zone, but, at the same time, I had this job. I was a beer vendor in Chicago with the baseball stadiums, which was fantastic. I was able to go home every summer, make money. It was easy. You know, I’d go home, I could live with my mother, I could save my money, and then I could go travel and do my philanthropy work and everything, which was a great lifestyle and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but it got to the point, where I realized, “Okay, I’ve been doing this for 17 years now,” and I could see the guys around me, some of which have been doing it for 30 years, and they’re in their 50s, or in their 60s, and they got the bad knees and bad back and they’re kind of humbling around there, and I realized, I don’t want to do that. I want to do more in my life than be a beer vendor. 

So I had to really step out of my comfort zone and walk away from this job. And you know, my cohorts assured me, they’re like, “all right, dude, you’ll be back next year. We’ll see you next year.” I said, “Well, never say never, but I feel like I’m making this move, I got to do it.” I knew there was only one way to do it, and that is, you know, walk away and just cold turkey. I mean, there are challenges inherent in that, as I was saying, it’s all of a sudden, you have to provide income and you have to realize, okay, I’m an adult and I have to provide for my future, cool, but I felt like I never would have taken the next step if I had this comfort zone to come back to. I think it’s really important to—not to be afraid of what’s out there and to embrace uncertainty, and to me, I think one of the lessons that I have learned personally and that I try to pass to people that I meet is to embrace uncertainty, because uncertainty is the one certainty in our life, and yet, it’s the one thing that often brings people down. And the more that I’ve—every challenge that comes my way, I try to embrace it and say, “well, it’s all in how I’m gonna deal with this and how I react to this, because we all know that if this uncertainty doesn’t happen, a month down the road, something else is gonna come up,” so the more I can kind of, you know, take everything with a smile and be like, here we go again. Let’s see what we got to do here. It’s really helped me just find my place in the world. So I’d say that being ready for the unexpected and having confidence in yourself and having confidence in the fact that, okay, things are gonna work out in the end. You know, we often stress about these little things, then we look back ten years later, and I’m like, “I can’t believe I got so stressed out like that because, look, it doesn’t even matter,” so I try to keep that mindset, which has really enriched me I think as a person.