Conversations for design managers and aspiring leaders, delivering real stories and ready to use tactics to help you build confidence and credibility. I sit down with top voices in design, tech, and business to open the black box of leadership.
I'm your host, Harrison Wheeler, with 20 years in design and a decade leading teams from scrappy startups to global giants. It's time to get technical.
Your First Million with Backstage Capital Founder Arlan Hamilton
Saturday, April 13, 2024 • Duration 28:17
Arlan is a trailblazer in the venture capital world, focusing on helping underrepresented founders. She has a deep passion for both the business and personal aspects of her work, and she's here to share her incredible journey and insights with us.
Summary
In our conversation, Arlan opens up about her love for "General Hospital" and how her personal challenges, including overcoming homelessness and addiction, have shaped her mission in venture capital. She also dives into her latest book, "Your First Million," providing practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Key Takeaways
* Arlan is dedicated to diversifying the entrepreneurial world by supporting founders who often get overlooked.
* Her book, "Your First Million," is a must-read for entrepreneurs, packed with strategies on navigating the business landscape.
* Arlan's story is a powerful reminder that personal struggles can fuel a mission to create positive change.
* For entrepreneurs, it's vital to have a clear vision that aims to benefit more than just oneself.
* Preparation and self-funding are crucial steps before seeking external investment.
Let's dive into the details of our chat and learn more from Arlan's experiences and wisdom.
Notable Quotes
* "I only do what I want to do. I figured out those boundaries, so don't feel sorry for me."
* "It's the fact that I can still bounce back."
* "There's no question here. And again, it goes back to who else is it affecting if it plays out?"
* "We have so much agency of our own lives. And it's hard for me... but because of the way that I built Backstage and because of the things I've been through, I know firsthand how much of our own power we have."
Arlan Hamilton's journey is a testament to the boundless potential within each entrepreneur, serving as a beacon for those striving to carve their own paths in business and beyond. Don't miss out on the full breadth of wisdom shared in this episode—listen now and be part of the conversation that's shaping the future of innovation and inclusivity.
The Intersection of Teaching and Design: Supporting Emerging Talent with Krislam Chin
Monday, January 15, 2024 • Duration 40:07
Krislam Chin, a designer and educator based in West LA, shares her journey in the design industry and her passion for teaching. She discusses the importance of travel for creative individuals and the need for designers to experience the world. Her studio, Hello World Studio, aims to provide opportunities for emerging designers. She emphasizes the importance of not defining success based on external factors and encourages emerging designers always to acknowledge opportunities.
Key Takeaways:
Learn the importance of travel for creative individuals to gain new perspectives and experiences
Understand why designers should have the experience to stay relevant in the industry
Discover how her studio, Hello World Studio, aims to provide opportunities for emerging designers
Explain the responsibility of Millennials to prepare the field for future design workforce and what we all can learn from Gen Z
Find out Krislam’s success tips for emerging designers
Quotes:
"If you stay in one place for too long, you just need to see different things, be with other people." - Krislam Chin"Success is what you determine what success is." - Krislam Chin"Never let the world define what success looks like to you." - Krislam Chin
Timestamps:
(02:27) Introduction to Krislam Chin, how she met Harrison, and the benefits of traveling to creative individuals
(04:53) How she achieved her ultimate dream of being submerged in education as a student, educator, and studio owner
(07:04) The interplay between teaching and being a student running a studio and the importance of providing experience for emerging designers
(10:41) Acknowledging the challenges and responsibilities of students, making dreams come true for emerging designers and companies through Hello World Studio, and her motivation to move to Downtown LA
Fanbase and the Future of Social Media With Isaac Hayes III
Monday, October 2, 2023 • Duration 17:12
Isaac Hayes III, entrepreneur and music producer, discusses the peer-to-peer subscription model and the rise of subscriptions on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. He sees this as a validation of his platform, Fanbase, which aims to uplift creators of color who other platforms have underserved. He believes every social media platform has its time and will eventually be replaced by a new platform geared toward the younger generation. He also talks about the importance of persistence and questioning societal norms in pursuing success. The Fanbase app is available for download on iOS and Android.
Key Takeaways:
Discover how the peer-to-peer subscription model validates Fanbase as a major social media platform
Empower your earnings on Fanbase by unlocking monetization opportunities for all, prioritizing underserved creators of color
Revolutionize social media lifecycles since every platform finds relevance within its generation
Harness the unstoppable force of persistence that surpasses talent, genius, and education
Forge your unique path by challenging societal norms and writing your own rules for success
Quotes:
"When you have a platform like Facebook and Instagram combined, worth about a big $700 billion market cap trying to copy what we're doing, that tells me that, 'Oh, you're on the right track in what you're doing.'" - Isaac Hayes III"I can build everything that Facebook and Instagram and TikTok can build, but they can't build Black culture." - Isaac Hayes III"Persistence is the most powerful force on the planet, right? It's more powerful than talent. It's more powerful than genius. It's more powerful than education." - Isaac Hayes III
Timestamps:
(01:41) Introduction to Isaac Hayes III
(02:20) What he thinks of social media platforms copying the peer-to-peer subscription model he created
Neurodivergence and Storytelling in the Workplace With Design Lead Alexis Cotton
Monday, September 11, 2023 • Duration 30:03
Alexis Cotton, a Design Lead at Meta, discusses her journey into design and her experience as a neurodivergent designer. She shares her passion for storytelling and finding her voice as a designer. Alexis also talks about the challenges of making friends during the pandemic and the importance of work-life balance.
Key Takeaways:
Learn how to rediscover hobbies, find new interests, and embrace change post-pandemic
Discover strategies for connecting with others and transform your home into a comfortable and uniquely creative space that perfectly reflects your style
Create impactful designs using the power of communication and storytelling
Leverage your distinctive point of view to accomplish outstanding outcomes in your profession
Use Alexis' tip to effectively manage remote work and maintain a work-life balance
Quotes:
"We should talk about how hard it is to make friends during the pandemic and be more upfront with people that we are close to and ask them to set us up." - Alexis Cotton"Your design work is only as great as the way that you can articulate it." - Alexis Cotton"With these decisions to go back to the office, be hybrid or remote, you should really think about where you do your best work." - Alexis Cotton
Timestamps:
(00:24) Introduction to the episode and guest, Alexis Cotton
(02:52) Icebreaker: The place that best symbolizes her personality
(05:42) Icebreaker: The challenges of making new friends
(08:13) Her journey into design and the impact of the Posse Foundation on her career
(11:51) Her transition from fine arts to product design
(14:01) Her role as a Product Design Architect at Meta
Spatial Computing and AR/VR: An Accessibility Discussion with Reginé Gilbert
Monday, August 28, 2023 • Duration 34:45
Reginé Gilbert, designer and author of "Inclusive Design for a Digital World," joins the show to discuss her recent award, The James Weldon Johnson Professorship, and her work in accessibility and inclusion in the XR space. She shares her journey into UX design and how she became interested in accessibility, as well as her current focus on spatial computing, including augmented reality and virtual reality. Reginé also talks about her upcoming book, "Human Spatial Computing," and the importance of considering accessibility from the beginning when building AR/VR experiences.
Key Takeaways:
Discover the ways Reginé is advancing XR research through The James Weldon Johnson Professorship Award
Explore her path from novice to authority in UX Design
Imagine the meetup that changed her perspective on what she could do as a designer, and her mission focused on inclusivity and accessibility in XR for people like her friends Thomas Logan and Nefertiti Matos
Outline her upcoming book on AR/VR, Human Spatial Computing
Timestamps
(01:33) Introduction to the episode and guest, Reginé Gilbert
(02:46) Winning the James Weldon Johnson Professor Award
(05:17) Reflecting on the importance of doing the work and being recognized
(07:50) Icebreaker: Her obsession with Peloton
(11:19) Icebreaker: The kindness she has witnessed in New York City during the pandemic
(13:51) How life-changing encounters with Nefertiti Matos and Thomas Logan shifted her perspective on UX and accessibility
(20:04) Her focus on spatial computing and teaching a class on it
(23:38) The concept of spatial computing and her upcoming book explained
(30:04) Accessibility and building experiences in AR/VR
(33:23) A look into her second book in collaboration with Doug North Cook
Leveraging intuition, improv, and inquiry with Natalie Nixon
Monday, July 10, 2023 • Duration 30:19
Natalie Nixon, Ph.D., is a creativity strategist, keynote speaker, and author. She is the CEO of Figure 8 Thinking and known as the Creativity Whisperer for the C-Suite.
She has been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2022" by Real Leaders and her book, "The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work," received an award at Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards in 2021.
In this episode we discuss various aspects of creativity, including building curiosity and empathy, productivity solutions, work-life integration, creativity in executive roles, and intuition in business.
About the Guest:
A creativity strategist, keynote speaker, and author, Natalie Nixon, Ph.D., CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, is the Creativity Whisperer for the C-Suite. Through wonder and rigor, she helps leaders amplify growth and business value through transformation.
Real Leaders named Natalie one of the "Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2022". In 2021, Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards honored her book The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work.
In 2021, Core 77 named Figure 8 Thinking one of the Top 20 Women-Led Innovation Firms. Natalie is a trustee of the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Vassar College, and Leadership+Design. She holds a BA (Honors) from Vassar College and a Ph.D. from the University of Westminster in London. She is a Foresight Practitioner certified by the Institute for the Future.
Quote of the episode
“As my mom used to tell us as we were growing up, all learning is interconnected. Everything that we do, whether it's waiting tables or leading a team, is relevant, and we can interweave it into our current work and outlook."
The mindset shift from mercenary to missionary with Melvin Hale
Monday, June 19, 2023 • Duration 29:56
Melvin Hale has undergone a remarkable evolution in his life. He has 25 years of experience in the design industry and has worked at the biggest names in tech like LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, RGA, and Google. We'll delve into his journey of finding happiness, reflections on leadership style, and coping with personal challenges. Tune in for an engaging and insightful conversation.
About the Guest:
Melvin has 25 years of experience in the design industry and has worked at the biggest names in tech like LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, RGA, and Google. He has established himself as an artist who pushes boundaries.
The best thing about him is his uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of life. By building meaningful relationships through mentorship and positive reinforcement, he reminds us that leadership comes from peace, not might. His success can be attributed to his perseverance, failures, redemptions, and fresh starts.
Timestamps
(01:26) - The two elements that contributed to his evolution and what knowing where he's at now allows him to do
(03:37) - Icebreaker: Why he is currently obsessed with his credit score and credit utilization
(04:51) - Icebreaker: Melvin dreams of retiring in this Asian country and what he finds most appealing about its culture
(06:43) - Icebreaker: How he and Bender “Bending” Rodriguez of Futurama are both “lovable *ssholes”
(08:26) - How his search for happiness led him to discover joy, evolve, and begin his second journey in life
(10:09) - The differences between Mel Then and Mel Now
(13:09) - How he was never satisfied despite having everything and what was missing in his life
(14:37) - Where his mercenary mindset came from and his desire to be a missionary instead
(16:25) - How he coped with his personal challenges and what prompted him to get his sh*t together and seek help
The Business of Design and Creating Opportunity Through Side Projects with Netflix Design Director Kristy Tillman
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 • Duration 35:53
I'm joined by Kristy Tillman, Director of Design at Netflix, as she shares invaluable insights on career growth and the pursuit of creative opportunities. Kristy challenges the traditional emphasis on job titles, urging listeners to prioritize personal growth and learning. Drawing from her experience as a Director of Design, she highlights the diverse scopes and possibilities that each role can offer. Furthermore, Kristy emphasizes the importance of designers developing strong business acumen to thrive in their roles.
The conversation then delves into expanding one's horizon of opportunities. Kristy emphasizes the significance of building connections and making oneself open to different people and experiences. By broadening networks and creating opportunities for others, individuals can unlock unforeseen collaborations and pathways to success. Kristy addresses the ongoing question of designers' presence at the decision-making table within businesses, stressing the importance of fostering relationships and making a lasting impact.
The episode also explores the concept of personal detachment from work and the value of pursuing side projects. Kristy shares a valuable lesson: the work done at one's job ultimately belongs to the company, but side projects offer a realm of personal freedom and creativity. By taking charge of these projects, individuals can craft their own opportunities, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and lay the foundation for future endeavors. Kristy highlights the importance of networking by giving back and creating opportunities for others, as it serves as a gateway to entering new networks and expanding professional horizons.
About the Guest:
Having worked across industries for over 15 years, Design Extraordinaire Kristy Tillman is currently the Product Design Director at Netflix.
Through her experience as Head of Global Experience Design, Head of Communication Design, and Design Director, she acquired a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to be equipped for a variety of design challenges and development.
As part of MICA's Flexible Design Studio workshop, she teaches a module on social impact design. She studied design at Kansas City Art Institute and is a proud HBCU alum of FamU - Florida A&M University.
Demystifying AI: Hype, Consumption, and Creation of Powerful Products with Aastha Gaur
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 • Duration 37:53
Aastha, Director of Product Design at Google, joins us again in this engaging podcast that covers the world of AI at the intersection of customer engagement. In this episode, we cover valuable insights into its definition, the reasons behind its current hype, and the crucial distinction between consuming and creating AI-powered products.
We explore the societal shift from initial resistance and fear towards new technologies to their eventual acceptance and integration into daily life.
Drawing from her experience leading the customer engagement team at Google, Aastha explores the differences between the technology-forward approach versus the customer-back approach strategy in user experience, emphasizing the importance of research, personalization, and AI principles in achieving full-on experience design.
She also sheds light on Google's North Star, the overarching goal that ensures the optimal use of technology, and discusses the pros and cons of the technology-first approach.
Tune in to hear Aastha's deep dive into understanding what is real when it comes to today’s latest tech buzz - Artificial Intelligence! Get ready to be inspired by all that she has shared.
About the Guest:
Aastha Gaur is Google's UX Leader for Customer Engagement. Her team uses sales, support, and marketing for advertisers to elevate the customer experience for Google's business. As a designer, she has worked at boutique design studios and big corporations. Through Leading with Mindfulness, Intuition, Creativity, and Compassion, she brings her experience designing for consumers and enterprise into her passion.
Her values are: Invest in people since focusing on each unique individual makes for a stronger, more connected team; inspire through craft because practicing their art with obsessive attention to detail and deep knowledge of the business earns them the trust and respect of their partners; and Xfn team first since their goals and their PM+Eng partners' goals are the same: No walled gardens.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Anurag, and their two dogs, Gustave and Rumi. She is a trained yoga and fitness instructor who used to co-own a yoga and fitness studio. Her favorite photography subjects are humans together, badass women doing badass things, and bloopers. A total Jungalow fan, she loves to decorate with plants. Her favorite way to de-stress is to play with her boys, Gustave and Rumi, who enjoy learning new tricks.
Leadership Lessons: Spotting the Good, the Bad, and Forgiving Yourself as a Work-in-Progress with Leslie Miley
Sunday, April 23, 2023 • Duration 44:23
Join us on an insightful journey with Leslie Miley, a tech industry veteran and advisor to the CTO of Microsoft. In this episode, we explore topics of leadership, courage, representation, and the unique perspective of an introverted business influencer. Leslie shares his remarkable career path, spanning from diverse experiences of privilege to marginalization, providing valuable insights into the tech industry. Discover how he hacked his way to success and gain thought-provoking perspectives on leadership, oppression, and navigating marginalization in the tech world. Don't miss this engaging conversation with Leslie Miley, where we challenge conventional norms and explore the untold stories of the tech industry.
About the Guest:
Leslie Miley (he/him), The Complicated Man Who Risks his neck for non-binary peeps, trans folk, women and men, currently works as a Partner Technical Advisor to Microsoft CTO.
Empathy, self-awareness, and coffee are three of the things he's trying to get better at. He has extensive experience building, motivating, and managing globally-distributed teams with different cultural backgrounds. He's an expert at designing and implementing development best practices to manage geographically-distributed teams.
An amazing technologist who worked as the 1st CTO at The Obama Foundation, he also held leadership roles at Google, Slack, Twitter, and Apple. He also invests in a number of start-up companies around the world.
(01:03) - How Leslie's engineering background helped him keep up with his physical activities, maintain his fitness level, and track his progress during the pandemic
Apple Podcasts
🇺🇸 USA - design
10/03/2026
#98
🇺🇸 USA - design
09/03/2026
#61
🇺🇸 USA - design
13/07/2025
#75
🇺🇸 USA - design
30/05/2025
#100
(15:25) What we can learn from Gen Z, reflecting on the stress and toxic culture in design, and the responsibility of Millennials to prepare the field for future design workforce
(24:48) From What If to Why Not: Success Tips for Emerging Designers
(31:01) Why the individual, not external factors, define success
(34:12) How she radically accepted herself as a fun teacher using rubber duckies
(37:44) How to get in touch with Krislam and collaboration with small businesses
(38:48) Her appreciation for the podcast and community-building efforts
About The Guest:
Krislam Chin is a designer and educator based in West LA. With a passion for teaching, she has pursued a career in graphic design and recently launched Hello World Studio. She is dedicated to providing opportunities for emerging designers and helping them gain the experience they need to succeed in the industry.
(03:42) His belief that every social media platform will live and die
(04:39) Why Fanbase is the next logical platform for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
(05:05) The importance of providing subscriptions and monetization for ALL users
(05:57) His decision to pursue crowdfunding to raise capital
(07:08) How equity crowdfunding offers the opportunity for everyday people to invest
(08:00) Motivation to allow people to own part of a tech startup
(09:57) The power of persistence and questioning societal norms
(15:12) How to download Fanbase and connect with Isaac Hayes III
About The Guest:
Isaac Hayes III is an entrepreneur and music producer based in Atlanta. He is the Founder and CEO of Fanbase, a social media platform that focuses on peer-to-peer subscriptions and aims to uplift creators of color.
(20:52) The importance of storytelling and finding your voice
(28:07) Her advice on work-life balance and finding what works best for you
(28:48) How to reach Alexis Cotton
About The Guest:
Meet Alexis Cotton, a Design Lead at Meta with a fine arts and graphic design background. She has honed her skills at renowned companies like Gigster and Intuit. Alexis is passionate about storytelling and constantly strives to find her unique voice as a designer. Additionally, she is neurodivergent, which gives her a distinct perspective and helps her excel in her work.
Reginé Gilbert is a designer, author, and professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She is the author of "Inclusive Design for a Digital World" and was recently awarded the James Weldon Johnson Professorship. Reginé is passionate about accessibility and inclusion in the XR (extended reality) space, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
As a design leader, she has built design teams from scratch and transitioned talent from entry level to design leadership. She is an Advisor for Designer Fund and sits on the board of Design Advisory Council for the University of Texas at Austin.
A designer, investor, and cultivator of a different kind of tomorrow, one that harnesses the exponential addition of talent in the gaps, she's learned a lot along the way around growing her own talent and those around her in the realm of design.
(02:26) - Past and current obsessions: A quick update on her pole-dancing studio, the language she's trying to teach herself because of a reality TV show, and her unique approach to photography
(04:57) - What AI is, why there is so much hype around it now, and the difference between consumption and creation of products using the power of AI
(07:45) - The shift from initial resistance and fear towards new technologies into acceptance and daily life integration and its natural progression that starts with younger generations as early adopters
(10:15) - Real talk: AI as a threat to livelihood vs. a tool to help enhance work
(14:03) - How she leads the customer engagement team at Google by doing sales, support, and marketing for advertisers, and the difference between AI...
(04:34) - Icebreaker: The groundbreaking intro song he would play upon entering an arena or walking onstage
(06:05) - Icebreaker: The subject he would instantly become an expert in if he’s given a chance and how he’d use it to solve problems
(07:54) - Icebreaker: His current obsession: How to inspire leaders to be courageous; and why he thinks voter suppression contributed to Roe v. Wade getting overturned
(09:46) - Voter suppression, lack of representation, how leaders use their current position as a stepping stone to higher office instead of serving their people, and what they should focus on instead
(13:13) - Why the public sector lacks experts in technology
(15:10) - Taking the cue from Dave Chappelle about the need for grace and space to grow and the importance of acknowledging that people can change
(17:00) - Hacking systems and access as a hallmark of his career, and charging his own adventure and career in tech as a person of color
(22:25) - The experiences that almost made him quit his tech job, the two reasons why he chose to stay, and the constant battle between changing the world vs. trying to survive through tech
(24:54) - How tech jobs are transformational for women and people of color, why it’s okay for white people to quit tech, and what reverse friends and family round means in meeting BIPOC hierarchy of needs
(27:41) - What it means to be a leader (how to pick good model leaders and how to spot the a*****e ones), and the challenges he faced in his leadership journey and transformation
(31:53) - His inspiration for his leadership style and why he took a step back from leadership roles
(33:19) - Working through trauma by forgiving himself and accepting he's a work-in-progress, the difficulties in being an authentic human...
Discover shows related to Technically Speaking with Harrison Wheeler, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
