Idan Cohen on Building a Company Where Employees Love to Work

In Chapter 5 of 13 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, technology entrepreneur Idan Cohen answers "How Has Your Entrepreneurial Experience Helped You Grow as a Person?" Cohen finds starting and growing his company Boxee has that him about people and what sacrifices he is willing to make for others. In the six years growing the company before it sold to Samsung in 2013, Cohen finds reward knowing he helped create a place to work and a company culture that made a lasting positive impact on his employees.

Idan Cohen is a technology entrepreneur and product management leader at Samsung Electronics. He co-founded Boxee, which was acquired by Samsung in early 2013. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How has your entrepreneurial experience helped you grow as a person?

Idan Cohen: I think you learn more about people. You learn more about your priorities. You learn more about how much you are willing to sacrifice for what you set out to do. You learn about strengths and abilities that you didn't think you had. I think that especially looking back now after the acquisition and looking back at six years of building Boxee, the most significant thing that we did was create an amazing family with an amazing culture. It’s just--People got connected in many different ways, and, you know, the culture is a little quirky and a little weird, obviously, like maybe in any place, but the connection between the people was fantastic.

And I've seen companies that spend more time after work going out drinking together, and they spend more time doing activities or-- so it seems like they are connected, but I think that we managed to foster some kind of weird, very straightforward Israeli culture mixed in with young, local, American, New York experience and people. And it worked really well. I was extremely touched when everything went down, and one of the guys from Israel that decided-- so the team is moving here, and he decided not to move. And he wrote an e-mail back, and he said, you know, "I really hope that one day, I'll be able to say, no, Boxee was not the best place I ever worked in."

And I heard that from several other people in many different ways, and it was very hard for people to do this because they understood that something might change in the process. And they got emotional, and they felt really-- that it's-- you know, this time was significant in their life, and I think for me, suddenly that struck me, how-- like, being able to affect people's life in that way. You know, way more than eventually what we built, that-- you know, products come and go, services come and go. But I hope that the experiences people had together are the one thing that actually stays, not what they built. And I think that that, for me, was extremely touching.

Tricia Regan on How to Use Your Network to Find a New Job

In Chapter 9 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "How Has Your Network Helped You Find New Jobs?" Regan shares that the only way she finds jobs in film and television is through word-of-mouth. She is introduced to new opportunities and recommended for jobs via the network of professionals who know her work and what she can do. This helps open the next career opportunity for her, making a film about autism in Abu Dhab in the United Arab Emirates. 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. 

Clara Soh on What Gets Easier and What Gets Harder

In Chapter 3 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "What is Getting Easier and What is Getting Harder in Your Life?" Personally she finds moving to new places creates challenges keeping in touch with far away friends. She uses new technologies such as Google Hangout video chats to make it easier to manage the distance. Professionally, Soh embraces digital research capabilities in her work but finds progressive challenge managing information overload. 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.

James McCormick on Growing Small Business Client Relationships

In Chapter 12 of 21 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, legal search and consulting firm executive James McCormick answers "How Are Progressively Longer-Term Relationships Changing How You Do Business?" McCormick notes the importance of balancing his small business sales goals between serving existing clients and new business development. Growing the business by opening offices in new cities helps his small business serve its existing clients. As the company grows, McCormick and his teammates make it a point to introduce new hires to existing and new clients. 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. 

Randall Metting on Ways Old Friends Can Help You Find New Jobs

In Chapter 4 of 10 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, brand marketer Randall Metting answers "How Have You Found Contract Consulting Project Work to Pay the Bills and Make Ends Meet in Between Full-Time Jobs?" Metting shares the experience of how he was able to land a consulting project through his network. Specifically a friend Brian Gallagher from when he worked at Coca-Cola introduces him to another friend, Brian Addison, who is looking for help navigating Austin. Metting helps Addison and Addison, in turn, hires Randall to lead the Austin city launch of the EveryBlock neighborhood website. Randall Metting is a brand marketer working for Dulce Vida Spirits in Austin. Metting has built a career on helping companies and non-profits develop integrated marketing strategy and brand development programs. As "The Unofficial Mayor of Austin, Texas" Metting authors the randallmetting.com community blog. He is also an on-air radio personality for 93.3 KGSR radio in Austin. Metting earned a B.S. in Advertising from the University of Florida.

Mike Germano on How Management Can Inspire Employee Loyalty

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Procedures and Processes Are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?"  Germano talks about how role definition and operational processes are necessary to create managed growth at his company.  He shares how his business reached a point of needing dedicated human resources staff and how he arrived at and acted upon the decision to fill the position with an internal hire. 

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 Building a Talent Acquisition Business Strategy

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are Your Recruiting Priorities Changing As Your Company Grows?"  Germano discusses the recruiting, interviewing and hiring processes his social media advertising agency has developed over time to recruit top millennial talent and managerial talent.  He shares how initiatives such as online interviewing tests and dedicated college campus recruiting - for example the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - has helped the company find the right Gen Y and millennial talent.  Moreover, he shares how he presents a value proposition around engaging and rewarding work when recruiting managers from larger digital ad agencies. 

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. 

Andrew Epstein on How Family Relationships Change With Age

In Chapter 20 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, charter school CFO Andrew Epstein answers "How are Your Family Relationships Changing as You Get Older?"  Epstein finds his family relationships are becoming more intimate and deep.  The social interactions are more meaningful and the relationships are more supportive.  As an uncle to a nephew and two nieces, Epstein also shares how being around children are an increasingly important part of the time he spends with family. 

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.

Kyung B. Yoon on the Key to Making Marriage Last a Lifetime

In Chapter 17 of 17 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, non-profit executive Kyung B. Yoon answers "What Have You Found to Be the Keys to Making a Marriage Last a Lifetime?"  While she says the word "supportive" is overused, Yoon notes it is the key to making a marriage work, what builds trust and confidence in marriage, what helps a marriage grow.  She shares an example how her husband cared for her when she was sick - a small yet tender and supportive action that reflects on what it means to be a loving partner. 

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.

Jullien Gordon on How Family Relationships Change With Age

In Chapter 3 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach Jullien Gordon answers "How Are Your Family Relationships Changing As You Get Older?"  Getting married in July marks a huge milestone in Gordon's life.  Additionally, Gordon turns his attention to thinking how he will care for his aging parents from a distance and what role he will assume in that relationship.  Jullien Gordon is a high performance coach and consultant to organizations, individuals and teams who want to increase employee performance, motivation, engagement and retention.  He earned a BA from UCLA, an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a Masters of Education from Stanford University.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: How are your family relationships changing as you get older?

Jullien Gordon: First and foremost, I got married. I got married in July, so that’s been exciting this year. And of course, as you get older you start looking at your parents as opposed to adult to kid, you start looking at them eye to eye and you’re able to have different kinds of conversations than you were able to have when you lived in their household, or even when you were in college and not as independent.

I find myself having to think about how I’m going to take my—take care of my parents, especially as my mom gets older, or just trying to take on that responsibility, understanding what my role is in that relationship. We are—she’s in California, I’m in New York, and just trying to figure out how do I create my life as I build my family, but still support my mother in her—I don’t wanna call it aging, but as her life continues, how do I support and be a good son from a distance, if I don’t happen to move back to California, so that’s been challenging, thinking about that, ‘cause here I am, a newly wedded husband and I have my wife to take care of, we don’t have kids yet, but at the same time, I feel like I’m starting to have to think about how I’m gonna take care of my parents, and so that’s an interesting dynamic, and I didn’t picture it being that way as I was growing up. You know, your parents take care of themselves and then you start taking care of your family, as your family takes care of its kids and it goes that way, but… So I’m finding some interesting dynamics as I explore being a son and being a husband.

Jullien Gordon on Ways to Decrease Turnover and Retain Employees

In Chapter 21 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach Jullien Gordon answers "What Approaches Are You Taking to Help Organizations Better Retain Senior Management Talent?".  In his human capital strategy work, Gordon uses an interviewing process identify and close the gap between employee life goals and employer work expectations.  Jullien Gordon is a high performance coach and consultant to organizations, individuals and teams who want to increase employee performance, motivation, engagement and retention.  He earned a BA from UCLA, an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a Masters of Education from Stanford University.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: What approaches are you taking to help corporations better retain senior management talent?

Jullien Gordon: So I’m actually going to these organizations and leading trainings where I ask key employees these core questions and this can be in a group space, or it can be in a one-on-one space. And then I take that data anonymously, and I look for patterns in terms of what the employees are really seeking for their lives in general and their expectations of their employer, and the reasons why they work, and I take that back to the employer to help them close the gap between what their employees want and expect and their current human capital strategy. And using those insights, we’re able to close that gap and increase retention and lower the turnover rates.

So that’s really what it is, it’s a simple practice but, again, it takes someone who can listen from a non-judgmental space, someone who can listen without any intent for the employee. So I go in to an employer and I speak with an employee, and I’m asking not because I’m even trying to retain you, I’m just asking out of pure curiosity about what your vision is for your life. And to the extent that I can help your employer help you achieve your vision for your life, the more likely it is that you will stay at this particular organization and be engaged.

Erik Michielsen: What have you found surprising about those interviews?

Jullien Gordon: First and foremost, there’s no standard answer, right? So when—especially when I ask the question around the definition of success, an employer might say more money is what’s gonna keep somebody, and they’ve tried that and they might get a little pop in performance for a month or two, and then the performance goes right back down to what it was and so when you really ask people what their definition of success is in the three ways that they measure it, you see all of these unique ways and I’ve done this in audiences of 4-500. And there are very few people who have identical answers. So that’s first and foremost, everybody has unique answers.

And then some of the answers that they have won’t cost the employer a dime to actually implement and support. For instance, if part of my definition of success is building strong relationships and the quality of my relationships, there are through affinity groups and things of that nature, an employer can actually offer that intentionally to their employees, not as a passive thing, but intentionally saying we have these spaces for people who are couples, people who are married with kids, people who are in this life stage and dealing with this, people who have cancer at our organization, whatever. People can find quality relationships in the context of their employer, so and companies aren’t just gonna be about technical things in getting things done and shipping. They are actually gonna be I think in the future more social environments, also like colleges where I am getting a lot of my life needs met through this space. Of course, from 8 to 5, I am working hard to move this organization and the clients from point A to point B, but there are wraparound services that don’t cost employers that much to—that will actually help the employees achieve their definition of success in not only their career but also in their life.

Lulu Chen on How to Help a Friend Find a New Job

In Chapter 6 of 16 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, art director Lulu Chen answers "How Has Your Network Helped You Find You Jobs?"  Chen notes it is especially about the little things where your friends can help you find new jobs.  This includes having your friends vouch for you as well as having them give you help updating your resume or writing a cover letter. 

Lulu Chen is a photo art director working in retail e-commerce in New York City.  Previously, Chen worked as a freelance stylist for leading fashion catalogs and magazines.  She earned a BFA in design and art history from the University of Michigan.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How has your network helped you find new jobs?

Lulu Chen: It’s all encompassing, you know, your friends can send you job postings or ideas, or tell you about things that they’ve heard of and opportunities which is I think huge, you know, and I think that a professional network or just a personal network does that, especially in such a big market in New York. But, I mean it’s the little things, really, you know, it’s like helping you proofread your cover letter, and making sure that your résumé looks good, and we all do it for each other. And from the technical small things to the fact that they will go and vouch for you, and really say to a friend or a colleague, or their boss, like, “Oh, you know, I’ve worked with this person before. I really think that they’re the best candidate for the job, and it might not be somebody who is obvious, but, you know, if you give this person that chance, she won’t let you down.”

Anatole Faykin on Getting to Know Yourself By Traveling Abroad

In Chapter 2 of 12 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "What Did Traveling Abroad This Past Year Teach You About Yourself?"   Faykin shares two abroad experiences and how they each informed his understanding of self.  First, he takes a trip with his best friends to Peru to hike Machu Picchu, which reminds him about the importance of friendship in his life.  The second trip is a wedding hopping trip to Australia, Singapore and Indonesia - three weddings in five weeks in the Far East.  Traveling alone in between the weddings, Faykin realizes he does not enjoy traveling alone as much as he used to in his younger days. 

Anatole Faykin is an entrepreneur currently working on a new startup as part of the Startup Chile incubator program in Santiago, Chile.  Previously, Faykin founded Tuanpin, a Shanghai, China-based daily deals site he grew to 25 employees and sold in the fall of 2011. He has worked for British Telecom in London, Intel in Shanghai, American Express in New York, and Oracle in San Francisco as well as several startups. He holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BS in computer science and biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Garren Katz: Why to Invest Savings in Friends and Not Stocks

In Chapter 14 of 15 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, business and personal coach Garren Katz answers "How Has Being Open to New Opportunities Shaped Your Investing Experience?"  Katz shares his progression from traditional investing - Roth IRA, SEP IRA, securities - in his 20s to investing in friends in his 30s.  He notes how more and more of his friends have been starting businesses and why he is choosing more and more to invest in these people rather than those traditional outlets. 

Garren Katz is a business and personal coach based in State College, PA and advises his national client base on small business management, entrepreneurship, relationships, and personal finances.  He is also an active angel investor in several business ventures.  He earned his BA from Western Michigan University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How has being open to new opportunities shaped your investing experience?

Garren Katz: Wow, I would say when I was in my 20s, I invested very traditionally, Roth IRA, SEP-IRA, in securities and that type of thing. You know, we live in a time now where more than likely somebody you know, or a buddy or a friend or a family member, they’re up to something. And they’re up to a neat idea. And they probably could use some money to help them along.  

So I’ve really shifted some of my money that goes towards investments into a pool where I want to invest in people, especially friends, folks you know. It’s so much more rewarding on so many different levels, if I invest in a stock and that stock does well, that feeds my ego a bit, and it’s kind of a one-dimensional satisfaction, whereas putting money into a project that a friend’s working on is rewarding on a multitude of levels, and honestly, I would have to say I get more satisfaction out of investing in a friend or a friend’s project that might not float than I do out of a successful stock transaction because it’s—it creates a new element to our relationship. So I really, really enjoy investing in other people’s passions, what other people are up to, what other people are taking on, I love being a part of it.

Why to Stop Using Email and Start Speaking to Clients - Ross Floate

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2012 interview, branding and design strategist Ross Floate answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage Long Distance Relationships?"  Floate finds old forms of communication - phone calls, in-person meetings, handwritten letters - more useful than ever before.  It helps him build better business and personal relationships and it helps him win new and repeat deals.  Floate notes the extra time investment adds a personal touch that differentiates him from competition and creates more substantive engagement experiences.  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.

How Getting Married Changes Your Life

In Chapter 6 of 15 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "How Has Getting Married Change Your Life?"  She notes how marriage weaves together two people into one and represents a lifetime commitment.  She notes how the commitment to marriage stands above either she or her husband's individual desires and needs. 

Audrey Parker French returns to CYF for her Year 3 interview after a one-year sabbatical from work and getting married.  She co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm.  In 2010, CLEAResult ranked #144 in the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies.  In late 2010, CLEAResult was sold to General Catalyst Partners.  She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How has getting married changed your life?

Audrey Parker French: Well, it’s not my life anymore. My life is now me and my husband. It’s a completely – I mean to the point where I – I could’ve thought that I could know what this would be like and yet until I’ve gone through it I really didn’t know what this was. It’s literally a weaving together of 2 people into one. And it’s a commitment that lasts a lifetime. And we both took that commitment and still take that commitment very, very seriously. And it means that on a day-to-day basis, it’s – you know – it’s a commitment that’s higher than ourselves, the commitment to the relationship that’s higher than what I wanna do in the morning or what I wanna do in a day or what he wants to do in the morning or do in a day, it’s – we’ve made a commitment to value our relationship above either one of our individual in the moment kind of needs.

I have done that before in the commitment level that I had to the company that I helped start. I know how to put something ahead of your own desires and we all do it every day. We just have to make sure that what we put ahead of our own desires, what we’re committed to above anything else is something really pure and really important, and really good that fulfills us. And that’s what marriage is for me. It’s been – it’s also been – it’s been really fun to find the person that really is my mirror, my equal, my match, you know, he’s the right shoe, I’m the left shoe. We’re a matching pair.

And life didn’t really make sense to either of us, we’ve laughed about it how we’ve gone out with plenty of people over the last, you know, 10 or 15 years as we’ve been learning and growing. And thinking, “Well, wow, that was a really good date, that person got me 60% of the way or 50% of the way.” But we have never experienced really getting another individual on such a deep level and really feeling that sacred spiritual precious pure feeling, and I – it’s just been life changing, really life altering and beautiful.

The Rewards of Working in a Family Business - Ken Biberaj

In Chapter 12 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council candidate and public relations executive Ken Biberaj answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Working in a Family Business?"  Biberaj notes how the shared experience working with family has helped him build trust across family generations and put a foundation in place for future generations.  He shares what he has learned from other family business owners and how it plays into the American immigrant experience.  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 a Strong Network Can Advance Your Career - Ken Biberaj

In Chapter 20 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council candidate and public relations executive Ken Biberaj answers "How Do You Use Your Network to Get Help Making Career and Life Decisions?"  Biberaj highlights the good fortune he has found cultivating his network by staying engaged, showing up, and finding ways to serve others.  He shares how these relationships are now fundamental to his campaign efforts running for political office.  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.