Michael Olsen on Going From Small Business Owner to MBA Consultant

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "Where Has Running Your Own Small Business Been Most Useful Working a Corporate Job?" After running a small business and earning an MBA, Olsen joins Accenture as a management consultant. Working with senior leaders on consulting projects, Olsen draws from his own business leadership experience running a business to respect that management decisions he influences or makes will impact the future of not only the company but also the employees who work there.

Michael Olsen is a management consultant at Accenture. Previous to Accenture, Olsen earned dual MBA and MPH degrees at Emory University in Atlanta. Olsen earned a BA in symbolic systems from Stanford University and spent the next five years founding an IT consulting company, Redwood Strategies. 

Geoff Hamm on Performing Under Pressure Working in Sales

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, mobile business executive Geoff Hamm answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Hamm finds high performers can benefit from putting pressure on themselves to succeed. He gets motivation building better business relationships, beating the competition, and making his company successful. As he builds sales experience, he develops confidence, learns his strengths and weaknesses and discovers where and when to put that pressure on himself.

Geoff Hamm is a business development executive and VP Strategic Alliances at mobile marketing platform start-up Applovin in San Francisco, CA. Previous to Applovin, Hamm held senior sales management positions at Tapjoy, Scribd, Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, Orbitz, IAC and Excite where he built deep relationships with advertisers and brands. Hamm graduated from the University of Illinois.

Louise Langheier on How to Learn and Develop a Hard Work Ethic

In Chapter 2 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Louise Langheier answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Langheier shares how she learned her work ethic at an early age from people she admired, including her role model parents. Over time, she learns from people give their all to something and rise to the occasion in moments of crisis.

Louise Davis Langheier is founder and CEO of Peer Health Exchange, a non-profit that trains college students to teach health education in public high schools. Louise was selected as a member of the 2011 class of Aspen Entrepreneurial Education Fellows, and was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2012. She graduated from Yale University.

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 Training Your Mind to Perform Under Pressure

In Chapter 14 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Sinek notes how performing under pressure is the same for him as it is for anyone else - meeting deadlines, hitting financial goals, etc. Olympic athletes teach him how it is possible to interpret stimuli that pressure brings as excitement and not nervousness. This positive interpretation of pressure helps Sinek embrace the moment as a public speaker and be at his best on stage. 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 Making Decisions and Moving On With Your Life

In Chapter 3 of 13 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, technology entrepreneur Idan Cohen answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?" Cohen shares how he does not find reflection useful. He prefers to think about the present decision he needs to make and use patience and deliberation to ensure he chooses the best path forward possible. 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 role has reflection played in shaping your personal growth?

Idan Cohen: I obviously spend time thinking about things, but I don't think too much about, like, just the path that I take. You know, you can plan that so many things, but eventually they just have a habit of happening-- not always the way you want it. So in a way, why plan that much? So in a way, why reflect that much?

Erik Michielsen: Have you always been that way?

Idan Cohen: Yeah. Yeah. So it troubles me, you know, and, yeah, I definitely do reflect, but I just don't do anything with that. It doesn't really affect my decisions most of the time. 

Erik Michielsen: Tell me more about that.

Idan Cohen: I know that I am a very bad decision maker when it comes to my own life. Like, it's just hard for me to make decisions even on a day-to-day. I contemplate on everything quite a lot. It can drive other people a little crazy sometimes, and it can drive me crazy sometimes. But having said that, I just-- whenever there's something that I need to choose, I tend to just linger with the decision, and eventually, the decision kind of happens on its own. And it's usually-- it was always for the best. So I'm not-- I don't stress about it. I stress about making the decision. I don't stress about what the outcome is.

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 Handling Pressure as a Documentary Filmmaker

In Chapter 6 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" As a documentary filmmaker and television producer, she shares the different kinds of pressures that come with her field of work. These range from keeping film subjects engaged while shooting to managing expectations with those funding or overseeing projects. or 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 How to Be a More Approachable Company Leader

In Chapter 8 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Moross notes how he faces a daily pressure of feeling like he needs to be everywhere at once. This is compounded by the business growing both in headcount as well as geographically. He realizes these facts mean he no longer can engage with employees as frequently as in the past and works to make sure he makes himself available and approachable to compensate. 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 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.

Ken Biberaj on Performing Under Pressure and Staying On Message

In Chapter 7 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Biberaj notes that given how easy it is to record audio and video and given the seriousness of the city council role, it is important he treats his role of a political candidate for public office with respect. With this comes a need to stay on message when speaking publicly to voters.

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 Listening to Voter Concerns on the Campaign Trail

In Chapter 21 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council Candidate Ken Biberaj answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" Biberaj learns that voters often need some space to air their grievances. By being polite and letting an individual vent, Biberaj is able to understand their concern better and try to address it if it is something he has the power to do.

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 Build Startup Teams That Perform Under Pressure

In Chapter 14 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" As a CEO of a venture capital-backed startup that has raised over $17 million dollars in financing, Rubin notes that the work environment is intense and the investor expectations are high. As a result, Rubin looks to hire employees who thrive under pressure and meet the company's "FACE" values formula, fearlessness, authenticity, collaboration, and empowerment. 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 does it mean to perform under pressure in the work that you do?

Slava Rubin: Pressure definitely is part of the job. We’re a VC-funded company, with some people like to say that’s like getting on the treadmill and never being allowed to get off. We don’t have the luxury of saying tomorrow, I think maybe I wanna take a break and slow down and maybe not try to build a bigger company ‘cause we already have some significant investors. We took 17 million dollars of VC money. So I think people thrive in the pressure, that’s who we’re looking to hire. We have our values as part of our recruiting process, and one of those values is fearless “face”- fearlessness, authenticity, collaboration, and empowerment. First one, fearless. So we need you to be fearless and do things that you never thought you’d be able to do and know that we need to accomplish things that are just challenges and no one else has done, so pressure is just part of the process.

Clara Soh on How to Work Smarter and Perform Under Pressure

In Chapter 15 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" An avid rock climber, Soh approaches challenges mindfully and deliberately. In her health care policy work, she learns to manage pressure by looking for context when making decisions in high stakes situations. 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 Managing Job Pressures in a Recruiting Career

In Chapter 9 of 21 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, legal search and consulting firm executive James McCormick answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" McCormick notes the high stakes that come with helping his professional clients make job changes. He learns to manage the pressure in his work by being calm and consistent and aware of his emotions. As his work also involves competing against other firms to fill jobs for hiring clients, performing comes down to reliability to make the right match. 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. 

Leslie Kerner on Skills You Build Working in Management Consulting

In Chapter 18 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, education software company executive Leslie Kerner answers "What Core Skills Did You Learn Working in Management Consulting That You Still Use Now?" Kerner learns communication skills that help her navigate uncomfortable situations working with client managers. As a Deloitte management consultant, Kerner builds conversation skills to address sensitive client topics in non-threatening ways that do not compromise project productivity.

Leslie Kerner is Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Professional Services group at Amplify, a software and services company innovating K-12 education. She is responsible for building and managing training, professional development and consulting services for schools. Previously, Kerner worked as a management consultant at Deloitte & Touche. Kerner earned an MBA from the Duke University and a BA from Northwestern University.