Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

Inspiration

Jason Anello on Creating Food Web Content That Inspires Audiences

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are Learning to Apply Your Food Passions in New Ways?" Anello shares how after years applying his passion for food by cooking for others, he is now expanding into creating digital content around food and eating with others. After starting a supper club to bring people together for dinner time and then writing a blog, Anello tries new ways to use digital media and social media to create food content for the web that engages, entertains and inspires his audience.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Cathy Erway on Learning Passions From Role Model Grandparents

In Chapter 1 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Were Your Grandparents Like and How Did They Influence Your Development?" Erway shares how one grandfather shared his appreciation for music and writing poetry with his grandchildren, influencing their artistic education path. Her other grandfather showed Erway an appreciation for having a passion for cooking and gardening.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Phil McKenzie on How West Indian Grandmothers Inspire Family Values

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Were Your Grandparents Like and How Did They Influence Your Development?" McKenzie shares how his West Indian grandmothers shaped his family values, teaching him to appreciate life and also what it means to be a committed caretaker in a large family. Being around them gives him the confidence to aspire high and develop a strong sense of ambition.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Jullien Gordon: How to Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Mindset

In Chapter 18 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach and public speaker Jullien Gordon answers "How Are You Helping Others Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Mindset?" Gordon rethinks what it means to have an MBA and repurposes a Masters of Business Administration into a Masters of Value Creation to teach entrepreneurial thinking. He creates a program, Side Hustle, to teach professionals entrepreneurship by starting businesses outside of work. He trains employees to think entrepreneurially about how they can be job creators and push outside of a job description.

Jullien Gordon is a business coach and consultant to organizations, individuals and teams who want to increase performance, motivation, engagement and retention. Gordon is also a public speaker on career planning for colleges, conferences, and corporations. He earned a BA from UCLA and MBA and M. Ed degrees from Stanford University. 

Matt Curtis on Building a Hard Work Ethic One Project at a Time

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Curtis learns his work ethic by watching his grandfather constantly help others and find projects to do. Curtis takes this own approach in his life, building his work ethic by always finding a project to do where he can help others, including his current work on a urban rail system for Austin, Texas.

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 Family Values Role Model Grandparents Can Teach

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Were Your Grandparents Like and How Did That Infuence Your Development?" Curtis shares how his paternal grandfather taught him the importance of taking care of yourself and then taking care of others. His Irish maternal grandparents teach him a hard work ethic and to make it a point to be honest and do the right thing.

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 Grandparents Inspire Life of Stewardship

In Chapter 1 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "What Were Your Grandparents Like and How Did They Influence Your Development?" Goswami shares how each of his four grandparents played different roles in his development. He learns about taking responsibility and community service from his maternal grandfather and about sadness and grieving from a maternal grandmother. Together their lives help direct Goswami's toward living an ethos of helping others embrace a life journey through stewardship.

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 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. 

Audrey French on How Parents Embrace Becoming Grandparents

In Chapter 10 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Have Your Parents Transitioned into Becoming Grandparents?" French shares how her divorced parents have individually embraced becoming first-time grandparents. Her father decides to get engaged to his partner while her mother goes through the circle of life by saying goodbye to a passing parent and welcoming a new grandchild into the world.

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. 

Randall Metting on How Role Model Father Inspires Marketing Career

In Chapter 2 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Randall Metting answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Metting shares how his father Roger Metting exposed him to the world of music and hooked him on live performance, including an early Bruce Springsteen show in 1978. From there, Randall's father supports his interests in branding and promotion and, as the music industry changes, pushes Randall to pursue a career in agency and event management companies.

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. 

Anatole Faykin on Studying Life Sciences to Refresh Business Career

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "How Do You Expect to Use a Life Sciences Master's Degree in Your Business Career?" As a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses, Faykin goes to school first to pursue his passion for studying biosciences and life sciences. He notes that by re-immersing himself in the field of science after many years away he hopes to identify problems to solve by starting new companies to build products that address them.

Anatole Faykin is an Internet entrepreneur and digital marketer exploring new career options. A passionate world traveler and problem solver, Faykin plans to return to graduate school to earn a biosciences masters degree. Previously, Faykin has started multiple companies, including Tuanpin, a Shanghai startup he sold in 2011. He holds an MBA from NYU and a BS in computer science and biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Michael Olsen on Learning Work Ethic From a Big Brother

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Olsen learns work ethic from his big brother, Marc, who leads by example working hard and staying determined to accomplish goals. This shapes Olsen as he develops his own sense of drive and applies it in his own career and life pursuits.

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. 

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt on Getting a Producer Job at TED

In Chapter 9 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "What Recent Experiences Have Most Influenced the Direction of Your Career?" In 2012, Lehmann-Haupt joins TED Conference to help launch its TED Books digital publishing division. As a multimedia producer, Lehmann-Haupt works with top TED speakers to create tablet-based media products for the TED audience. This ultimately leads her to start her own multimedia storytelling company.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

Bryan Law on How Getting an MBA Opens New Career Possibilities

In Chapter 9 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "How Did Getting an MBA Open New Possibilities in Your Career?" Law shares how going back to get his MBA helped him make a transition from HR consulting to strategy consulting. During his MBA he also meets Guerra Freitas, an Angolan who brought Law on to help build a university in Angola.

Bryan Law is a Principal in the Global Business Strategy Group at Google and a board member at Angola University. Previously, he was a manager at Monitor, a management consulting firm. He has worked in consulting roles at Watson Wyatt and Mercer. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business and a BA from Georgetown University. 

Bryan Law on Finding a Life Changing Volunteer Project

In Chapter 19 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "How Has Volunteering Impacted Your Learning and Development?" As an MBA student at Kellogg business school at Northwestern University, Law meets an Angolan student, Guerra Freitas, and joins him on a volunteer project building a university in Angola. The experience volunteering in Angola proves life-changing for Law, as interaction with the community teaches him a new appreciation for what matters in life and what kind of impact he can create in his volunteer work.

Bryan Law is a Principal in the Global Business Strategy Group at Google and a board member at Angola University. Previously, he was a manager at Monitor, management consulting firm. He has worked in consulting roles at Watson Wyatt and Mercer. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business and a BA from Georgetown University. 

Getting Advice for Making Big Decisions in Your 30s

In Chapter 23 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "At This Point in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Now in his thirties, Law shares how he gets advice from a network of people to make more informed decisions. From teacher mentors from Georgetown to an inspiring Angolan friend to his parents to his spouse, Law finds willing people to support him as he faces key life decisions. He shares how the process of getting advice and coaching is less about being asked provocative questions that help him come to terms with decisions he makes.

Bryan Law is a Principal in the Global Business Strategy Group at Google and a board member at Angola University. Previously, he was a manager at Monitor, management consulting firm. He has worked in consulting roles at Watson Wyatt and Mercer. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business and a BA from Georgetown University. 

Learning Thought Leadership in a Technology Career

In Chapter 13 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, product management executive Ramsey Pryor answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?" Pryor likes working in technology because it gives him a chance to work on the edge of what has been seen and what is to come. To be part of figuring out the future of an industry inspires Pryor to look for companies and careers, including product management at IBM, where he can make a difference as a thought leader.

Ramsey Pryor is a product management executive at IBM focused on cloud-based collaboration and security software products. Previously he was VP Product Marketing at Outblaze, acquired by IBM. Pryor earned an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Northwestern University.  

Finding Inspiration to Apply for Teach for America

In Chapter 7 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, education technology entrepreneur Adam Geller answers "Why Did You Decide to Apply to Teach for America?" During college, Geller does volunteer tutoring at a homeless shelter. As a volunteer tutor working with homeless, Geller sees firsthand how education gaps limit future potential and decides to apply for Teach for America to help close that gap.

Adam Geller is founder and CEO of Edthena, a video platform enabling online teacher coaching, peer review, and group learning. He is a recent Education Ventures fellow at the Kauffman Foundation and the founder of Teach For Us, a network connecting Teach for America corps members and alumni. He earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a MA from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis.