Cathy Erway on Resisting Temptation When Asked for Advice

In Chapter 17 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You for Help?" Erway shares how it is important to resist temptation to give advice on topics where you may have a personal agenda. Instead, she finds it better to be patient and try to filter away personal or selfish bias to focus on the person asking for advice.

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. 

Mike Germano on Getting Better at Teaching Others What You Know

In Chapter 19 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Germano shares how transparency helps him relate his experiences to mentees and staff in need of guidance. By making this connection, he can also find the right fit for students, putting them in a place where they will succeed, while sharing small lessons that over time add up to something larger and more profound.

Mike Germano is Chief Digital Officer at VICE Media, a global youth media company based in Brooklyn, New York. Germano joined VICE Media via its 2013 acquisition of Carrot Creative, a social media agency he co-founded and led as CEO. 

Jullien Gordon on How to Work With Different or Difficult Personalities

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach and public speaker Jullien Gordon answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" Gordon learns from Eben Pagan on shifting priorities from self-interest to understanding what others want. This behavioral shift helps Gordon embrace differences, reduce friction, and be more helpful as a colleague, collaborator or coach.

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. 

Hammans Stallings: Why Teaching is the Best Way to Learn Something

In Chapter 2 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "What Did You Learn by Teaching a Graduate-Level Innovation Class in Mexico?" Stallings shares how he has found that teaching is the best way to learn something. It comes down to taking knowledge you have and communicating it in a way that connects with students who do not have that knowledge. He learns from the back and forth process that develops by engaging his students on competitive differentiation and innovation.

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 Use Pattern Recognition Teaching a Class

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "How Have You Learned to Distill Complex Concepts into Teachable Moments?" Stallings finds much of this has to do with recognizing learning patterns and waiting for the right conditions for a teachable moment to occur. To do this, Stallings looks for ways to create structures and parameters for students to get into a complex problem or topic, show interest, and be more receptive to that teachable moment when it occurs.

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.

Matt Curtis on The Benefits of Improving Posture at Work

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Now 42 years old, Curtis shares how using a standup desk has made him realize posture is a key job skill. The desk helps Curtis improve his posture and be more productive at work. As a more engaged employee, he then works on practicing patience to be more positive at the office.

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 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 Simplifying Focus To Do More Impactful Work

In Chapter 7 of 17 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, community leader Bijoy Goswami answers "On a Daily Basis, What Does It Means to Contribute in the Work That You Do?" Goswami shares how the contribution he makes in his work as a steward to help others on their journey is rooted in focusing his energy on journey stewardship each and every day. By taking a singular focus on stewardship, Goswami can repurpose this action across different mediums, from a YouTube cartoon project to speaking engagements to writing.

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. 

Courtney Spence on How to Give More Thoughtful Feedback

In Chapter 9 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Type of Feedback Do You Respond to Best?" Spence finds feedback is best - thoughtful, purposeful, actionable - when it does not come with an agenda or a bias not specific to the situation. She finds people love to give advice but that often translates into them talking about their experiences. Spence finds effective feedback is more about the recipient and than the person giving feedback.

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 Listening to Needs First and Teaching Second

In Chapter 10 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" As a company leader and as a parent, Spence finds becoming a better teacher is about listening first and teaching second. In a world where everyone has an opinion and listening seems to get harder to do, she finds it is more important than ever to prioritize.

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. 

Anatole Faykin on the Benefit of Listening More and Talking Less

In Chapter 3 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building New Relationships?" Faykin shares how by listening more and talking less, he is able to pay better attention to others and demonstrate respect for what they have to say. Doing so helps him connect with others and build trust. 

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.

Learning to Build Technology for Teacher Education

In Chapter 18 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, education technology entrepreneur Adam Geller answers "What Has Been Most Challenging About Building a Technology Platform for Teacher Education?" Geller learns that technology startup success does not happen overnight. He pushes beyond the myth of overnight startup success by being patient and incrementally building product features and growing user base. These incremental gains help him sell into education buyers and better manage sales cycle buying constraints.

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.

Two Job Skills You Need to Be a Better Executive Leader

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, mobile business executive Geoff Hamm answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" As an executive team member, Hamm focuses on honing two core job skills, patience and communication, both written and verbal. He benefits from learning from a very transparent founder who exposes him to operational aspects fundamental to running a business.

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.

Geoff Hamm on Ways Childhood Shapes Personal Values

In Chapter 16 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, mobile business executive Geoff Hamm answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" Hamm shares how seeing his parents' go through a divorce as a child taught him how he would and would not treat his wife as an adult. As he starts a family, his childhood experience keeps him mindful of how to disagree with his spouse in front of their children. Hamm also shares the profound influence his late grandmother had on developing his passions for cooking and respect for strong-willed women.

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.

Mark Graham on Asking for Advice Before Your First Baby is Born

In Chapter 1 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Did You Go About Seeking Advice as You Prepared for Parenthood?" Graham shares how he found a friend, Conrad Doucette, who had become a father only months before Graham and his wife were to have their baby. This gives Graham a chance to ask a lot of questions to a friend going through a similar experience at the same time. He gets advice to enjoy time alone with his newborn baby in the recovery room and build a bond with his child.

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.  

Simon Sinek on How to Establish Trust When Building Relationships

In Chapter 4 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" To Sinek, trust is a result of something and cannot be given nor formed overnight. He notes the difference between lust and love and why the vulnerability associated with falling with love is synonymous with the vulnerability that comes with the emergence of relationship trust. 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.

Transcript

Erik Michielsen: How do you establish trust when building relationships?

Simon Sinek: Trust is the result of something. You can’t tell people “trust me”. Trust cannot be formed overnight, just as you can’t go to one date and decide if you wanna marry someone. You might have lust, but there’s no real trust. The best definition of love I ever heard is that you can give someone the power to destroy you and trust that they won’t use it, and that’s kind of what trust is, is this deep love.

And it comes over time, and it comes from taking lots of little risks, exposing yourself to more danger, making yourself feel more vulnerable, sharing something personal, putting yourself in a position where you have to turn your back and hope somebody won’t stab you or steal your stuff. I mean this is what trust is. It is the result of you making someone feel safe and then making you feel safe, and it’s that dance, and that’s what it is. It can’t be one-sided.

And, again, it’s like dating. It’s like getting to know someone. It’s like making friends that does not happen overnight. And it’s a dance of give and take, give and take, give and take, give and take, and when you feel that that person will make you feel safe, trust will emerge. It’s not an app. It’s not a switch. It’s not something you turn on. It’s something that evolves. You start to feel it, and then, one morning, you wake up, you’re like, “Oh my god, I totally trust that person.” You’re not sure exactly what happened to get you there, but you found yourself there.

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.