Ideasicle Podcast
By Will Burns
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Podcast Description
As we enter the Ideation Age, ideas have never been more important. But seemingly never as elusive as they are today. Join Will Burns as he relentlessly untangles the mysteries of the elusive idea by interviewing creative icons in the advertising business, neural scientists, cultural anthropologists, expert ideators, and many, many more.
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CleanTracy Wong, CEO, WDCW - Ideasicle Podcast #25b | Consider this part two of an Ideasicle "Twofor." Prior to the first episode of AMC's "The Pitch" coming out, I wrote an article on Forbes.com about why I thought the big agencies were afraid to participate in such a show. Then I interviewed the two creative directors from the first episode: Jonathan Cude from McKinney and Tracy Wong from WDCW. Both of those interviews can be found on video at http://blogs.forbes.com/willburns/. But I wanted my Ideasicle Podcast fans on iTunes to have access to them too. So this is the second one with Tracy Wong. We talk about why he and his agency decided to do the show and we got a whole lot of behind the scenes stories from his experience on the show. Great stuff. And released simultaneously was the Jonathan Cude podcast, so be on the lookout for that one too. | 7 5 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanJonathan Cude, Chief Creative Officer, McKinney - Ideasicle Podcast #25a | Consider this an Ideasicle "Twofor." Prior to the first episode of AMC's "The Pitch" coming out, I wrote an article on Forbes.com about why I thought the big agencies were afraid to participate in such a show. Then I interviewed the two creative directors from the first episode: Jonathan Cude from McKinney and Tracy Wong from WDCW. Both of those interviews can be found on video at http://blogs.forbes.com/willburns/. But I wanted my Ideasicle Podcast fans on iTunes to have access to them too. So this is the first one with Jonathan Cude. We talk about why he and his agency decided to do the show and we got a whole lot of behind the scenes stories from his experience on the show. Great stuff. And released simultaneously will be the Tracy Wong podcast, so be on the lookout for that one too. | 7 5 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRussell Davies, Planning Director, R/GA London - Episode #24 | One of the most influential planners in the world, Russell Davies joined R/GA London from Ogilvy where he served as head of planning for EMEA. A frequent public speaker and well respected writer, his blog is one of the most widely read in the industry. He also writes a weekly column for Campaign magazine and is a contributing editor for Wired UK. Show Notes: We open by discussing agency "culture" versus "habit," and whether there even is such a thing as culture at an agency. What is planning to Russell Davies? Well, no one knows what you're supposed to be doing, for starters. We discuss creativity and whether it's even worthwhile to discuss. With easier publishing comes more creativity, right? Maybe not. The democratization of production tools means professional creatives will soon find out just how special they are. Crowdsourcing is dumb. Russell shares with us how he keeps himself inspired. It's all about discovering new things. As it relates to agencies complaining all the time, Russell says stop complaining about things you volunteered to do. Lastly, and perhaps most profoundly, Russell explains his view that companies have been so obsessed with honing their marketing, they've forgotten how to make great products (unlike Apple). References: We discuss his Wired talk, which you can see here: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/13/russell-davies-wired-2011 Russell's awesome blog: http://russelldavies.typepad.com/home/ Post your comments to this podcast at our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ideasicle | 1 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMarc Gallucci, CEO of Tauntr - Episode #23 | NOTE: this podcast is really a video podcast and is better viewed than listened to. You can watch it here: http://www.ideasicle.com/Ideasicle_Site/Blog_&_Podcast/Entries/2012/3/6_Ideasicle_Podcast_Episode_23__Tauntrs_Marc_Gallucci.html. But it's a good listen, too. Now, on with the show! A lot of marketers and agencies talk about "real time" this and "real time" that. But few are actually doing it. And then there's Tauntr, a company built specifically to create real time digital creative. Born a digital content company mocking the sports world (hence the name) in real time, they are now applying that digital might on behalf of brands. And that's what got me interested in exploring more with CEO, Marc Gallucci. It's a simple formula: Today's headline + your brand idea + Tauntr's creative magic = Real Time Relevance. They call it "Real Time Relevance" for a reason. The creative comes literally out of the headlines that day, so it's got relevance baked right in. No agency on earth has figured out how to do this yet. How do they do it? Listen in and find out. Show Notes: Marc explains the concept of Tauntr. He takes us through the nimble company's staffing - it's not what you think - to scour the news every day, talk about the right headlines for the right brands, and then go execute...that day. Marc sets expectations for clients, too, as to what to expect. This ain't your father's traditional agency process. And finally he reveals the proprietary distribution Tauntr has built to amplify the viralness of their work. Contact Marc: To email Marc Gallucci and learn more about how Tauntr defies gravity: marc@tauntr.com. And tell him Ideasicle sent you! | 6 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanReal Live Ideasicle Experts - Episode #22 | For the first time ever. Two Ideasicle Experts go public with their identities in one Ideasicle Podcast. And another Expert stays incognito ("The Kernal"). But all of them, through great conversation and debate, give you a window into the minds of the Ideasicle Expert, as we work to untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. Show Notes: The big reveal of two Ideasicle Experts. We do a quick roundtable on some great ideas out there that the Experts feel are worth noting. We talk about the ideation process - better to be alone or in a group? We debate the idea versus execution - which is more important. We get a little deep by asking, "Are there any new ideas anymore?" Then the Experts let loose and describe what it's like to be an Ideasicle Expert, working virtually and with each other for Ideasicle Clients. Trust us, this ain't no crowdsourcing. | 1 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMechanica - Ted Nelson and Jim Garaventi - Episode #21 | Welcome to another episode of the Ideasicle Podcast, where we attempt to untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. Trivial note: first live Ideasicle Podcast ever! I’ve always admired Mechanica because they were one of the first to break from the traditional advertising agency mold. I wanted to have these guys on the show because, with their model, as with Ideasicle’s, they have found a way to rise above the overwhelming world of fractured media. And they’ve conducted a new study with Fast Company called, “Branding Forward,” that has implications for all of us. On my right, we have CEO, Ted Nelson, and on my left one of Mechanica’s two founding creative principles, Jim Garaventi. BIOS: Ted Nelson is a very hands-on CEO, and one of four founding partners who conceived and launched Mechanica. His responsibilities include contributing to the building and management of a next-generation business model and organization, as well as general strategic oversight across Mechanica's clients and businesses. Jim Garaventi is a copywriter by trade, and has written and/or been the creative director on many award-winning advertising campaigns over the past decade. Boxes of national and international creative awards notwithstanding, his contributions have extended far beyond the traditional creative realm. SHOW NOTES: Ted begins by explaining the very-different Mechanica model. He then explains his view on the evolution of branding - from limited tools to a constantly expanding universe of solutions. He answers how Mechanica is designed to remain unbiased when it comes to its ideas - “infrastructure predetermines solutions.” It’s all about open collaboration between organizations, including with clients. Then Jim Garaventi talks to us about the evolution of the creative person in this new model, but warns that it’s still the genius of people vs the genius of models. He uses a recent Mechanica client, American Heritage Dictionaries, to make the point that it all starts with the big brand idea. Even though the nature of creativity is clearly changing (see my own views on this that my Mechanica friends seem to agree with, “Creativity Is Moving Upstream”), Jim councils creative people in the marketing world to figure out what you’re best at and go do more of that. Ted then gave us some final words of creative wisdom, a consistent theme in these podcasts, and that is: “Stay open to discomfort.” | 2 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSian Beilock, Ph.D., Author of "Choke" - Episode #20 | We’re going to talk about pressure today on the Ideasicle Podcast. The kind of pressure that can crumble the best athletes, the greatest politicians and, yes, even the greatest of idea people during a pitch or under a deadline. Why do people choke under pressure? What’s going on in the brain? How can we manage the choke and maybe even avoid it? Sian Beilock is a psychology professor at The University of Chicago and one of the world's leading experts on the brain science behind "choking under pressure" and the many factors influencing all types of performance: from test-taking to public speaking to your golf swing. She has written the book, “Choke. What the secrets of the brain reveal about getting it right when you have to.” SHOW NOTES: Sian starts off by explaining how she got into the concept of "choking" - hint, it has something to do with sports coupled with a fear of parallel parking in front of her husband. She defines the choking moment and explains what's going on in our brain when it happens. The phrase, "Whistle while you work," may just be good advice, according to Sian. Think ADHD is a bad thing? Well, not when it comes to being open to new ideas. Sian talks about creative environments and how they aren't all just fun and games (very good news for ping pong tables at agencies). Even nature can refuel our cognitive horsepower. We discuss coaching creative people with just enough stress, but not so much that they, well, choke. Sian talks about the benefits of "group intelligence" even though I didn't ask her to bring it up. I swear. And she wraps it up with several amazing tips to help all idea people avoid the choke - from writing down your apprehensions to meditation to positively priming yourself to practicing in high-pressure situations before the big event. | 30 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanJonathan Fields, Author "Uncertainty," Episode #19 | JONATHAN FIELDS is the author of the book “Uncertainty. Turning fear and doubt into fuel for brilliance.” It’s an important book for creative people because it addresses head-on a creative issue that has come up in almost every interview I’ve done on the Ideasicle podcast. David Baldwin talked about it, Tom Monahan talked about it, Seth Schulman talked about it, Jon Steel talked about it, Dr. Synthia Andrews talked about it. And that is, fear. Fear and uncertainty are creativity’s kryptonite. And Jonathan is going to not only help us all navigate it, but perform a near-jujitsu move to harness it. SHOW NOTES: We begin at Jonathan's first leap into uncertainty and how his initial reluctance to take that leap landed him in the hospital. He talks about how the reactions of people around you can affect your ability to face the uncertainty. The "three horsemen of uncertainty" and how to manage them. Great bit about how ritual and certainty anchors can help creative people manage their uncertainty. Think Nomar Garcioparra... The cerebral cortex plays a major role in all this. But Jonathan talks about how well planned bursts of creativity can help you keep from depleting the precious resources stored in the cerebral cortex. Do ideas come from the outside or from the inside the body? Love this part. We talk a lot about "Attention Training," which is a catch-all for all forms of meditation. Important section because meditation can help our creativity and cognitive function. We talk about "luck," or our perception of lucky people and how luck might actually be a state of mind. Incredible study noted in this section with amazing results. We end with a discussion about exercise and how it can help your creativity, but it's not for the reason you might think. BIO: Jonathan Fields is a dad, husband, New Yorker, author and speaker, serial wellness-industry entrepreneur, recovering S.E.C./mega-firm hedge-fund lawyer,slightly-warped, unusually-stretchy, spiritually-inclined, obsessed with creation, marketing and innovation consultant, venture partner and book-marketing educator. Learn more about the Ideasicle Podcast host, Will Burns, and his revolutionary idea company, Ideasicle. | 1 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanEdward Boches, Chief Innovation Officer at Mullen, Episode #18 | Welcome to another episode of the Ideasicle Podcast, where we attempt to untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. Today we have Edward Boches, Chief Innovation Officer at Mullen Advertising, with us. On the forefront of the social media space, Edward has strong feelings about how we need to live and think differently in this brave new world. And, coming from a guy who's seen it all, it's valuable advice for any idea person. SHOW NOTES: How does one make the transition from Creative Director to Chief Innovation Officer at an ad agency? Edward tells us. Great bit about how organizational innovation has to happen from the inside out. The people need to think differently and the culture has to reward people differently. And the company needs to practice what it preaches. Example: http://www.thenextgreatgeneration.com/ (invented by Mullen). Are you "T shaped"? Edward thinks being so is a very good thing in innovative organizations. Edward agrees with me that the act of creativity has changed and takes it a step further - the creative technologists are the most important people in the ad agency these days. Edward suggests that we all need to "fail to survive." Great theme. Related to that is the power of just getting started. Trying stuff. Edward also talks about how he improves his own creativity, forces "Steven Johnson-like" idea collisions. BIO: Edward Boches is the Chief Innovation Officer Mullen in Boston. That means his job, as he puts it, is to constantly hack the system in an effort to inspire change and get people to embrace the new technologies, platforms and consumer behaviors necessary to create cool and relevant ideas for clients. Over his 30 year career, Edward has been a newspaper reporter, speech writer, account executive, public relations counsel, copywriter and creative director. He’s built a full-service ad agency; worked with dozens of noteworthy brands; launched high-tech and internet start-ups; collaborated with world famous directors, photographers and editors; co-written television commercials with Ellen DeGeneres; presented ideas to Oprah Winfrey; created award winning websites; launched an emerging social media practice; and incubated thenextgreatgeneration.com. When they say a rolling stone gathers no moss, I think they’re talking about Edward Boches! You can follow Edward at his fantastic blog called "Creativity Unbound": www.http://edwardboches.com To learn more about Ideasicle and Will Burns, click here: http://www.ideasicle.com/Ideasicle_Site/Ideasicle.html | 30 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDr. Synthia Andrews, Subtle Energy Expert, Episode #17 | Ever feel a strange “vibe” in a room, or know what someone is thinking before they talk, or even feel that jolt of inspiration when you have a great idea? Well, today we’re going to talk about an incredibly mysterious force, one that could unlock all of our creative potential, called “subtle energy,” with Dr. Synthia Andrews. Welcome to the Ideasicle Podcast, where we attempt to untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. BIO: Synthia is a naturopathic physician with 30 years experience as a massage and energy practitioner. Through her practice, she realized that the body is a fully equipped vehicle for engaging energy reality. Understanding how to awaken this vehicle and facilitate people’s energy path is her life work. She uses the techniques in her book, “The Path of Energy,” personally, in client sessions and in meditation groups. She teaches energy awareness workshops and lectures around the world. SHOW NOTES: Dr. Andrews begins by defining "subtle energy" and "life force" for us, as well as explains the role of our chakras metabolizing energy for us and broadcasting who we are to the world. Kids are better at paying attention to their subtle energy than adults are. We get trained out of it. But all hope is not lost! Dr. A describes a fascinating experiment where human thought actually influenced the development of common ice crystals. Totally cool. And another experiment that seems to prove that DNA has an electromagnetic organizing force that perhaps we can tap into. See that study here: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1012.5166. She talks about how subtle energy can influence our ideas and how creativity may just be the driving force of humanity. Crowdsourcing in the ether? She talks about our collective consciousness and the morphic resonance field (don't worry, she explains it all) and how it's been proven that anyone in a particular species can tap into the collective knowledge of that species. We discuss whether the worldwide web is helping us connect or getting in the way of these natural energetic connections. Dr. A describes meditation techniques that can increase our subtle energy, as well as enhance our "alpha waves," which is a creative place to be. Even the 5,000 year old "Ice Man" proves how long human beings have known about subtle energy - the man's skin had tattoos consistent with an acupuncture map! We conclude by getting Dr. Andrews' thoughts on where humanity will be in 1,000 years, as it relates to connectivity of minds and subtle energy. Fascinating stuff. To continue this discussion, please visit us at www.facebook.com/ideasicle. Or to learn more about ideasicle, go to www.ideasicle.com. | 30 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanJon Steel, World Renowned Brand Planner, Ideasicle Podcast #16 | Normal.dotm 0 0 1 150 857 IDEASICLE INC 7 1 1052 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Welcome to the Ideasicle Podcast where we attempt to untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. Today we have advertising giant, Jon Steel. Learn why he gives his direct reports unlimited vacation (it's not why you think), how a baseball game was the impetus behind one of the great Goodby campaigns of all time, and get his view as to what creativity really is, among many, many other fascinating topics. SHOW NOTES: To Jon, creative talent is about the process of reduction. Creativity is about making connections in your life. No one has ideas at their desk. Creative people tend to collect things, but also collect experiences. That's why he gives his planners unlimited vacation. You can't inspire all creative people the same way - great example with word man, Jeff Goodby, and the visual man, Rich Silverstein. Once again the topic of mundane, repetitive activities comes up as catalysts for creativity. Jon tells us why, and what he does to keep his own creative edge. Great bit about how Jon thinks the communications business has changed (and hasn't) as it relates to our creative approach. Hint: creativity has gotten lazy. Big insight under the banner, "Why does a dog lick his balls?" You can listen in to see how Jon used that one to make a salient point about communications in the new world. BIO: Jon is an advertising strategist and writer, whose job is to provide strategic and creative direction to WPP Group clients and agencies alike. Prior to joining WPP, he trained as an account planner at London agency Boase Massimi Pollitt, before spending ten years as Vice-Chairman and Director of Account Planning at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. His client experience includes brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Unilever, Sony, Major League Baseball, Porsche and Budweiser. Jon is the author of Truth, Lies & Advertising (1998) and Perfect Pitch (2006), both published by John Wiley & Sons, New York. Now living in Western Australia, he works with George Patterson/Y&R as Chief Strategy Officer. In addition to this role, he is responsible for WPP’s Marketing Fellowship program, an elite recruitment and training scheme designed to attract top graduate talent from around the world to careers in marketing communications. | 31 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanJamie Cat Callan, Author, Screenplay Writer, Creativity Teacher, Episode #15 | Normal.dotm 0 0 1 183 1045 IDEASICLE INC 8 2 1283 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Today we have about ten creative people wrapped up in one. We’re talking to a writer, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, poet, speaker and creativity teacher, Jamie Cat Callan. BIO: Jamie is the author of French Women Don’t Sleep Alone and the recently published “Bonjour, Happiness! Secrets to Finding your Joie de Vivre” She is the creator of The Writer’s Toolbox, and has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, the Missouri Review, Story and many other places. Jamie is also an inspirational speaker, a total Francophile and an unabashed romantic. SHOW NOTES: Jamie knew she was a writer when, as a child, her Barbie Doll went bad. Hilarious story. Jamie talks to us about embracing surprise and the concept of polarity in storytelling. A well developed character tells the writer what he or she "wants" to do (same for brands). She does a product demo of her wonderful "Writer's Toolbox" extolling the virtues of play in creativity. We talk about what creativity is and what Jamie calls the "artistic trance." (very cool) We discuss how rhythmic, repetitive activities (like vaccuuming, mowing the lawn, doing dishes, etc.), can free the creative spirit. We end with Jamie's advice to surrender your adult self to playful creativity. | 1 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanVivian Rosenthal, Augmented Reality Expert, Episode #14 | Normal.dotm 0 0 1 176 1008 IDEASICLE INC 8 2 1237 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Welcome to the Ideasicle Podcast, where we untangle the mysteries of the elusive idea. Today, reality is taking a back seat. We are exploring a fascinating emerging category for marketing ideas called "augmented reality," also known as AR. We are very interested in augmented reality at Ideasicle because it’s such an unbridled expanse for new marketing ideas. And as the proliferation of smartphones, from Android to iPhone to everything in-between, continues, augmented reality is fast becoming a mainstream phenomenon. So it’s important as marketers that we understand it. Bio: Our guest today, Vivian Rosenthal, is going to help us out. She has been mastering this new medium for a decade now. She got her masters at the Columbia University School of Architecture in 2001. She is the founder and CEO of Goldrun, an augmented reality app that enables users to locate, interact with and take photos of GPS-linked virtual objects positioned in the real world. Vivian is also the co-founder of Tronic studio, a digital media and experiential design company. She has been named one of Creativity Magazine's top 50 global creatives of 2010 and has spoken at numerous conferences on the intersection of advertising and technology. She has been selected as a jury member for the Andy Awards and One Show Interactive Awards and the Art Directors Club. Show Notes: We begin with Vivian defining what augmented reality is. We discuss the importance of moving away from gratuitous AR and towards more strategic applications now possible because of GPS connectivity. How do you know if you should develop an AR app for your brand? Vivian tells us. Great story about Y&R's AR application with Airwalk (the first invisible pop-up store). Virtual products in the real world - very cool. When you can do everything, is it hard to do anything? I asked Vivian about the potentially overwhelming creative process when developing AR ideas. I also asked Vivian why human beings are so fascinated by AR. Think sci-fi... I was interested to learn how Vivian's architectural background helped her "build" AR environments. Agencies, take heed. Interesting new angle on creative hiring. Vivian explains her new company, Gold Run, where AR is all they do. I put her on the spot at the end and ask her what creativity is and how she stays sharp. Good words of wisdom. | 1 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanJeffrey Davis, Writer and Creativity Consultant, Episode #13 | Today we are talking with someone who thinks about creativity for a living. As a writer and creativity consultant, Jeffrey Davis shows creatives and entrepreneurs how to rally wonder as an ally to stay open to possibility, persevere through creative challenges, and connect with what matters most. BIO: He is founder of Tracking Wonder Consulting and writes the Tracking Wonder blog for Psychology Today. He is President of Center To Page, LLC through which he has mentored aspiring and New York Times best-selling writers alike. He also is founder of the Yoga as Muse Programs & Training and is also author of the groundbreaking book The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writing. He has led workshops internationally at the University of New Mexico’s Taos Writer’s Conference, Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts, The Omega Institute, the Writers Lab on the Greek isle of Skyros, and Nova Scotia’s Tatamagouche Centre among other places. He teaches at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA in Creative & Professional Writing Program. SHOW NOTES: We begin by discussing the nature of creativity itself, and how Jeffrey believes it comes from our own unrest. Creativity and evolution, and how our inspiration may just be a natural extension of human evolution. Jeffrey explains the concept of the "Environmental Mind" and the importance of our immediate surroundings in aiding our creativity. He lets us in on some fresh research he's been doing around the seeming contradiction of focus and distraction being BOTH important in creativity. A great bit on serendipity and its role in the ideation process. Learn how yoga screwed up Jeffrey's life in some beautiful ways, and how yoga can help you focus and truly "show up" in ways you never have before. We discuss breathing and how it is the only way we can control our autoimmune system. Then an enlightening talk about Jeffrey's concept of "Fertile Confusion," or the need to refrain from the easy solutions. We wrap it up with a primer to Jeffrey's new book (in progress) on the concept of Wonder. | 2 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSir Ken Robinson, Education And Creativity Expert (of TED fame), Episode #12 | I’m not kidding around anymore. Today, I’ve brought in a knight to help us. Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. He has worked with governments in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. ‘All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education’ (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. For twelve years, he was Professor of Education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now Professor Emeritus. In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies. His 2006 TED Talk is the most emailed TED Talk in history. His new book, a New York Times Best Seller, ‘The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything’ has been translated into twenty languages. Show Notes: We begin with the heart of the problem: education, as currently constructed, inhibits creativity. Creativity is not the medium, it’s what you do with the medium. Sir Ken explains why educational institutions are so slow to adapt to an ever-changing world. He believes teachers have more freedom than they think. We talk about what parents can do to compensate for the rigidness of education. We talk a lot about Sir Ken’s new book, “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything,” and how important it is to find, and then be in, your element. He explains the difference between asking, “How intelligent are you?” and “How are you intelligent?” The latter being the much more important question to ask. Very interesting section about spirituality and the “spirit’s” role in helping discover who you really are. We discuss the importance of imagination in both creativity and innovation. Sir Ken asked that we all check out a site he’s working on called www.thepeacefulplanet.com. | 12 4 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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ExplicitGeorge Parker, Seasoned Ad Vet, Author, Episode #11 | Today we’re talking to a seasoned veteran in the advertising business, George Parker. This guy has spent more than thirty five years in the Madison avenue salt mines with such major agencies as Ogilvy & Mather, Y&R, Chiat Day, JWT and many others. He’s worked in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Stockholm and Detroit. In the course of his career he’s won Cannes Lions, CLIOs, EFFIES, the David Ogilvy Award and several hundred other bits of tin and plastic. His blog AdScam, which was named one of the four best ad blogs in the world by Campaign Magazine, is required reading for those looking for a p**s & vinegar view of the world’s second oldest profession. He’s also written a new book called, “The Ubiquitous Persuaders.” Show Notes: George begins by talking about the "creative rennaissance" that was the 1960's. We discuss how important it is to respect the audience. George challenges convention as to the "best TV commercical of all time" (it's not the one you think it is). Here's a concept for marketers: be interesting. The power of niche marketing in today's connected world - being everything to someone is better than being nothing to everyone. George knows, and has worked with, Steve Jobs and tells us some tales. How the Apple TV spot, "1984," almost didn't run. George has a strong opinion about the shortcomings of consumer research on advertising. And the most important lesson he's ever learned (from David Ogilvy himself) - the importance of selling. | 14 3 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanTom Butta, Founder 21Weeks, Famed CMO, Episode #10 | Today we’re going client side to see how transformative ideas and creativity can be on the inside of the house. And there’s no one better to talk to about that than Tom Butta. Tom Butta has sat squarely in the hot seat of transformation for his entire career. As CMO or CEO he has helped public and private companies capitalize on critical moments and accelerate through opportunity. He started in advertising at Hill Holiday and Y&R. As CMO of Red Hat where he helped position open source technologies as a viable alternative to proprietary one. He also helped drive the second highest IPO in NASDAQ history. As CMO of PTC Tom helped position product development as a value play with his seminal work around The Way to Product First. That work -- and the value roadmap he architected in 2002 -- is still in use today by PTC which is now the second largest independent software company in the world. As CEO of Superstock, Tom helped create a legitimate challenger to Getty Images in the digital creative content space As CEO of FGI, Tom helped position both KPMG and Deloitte as viable challengers to Accenture, Newsweek as the rightful owner of newsweeklies, Reebok PUMP as an alternative performance brand to Nike, and Armani A/X Exchange as an accessible designer brand. He was a Fast Company Fast 50 Reader's Choice winner. And is a lecturer at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and New York Institute of Technology. Today, Tom is founder and managing director of 21Weeks, a brand value accelerator for CEOs and executives dissatisfied with the status quo. Clients include those in cloud computing, advertising systems of record, online chat and support, product development, and international tennis tournaments. And I might add he, like me, is a Hamilton College grad. Which we discovered by accident while working together years ago. He even was the same year as my older brother, Andy. Spooky. Show notes: We begin by discussing Tom's instrumental role in launching the controversial "Product First" campaign at PTC. He talks about the importance of a CMO not only being creative, but hand picking the right team around him or her. CMO as "creative director" for the brand. He explains how to get people in a large organization to rally around a single, transformative brand idea. Tom talks about his current company, which he founded, called 21Weeks and how it is transforming brands today. He ends by publicly "outing" himself as an Ideasicle Expert! | 24 2 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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ExplicitNick Egan, Punk Designer, Director, Episode #9 | Nick Egan was raised in the punk rock era. So it’s no surprise that his ideas on ideas are nothing short of beautiful anarchy. What is art? How is education failing the creative process? How did he almost fail out of art school and become a huge artistic success? Listen to this episode of the Ideasicle Podcast and find out. Nick Egan is a British-born director working since 1976 in the industry of art, design and film for music, as well as the advertising business. This includes album designs, art direction with photographers, music videos since the 1980s, TV commercials, and web design. In the 1970s Nick was well known as a record sleeve designer connected with the Punk Rock Movement, designing sleeves for The Clash and, Bow Wow Wow and later for Dexy's Midnight Runners. He established a long lasting working relationship with Malcolm McClaren, manager of the Sex Pistols and Vivienne Westwood. He worked on McClaren's Duck Rock and Fans album, with art direction for Westwood's early fashion shows in London and Paris. He has directed music videos for Duran Duran, Alanis Morisette and Oasis, among others. We cover a lot of ground: Great story about how Nick presented an album cover design for The Clash to the record company. Priceless. We discuss Sir Ken Robinson’s position around education and how it’s corrupting children’s creativity. Great bit about how sometimes Nick’s creativity is unstoppable and he just needs to see it through. What is art? Can it be anything? Nick thinks so. We discuss the role of pressure in creativity - it’s not all bad. The unique role of clients in the creative process, particularly in the ad world. The commoditization of the craft and how it’s more important than ever to be talented. We debate how one knows an idea is a great idea. The dreaded “overthinking” and how deadlines can prevent it. You can learn more about Nick Egan at his web site: www.nickegan.com | 26 1 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDr. Tom Chalko, Consciousness Expert, Physicist, Episode #8 | Dr. Chalko lives in Mt Best, Victoria, Australia and holds a Masters degree in engineering and a Ph.D. in physics (laser holography). His professional interests span from lasers and vibration engineering to physics of consciousness. His passions include meditation, exploring limits of human perception, awareness and self healing. He plays classical guitar, enjoys windsurfing (he calls himself a speed addict), takes time to practice meditation, telepathy and astral travel. His hobbies include challenging paradigms and paradoxes in science on Earth, studying puzzling properties of stimulated electro-photonic glow around living organisms, using a Kirlian camera, discovering purpose of life, as well as organizing controversial seminars. Dr. Chalko is from Poland, married a Russian woman and now lives in Australia. We cover a lot of fascinating ground: Dr. Chalko shares with us a letter he wrote for his children on Christmas. A wonderful lesson to all of us - the greatest gifts come from within. We discuss the universe as a "network" that we can all tap into. The role of meditation and quieting the mind in order to "listen" to the universe and expand your imagination. We debate the information age versus the ideation age. What is consciousness? What is information? What is memory? And what are the roles of all three in ideation? The importance of understanding in developing imagination and in evolution of the individual and the collective. Acquiring understanding and the reward of joy. Finally, the role of "purpose" in our development of thoughts and ideas. You can learn more about Dr. Chalko at these links: http://thefreedomofchoice.com/ http://www.thiaoouba.com/medit.htm http://selfhealing.net/ | 17 11 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDavid Lubars, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer at BBDO, Episode #7 | David and I have known each other a long time. And whenever we get together we always gravitate back to one topic: The Beatles. We're both big fans, but we also both study the band, admire their creativity and love the ingenuity they consistently presented to the world. We don't always agree as to which Beatle is the most talented or important, or which song is the best, but we do always have a provocative conversation. During this podcast, I loved how David was able to apply the Beatles' prowess to our marketing lives today. David Lubars is the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at BBDO North America. For those not in the ad biz, here’s a run down of David’s storied career. He began his career in 1981. He has since won every major creative award in the world several times over. His work has been written about in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Business 2.0 and Time, and has appeared on the cover of Archive magazine twice. He has been named Creative Director of the Year in the trade publication Adweek; his BMW Films was made part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in New York City and won the first-ever awarded Titanium Lion at Cannes. He has been the subject of feature stories in New York magazine, Creativity, Archive, Fast Company and American Executive. Before joining BBDO, David was President of Fallon Worldwide and Executive Creative Director of Fallon North America where he oversaw famous work for Citibank and BMW, among others. Show notes: We begin by discussing what made the Beatles so inspiring. They were the perfect mix of individuals. Part of the magic of the Beatles was that they put the work first and everything else second. Ad agencies in the beginning can learn from this. Importance of a "good vibe" in creativity. The John vs. Paul discussion. Parallels between the Beatles fanatical perfection as they crafted the songs, and the advertising business in executing great work. Revolver as the most creative album due to its experimentation. Solo they were nothing like the Beatles, and we speculate why. Memories of the Paul McCartney show in NY City 3-4 years ago and how he really sold it. Bob Dylan discussion on his prolific nature early on and how he lost it (or did he?). | 29 9 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAlyssa Toro, Creative Director, Designer, Holistic Health Coach, Episode #6 | Alyssa Toro is uniquely equipped to answer the following question: can food affect your ideas? She has not only made a career out of creativity, she is also certified as a Holistic Health Coach. Alyssa is a Senior Partner and Creative Director at Connelly Partners in Boston. She has almost twenty years experience in advertising and design at some of New England's most creative agencies, including Leonard/Monahan, Ingalls and Hill Holiday. For as long as her agency has been alive Alyssa has been overseeing all things creative for her clients. With an unparalleled passion for design, Alyssa and her creative teams approach every job with a unique perspective offiering solutions that range from brand identity to TV, digital and grass roots programs. When not chasing creative or her two children, Alyssa has found the time to get certified as a Holistic Health Coach. Oh, and she was a professional gymnast. Show notes: Alyssa begins by educating us on what the brian needs for deep thinking. She talks about the difference between Primary Food and Secondary Food, where Primary Food is what "feeds" the brain through experiences and inspiration. Secondary food is what we think of as food we eat. On the Secondary front, it's Omega 3 that really greases the skids in your brain for better focus. Alyssa then lists all the foods that contain this magical substance so you can have some close at hand when you're at work, ideating. She also talks about how "corn sugar" (as the makers of high fructose corn syrup would like you to call it now) can trick your brain into thinking it's not full, when it is. Evil potato chips! | 17 9 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSeth Schulman, Author, Writing Coach, Cultural Anthropologist, Episode #5 | Seth Schulman has made an art out of inspiring authors to better ideas. He believes anyone can do it, but that not everyone gives themselves "permission" to do it. The "professional" environment doesn't help with its overlay of expectations, fear and posturing, all filtering the ideation process. But fear not. Seth has some tangible tips and tricks that you can do to help with your own ideation. And you can start by getting rid of the ping-pong table. Show Notes: We start with a description of the writing process and the typical problems writers face. We discuss fear in the corporate environment and "professionalism" and how both get in the way of pure ideation. Fear comes up as an enemy of ideation (again). Environment is an important contributor to inspiration and ideation - Seth explains why and how he uses the environment with his clients. The ad agency's typical pool table, ping pong table and dartboard have become part of the professional environment, which means they don't work as well to spur ideas. Seth has some pretty whacky (as he put it) tips and tricks to help you improve your ideation. You don't want to miss these. Bio: www.providenceword.com Seth Schulman is a professional ghostwriter and editor specializing in business books, personal memoir, how-to, popular health/science books, and fiction of all kinds. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, he has worked with authors across the United States as well as in Israel, Spain, and the UK. Titles to his credit include Breaking News: A Stunning and Memorable Account of Reporting from Some of the Most Dangerous Places in the World (St. Martins); No Man’s Land: What to Do When Your Company Is Too Big to Be Small but Too Small to Be Big (Penguin/Portfolio); and The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It (Penguin/Portfolio). Book proposals prepared by Mr. Schulman have been purchased by a number of leading houses, including Penguin, Hyperion, St. Martin’s, Harvard Business School Press, Jossey-Bass, and New World Library. In addition to his book-length ghostwriting and editing work, Mr. Schulman has co-authored numerous Harvard Business School case studies on brands such as Russian Standard Vodka, Sony Playstation2, XFL pro football league, Revlon cosmetics, Peapod interactive grocery, Tata Consultancy Services, Kinko’s, and Hewlett-Packard. He has also written under his own name a novel, short stories, magazine and journal articles, newsletters, white papers, reports, blogs, and a book-length doctoral dissertation dealing with the cultural and intellectual history of 20th century Europe. Mr. Schulman has served as a consultant on media and popular culture to Arnold Worldwide, Hill Holliday, Digitas, and other national advertising agencies. He has counseled writers for several years as a staff member of the Brown University writing center. He holds a PhD in European history from Brown University and a BA with distinction from Cornell University. His honors include membership in Phi Beta Kappa and awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Vermont Studio Center. | 23 8 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDr. Bob Deutsch, Founder Brain-Sells, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Episode #4 | What does a pig auctioneer, Jane Goodall, Vaclav Havel, a billiard ball and Paul McCartney have in common? They were all brought up as examples to explain and bring to life Dr. Bob Deutsch's fascinating views on ideation, creativity and the human condition. Show notes below. But first, Dr. Robert Deutsch is a specialist in communication and culture who has worked on Pennsylvania Avenue, Madison Avenue and in the primeval forest. The Ad Club of New York has referred to him as “a truly revolutionary thinker.” And Adam Morgan, in his book, Eating the Big Fish, has called Bob a profound analyst of human nature and American culture. Dr. Deutsch has written and spoken widely on what one sees when casting a “primal eye” on modernity, including its rituals and mythologies. He has contributed articles on human nature, the cultural moment and marketing to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe and The National Geographic Magazine. His commentaries have appeared on ABC’s Nightline, Good Morning America, and on the PBS series, Rights & Wrongs. He also lectures and is on the roster of the Washington Speakers’ Bureau as a keynote speech maker. Dr. Deutsch’s academic training and experience has been interdisciplinary in scope, combining anthropology, cognitive science and media studies. Dr. Deutsch received a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience from the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. And he can be found at www.brain-sells.com. SHOW NOTES He starts by defining creativity and its role in human evolution. Tradition and Innovation - the importance of having both in attaining sustainable innovation. Pure innovation isn't useful at all. It has to be related to something familiar. The barriers to human creativity, including time. Paul McCartney as an example of innovation at work. The importance of raw talent in ideation. Dr. Bob discusses his "12 Qualities of Mind Required for the Innovative Corporation." He describes a study he did around "expertise" - what it is, what it means and how we can apply expertise to the ideation space. The role of serendipity in the creative process. Vaclav Havel's living in the experience in its own unfolding vs watching it from the outslde. Leave the data behind. The importance of story-telling, or creating a narrative, in developing ideas. The new "corporate creative" person. | 8 8 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDavid Baldwin, Founder Baldwin&, Creative Director, Episode #3 | David Baldwin is one of the most awarded copywriters and creative directors in the business today. Among many other things, hear him talk about his new company, Baldwin&, and how he's creating a creative environment, the importance of authenticity in communications, his concerns about how pitching is affecting the advertising industry, and, of course, his view on how to come up with better ideas (including the role of shitty ideas). Prior to launching Baldwin&, David was the Creative Director for McKinny, Chairman of the One Club in NYC, the force behind The One Show. Alongside his creative advertising exploits, David is an executive producer for the film, Art & Copy, now available on DVD and premiering on PBS this fall, and was a guitarist/songwriter for the band Pants who’s CD, Twice the Snake You Need can be found on iTunes or Amazon.com. Show Notes: New original music intro for the Ideasicle Podcast from Joe Kowalski. This guy rocks. Check out more of his work here: http://soundtrack.onlyone-music.com/. A big thanks to Joe. David talks about Baldwin& and what makes his new company different. He discusses creating "brand experiences" through authenticity. Building a creative environment organically - a company is not a building, it's people. A great bit about fear and inhibition being the dragons we need to slay when coming up with ideas. David talks about what he learned from Tom Monahan (podcast #1). The role of the shitty idea in coming up with great ideas. Our industry and how agencies have devalued what they do to the point of doing it for free during a pitch. | 30 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanGaurav Suri, fMRI Specialist, Author, Episode #2 | We continue our Ideasicle Podcast series with Gaurav Suri, author and fMRI specialist at Stanford University. Mr. Suri is the author of "A Certain Ambiguity" (Princeton, 2007), an award winning novel that examines how we know what we know--and if we can be certain about it. His next novel, in progress, examines the mechanisms of the human brain. How do we decide? Where do ideas come from? What makes us who we are? Mr. Gaurav is involved with several fMRI studies at Stanford University that seek to isolate the drivers of human preference in the brain. He has also driven significant research on the role of emotion and affect in decision making. Show notes: We begin by discussing how Gaurav became interested in the brain in the first place, and his book "A Certain Ambiguity." He discusses the mechanics of the brain - neurons, synapses, electric impulses, etc. He goes into fascinating detail about the difference between the cerebral cortex (the conscious brain) and the more primal brain (the unconscious). He gives us tips as to how to activate the primal brain to help us in our ideation. Gaurav invites any interested Creators out there to contact him with any questions or just to talk brain. You can reach him at: grsuri@gmail.com. | 23 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanTom Monahan, Founder Before & After, Creativity Coach, Episode #1 | In this first episode, Will interviews Tom Monahan, a true expert in the field of ideas. Tom is the founder and head creativity coach of Before & After, Inc. and a leader in the field of applied creativity. He does private consulting and ideation training for a list of leading companies and professional organizations. Tom's unorthodox approach to training has had toy designers doing origami, engineers playing mental leapfrog and media executives throwing rotten tomatoes. Show notes: Tom starts by describing the prolific ideators he's worked with - David Lubars, David Baldwin, Kara Goodrich, Jim Garaventi and others. The balance of confidence and insecurity in creativity and ideation. Importance of talented people these days versus a "creative department." They discuss the impact of the democratization of executional tools. Is a million dollar production necessary today? Tom talks about his company, Before & After, and techniques you can do to your mind to increase the chances of coming up with great ideas (e.g. the "Do It Yourself Lobotomy"). Ideas in history happen when people wonder more and are pressed to do so. | 6 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 26 Episodes |
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