Business & Economy

Jason Anello on Making a Positive Contribution Each and Every Day

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "On a Daily Basis, What Does It Mean to Contribute in the Work That You Do?" Anello shares how he looks contribute each day by making a positive impact in the lives of those around him. If he is cooking, it may mean to make a memorable meal that will make the person he is eating with happy. If he is working, it may mean to add a creative insight or suggestion to a brainstorming conversation that makes an idea hole.

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. 

Jason Anello on Parenting a Startup From Infancy To Adulthood

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "To What Do You Aspire and How Has This Changed If At All Over the Past Five Years?" Over five years interviewing with Capture Your Flag, Anello maintains an aspiration toward discovering the next and new. He shares how his co-founder work parenting his startup marketing agency out of infancy toward adulthood embodies this focus. He notes that work has him "in the weeds" nurturing and caring for the business he co-founded and has helped to build over five years.

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 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. 

Cathy Erway on Resisting Temptation When Asked for Advice

In Chapter 17 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You for Help?" Erway shares how it is important to resist temptation to give advice on topics where you may have a personal agenda. Instead, she finds it better to be patient and try to filter away personal or selfish bias to focus on the person asking for advice.

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

Phil McKenzie on How Aspirations Change as Experience Grows

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" McKenzie shares how growing his global conference series has opened new possibilities not only for new event locaitons but also for different types of product offerings. He builds upon his globally distributed Influencer Conference series to create a research program and salon talk series to complement the core annual events.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Empowering Remote Workers by Letting Go

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Get Better at Your Job?" McKenzie shares how he is working on letting go of project management responsibilities and handing them over to remote project teams working all over the world. Between time differences and cultural connections, McKenzie finds it is time to give his overseas teams such as one in Mumbai, India, a chance to lead their own projects.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Why Accountability is a Two-Step Process

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Approaches Do You Use to Hold Others Accountable For Their Actions?" McKenzie shares how he has learned from experience that accountability is a two-step process. First, it is his responsibility to clearly define project objectives and communicate this to his team. The second step is to provide space and structure to measure performance against those goals within a given timeframe. This helps keep his team on track as they work on a project and helps McKenzie provide coaching and support to make changes if things do not go as planned.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Choosing Work That Aligns to Best Life Purpose

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are You Learning to Better Balance Service and Self in How You Live Your Life?" McKenzie shares how he has blended service and self in his life and work, choosing a path building a global conference series that he believes is his best life purpose. In his work, he helps frame more positive and less destructive conversations around influencer culture and how they can make the world a better place.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Do More With Less When Starting a Business

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Are You Learning to Do More With Less?" McKenzie reflects back on when he started his business and how he tried to be everywhere at once. Over time, he learns to cut out unnecessary steps and streamline his process planning and producing a global event series. While resources grow, he is able to apply these efficiency lessons with his team and be more resourceful as budgets, teams and projects grow.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Managing Time Producing Events for a Living

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "As a Business Owner, How Do You Decide What Time Horizon to Focus on in Your Work?" McKenzie shares how managing time projects depends on the type of event he is planning and producing. For his Influencer Conference, given it is an annual event, managing time is consistently year-to-year. However, for new programs and smaller events, such as the Influencer Salon speaker series, he needs to be more flexible to accommodate shorter deadlines and delivery dates.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie: Why High Confidence is Key to Entrepreneurial Success

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" McKenzie notes confidence is everything. When selling his ideas to potential clients and partners, McKenzie notes being highly confident in what you are doing and why you are doing it is essential to influence others to understand you and commit to you. That confidence can take you over the top and go from having others appreciate what you do to having others want to be part of what you do.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on When to Stop Comparing Yourself to Peers

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Role Does Living Up to the Expectations of Others Play into the Way You Live?" As an entrepreneur, McKenzie pushes himself to stay away from peer comparisons because those comparisons are rarely apples to apples with the same circumstances. His approach performance assessment and motivation is more individual and stems from his days running track in college at Howard University.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Handle a Confrontational Conversation

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Has Experience Taught You About How to Better Manage Confrontation?" McKenzie shares what he has learned about turning a confrontational conversation into a positive experience. He finds making a point clearly and also removing any connotation of a personal attack allows the confrontation to turn into a constructively critical dialogue.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Adapting to Adversity by Being Resourceful

In Chapter 16 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" McKenzie shares how he works through obstacles by being resourceful and remaining open to scaling down when necessary. As a bootstrap entrepreneur, McKenzie shares how starting the company with very little has taught him to continue his mission in times of challenge and resource scarcity.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Asking for and Receiving Critical Feedback

In Chapter 17 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Type of Feedback Do You Respond to Best?" McKenzie shares why he prefers constructive or critical feedback over positive feedback and reinforcement and how he seeks it out and uses it. He finds getting pushback criticism is especially helpful when you are very passionate about something and may not be able to see faults in an approach.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on How to Give Better Advice When Asked for Help

In Chapter 18 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" McKenzie prefaces his willingness to give advice with the fact that knowledge he shares is based on his own circumstances or experience. This brings context to the conversation and prevents him from coming across as judgmental or biased.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Mike Germano: 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 Asking for Advice Before Your First Baby is Born

In Chapter 2 of 23 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, VICE Media Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano answers "How Did You Go About Seeking Advice as You Prepared for Parenthood?" Germano shares what he has learned by seeking new parent advice from his parents, in-laws and even old professors. As an entrepreneur, he gets insight on ways to carve out time with a newborn amidst a busy work travel schedule. He also benefits from a role model father who sets an example he can follow on his own parenting journey.

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.