Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

Relationship Building

Matt Curtis on How to Make Plans to Move in With a Girlfriend

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "How Did You Manage the Transition of Moving in With Your Partner?" Curtis shares how he and his partner Christie worked through conversations about when, where and how to move in together. He shares why they decided to get their own new place rather than have one person move into the other person's place. He shares how they figured out where to live and adjustments they made after making the move to help the relationship grow.

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. 

Matt Curtis on How to Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" Curtis shares how watching The Godfather and hearing Don Corleone say to his son Michael, "It wasn't enough time, Michael. It wasn't enough time"made him think about friendship. Curtis finds relationship strength is about surrounding yourself with good people who are loyal and who you feel loyalty toward. From that he is able to gauge the depth of relationship he has and wants to continue building.

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 How to Measure the Quality of Personal Relationships

In Chapter 2 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" Goswami shares how he measures relationship quality by his ability to stay in a conversation over time and through change. He finds relationship growth is about uncovering one another's mysteries through trust and exploration. The result is a mutual deepening of understanding one another as well as oneself.

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 Making the Shift From Negative to Positive Thinking

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Does It Mean to Be Living More Positively in Your Life?" Curtis recognizes the bad things that happen when he is negative and shifts his behavior to overcome negativity issues in his life and not be a downer. He focuses on positive thinking and positive behavior and finds that negative thinking attracts negative people and positive thinking attracts positive people.

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 How Moving in With a Partner Sparks Creativity

In Chapter 3 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "How Did You Manage the Transition of Moving in With Your Partner?" Goswami shares how moving in with a girlfriend started a creative journey by pushing him to buy a house. The house then becomes an anchor for Goswami as he moves through relationship stages and different relationships with girlfriends and business partners over time and multiple collaborative creative projects.

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. 

Bijoy Goswami on How to Improve Advocate and Sponsor Relationships

In Chapter 5 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "What Role Have Advocate and Sponsor Relationships Played in Your Development?" Goswami reflects on what he learned form his mentor, Martin, who passed away over the past year. He finds mentorship, advocacy and sponsorship are all about finding alignment with another to facilitate mutual stewardship. This alignment creates a common ground to help the relationship flourish and generate results through mentorship, advocacy, and sponsor actions.

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 Building Strategic Partnerships With Local Government

In Chapter 18 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "How Are You Improving How Your Company Builds Strategic Partnerships?" Curtis shares how working with local government stakeholders on local government issues is about not forcing issues on another party. Instead, Curtis creates construtive dialogues to help him understand both sides and build consensus on the right path to take. He finds it helpful to engage in local government groups such as Congress for New Urbanism, The National League of Cities, the United States Conference of Mayors and the Urban Land Institute to work through best practices.

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. 

Matt Curtis on Finding Strength and Struggle Losing Nearly 250 Pounds

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Curtis shares how this applies to his weight loss journey. After starting at a high weight of 490 pounds, Curtis is closing in on a 245-pound milestone. He shares how challenging it has been to lose those final 25 pounds given his desire to live life fully and travel extensively with his girlfriend. He shares how she has given him strength by providing him emotional support on his journey.

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. 

Audrey French on Deciding When to Move in With Your Partner

In Chapter 1 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Did You Manage the Transition of Moving in With Your Partner?" French shares how she and her boyfriend had conversations around taking their relationship to the next level. They agree it makes sense to move in together as a next step toward eventually getting married while not putting too much pressure on the relationship and let it develop naturally over time.

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 How Having a Baby Changes a Marriage

In Chapter 6 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Has Having a Baby Changed the Relationship You Have With Your Spouse?" French shares how having a baby with her husband has deepened her marriage bonds in a beautiful way. She finds marriage joins your lives together but creating a life together builds a physical bond that goes beyond words.

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 to Have Advocates and Sponsors in Your Life

In Chapter 13 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "What Role Have Advocate and Sponsor Relationships Played in Your Development?" French shares how sposors and advocates - people who not only give advice but provide support to help put that advice to work - have been instrumental in both her personal and professional growth. Professionally, CLEAResult president Glenn Garland, who advocates for her as she learns through failure. Personally, French's best friend advocates for French as she becomes a new wife and a mother.

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 How to Do More With Less After Having a Baby

In Chapter 14 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How are You Learning to Do More With Less?" French shares how having a baby has pushed her to have more meaty and substantive conversations. It has also pushed her to make sure her friends and family connections are true friendships to maximize the meaningfulness of the conversation.

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 How to Receive Feedback and Put It to Good Use

In Chapter 16 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "What Type of Feedback Do You Respond to Best?" French finds she responds to constructive, positive feedback best. When feedback is angled toward making her feel bad or worse or else make her feel like she is wrong, French finds she closes down. When feedback is build on how to make something better and feels like it is coming from a sincere place of trying to help, French responds much better.

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 How to Measure the Quality of Personal Relationships

In Chapter 17 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" French shares how she measures relationship quality by intimacy level, a feeling a connectedness, and an experience of realness. When these are present, she finds both sides of a relationship can open up, be vulnerable, and share in a way that is mutually enriching and supportive.

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 Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 21 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "At This Moment in Time, What are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" French shares how she feels she is capturing her flag right now as a person and in her roles as wife and mother. She gives thanks to the personal development that is happening with her family. She identifies her struggle as becoming more comfortable with having so many life changes happen so fast in less than three years.

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 Deciding When to Move in With Your Partner

In Chapter 2 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Did You Manage the Transition of Moving in With Your Partner?" Spence shares how she slowly transitioned into moving in with her partner and his daughter while relocating from Austin to San Francisco. She finds the change a hugely important step in moving the relationship forward and toward getting married.

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 How to Be a Better Strategic Partner

In Chapter 16 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Improving How Your Organization Builds Strategic Partnerships?" Spence shares what she has learned about being a better strategic partner over the 15-year journey leading a nonprofit. She finds being a better partner comes down to appreciating partner commitment, finding values that align, and regognizing that a true relationship is about both the "relation" and the "ship." She notes how everyone wants the relation but many overlook the need to want and embrace the ship.

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 How to Value a Relationship

In Chapter 19 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" Spence shares how she measures the quality of relationship in her life by the trust and loyalty she sees in others. She finds trust is about not breaking your word or commitment. As far as loyalty goes, she finds it comes down to what Coach Royal said, "Dance with the one that brung you."

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.