Jason Anello on Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner Party

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Have You Learned from Your Experience Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Party With Friends?" Anello shares how hosting a potluck dinner party for friends every Thanksgiving - Thanksbringing - has allowed him to experiment with different types of food and ways to cook turkey. Consistently hosting every year has also given him a lens to see how his friendships are evolving, including new faces of friends and babies, and what that has meant in his life.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Cathy Erway on How Fourth of July BBQs Build Family Traditions

In Chapter 2 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?" Erway shares how every Fourth of July her family and neighbors would come together for a barbeque to make large meals together. She shares how each year had a different theme and how Fourth of July BBQ food would be more than hamburgers and hot dogs.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Cathy Erway on Why It Helps to Sometimes Be Hard on Yourself

In Chapter 11 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" Erway shares how she uses self-discipline to stay motivated and hold herself accountable to her goals. She prefers being hard on herself to get things done and finish projects rather than relying on pressure from others.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Cathy Erway on How to Measure Quality of Relationships in Life

In Chapter 16 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" For Erway, measuring quality of relationships at work and in her personal life comes down to having mutual respect for one another. With respect comes ways to appreciate, enjoy and love each other and spend more fun and rewarding time together.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Mike Germano: Having a Baby and Selling a Business in the Same Year

In Chapter 1 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "Since We Spoke a Year Ago, What Has Been the Most Exciting Thing to Happen in Your Life?"  In the year in between his last Capture Your Flag interview and this one, Year 5 in his career documentary, Germano shares what it was like starting a family - becoming a first-time father - and selling his business Carrot Creative to VICE Media in the same year. On top of it all, he and his business partner also invest in a pizza restaurant, Forino, giving him a place to celebrate all the positive news.

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

Mike Germano on How Parents React to Becoming Grandparents

In Chapter 4 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Have Your Parents Transitioned into Becoming Grandparents?" The oldest of three siblings, Germano is the first child in his family to have a baby. His parents, both Italian-American, react with joy and pour their love into their new grandson.

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

Mike Germano on Aligning Financial Planning Goals to Personal Values

In Chapter 22 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "As You Get Older, How Are Your Financial Planning Goals Change?" Germano shares how after many years putting all his money back into his business, Carrot Creative, after selling his business to VICE Media he is in a position to invest. He looks at nontraditional outlets, such as investing in a pizza business and buying a stake in a minor league baseball team, the Brockton Rox, to complement angel investing and stock market investing.

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

Hammans Stallings: Presentation Preparation Advice for Storytellers

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, strategist and management consultant Hammans Stallings answers "How Are You Learning to Give More Effective Presentations?" Stallings shares how making a presentation more effective starts with preparing your story so that the basic elements you are trying to share are clearly communicated. From here, Stallings finds a sincere excitement about the material elevate the storytelling process.  Doing these two things well increases the probability the audience will embrace the material, find themselves in the story, and share the message.

Hammans Stallings is a Principal Strategist at frog design. Previously Stallings worked in strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Matt Curtis on Living Up to the Expectations You Set For Yourself

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" Curtis shares how he learns to shed the burden of living up to the expectations of others and shift it to a positive way of living up to the expectations he sets for himself. He finds doing this turns out to make others more happy, too, as their intentions were always for him to be good, honest and true to himself.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Matt Curtis on Making the Shift From Negative to Positive Thinking

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Does It Mean to Be Living More Positively in Your Life?" Curtis recognizes the bad things that happen when he is negative and shifts his behavior to overcome negativity issues in his life and not be a downer. He focuses on positive thinking and positive behavior and finds that negative thinking attracts negative people and positive thinking attracts positive people.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Audrey French on Discovering Maternal Instincts After Having a Baby

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

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Audrey French on The Joy of Becoming a Mother

In Chapter 8 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Has Becoming a Mother Been a Transformational Experience for You?" French shares how becoming a mother has forever changed her life. She shares how she realized how empty her life was without being a mom, even with so many positive things happening in her personal life and career.

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Courtney Spence on the Joy of Becoming a Stepmother

In Chapter 3 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Has Becoming a Stepmother Put Your Life in a New Perspective?" Spence shares the joy that becoming a stepparent to a young girl has brought to her life. As a stepmother, Spence focuses on parenting aspirations and what she can do to be a family foundation for her stepdaughter as she grows up.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Randall Metting on How to Avoid Burnout Working a Fast-Paced Job

In Chapter 14 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Randall Metting answers "How Do You Avoid Burnout and Maintain Performance Working a Fast-Paced Job?" Metting shares how he avoids burning out at work by keeping it fresh and new. On a daily basis, his work ranges from hands-on landscaping for events and recoopering whiskey barrels to traveling for meetings to working booths at events such as South By Southwest, Austin City Limits and Formula One races.

Randall Metting is a brand development and marketing manager at Dulce Vida Spirits in Austin, Texas. Over 17 years, he has built brands in spirits, luxury real estate and lifestyle, music, and sports industries. He has been a radio personality at KGSR Radio and a marketer at a hyperlocal startup acquired by NBC Universal. Metting earned a BA in Advertising from the University of Florida and started his career at The Coca-Cola Company. 

Hattie Elliot on How to Give Better Advice When Asked for Help

In Chapter 4 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You for Help?" As someone who connects people for a living, Elliot learns the most important part of giving advice is to underpromise and overdeliver. This helps to ensure she is able to meet expectations when making promises. She also learns to refine her willingness to help others to focus on a smaller group of close friends and family.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Hattie Elliot on Making New Year Plans to Grow a Small Business

In Chapter 15 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "What Has You Most Excited About the Year Ahead?" "Elliot shares how the New Year has given her opportunity to put new investor financing to work growing her business. From expanding corporate business partnerships to scaling the size and scope of destination events such as a Telluride Ski House and Hamptons House, Elliot looks to build her relationship business and improve her member experiences.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Matt Ruby on Creating New Ways to Help Comedians Make It in Comedy

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Do You Enjoy Most About Creating Ways to Help Other Comedians Succeed?" As a comedy screenwriter and producer as well as an organizer and host of several standup comedy shows, Ruby finds happiness giving people trying to make it in comedy a chance to thrive and succeed. He enjoys the experimentation that comes with working with creative comedic talents and finds ways to build upon doing it booking standup acts by casting comedians in acting roles.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on Creating Web Series Characters for Comedian Actors

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Have You Found Most Interesting About Creating New Characters for Other People to Play?" Writing comedy for Vooza, a web series satiring startup culture, Ruby finds creating characters for standup comedians to play is about understanding their strengths and building structure in the role to bring out their best in both scripted and unscripted moments.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University.