Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

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Cathy Erway on Feeling Part of a Group Working on Volunteer Projects

In Chapter 13 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Has Volunteering Impacted Your Learning and Development?" Erway shares how nonprofit volunteering allows her to commit to causes and feel part of a group working to make a difference. She notes how the nonprofit volunteer work is a nice complement to shorter-term freelance writing projects she takes on in her career.

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. 

Cathy Erway on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 20 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "At This Moment in Time, What are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Erway shares how friends and family have been sources of strength for her. She shares how her family has come together in unexpected ways to encourage her while she writes her cookbook on Taiwanese food. Erway shares how it can be difficult to adapt to the many changes that come with freelance writing project work and how she is working on balancing change and consistency.

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 Financial Planning Goals Change With Age

In Chapter 19 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "As You Get Older, How Are Your Financial Planning Goals Changing?" McKenzie shares how life in his 40s has shifted his attention from personal financial security to focusing on caring for aging parents, siblings and relatives. He shares how this translates into creating a sense of urgency as an entrepreneur to create focus and structure that creates greater financial stability.

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.

Phil McKenzie on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" McKenzie shares how friends give him strength by giving him a space of nonjudgment. He struggles with not having enough time and making sure to do the things that keep him physically and mentally healthy such as going to the gym, doing yoga, and practicing meditation.

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.

Mike Germano: Building a Business Based on Trust

In Chapter 16 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" Germano shares how he has built his business and his future based on trust. He finds he can identify whether or not someone is trustworthy in a short conversation. He looks for life examples and an overall sense of energy indicators in those three minutes. He also reminds himself that trust is mutual and that trusting someone else requires earning their trust as well.

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 Adapting Teaching for a Flipped Classroom Setting

In Chapter 17 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach and public speaker Jullien Gordon answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Understanding teaching starts by asking the right questions and creating a safe place for learners, Gordon probes deeper to find better ways to hold students accountable. He finds flipping the classroom, providing exercises in advance of the class to focus class time on discussion, hugely beneficial to teaching success. He applies this approach, learned from Khan Academy, to improve how he designs his annual New Year goal setting event.

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. 

Jullien Gordon on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 19 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach and public speaker Jullien Gordon answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" As an expecting father, Gordon shares how his wife is a source of strength for both business and family. Gordon struggles with the isolation and loneliness of entrepreneurship. He looks to how thought leaders such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Jay-Z have benefitted from the power of two. He turns his attention to finding a business partner who can provide accountability and motivation to raise his game and bring out his best.

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. 

Audrey French on Setting Aspirations as a New Mother

In Chapter 4 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "To What Do You Aspire as a New Mother?" French shares how her aspirations as a new mom are about being present to her newborn son and trusting the path that develops rather than forcing a particular path upon the child. She and her husband remind each other to empower their son to make his own choices and find his own path.

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 Discovering Maternal Instincts After Having a Baby

In Chapter 7 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "What Maternal Instincts Have You Developed After Having Your Baby?" French shares her experience having a baby was more about discovering maternal instincts than developing them. French finds that the skills are simply latent until the baby is born and, once the child is delivered, her instincts to feed and provide for the child are constant and paramount.

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 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. 

How to Research Career Options While in Graduate School

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, management consultant Michael Olsen answers "How Did You Research Career Options While Attending Graduate School?" While doing a joint business school and public health graduate program, Olsen finds each school treats career planning very differently. Business school career planning is more structured around personality test analysis to identify fit for career paths. Olsen finds public health school career planning more open-ended. In both programs, Olsen focuses on meeting the experts invited to speak at the schools. There he gets advice that in order to build a long-term career in social entrepreneurship, a good place to start is working a corporate job before transitioning into social enterprise.

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 Aspiring to Be a Happy Mother

In Chapter 2 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "To What Do You Aspire as a Mother?" Lehmann-Haupt aspires for her child to happy and finds the best way to achieve this is for her to be happy and share that energy with her son. As a single mother aspiring for happiness, she focuses on creating balanced influences in and out of work that provide her 18-month old boy with a strong foundation for growth.

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. 

How to Build Trust by Being Real

In Chapter 14 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" Lehmann-Haupt finds you build trust by being real. By being transparent with her clients, she is able to then progressively build trust through a discovery process she learned doing interviews as a journalist. The process creates security in the relationship and the resulting safe environment creates trusting bonds between Lehmann-Haupt and her clients.

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. 

3 Ways to Build Management Consulting Project Manager Skills

In Chapter 11 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business strategist Bryan Law answers "What Core Skills Did You Learn Working on Management Consulting Projects?" Growing into a project manager role working in management consulting, Law finds three areas on which to focus. First, he learns what to prioritize in order to run a client project efficiently. Second, Law makes sure to build a strong relationship with the client that goes beyond the project. Third, he builds a team dynamic around inclusion and trust to do his best to make the project work as rewarding for team member professional development as possible.

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 Adapting Parenting as Children Start Grade School

In Chapter 5 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, product management executive Ramsey Pryor answers "How is Your Parenting Approach Evolving As Your Children Have Started Grade School?" Raising a daughter in 3rd grade and a son starting kindergarten, Pryor finds the transition of raising grade school kids more about teaching independent thinking and confidence rather than security. He finds it is less about telling his kids what to do and more about helping his children develop and do things on their own.

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.  

Parenting Advice on Raising Digital Native Children

In Chapter 7 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, product management executive Ramsey Pryor answers "What Does It Mean for You to Be Engaged in Your Children's Education?" Pryor finds teaching his two children - a kindergartener and a 3rd grader - about setting boundaries on exposures to screens, from TVs to iPads to other electronic devices. Raising digital native children also pushes Pryor to accept responsibility as a parent to keep his kids in a safe learning environment that embraces interactivity without constantly being over their shoulder.

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. 

How the Kauffman Foundation Prepares Entrepreneurs

In Chapter 10 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, education technology entrepreneur Adam Geller answers "How Did Your Kauffman Foundation Fellowship Help Prepare You to Become an Entrepreneur?" Geller finds his Kauffman Foundation Fellowship program gave him time and space to jumpstart his business. Leaving teaching to start an education technology company, the Kauffman Fellowship allows Geller to go from part-time focus on the project to full-time while honing his product and business model.

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.