Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Move Your Business to New York City

In Chapter 9 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Made You Decide to Relocate Sandbox From Switzerland to New York?" Starting a business, Sandbox Network, in Zurich, Switzerland, Fabian and his co-founding team move the business HQ to New York City to embrace the fast-paced culture, global transportation hub, talent availability, and potential business partners sharing mission and values. 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 Honing a Socially Conscious Business Model

In Chapter 15 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Are the Challenges of Making a Socially Conscious Business Sustainable?" Pfortmüller notes the tradeoff of making a product that sells versus a sustainable product that sells. He notes short term sacrifices that occur given higher prices for sustainable products, but how this gradually erodes as community trust is built with customers as the product stories are shared and embraced. 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.

Yoav Gonen on Two Ways to Test and Validate Your Career Choices

In Chapter 5 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "At This Moment in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Gonen gains career planning insights from co-workers leaving their newspaper reporting jobs to change careers. He also reaches out to writers he admires for career advice. In both instances, he finds validation in his work and learns to better appreciate what he does for a living. Shortly after this interview, Gonen was promoted from education reporter to New York City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Michael Margolis on How to Find the Right Project at the Right Time

In Chapter 8 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "How Do You Filter and Find the Right Project at the Right Time?" Running a fast growing storytelling business communication business, Margolis looks for client stories his team can believe in and invest in to tell a bigger story. This then requires Margolis and team to select companies who are willing and open partners in the transformational storytelling process. 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.

Michael Margolis on Living Better by Deciding What Matters Most to You

In Chapter 13 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing as Your Experience Grows?" Margolis shares Lao Tzu wisdom on adding to your life by taking away or subtracting things. Margolis adopts this philosophy in his own life as he learns to say no, to set boundaries, to managing information technology streams and battle the oft competing priorities of serving others while taking care of your self. He shares what it is like to go through a process of finding what matters to you in life and how he is working his way through it. 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.

Michael Margolis on Assessing Fit in Final Round Job Interviews

In Chapter 15 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "How Do You Assess Fit When Interviewing Prospective Employees?" Margolis first asks whether he would like to spend time around the candidate. Secondly, he looks for curiosity, namely through the questions job candidates ask in the interview. He then looks for heart and how this translates into culture fit. Lastly, he looks to job skill competency, knowing his team has already covered much of this in earlier round interviews. 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.

Tricia Regan on Why Confidence is Everything When You Make Films

In Chapter 7 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" To Regan, confidence is everything in her work as a filmmaker.  Confidence helps her lead other people, make decisions and move projects forward toward completion. Tricia Regan is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for writing, directing and producing documentary films, including the Emmy-winning "Autism: The Musical". She also has worked extensively in non-fiction television for A&E, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, MTV Networks and NBC. Regan earned a bachelors from Binghamton University and masters from New York University. 

Tricia Regan on Finding the Right Fit Interviewing for Film and TV Jobs

In Chapter 10 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker and television producer Tricia Regan answers "How Do You Assess Fit When Interviewing for New Film or Television Projects?" For television jobs, Regan looks for opportunities that pay well and complement her documentary filmmaking projects. In finding fit making documentary films, Regan makes a point to have some connection to the subject matter, especially given the economic benefits are less certain in documentary film work than in TV. Tricia Regan is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for writing, directing and producing documentary films, including the Emmy-winning "Autism: The Musical". She also has worked extensively in non-fiction television for A&E, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, MTV Networks and NBC. Regan earned a bachelors from Binghamton University and masters from New York University. 

Richard Moross on When to Buy a Company and Enter a New Market

In Chapter 6 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Experiences in the Past Year Have Most Influenced the Direction of Your Company?" Leading a growing business, Moross shares how acquiring flavors.me helped accelerate his company's expansion beyond physical products into digital products. The company acquisition leads to Moross hiring a chief product officer to translate the company investment into a committed digital product team. He notes how the digital market-entry strategy was shaped by internal discussions and why it is important to long-term company growth. 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.

Richard Moross on What Time Horizon to Focus on in a CEO Role

In Chapter 11 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "As a CEO, How Do You Decide What Time Horizon to Focus on in Your Work?" As the company has grown in size, budgeting timeframes have moved from month-to-month to several years out. This takes into account managing cash flow, accounting for growth, and making strategic investments. 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.

Richard Moross on When to Hire a Creative Agency to Build Your Brand

In Chapter 12 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "How is Company Growth Changing Your Advertising and Public Relations Needs?" As his company hits its one millionth customer and 200 country customer footprint milestones, Moross sees a need to invest in global branding and marketing communications. He shares why his company decided to seek external expertise and what he learned as the team went about finding the right creative agency, Creature, to develop an international television ad to run in the UK and US. 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.

Richard Moross on How to Give Better Advice When Asked for Help

In Chapter 13 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" As a member of Young Presidents Organization, or YPO, Moross learns advice giving is less about answering and opining and more about providing support and even granting permission for the requesting party to make a more well-informed decision. 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.

Richard Moross on Lessons Learned as a Public Company Board Member

In Chapter 14 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Have You Found Most Educational About Participating on a Large Company Board of Directors?" Moross shares what he is learning about business, leadership, and management as a board member for publicly traded company Ladbrokes PLC. He gets to participate in a group effort to solve problems and plan for the future while also infusing the team with his knowledge of digital media and Internet innovation. 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.

Doug Jaeger on Why Selling Your Work Starts With Selling Yourself

In Chapter 6 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" As a professional, Jaeger shares why having confidence can make or break your ability to sell work. He shares an experience from working in advertising and doing a professional photography look book shoot for a fashion brand. Skilled at photography, he finds indecisiveness working on a set with models leads to not being successful completing the project. He compares this to how having confidence in his branding and marketing work has allowed him to Doug Jaeger is co-founder and creative director at JaegerSloan Inc. where he focuses on brand and experimental marketing for clients such as Squarespace, Samsung and PwC. He is an adjunct professor at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) and co-curator of JnrlStr. He graduated from Syracuse University.

Doug Jaeger on What Makes Some Collaborations Better Than Others

In Chapter 14 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Have You Found to Be the Keys to Creating Successful Project Collaborations?" Jaeger shares what he has learned about collaboration building film teams for production and post-production. He finds ways to build working relationships with people that have different skills and to bring the right mix of skills together when hiring production crews and project teams. Working in a creative director role, he shares the challenge of getting the skills mix right on a project and how he and his business partner have learned to assess fit take people off teams with the fit is not right. Doug Jaeger is co-founder and creative director at JaegerSloan Inc. where he focuses on brand and experimental marketing for clients such as Squarespace, Samsung and PwC. He is an adjunct professor at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) and co-curator of JnrlStr. He graduated from Syracuse University.

Ken Biberaj on How Reflecting on His Past Shapes Future Decisions

In Chapter 6 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?" Biberaj reflects back on his past - going through notes, watching videos, etc. - because he sees his past as what has laid a foundation for his future. As a politician, he also is reminded that reflecting back on past voter conversations by following up with phone calls helps him stay current and engaged with his community.

Ken Biberaj is currently a 2013 Democratic Candidate for City Council in New York City. 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 Biberaj was Florida Research Director for the Kerry-Edwards for President Campaign. Biberaj 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. 

Slava Rubin on How to Translate Confidence into Effective Leadership

In Chapter 3 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" To Rubin, a confident approach is fundamental to his leadership style. He learns early in life things are unpredictable and finds being decisive yet flexible a combination that helps translate his confidence into team confidence. Slava Rubin is CEO and co-founder of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform. Indiegogo empowers anyone, anywhere, anytime to raise funds for any idea—creative, cause-related or entrepreneurial. Prior to Indiegogo, Rubin worked as a management consultant. He earned his BSE degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What role does confidence play in the work that you do?

Slava Rubin: I think confidence is really important. It’s very easy to not be confident ‘cause there’s a lot of things that go wrong. And when you have employees, and when you have a team, they really rely on leadership, and a lot of leadership has to do with confidence. Often, one of the most important things you can do when deciding between two things is not pick one or the other, but rather make the decision, ‘cause the lack of decision is a decision in itself, usually associated with lack of confidence and can just create a stumble for the whole entire team. So it’s important to take action and deal with the consequences.

Erik Michielsen: Is that something that you’ve learned over time? Are you getting better at or is that something as a core skill you’ve kind of always had?

Slava Rubin: I think the idea of taking action without regret and dealing with the next step associated with it and constant iterating based on feedback is something quite core to, you know, the way I grew up.

Erik Michielsen: Yeah? Tell me more about that.

Slava Rubin: I would say that it has to do with you can’t always project what the future will look like. You know, my dad died when I was a kid, so you can’t just say, “Oh, this is what’s gonna happen in the future and that’s what I rely on.” You gotta be able to be a bit more nimble. And I think that feedback loops are tightening so much that you can get so much more information so much quicker that you don’t have to rely on having long projected answers or predictions, that you can just, you know, have a step forward, get some feedback, and then pivot or move around. Yeah, the idea of standing in place is a decision in itself, so just by moving in one direction or the other, you constantly get more feedback.

Slava Rubin on How an Executive Coach Helps Him Be a Better CEO

In Chapter 5 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Rubin shares how working with an executive coach helps him be a better CEO by improving his decision making, listening, and management skills. He shares how the executive coaching relationship complements what he learns from his cofounders, board of directors, and investors. Slava Rubin is CEO and co-founder of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform. Indiegogo empowers anyone, anywhere, anytime to raise funds for any idea—creative, cause-related or entrepreneurial. Prior to Indiegogo, Rubin worked as a management consultant. He earned his BSE degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What skills are you working on right now to become better at your job?

Slava Rubin: Definitely around how to lead, how to make decisions, how to listen, and how to focus on people.

Erik Michielsen: Where do you get that direction? Do you have a board of directors now?

Slava Rubin: We do have a board of directors. We’ve had a board of directors since we closed the seed round 2 years ago.

Erik Michielsen: And how do you receive guidance from the board of directors and how does that compare and contrast from the guidance that you receive from, say your co-founders?

Slava Rubin: Typically, in the board meeting, it is a little bit more functional for us, where we’re discussing “What are the challenges? What are the opportunities? How do the numbers look? What are we focusing on the next quarter or what do we do for the last quarter?” But I am in touch with the board and the other investors and advisors a lot throughout them, 3 months between board meetings, plus we’re constantly in touch as executive senior management of the team, and I also have an executive coach. So these are just things where we pull together different feedback, and listening, and keep on trying to improve.

Erik Michielsen: What have you found most helpful in the executive coaching relationship?

Slava Rubin: An executive coach is helpful from the standpoint of everybody has a little bit of bias sometimes in their relationship with you, so it’s hard to be completely open and be able to really have complete feedback as part of the process because an investor has their bias, a co-founder has their own bias, an employee has their own bias, so it’s good to speak to somebody who is a professional, who is just constantly speaking to your type of similar individuals. For me, the situation is founder or CEO, and being able to parallel that, to explain, “Hey, this is what I’ve seen. Are there people going through a similar situation? Maybe this is what you’re going through, and maybe have you thought about this?” So it’s helpful.