Phil McKenzie on How Brooklyn Builds Character and Confidence

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do to Break Free of Living in It?" McKenzie shares how growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s taught him to adapt and be comfortable in new situations. He takes this Brooklyn mindset with him wherever he goes and shares how it helps him appreciate diversity and connect with people in new places all over the world.

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.

Hammans Stallings on Why Working Internationally is a Good Career Move

In Chapter 17 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "How Has International Work Experience Contributed to Your Professional Development?" Stallings finds working internationally has been a fundamental benefit to both his personal and professional growth. Working in distant places teaches him to think differently about people, culture, choices and values and then bring what he learns back into his own culture at home in the United States.

Hammans Stallings is a Principal Strategist at frog design. Previously Stallings worked in strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Hammans Stallings on How to Keep Travel Relevant in Your Career

In Chapter 18 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "How Are You Keeping Your Curiosity for Culture and Travel Relevant in Your Career?" Stallings shares how he sets expectations with his managers about travel destination and international trip requirements to complete his work. By working with managers to align motivations and goals, Stallings is able to develop win-win outcomes that send him on trips to remote places all over the world.

Hammans Stallings is a Principal Strategist at frog design. Previously he worked in strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Matt Curtis on The Joy of Working in the Travel and Tourism Industry

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Do You Find Most Enjoyable About Working in the Travel Industry?" After losing over 200 pounds and starting to travel, Curtis embraces the adventure part of his job. He embraces opportunities to travel to new cities and meeting with people. In trips to Bruges, Belgium and Nashville, USA, Curtis also makes time to explore the city via city bike rental or bike share options.

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. 

Anatole Faykin on Lessons Learned Traveling Kosovo and Serbia

In Chapter 1 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "What Travel Adventures Have You Had This Past Year and What Did You Learn From Them?" Faykin shares a travel story from a trip to Macedonia that led him to Kosovo then Serbia. After entering Kosovo and traveling toward Belgrade, Faykin is stopped at a checkpoint and turned back because he did not have a Serbian passport stamp. Faykin endures a cold night on the border before returning to Macedonia to get a stamp for his Belgrade trip. The trip teaches him that travel preparation research is always a good thing to do.

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 3 Ways Parents Instill Positive Values in Children

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Three childhood experiences shape Olsen's view of the world. First, his parents teach Olsen the importance of travel, culture and inclusiveness. They do this by taking him to Europe as a 9-year old and, every Christmas, inviting people from different cultures to the Olsen family dinner table. Second, his father gets him involved in local Rotary Club events, specifically an annual pancake breakfast fundraiser, which teaches him the value of community service. Third, his parents show him the value of education by not only pushing him to value education but also by constantly learning and leading by example.

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. 

Bryan Law on Learning Languages in International Business Consulting

In Chapter 10 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "As a Non-Native Speaker, How Did You Overcome Language Barriers Working in Brazil?" Working as a management consultant, Law is staffed on a Brazil project and, as a non-native speaker, learns Portuguese when he finds the work is done in native language and not English. As an international consultant, the experience teaches him the importance of engaging clients in their native languages as best as possible. This helps him on future projects, including one working with the Mozambique government.

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. 

How International Work Experience Benefits Your Career

In Chapter 13 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "How Has International Work Experience Contributed to Your Professional Development?" Working internationally in Dubai, Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, and India teaches Law to appreciate the differences amongst people. In his international work, Law looks to understand where people are coming from as it pertains to beliefs, motives and rationale.

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. 

Etiquette Advice for International Work Trips

In Chapter 16 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "How Have You Learned to Work More Effectively Across Different Cultures?" Law quickly learns different cultures do business in different ways. While in the UAE working in Dubai, Law makes a social faux pas around a Muslim woman and eases tension by making fun of himself.

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. 

Ramsey Pryor on How Moving Often as a Child Shapes Adult Life

In Chapter 2 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, product management executive Ramsey Pryor answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" Pryor shares how moving often as a child taught him to be better at adapting and embracing new environments. Living in rural and urban areas also gives Pryor an appreciation for and an ability to relate to small town values and urban living.

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.  

Lauren Serota on Honing Career Skills Working in Australia

In Chapter 2 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "How Has International Work Experience Contributed to Your Professional Development?" Working on several projects for an Australian client gives Serota a firsthand look into the nuances of current issues in Australian culture and linguistics, in particular the tension between Westerners and indigenous people. She shares how her work and her teaching - via an alumni working at the Australian Centre for Social Innovation - play into what she learns working on international projects.

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).

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take a Slow Approach to Travel

In Chapter 3 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Pfortmüller notes how his travel philosophy has shifted from "visit as many sites as possible" to a more "slow travel" approach to staying in a foreign place and appreciating his daily surroundings. He compares traveling to India in his early twenties with a recent trip to Iran and how appreciating the little things can be so rewarding. 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.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Cultivating Middle Eastern Culture Passions

In Chapter 4 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "How Are You Cultivating Your Passion for Middle Eastern Language and Culture?" After graduating with a college degree in Middle Eastern studies, Pfortmüller travels to Iran to hone his Arabic and Farsi language skills while learning about the culture. While in New York, he channels his passion for Middle Eastern culture into food adventures sampling Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian and the conversations they start. 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.

Fabian Pfortmüller on Why to Take Employees on a Destination Retreat

In Chapter 12 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and community builder Fabian Pfortmüller answers "Why Did You Plan a Month-Long Employee Retreat and What did the Experience Teach You?" Taking Holstee employees on a month-long destination retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico teaches Pfortmüller the value of getting out of the office and coming together as a team to bond as a family. This family culture element allows teambuilding to develop naturally through the shared experiences of going somewhere new and experiencing it together as a team. 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.

Michael Margolis on How to See Yourself in a Fast Changing World

In Chapter 1 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" When he was nine, Margolis and his family moved from Lucerne, Switzerland to West Los Angeles, California. The cultural shift and resulting identity issues of being a stranger in a strange land inspire Margolis into a career helping others understand and tell their story. This becomes more important as culture change hastens from what Alvin Toffler described as "Future Shock" to what Douglas Rushkoff now calls "Present Shock" across education, government, media, and religion. Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

Michael Margolis on Life Lessons From Going to Kathmandu

In Chapter 2 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Margolis shares how traveling to Kathmandu, Nepal informed his life perspective. While in Kathmandu, he learns more about how language can either attract or repel people. He puts this in content of his communications career working in storytelling and how to prioritize the safety of your audience. Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University. 

Tricia Regan on Learning Cultural Diversity Working in Film and TV

In Chapter 11 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Making documentary films and shooting and producing television shows has given Regan the opportunity to travel around the world and deep into sub-cultures within regions and communities. She shares how going into different worlds, for example working on a murder investigation TV show where she filmed interviews with serial killers, has pushed her to be more accepting of differences in others. 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 Why to Get Out of the Office and Travel the World

In Chapter 4 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Moo.com CEO Richard Moross answers "What Travel Adventures Have You Had This Past Year and What Did You Learn From Them?" Moross learns how taking holidays - in this case traveling to Israel, Namibia, and Japan - gives him space not only to appreciate culture but also to reflect, to refresh and to put his work in a more global context. He talks about traveling to Israel with business partner Hewlett Packard (HP) and going to Namibia to take a 1000-mile road trip. 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.