Mark Graham on How to Manage Ups and Downs in Life and Career

In Chapter 11 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" At age 40 and nearly 20 years into his career, Graham shares how he has had his share of ups and downs. He works through the challenges by staying focused on the levels of competency and effort he exhibits in his pursuits. Regularly reflecting on past failures and successes also helps him analyze situations, understand why they happened, and avoid repeating them if they were not positive ones.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Conrad Doucette on How to Handle a High Pressure Job at a Startup

In Chapter 14 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, musician and digital strategist Conrad Doucette answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Doucette finds constantly working in high-pressure job environments teaches him how to turn the chaos into calm, in what he terms a "Zen plateau" or "beautiful, bright soundscape." He also notes that pressure can feel like no pressure and no pressure can feel like pressure.

Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for the band Takka Takka. He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts. When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks. Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan. 

Simon Sinek on Creating Space in Your Life to Do Your Best Work

In Chapter 16 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What Do You Find Are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" At this point in his career, Sinek has developed his strengths and knows how to give responsibility for things that are not core strengths to others he trusts. He notes this is something you learn to do and why it is important that Gen Y and Millennials first invest time doing many things so they may then find their strengths and create value in their work. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Simon Sinek on How to Fight Loneliness When Working Alone

In Chapter 21 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "How Do You Fight Loneliness When You Spend Large Spans of Time Working Alone?" Sinek recognizes working alone can be difficult and remedies this first by asking someone to be with him while he works. He finds this "babysitter" helps him focus and get things done. When he is alone, he tries to fight stress by staying connected with friends and making it a point to openly share his feelings. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Idan Cohen on How to Improve a Startup Product Development Process

In Chapter 11 of 13 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, technology entrepreneur Idan Cohen answers "What Were the Main Learning Points From Starting and Selling the Company?" Cohen shares ways he would improve the product development process based on what he learned. He finds focus and prioritizing quality are especially important when working in a resource and time constrained startup environment. He learns ways to test himself and others on separating essential and non-essential tasks, including building product features and managing product team and user expectations when features get cut.

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: What were the main learning points from starting and selling a company?

Idan Cohen:  I think that the main things for me were kind of the things that we could do better on. So for instance, just focusing the product and always being able to-- especially for our company, that we always did too much with too few people in a too short of a time. So obviously as a startup, time is always an issue. And also people and resources are always an issue. So you just need to reduce what you are doing, and that comes down to quality, which is important, and that comes down to market focus and being able to deliver the right product.

And I think that for a long time, we were trying to be a lot of things. And as much as I may have understood it then at some point, but I understand that much better now, is just always take things away. Like just every week, sit down and think, you know, what happens if we don't do this? Does it actually make the experience worse? Or maybe it actually makes the experience better? Or it doesn't change anything, and that's fine. It's just one less thing to worry about.

And it's not just developing the thing because then it's maintaining it, and then it's supporting it, and then it's answering questions about it, and then it sometimes, if you later decide to take it out, it's managing the community that's mad about something now being taken out of something that they love.

And I think that's one of the biggest lessons you can learn, because at the end of the day, whatever you're building, that's at the core of it. So that shapes how you build your team and who you are recruiting, and that shapes how you put your priorities, and that shapes how you raise your money, you know, how you raise your funding and what kind of funding you need, and I think that's the most important thing.

Lauren Serota on the Give and Take of Learning and Teaching Design

In Chapter 6 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "How Are Your Responsibilities Changing As You Gain Work Experience?" After three years working at frog design, Serota finds she is ready to transition from learning from job experience to teaching others what she has learned on the job. This coincides with growing creative leader responsibilities at work, continuing teaching responsibilities at her school, and new ways to make an impact in the design community.

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 Getting Organized at Work

In Chapter 14 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Do You Find are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" Serota shares how she uses an array of tools and approaches to organize her life and stay as productive as possible. She replaces voice memos with Evernote to record her thoughts and makes post-it do to lists and checklists to stay on top of tasks. She organizes email by separating read and unread and works through the unread emails first.

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).

Nina Godiwalla on Finding New Ways to Get Better at Your Job

In Chapter 14 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and entrepreneur Nina Godiwalla answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Get Better at Your Job?" As a small business owner, Godiwalla realizes she can choose where she spends her time. She also realizes that in order to do what she enjoys doing most she also has to address how work she does not enjoy doing gets done. Figuring out whether to buckle down and handle that work or to hire staff to do that work is a challenges she is trying to address as a leader. Nina Godiwalla is an expert on diversity, leadership and women in the business world. She is CEO of Mindworks, which provides leadership, stress management, and diversity training to companies all over the world. She is also a bestselling author and public speaker. Godiwalla earned an MBA from Wharton, a MA from Dartmouth and a BBA from the University of Texas.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Solving Problems to Build Global Brands

In Chapter 10 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve Right Now to Grow Your Business?" In leadership roles at two companies, Sandbox Network and Holstee, Pfortmüller finds each has separate growth issues. At Sandbox Network, he finds creating a consistent community and user experience a challenge. At Holstee, it is more about applying a known mindful living brand and connecting that into a growing product offering, including a shareable art card series. 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 Gaining Confidence Working in Newspaper Reporting

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" When he joined the New York Post, Gonen identified what he did not know and invested time and effort to establish a list of sources and gain knowledge of the education beat. This reduced the number of surprises he encountered at work and allowed him to worry less about what the competition was doing and focus more on his own 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.

Yoav Gonen on Staying Productive Managing a Busy Schedule

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "What Do You Find Are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" Gonen shares how he has learned to make lists and focus on incremental progress achieving three to-do list items each day. As days and weeks pass, he is able to work through challenges large and small and feel more in control of his life. 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 Adapting When Things Go Differently Than Planned

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" Gonen shares how having a Plan B backup plan in place is very useful writing newspaper stories. In his education beat reporter job role, storylines shift and given deadline nature of work, Gonen uses a backup plan to make sure he has something for his editors even if the main story does not work out. Personally, Gonen shares how having a backup plan in place has been a bit more difficult, from not having an apartment purchase work out on time to having a prolonged recovery from an injury. He works on focusing efforts on things more in his control to manage life uncertainties. 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 Finding a Mental State to Do Your Best Work

In Chapter 4 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "When Are You at Your Best?" Regan notes she is at her professional best when she is fully immersed in her project work. She translates this focus into effectiveness and finds the intensity and purpose she gives to her work exciting. 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 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. 

Richard Moross on When to Make Management Skills a Hiring Priority

In Chapter 10 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Has It Been Like to Transition From Managing Specialists to Managing Managers?" Moross notes how growing a business to nearly 200 employees has necessitated hiring staff with management skillsets to manage day-to-day decisions and support employee development. Adding a management layer to his company allows him to transition into a role of setting standards, values, morals, ethics and aspirations while empowering his managers via process and goal setting structures. 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.

Ken Biberaj on How Life Experiences Change Your Aspirations

In Chapter 5 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" Biberaj finds assessing each of his aspirations in a vacuum helps him with goal setting. Personally, as a new father, he is putting a priority on spending more time at home to be the best father he can be. Professionally, he tries to understand what is in his control and what is not and to focus his efforts on what he can do to make a difference in 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. 

Ken Biberaj on Learning the Campaign Finance Part of Politics

In Chapter 8 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "What Did Raising Money for the Primary Election Teach You About Campaign Finance?" Biberaj learns how New York City creates a grassroots campaign finance system via its matching program. This creates spending limits and also helps make every contribution count. He compares this to what he saw working the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign and how 527 independent expenditures, for example, change the dynamics of an election and its influencers.

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.

Ken Biberaj on How to Distinguish Yourself From Campaign Rivals

In Chapter 14 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "How Do You Distinguish Yourself and Your Positions From Your Rivals in the Primary Campaign?" In a crowded Democratic field, Biberaj, the youngest candidate, shares how he differentiates himself and his campaign platform by focusing on the intersection of non-profits, government, and business and his experience across all three.

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.