Bijoy Goswami on Helping Others Be More Accountable to Themselves

In Chapter 4 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into How You Live?" Goswami finds his challenge is about ensuring the people he works with on self-reflection coaching exercises remove expectations from him and shift them to accountability for themselves. As a teacher employing a self-interrogation model with others, Goswami works to create a space where these people can more clearly realize the expectations on him are to be a reflective mirror back to those he helps.

Bijoy Goswami is a writer, teacher, and community leader based in Austin, Texas. He develops learning models to help individuals, organizations and communities live more meaningfully. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software. Goswami graduated from Stanford University. 

Matt Curtis on How to Find Common Ground in a Negotiation

In Chapter 17 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Role Do Negotiation Skills Play in Your Work?" Curtis shares how he negotiates often in his work and how being being a patient, friendly active listener helps him find common ground and win-win outcomes in negotiations. He finds this is especially true negotiating common ground working with government, given concessions are nearly always part of a negotiation.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Bijoy Goswami on Finding Strength Through Conscious Living

In Chapter 17 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Goswami shares how he tries to live a life where he consistenty expands his consciouness through experiencing and learning. He struggles when he tries things when the situation or timing is not right but ultimately finds strength through the process of embracing and not retreating from new experiences.

Bijoy Goswami is a writer, teacher, and community leader based in Austin, Texas. He develops learning models to help individuals, organizations and communities live more meaningfully. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software. Goswami graduated from Stanford University. 

Audrey French on How Becoming a Mom Puts Life in a New Perspective

In Chapter 3 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Has Becoming a Mother Put Your Life in a New Perspective?" French shares how having her first baby has made her appreciate both her parents and the process of life better. After having a baby, she no longer identifies as a child and instead sees herself as a parent generation of a new generation of children.

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Audrey French on Why Not to Fear Confrontation

In Chapter 18 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" French shares how she has overcome a fear of confrontation by not taking emotional outbursts from others, especially anger, personally.

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Courtney Spence on Learning to Do More With Less

In Chapter 5 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Learning to Do More With Less?" Spence shares how having a new responsibility of raising a girl in kindergarten has shifted budget toward her schooling and away from eating out at restaurants. Spence also finds she does more with less at work by graphing resource commitments to projects.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Courtney Spence on Living Up to Expectations as a Company Leader

In Chapter 11 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" As a leader of a company, Spence, experiences and accepts the constant pressure that comes with meeting expectations from investors, employees, clients and partners. She finds it is about staying mindful of her journey and her organization's mission, purpose, and values while making a difference and having fun doing so.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Courtney Spence on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 20 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Spence shares how family, including close friends, is a source of strength, especially during hard times. She struggles with the reality that business partners will not always have shared values and belief systems. While this does not deter her from seeing the best in others, she does learn that good people can make mistakes and do things that are not good.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Randall Metting on Improving Focus at Work to Get Better at Your Job

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Randall Metting answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Get Better at Your Job?" Working as a marketing manager, Metting finds sharpening focus is job skill he is working on right now. For him it comes down to taking a pause to reflect and not rush through job to job. He finds taking extra time to slow down and think through his work makes him more productive and improves the quality of his work.

Randall Metting is a brand development and marketing manager at Dulce Vida Spirits in Austin, Texas. Over 17 years, he has built brands in spirits, luxury real estate and lifestyle, music, and sports industries. He has been a radio personality at KGSR Radio and a marketer at a hyperlocal startup acquired by NBC Universal. Metting earned a BA in Advertising from the University of Florida and started his career at The Coca-Cola Company. 

Hattie Elliot on Staying True to Your Customers as You Grow a Business

In Chapter 11 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "What New Challenges Are You Facing as You Grow Your Business?" As Elliot expands her business by taking on investment and expanding into new events and trips, she learns the importance of staying true to her clientele. To do this it is about maintaining a level of quality service in her offerings while also being considerate of evolving tastes that come with getting older.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Hattie Elliot on How to Communicate More Effectively With Others

In Chapter 12 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "How Are You Learning to Communicate More Effectively?" To Elliot, effective communication in both personal and professional relationships comes down to one thing: properly setting expectations. Setting clear expectations allows her to make a promise to another - a boyfriend, a family member, a client - that she can deliver on in the future.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Hattie Elliot on Learning Financial Planning Skills for Small Business

In Chapter 13 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "What Skills are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Elliot shares that after many years focusing on event planning and outsourcing financial planning, she now is spending more time learning budgeting and financial planning to better manage her small business finances. This helps her stay organized, maintain bottom line visibility on company performance, and be a better steward of investor financing she has received.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Matt Ruby on Why to Work Hard to Be the Best at What You Do

In Chapter 1 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Ruby shares that his comedy work has taught him to work hard so you can be proud of your work. Working hard gives you a chance to be the best you can be and also avoid embarrassment by being the worst. He learns to be mindful of where to apply this approach in his life and to set priorities accordingly.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on Creating Web Series Characters for Comedian Actors

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Have You Found Most Interesting About Creating New Characters for Other People to Play?" Writing comedy for Vooza, a web series satiring startup culture, Ruby finds creating characters for standup comedians to play is about understanding their strengths and building structure in the role to bring out their best in both scripted and unscripted moments.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on Handling Work Pressures of Making People Happy

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" For Ruby, work pressures from writing and producing a web series comes down to making people happy. This encompasses both client relationships and keeping them happy with the branded content and product placement advertising he creates as well as audience relationships and keeping them consistently entertained.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Michael Olsen on Striking a Balance Volunteering and Making a Living

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "How Has Volunteering Impacted Your Learning and Development?" Olsen learns early the importance and reward of volunteering his skills and time. Now in his 30s, he gains a pragmatic point of view on life that he first needs to make a living to support himself and his family. While this may mean Olsen volunteers less in the short term, it also pushes him into a health care career helping others so long term, through work and volunteering, he can make a difference.

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. 

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. 

Michael Olsen on Building a Network of Trusted Career Advisors

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "At This Moment in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Olsen shares how he starts with the people he knows best and trusts most, his friends and family.  As an entrepreneur transitioning into a corporate role working at Accenture, Olsen also pushes himself to tap into career advice resources from mentors working at the firm.

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.