Unserious

Creative processes and frameworks are often presented as neat and linear orders of operation. But looking closer, we'll find a circuitous mess of unexpected twists, turns, and detours that we hope are worth it in the end. In this episode, J.B. and Molly explore with rogue creative director Mary Michael Pringle the crucial roles of joy, play, and vulnerability for fostering creativity in the workplace. She shares her approach to creativity, from drawing on her inner child and using toys, games, and stories to spark fearlessness, to creative briefs and verbal dreaming, to creating emotional connections that truly resonate with audiences. Get ready to unleash your inner child. "It is about returning to your younger self. The word 'make believe' is perfect, because you do have to believe in what you're making... it's about really believing and wanting to try. You get back to that and you've got yourself your creativity back." - Mary Michael Pringle 0:10 Intro 2:25 Play in the workplace 5:39 Accelerating creativity and positivity 12:55 Hire, Fire, Boss! 17:05 The creative brief and brainstorming 21:45 Case study: Egypt Air 26:43 Friendships at work 30:29 Reflections and outro Connect with Mary Michael on LinkedIn. Follow Unserious in your podcast app, at unserious.com, and on Instagram @unserious.fun.

At the advent of a transformative time in technologic history, skills like empathy, compassion, collaboration, and curiosity are becoming more crucial than ever. In this episode, J.B. and Molly speak with magician-turned-technologist Ryan Modjeski, the driving force behind the top-grossing literacy app, Reading Rainbow's Skybrary, as well as UNICEF KidPower and most recently, Empatico. Ryan shares advice on building empathy and emotional skills at scale and the power those can have in creative problem solving. He also reveals some illusionist secrets that have surprising application to user experience and technology. "The culture I try to build is one that is unafraid to try and the only real sin is making the same mistake over and over again." - Ryan Modjeski 00:01 Intro 01:24 Social-emotional learning and empathy 08:43 Hire, Fire, Boss! 12:55 Skills for a better tomorrow 15:49 Empathy at scale 22:11 Embracing diversity on teams 23:41 UX tricks from a former magician 31:00 Final thoughts Keep up with Ryan at @rmodjeski on Twitter / X and learn more about Empatico at Empatico.org. Mentioned in this episode: - Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami - The Power of Moments by Dan & Chip Heath - The War for Kindness by Jamil Zaki Follow Unserious in your podcast app, at unserious.com, and on Instagram @unserious.fun.

In this first episode of Unserious, J.B. and Molly speak with design leader and coach Courtney Kaplan about practical ways to manage creativity and personal growth during a particularly difficult time in the workplace. She shares advice from founding design operations at Facebook, highlights how leaders can create safe spaces for their teams and manage stress effectively. Finally, Courtney discusses coaching and the benefits it can bring from navigating fast-paced work environments to working toward larger personal transformations. “The promise of being your best self or transforming that self - people get excited about those promises. But the truth is that true transformation comes from practical ways of being a little bit different over time.” - Courtney Kaplan 00:00 - Intro 03:02 - What’s keeping creative people up at night? 06:30 - Demonstrating value to the business 12:24 - Hire, Fire, Boss! 15:24 - Creativity through structure 25:44 - Navigating stress and finding moments of calm 27:56 - Transformational coaching 35:58 - Wrap-up Follow Unserious in your podcast app, at unserious.com, and on Instagram @unserious.fun.

Welcome to Unserious! Get to know hosts J.B. Skelton and Molly McMahon as they kick off a season of exploring how to manage and manifest creative impact in an era of constant disruption. Also, there are fireballs. Follow Unserious in your podcast app, at unserious.com, and on Instagram @unserious.fun.