Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

Creative Process

Lauren Serota on 3 Ways to Make Work Meaningful

In Chapter 3 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?" Serota shares three ways what she does is meaningful. First, with her creative consultative work at frog, she finds meaning in helping companies evolve and grow. Second, the interpersonal connections she makes as a teacher and engaging students as they build careers. Thirdly, she finds work meaningful in simply gaining knowledge and becoming wiser.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Lauren Serota on What It Means to Be a Creative Leader

In Chapter 7 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?" Serota leads by being able to ingest multiple perspectives, synthesize them and create a point of view that unites a team around a common vision. New in her role as assistant creative director, Serota finds teammates seeking her creative leadership at an individual task or tactical level.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). 

Lauren Serota on Teaching Students Design Thinking

In Chapter 16 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Does It Mean to Teach Someone to Think Like a Designer?" Serota notes there is a nature versus nurture element of teaching students design thinking techniques. As a teacher, Serota tries to find student learning styles and adapt her teaching to those who grasp creative and design thinking and those who struggle to grasp them.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

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.

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 Ways to Keep Beat Reporting Stories Fresh Over Time

In Chapter 6 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What New Challenges Are You Facing in Your Journalism and Reporting Career?" Working on the education beat as a newspaper journalist for nearly six years, Gonen looks for ways to keep his stories fresh after reporting on topics that repeat over time. He looks to different story formats to do deeper reporting and pushes himself to find new work routines to get out of the office and do reporting work on the street and at events. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Yoav Gonen on Performing Under Pressure Meeting Story Deadlines

In Chapter 14 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Gone shares how deadline writing culture and the pressures it creates is a given in newspaper reporting. He finds the multiple daily deadline pressures more motivating than stressful. He shares another job pressure of newspaper journalism: staying ahead of the peer competition on your beat. Peer competition also creates pressure though. With experience Gonen thinks about it less as stress and more of a given in the nature of his work. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Tricia Regan on What Gets Easier and What Gets Harder

In Chapter 5 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "What is Getting Easier and What is Getting Harder in Your Life?" Regan shares how, professionally as a filmmaker and television editor and producer, repetition builds confidence and removes doubt and fear. She notes that progressively mastering these creative skills creates a greater challenge when she gets confronted with political situations that go beyond the project creative work and storytelling. 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 How Television Storytelling Careers are Changing

In Chapter 13 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker and television producer Tricia Regan answers "How is the Practice or Trend of Storytelling Changing?" She notes how traditional storytelling formats - two- or three-act plays, three-act movies, half-hour TV shows, one-hour TV shows short stories, novels, and poems - are evolving into new formats. Regan details how powerful the "TV series" format has become, going from the old Charles Dickens' written formulas into serial TV series on HBO, Showtime, AMC and Netflix. She notes how a format in a serial TV show such as Girls pushes the boundaries of possibilities far behind creative formats of traditional TV such as Seinfeld. 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 Opening a Retail Store for an E-Commerce Brand

In Chapter 7 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Has Surprised You Most About What You Have Learned by Opening a Retail Store?" Moross shares how he learned about physical space design working at design firm Imagination. After applying this in a trade show context as well as a physical product design process, he and his team take the detail-oriented products he offers from an online retailing experience to a physical one. He notes the resulting customer experience was as much about physically interacting with the products as it was interacting with the brand experience in the store. 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.

Doug Jaeger on the Creative Benefits of Playing With Legos

In Chapter 1 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Jaeger shares how playing with Legos shaped his creativity and imagination as a child as well as his relationship with his brother. To Jaeger, building Legos was less about following predefined set instructions and more about imagining something and building it with the blocks. 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 Making an Art Gallery for His Community

In Chapter 5 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Have You Learned From Starting an Art Gallery in New York City?" Jaeger shares what he and his partner, Kristin Sloan, have learned from starting an art gallery in their Lower East Side New York City studio space. From working with artists to curating shows to bringing art to the community, Jaeger seeks ways to make art more approachable in ways that bring people together. 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 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 Performing Under Pressure in a Creative Career

In Chapter 7 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Jaeger shares how he first learned to perform under pressure working in advertising at TBWA/Chiat Day agency. There he learns what it means to be a creative designer who can stand out by performing under deadline pressure. He compares this skill to an athlete practicing and working up to a big shot in a big game. Jaeger also shares how doing deadline-based work has allowed him to use stress as an ally and motivational tool. 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 Growing Creative Capacity by Making Brand Films

In Chapter 11 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "How Have Your Client Projects Shaped How You Present Your Skills When Pitching Business?" Jaeger and his team invest in brand film projects to learn new capabilities. As they sell brand film work for clients, the project experiences inform new ways he and his team can evolve brand storytelling beyond film work and into media distribution and commercial filmmaking. 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 the Give and Take of Creative Project Work Attribution

In Chapter 12 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Get and to Give Credit for the Work That You Do?" An experienced advertising executive now making brand films about companies and their futures, Jaeger shares his perspective on giving credit and taking credit for client project work. He shares when it is and is not appropriate to get attribution for the work you do on a creative project collaboration. 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.