The How This Works show

Jen Blatz, principal UX researcher at Boeing Employees' Credit Union (BECU), takes us on a journey from journalism to UX design, sharing practical insights from the trenches of financial institutions and animal hospitals. With experience spanning VCA animal hospitals to Capital One to Rocket Mortgage, Jen brings a refreshingly honest perspective on the evolving UX landscape—including what's broken with personas and why the future might look different than we think. Her background in journalism shapes how she approaches ethnographic observation, whether she's watching veterinarians work with anxious pets or understanding how credit union members navigate digital banking. Jen doesn't shy away from tough conversations about AI's role in research, the limitations of traditional UX methods, or the reality of today's competitive job market. Currently at BECU, Jen navigates the unique challenge of conducting remote research for a Washington State credit union while being based in Texas herself, highlighting how smaller financial institutions operate differently from big banks with vendor constraints and community-focused approach. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.howthisworks.show/035-jen-blatz (https://www.howthisworks.show/035-jen-blatz) Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B-uMrQ4d4RQ (https://youtu.be/B-uMrQ4d4RQ) Key points: * Ethnographic observation in unexpected places - Jen shares her early UX experience at VCA animal hospitals, including watching a dog undergo anesthesia for dental cleaning. This field work taught her the importance of understanding real working conditions rather than making assumptions about user needs. * Financial institutions aren't all the same - Drawing from her experience across banks, credit unions, and FinTech companies, Jen explains how resource constraints and third-party vendor dependencies create unique challenges for smaller financial institutions compared to tech giants. * The consultancy model reality - Working within Boeing Employees' Credit Union's distributed research team structure, Jen discusses the trade-offs between learning about different business aspects versus sustained project influence — and why this model might be more common than we think. * AI as assistant, not replacement - From her experiments with ChatGPT and Adobe Firefly, Jen shares practical insights about using AI tools for desk research and image generation while emphasizing the critical need to double-check AI outputs for accuracy. * Why personas miss the mark - Jen critiques traditional personas for focusing on irrelevant demographic information instead of actionable insights, introducing the Scenario Alignment Canvas (SAC) framework as a more effective alternative that focuses on specific scenarios, goals, and pain points. * The changing UX job market - Predicting that design system roles may become obsolete as AI tools advance, Jen discusses the trend of UX researchers moving into product owner roles and shares honest advice about building real-world experience in a competitive market. * Personal branding as differentiation - Currently exploring how to define and build personal brands, Jen emphasizes networking and practical experience over theoretical knowledge as keys to standing out in today's UX landscape. Jen also touches on the challenges of remote research when you're not physically located where your users are, and how the pandemic shifted both researcher capabilities and user expectations around digital experiences. The audio and video for this episode has been edited by Gideon Kroutil (https://www.gideonkroutil.com/). Special Guest: Jen Blatz.

Dr. Chui Chui Tan, cultural strategist and author, shares her journey helping businesses navigate cultural nuances for global growth. With over 16 years of experience in user experience internationally, she has orchestrated successful market launches for companies like Spotify, Netflix, and Bumble across 50 countries. Her approach goes beyond user research and experience to incorporate a holistic understanding of market ecosystems, helping businesses avoid cultural stereotyping while making informed strategic decisions. Born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, Chui Chui moved to the UK over 20 years ago. Her unique background and global experience inform her approach to cultural strategy. Beginning with mechanical engineering and an unexpected transition through music technology to human-computer interaction, she eventually specialized in international research after conducting user interviews in Beijing for a hotel client. Over time, her work evolved from pure user experience research to a more holistic approach that considers history, infrastructure, politics, and economic factors when helping businesses enter new markets. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.howthisworks.show/034-dr-chui-chui-tan (https://www.howthisworks.show/034-dr-chui-chui-tan) Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q9mC2bykxuo (https://youtu.be/Q9mC2bykxuo) Key points from the conversation: * Four-bucket methodology - Chui Chui shares her framework for organizing market knowledge into known facts, strong hypotheses, weak hypotheses, and unknowns when entering new markets. This approach helps align teams and identify critical knowledge gaps. * Context-specific cultural adaptation - She explains how cultural manifestations differ depending on product context, using her contrasting work with Asana and Spotify in Japan to illustrate how the same users interact differently with different products based on cultural values. * Cultural frameworks in practice - Chui Chui discusses the strengths and limitations of popular frameworks like Erin Meyer's "Culture Map" and Hofstede's cultural dimensions, emphasizing the importance of practical application over theoretical models. * Future of AI in cultural strategy - Drawing from her experiments with ChatGPT, Baidu's Ernie, and Inception's Jais (Arabic) to analyze cultural insights, she predicts AI will complement but not replace human understanding of cultural nuances. * Cross-cultural identity - Reflecting on her own bicultural experience, Chui Chui discusses how individuals navigate multiple cultural identities, noting she can "be more British in certain aspects of my life, and then when it comes to certain things, I'm quite Malaysian or quite Asian." * Personal philosophy - "Care less about things that are not as important" – Chui Chui's evolving perspective on focusing energy on what truly matters, both personally and professionally. Chui Chui also shares her fascination with understanding the origins of cultural differences, currently exploring this through reading "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari among others. You can find Chui Chui at: * Website: beyo.global (https://beyo.global/) * LinkedIn: Chui Chui Tan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan/) * YouTube: @chuichuitan (https://www.youtube.com/@chuichuitan) The audio and video for this episode has been edited by Gideon Kroutil (https://www.gideonkroutil.com/). Special Guest: Dr. Chui Chui Tan.

Drew Burdick, founder and managing partner of StealthX, shares his unconventional journey into design and entrepreneurship. After growing up in the Philippines (age 4-18) and studying political science and communications in college, a chance internship introduced him to graphic design — beginning with a bootleg copy of Illustrator/Photoshop CS2. During the 2009 recession, Drew scrapped his way forward, balancing freelance design work with jobs like valet parking at the Ritz Carlton and window washing. His path included founding a successful clothing brand for the electronic music scene (complete with 163 street team members) before transitioning into corporate roles and eventually launching StealthX, a consultancy focused on customer strategy, product design, and software engineering. * You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.howthisworks.show/033-drew-burdick (https://www.howthisworks.show/033-drew-burdick) * Or watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/kaP8tGIzyEw (https://youtu.be/kaP8tGIzyEw) Key points from the conversation: * What's next for customer experience: Drew emphasizes moving beyond "fast, easy, and cheap" to create memorable moments that build brand loyalty. He applies this philosophy both to client work and to StealthX itself, crafting thoughtful touchpoints throughout the client journey. * The future of design teams: Drawing from his experience leading both large and small teams, Drew predicts a shift away from traditional large design organizations toward nimble, high-velocity small teams augmented by AI capabilities. * Industry specialization: Drew advocates for designers to develop deep industry expertise rather than remaining discipline-generalists, suggesting that understanding specific sectors like manufacturing or insurance will become increasingly valuable. * Community and connection: Despite the rise of remote work, Drew emphasizes the growing importance of local, in-person relationships and community building, particularly in regional tech hubs like Charlotte, North Carolina. * AI Inflection Point: Drew likens the current state of AI to the "256MB era" of computing, predicting rapid acceleration in capabilities and encouraging designers to embrace these tools as augmentation rather than threat. * Personal philosophy: "Do the next right thing" – tattooed on Drew's arm, this mantra emerged during COVID as a reminder to focus on immediate, actionable steps rather than getting overwhelmed by uncertainty. Drew also predicts that within a year, solopreneurs will increasingly build and launch products independently using AI tools, potentially challenging traditional team structures in larger organizations. He encourages experimenting with these tools, seeing them as opportunities to augment human creativity rather than as threats. * You can find Drew on social media as @drewhburdick and at drewburdick.com (https://drewburdick.com/) * Learn more about StealthX at stealthx.co (https://www.stealthx.co/) * Listen to his podcast "Building Great Experiences" on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/7MftD5GxlTo4orKRcRlB9Q), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/building-great-experiences-w-drew-burdick/id1776618976), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@greatexperiencespodcast) Special Guest: Drew Burdick.

Skipper chats with Bumhan Yu, a designer and coder, about his perspective shaped by his linguistics and psychology background. After moving from Korea to New York City, he transitioned from academia to design, where his non-design background enriches his approach to understanding user needs and communication. His career evolved from graphic design to design operations and team dynamics, emphasizing problem understanding before solution creation. Beyond design, Bumhan maintains interests in theoretical physics and the Zettelkasten note-taking method among other topics. * You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.howthisworks.show/032-bumhan-yu (https://www.howthisworks.show/032-bumhan-yu) * Or on Youtube: During the show, we talk through a number of topics, including: * German-speaking Bumhan comes from an academic family, with professor parents. * Initially studying linguistics and psychology in academia, he left his psychology graduate program, worked various jobs including translation and military service in Korea, then discovered design (read: graphic design) through a trade school for executive assistants in Manhattan. * His spatial-visual thinking style, using schematics and diagrams, led him to realize he could build a career making things. He views design as problem-solving beyond aesthetics, distinguishing between specialized "capital D" design and general "lowercase d" design. * Bumhan's LinkedIn tagline "business of design, design of business" reflects his dual focus on design operations and organizational dynamics. At DoubleVerify, he maintains design systems, defines visual tokens, and collaborates closely with front-end engineers while focusing on systematic problem-solving approaches. * He critiques design thinking's commodification while valuing its core principle of understanding problems before solutions, drawing inspiration from Bruce Lee's philosophy of adaptation and evolution. * His coding skills enhance collaboration with engineers through better understanding of backend structures, while his linguistics and psychology background provides unique insights into human behavior and communication. * Beyond design, Bumhan's also passionate about theoretical physics, particularly Carlo Rovelli's work. Special Guest: Bumhan Yu.

Skipper chats with Aaron Young, founder of Switch Insights, breaking down the concept of "switch interviews" — a lesser known methodology that reveals the contextual moments leading customers to change products or services, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind customer behavior rather than just the "what." He explains that while companies often think they know why customers switch, a directed interview can reveal the complex, messy reality of customer decision-making, encompassing factors like grievances, magnetism, and effort underneath and surrounding the change. During the show, we talk through: * The evolution of switch interviews, from Aaron's early discovery of the methodology (while observing Jobs to Be Done expert Bob Mesta) to his specialization in this approach after seeing its unique ability to reveal customer insights that traditional research misses * Two case studies of "switches" — Aaron's personal journey moving from Washington D.C. to Atlanta, which unfolded over several years with multiple decision points, and a wedding dress business that used switch interviews to understand why brides choose at-home try-on experiences * The critical difference between how companies typically view customer decisions (as single moments) versus the reality revealed through switch interviews: a complex journey involving factors like grievances with current solutions, attraction to new options, and the effort required to change * Why traditional demographic-based personas often fall short, and how switch interviews help create more meaningful customer segments based on the progress people are trying to make in their lives * The challenge of "hubris" in understanding customer behavior — how companies often think they know why customers make changes, but miss the crucial contextual details that switch interviews can uncover * As businesses increasingly turn to technological solutions, Aaron expresses concern about over-reliance on AI for understanding customer behavior, noting that artificial intelligence might miss the nuanced contextual details that human-conducted switch interviews are uniquely positioned to capture * His belief in the importance of verbs over nouns in career satisfaction Special Guest: Aaron Young.

In this episode, Andy Polaine, Dr. Polaine to some, talks about his career journey, starting with his background in film and interactive media, his transition into service design, and his current focus as a design leadership coach. Andy discusses his coaching approach, which is rooted in his experience as a designer, facilitator, and teacher. He also talks about some of what he's hearing from design leaders right now, emphasizing the importance of reading the room, even in a digital context, and how his work addresses common challenges faced by design leaders, such as imposter syndrome and the "leadership dip" — a period of uncertainty and self-doubt that can arise when transitioning into a leadership role. The interview also touches on the evolving role of design leadership in organizations and how designers can more effectively communicate the value of their work to stakeholders. Some topics discussed: * Andy’s career began in the early '90s as an interaction designer, before "UX" or "user experience" were common terms * He studied film, video, and photography, transitioning into interactive media, which later led him to meeting Ben Reason at LiveWork and getting into service design * Andy was global Group Design Director of Client Evolution at Fjord and co-leads a Master’s program in service design in Switzerland * Fluent in German and having lived in Australia, Germany, and the U.K., Andy developed a deep appreciation for cross-cultural communication and how we use language * Andy describes his transition from filmmaking to design, drawn by the way multimedia integrates sound, video, and interactive elements — modes of storytelling persists today * Andy’s coaching focuses on supporting design leaders through a number of phases, including "design leadership dip," a period uncertainty common at mid- and advanced-career stages, which he helps leaders navigate * Andy shares his personal experience with imposter syndrome/phenomenon, emphasizing that it can affect anyone, regardless of background * Andy highlights the skill of “reading the room," focusing on empathy, active listening, and participant engagement * He discusses the nuances of digital coaching, using techniques like teleprompters and collaboration tools for increased effectiveness in virtual communication * Andy reflects on the future of design, noting that designers must focus on discernment and answering the question, So what?! * He concludes by emphasizing relationships, empathy, and plans for a book on the inner journey of design leadership, including "design leadership dip" * He talks about the "assembly line" approach to design, likens it to AI — where the subject matter is being treated as a mere tool for rapid prototyping rather than a process for addressing user needs, almost like the discipline is being treated like a GPT itself, which reduces designers to carry out prompts Stay tuned until the end where we hear a behind the scenes (bts) snippet, a peek into our lives today, where we wait for Andy's wife to open/close some doors as she's seeing a patient at home while we're recording. Special Guest: Andy Polaine.

Joanne Weaver (https://www.joanneweavergroup.com/about), who co-runs a design recruiting agency in New York City (https://www.joanneweavergroup.com/), discussed her dual career in recruitment and music. She highlighted the importance of networking and tailoring job applications to specific roles. Joanne emphasized the need for efficiency in communication and the value of understanding both job seekers and clients. She shared her journey from starting her agency during a financial crisis to having built a successful business. Joanne also discussed the significance of connection and authenticity, both in her professional and personal life, recommended the show "Alone" for its exploration of human resilience, and talked about her semimonthly show on LinkedIn live with two other design recruiters, Jared Tredly and Erica Fortgang for Design:Unfiltered @DesignedXTalent Keep listening until after the outro music for a bit of tape from our first attempt at recording (Internet connection problems) where Joanne talks about how being a singer and being a performer helps to understand the clients and job seekers she works with. A few specific points from the episode: * Joanne's work as a singer, including albums, performances, and cover songs * Her musical style blends jazz and trip-hop, with inspiration from sci-fi and the Voyager probes * Her indie band, Broanne, and their EP "We're Totally Blowing Up" * Her view of the job of a recruiter: matching clients with candidates and guiding them through the hiring process * Her journey started at a nanny agency in London, eventually leading her to start her own recruitment agency in New York City * Initial struggles in starting her agency and stresses the importance of networking and building personal connections * Meeting her business partner, Rebecca Levy, through a mutual connection — advice, "take the lunch" * The need for taking breaks and disconnecting to recharge * The 2008 financial crisis impacted her business but also led to new opportunities * Tailoring resumes and portfolios to specific job opportunities * A tip on standing out in the job market: be efficient and professional in communications * Common fears like not being good enough and encourages leaning into those fears * Strategies for overcoming anxiety: focus on service and giving to others * Stresses authenticity and connecting with others in both personal and professional contexts * The value of small moments of connection, which can lead to larger opportunities. * The importance of connection and talking to people * Recommendation for Tunde Oyeneyin's audiobook, "Speak" and the show "Alone" for its exploration of human connection and survival * She plans to begin work on a cabaret show about an unnamed 80s/90s pop sensation, inspired by recently reading their biography Special Guest: Joanne Weaver.

On this episode of the How This Works show, Skipper Chong Warson talks to Carl Cleanthes, (https://www.colorfulcarl.com/)founder of Epic Made, (https://www.epic-made.com/)a creative content agency based in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Carl shares his entrepreneurial journey from selling timeshares to establishing an agency that now collaborates with top brands like SyFy, Nickelodeon, USA, TNT, and WWE. He discusses his passion for art and creativity, focusing on his exploration of NFTs as a way to immortalize his late father’s artwork. Throughout the conversation, Carl emphasizes the importance of living authentically, expressing emotions freely, and using his creativity to honor his father’s legacy. Key details from the episode: * Carl describes himself as a "lifelong, ADHD, extroverted, creative kind of like counter culture, delightful weirdo," heavily influenced by his father’s art * Early entrepreneurial ventures included earning money through in-game economics in Everquest * After struggling with depression and dissatisfaction in traditional employment, Carl quit his IT job in 2007 and started his agency by hiring art school students, expanding into animation, illustration, and graphic design * He embraces an unconventional lifestyle, incorporating barefoot walks, toe shoes, upcycling, and growing his own food * The pandemic significantly impacted his business, pushing him to explore NFTs as a new creative outlet and revenue stream * Carl launched an NFT project using his late father’s artwork, which he sees as both a healing journey and a new business direction * He continues to honor his father’s creative legacy through live streaming sessions where he creates new art incorporating his father’s work Special Guest: Carl Cleanthes.

Back in August, Skipper had a conversation with Jen Dary about her personal experiences and insights on leadership coaching, the importance of self-awareness and belief in one's abilities, Plucky's So Now You're a Manager (SNYaM), navigating the publishing industry, and prioritizing self-care in the coaching profession. Other topics include: Jen shares her experience as the oldest of three kids and how it influences her leadership style and ability to empathize with others (it might play it yours as well, dear listener) She highlights the importance of identifying a specific niche in coaching and how coaching is different from consulting Jen emphasizes the importance of setting a finite amount of time for coaching and encourages clients to come as long as they need and go when they're ready She primarily works with clients in technology, including engineers, designers, product managers, professors, academics, and doctors, with a majority of them being women Jen reflects on the importance of understanding one's purpose of work and encourages listeners to measure their current job against that purpose She talks more about So Now You're a Manager (SNYaM), a manager training program that she's developed at Plucky currently modeled after a part-time MBA plus, the importance of community and connection in learning, and the challenges of remote training Jen has observed a trend of people in the tech industry expressing a desire to retire earlier and wanting to "do their own thing" She talks about recently watching "The Andy Warhol Diaries," a six episode Netflix series, and having a greater understanding of the '70s and '80s Stay tuned until the end for an outtake around speaking French to a stranger on the train in front of her sons Special Guest: Jen Dary.

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Karen's personal and professional journey exploring different forms of art, including classical music and site-specific contemporary performance art Empathy and storytelling in design, perspective taking, and understanding the difference between empathy and caring The struggle with showing empathy towards oneself and the importance of non-judgment The concept of being an "asshole" in social situations and intentional adjustment The unintended consequences of Karen's work on compassion and caring The virtue of patience and its role in creating oneness Practicing love and accepting all things without hierarchy or morality The idea of helpfulness versus rightness and an example of a deer The tagline for Others Unlimited and its focus on empathy, research, collaboration, and citizenship Exploring the relationship between mercy and justice The metaphor of polishing a rough gem and the importance of perspective-taking The importance of empathy, active listening, and being present Accepting others as they are and embracing the truth for personal growth The second season of FX's "The Bear" (https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-bear) and the idea of watching television as a kind of babysitter A surprising answer from Karen to the question, "Imagine you unexpectedly had a day off, money was no object, you could bend the laws of space and time, what would you do?" Stay tuned for a bit of tape at the end where Karen and Skipper talk about one's "need to be right." Note from TED: Karen's talk linked below contains a discussion of suicidal ideation. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please consult a mental health professional and/or support organization, as this talk is not a substitute for mental health advice. If you are struggling with self-destructive or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to connect with someone who can help. Special Guest: Karen Faith.

Zolt Levay is a photographer who has produced astronomical images from the Hubble Space Telescope and has spent a career describing the process of producing engaging color images from Hubble data. Now, he has his sights set on matters closer to home, working on more terrestial matters. During this conversation, Skipper and Zolt talk about how images are produced from the Hubble Space Telescope, the importance of being curious, how professional telescopes don't "see" in color, the size of 24 million soda straws, Ansel Adams, the notion of time travel, and his more recent hobby of astrophotography. Stay tuned until the end for a clip on how to pronounce Zolt's first and last name the Hungarian way. Special Guest: Zolt Levay.

The last time we talked with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, it was Dec 2020. Now, it's May 2022 — 17 months later. A lot has changed and in some ways it feels like nothing has changed. This time around, we get into current details around coronavirus/COVID, what's happening now/the current state, and what the future looks like. We recorded this episode over two sessions and along the way we get into many topics, including the notion of reinfections (more and more common with Omicron), how the testing numbers may not reflect actual cases with more and more home testing (and some people not testing at all), how an at-home test is different than a PCR test, and the current slate of variants — BA.1, BA.2, BA2.12.1, BA.4, BA.5, XE, etc. We also touch on COVID therapies including Paxlovid, an oral antiviral treatment, and Evusheld, monoclonal antibodies. As well, we talked about some of what Dr. Chin-Hong is concerned about in the future — including avian flu and influenza along with the idea that diseases like valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) have been creeping up over the last few years because we as humans are settling into areas (more rural, for instance) that large groups of us haven't been before. And then, we end the show by talking about his work as a professor of medicine and educator at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) — what teaching medicine has looked like the last few years with students (and teachers) as little blobs on a screen. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a longer bit about the flu that didn't really have a place anywhere else. Special Guest: Dr. Peter Chin-Hong.

Recorded in their child's bedroom on a weekday, Laura and Skipper chat about his academic background in writing (English literature, playwriting) as well as his professional background as a product design director (think desktop and mobile apps among other mediums) and how that plays into storytelling, most recently resulting in the creation of How This Works, this podcast. They also talk about their life together — newsflash: they're married and living in the San Francisco Bay area, having moved from New York City a couple of years ago. Along the way, they get into some of the differences between life in SF and NYC. They also talk about their upcoming wedding anniversary after getting married next to Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Along with talk about his name change from Starr to Skipper (and not Optimus Prime) at the age of seven, they bring in a few questions posed from the listening audience including lessons learned from the first season of the show, calling people the name they want to be called, how crucial listening is in making a podcast, the ubiquity of imposter syndrome, using the five (5) whys to get to the root cause of a challenge as developed by Sakichi Toyoda at the Toyota Motor Corporation, team falling asleep during movies versus team staying awake during movies, and why Skipper color codes versus alphabetizing the books in his background — see photo below. View of the three shelves behind Skipper's standing desk Laura and Skipper also reference the following previous episodes, in order of being published, including: * Jack Kahana (https://www.howthisworks.show/001-jake-kahana), the first episode * Dr. Peter Chin-Hong (https://www.howthisworks.show/003-dr-peter-chin-hong), the third episode * Selena Rosanbalm (https://www.howthisworks.show/006-selena-rosanbalm), the sixth episode * Cassandra Carlopio (https://www.howthisworks.show/015-cassandra-carlopio), the 15th episode * Kat Hantas and Nicole Emanuel from 21Seeds (https://www.howthisworks.show/017-kat-hantas-nicole-emanuel), the 17th episode * Sally McRae (https://www.howthisworks.show/018-sally-mcrae), the 18th episode * Piper Payne (https://www.howthisworks.show/020-piper-payne), the 20th episode Stay tuned after the outro music for a bit of tape where Skipper pauses for a bit of background noise and how from where Laura's sitting, the microphone makes it looks like his nose is a black bit of foam. Special Guest: Skipper Chong Warson.

Tomorrow, we're recording the last episode of the first season where we turn the tables and Skipper's wife Laura asks him the questions. Go to Instagram @howthisworksshow (https://www.instagram.com/howthisworksshow/) to reply directly to the story or email us at howthisworksshow@gmail.com (mailto:howthisworksshow@gmail.com). Thanks so much!

Skipper talks to Sarah Sudhoff about how she works as an artist, her background as a photographer, arts administrator, and photo editor — and how all of that plays into her work today. Recorded late on a Sunday night, Skipper and Sarah talk about her identity as being half Cuban, how she got her first camera in the fifth grade, how being in a military family influenced her world and personality at a young age, being both the science nerd and the jock, and how she studied astronomy in college before she decided to pursue photography as her bachelor's degree — though she'd really like to work with NASA still. Following that, she worked for Citysearch before landing at Time magazine and received a M.F.A. in Photography from Parsons School of Design in New York. We get into how she wears many hats as an artist, how she multi-tasks as a single parent in her home life, how she collaborates in her work with others, and the necessary resilience of applying for as well as receiving/being rejected for exhibitions, grants, endowments, and fellowships. She and Skipper also talk about the notion of making daunting life decisions at 19 versus 29 or 39. We also talk about several of her works in particular: Point of Origin (https://www.sarahsudhoff.com/current-work), her most recent El Recuerdo (https://www.sarahsudhoff.com/el-recuerdo) project which started as a response to Deborah Brown’s paintings (http://nancylittlejohnfineart.com/exhibitions/deborah-brown/) but then evolved to be a tribute to her grandmother and Sarah's biracial heritage, The Reading Brain (https://www.sarahsudhoff.com/the-reading-brain), 60 Pounds of Pressure (https://www.sarahsudhoff.com/60poundsofpressure), Will You Hug me Forever (https://www.sarahsudhoff.com/will-you-hug-me-forever), and her upcoming work Labor Pains. Video from El Recuerdo: Rope by Sarah Sudhoff Video from El Recuerdo: Water by Sarah Sudhoff Sarah says that she's finally feeling worthy to apply for a Guggenheim and MoMA this year — to which we say, Break a leg! When pressed, she talks about how art is hard and her advice for her two children if they wanted to go into some kind of artistic profession. Stay tuned for a bit after the outro music where after Skipper rambles on for a bit and Sarah asks simply, What's the question? Special Guest: Sarah Sudhoff.

This episode originally played 16 Feb 2021. We'll be back in next week with a new episode with Sarah Sudhoff followed by the final episode of the season. This episode's subtitle should be, So many movies, so little time. We start in Chris' childhood where he describes sneaking into his parents' room to watch Hitchcock's "Psycho" around the age of five, making short films in high school with his friends including a zombie sequel to "Xanadu" (which became a cult college favorite), feeling underwater after "Another Day in Paradise", leaving Los Angeles (and writing) before beginning to approach his work "like a job", "Disturbia" as a mix of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and a John Hughes movie, "Happy Death Day" and "Happy Death Day 2U" as mash-ups of "Groundhog Day" with horror tropes, writing his most recent movie "Freaky" with Michael Kennedy, working on the adaptation of "My Best Friend's Exorcism" by Grady Hendrix, and signing up to help reboot the "Paranormal Activity" franchise. But it's not just movies — though there are a ton of movies that we talk about — it's also about how all horror films aren't all about slash, blood, and gore. Chris talked about one of his aims to use the "genre as a Trojan horse" and how he's going to "smuggle much weightier themes inside of a movie that just looks cute and fun and scary", citing "Get Out". We also get into how 'best of' lists or a list of favorites can be problematic, how there are so many films to choose from. Chris also talks about how he discovered his authentic voice, not taking criticism personally, and focusing on being a better listener which has improved his life as a husband, a father, and made him infinitely happier with his solo and collaborative work. Stay tuned after the outro music to hear Skipper say, "I see" — which kicks off Siri and reaks some frustration. This is a good reminder that voice user interfaces (voice UI) are always listening. And we're talking about you — Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc. This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Chris Landon.

This episode originally played 9 Feb 2021. We'll be back in a few weeks with the last two episodes of our first season. In this episode, Carl talks to Skipper about his work as an architect, how the term sustainable design isn't good enough anymore, how linear perspective was developed in 1413, and his work on Banning Ranch Park and Preserve. Starting with being born in Roswell, New Mexico, living in Turkey, and then settling in California, their conversation gets into how sustainable design (the idea of using less) really needs to shift to the idea of regenerative design (works more like nature or generates energy), passive solar, how today's lumber is different than old-growth lumber, Formosan termites, building with cold form steel or light gauge steel, Filippo Brunelleschi, Albrecht Dürer, the Acjachemen in Orange County, and the history of the Banning Ranch site. Here are two examples from Carl's work — the top one's a concept from Banning Ranch and the bottom one's the Waterwise Community Center in Montclair, California. Stay tuned after the outro to hear Carl talk more about Chinese landscape painting. This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Carl Welty.

This episode originally played 26 Jan 2021. We'll be back in a few weeks with the last two episodes of our first season. Nova Stanley is 17 — and we talk about his work as an artist, about his attending one of the top fine arts high schools in NYC during a pandemic, and his experience as a transgender male. Along the way, we get into so many topics — how Nova only snaps with his thumb and little/pinky finger (on both hands), how he comes from a family of artists and creators, getting inspiration from nature and his sisters (versus media and friends), how he's missing Brooklyn after his family temporarily relocated up-state, Soul (the Pixar movie), how he started working in digital media on his dad's computer, what remote school looks and feels like in one of the top fine arts schools in NYC, making a portfolio to apply to colleges, the impact of social media — even Instagram — on him, his exit from social media (mostly), his experience as a trans male, binge watching all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds, and his love of My Brother, My Brother and Me, a podcast by the McElroy Brothers. Since recording this episode, Nova has exited Instagram and Tumblr. Here are three views of the work pinned to the wall above Nova's desk, something he mentions during the show: Above_Novas_desk_01 https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/c/cf372a7e-810f-4eab-8a55-34456ccc0d58/Pl4MHKz_.jpeg Above_Novas_desk_02 https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/c/cf372a7e-810f-4eab-8a55-34456ccc0d58/N4lByTH8.jpeg Above_Novas_desk_03 https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/c/cf372a7e-810f-4eab-8a55-34456ccc0d58/DQRVj4GC.jpeg Nova cites a statistic around how one out of every 200 people identify as trasngender. But upon digging into the actual article from the American Journal of Public Health (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227946/) (cited in the show notes), it turns out that they discovered in 2016 that the ratio was 390/100,000. And as a fraction, that works out to 0.0039. 1/200 is 0.005, fairly close. The article also posits that the fraction of the transgender population is going to rise as more people come out and transgender identities are normalized. Throughout the episode, we hear Nova's life as one full of interuptions and household goingson, including the family pets. Stay tuned for one of those bits after the outro music. This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Nova Stanley.

This episode originally played 23 Feb 2021. We'll be back in a few weeks with a new episode. In today's show, Kacie Lett Gordon deconstructs the notion of having it all in our current times — she's working through that for herself with a number of other women on her podcast Fuck it All (https://www.itallpodcast.com). We start out by talking about being a bit nervous about being on a podcast as a guest and a podcast as a host, external and internal roles, the difference between honesty and authenticity, and how different people get their energy in different ways (she gets hers with alone time while her husband gets it from being around people). We reach into many topics during this show, including how Kacie's mom was and is a role model for her, being a mother herself, how while she felt like she theoretically had it all she felt miserable (probably as a result of late-onset postpartum depression), the double standard of calling a woman bossy versus praising a man for the same behavior, good coffee in contrast to easy coffee, the importance of the mug, the power of curiosity, and, in her words, where part of the narrative of being a woman is "if you don't dislike yourself a little bit, then you're not humble." There's a ton of books that we talk about — non-fiction and fiction. You can find those in the show notes. We also talk about a mutual friend Jen Dary and Manager Training from Plucky (https://www.beplucky.com/pluckyevent_categories/manager-training/). Stay tuned after the outro music to hear Kacie wonder, Who am I? This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Kacie Lett Gordon.