Category: Interviews

What good can you do in the world? A powerful question guiding the life and work of today’s guests, De & John Ingles, the husband-wife team behind Smiley Graphix Studio and Wild Routed. Our conversation begins with the early days of playing outside and spending all day in adventure. From there, we join their entrepreneurial journey starting Smiley Graphix in 1997, losing a job of 31 years in 2019, going on a five-week road trip, and then creating a retail side project. Story after story, they talk about the memories and the people who have made a difference in their lives. By being open to what life has for them and sharing it with others, De & John have created a life worth living. Enjoy the conversation.

My curiosity for today’s guest began when I saw his simple M-shaped lightning bolt logo. From there, I read his story, engaged with his work, and quickly knew that I needed to talk with him. Dylan Menges of Menges Design is all about idea-driven, handcrafted design. With a passion and extensive experience in lettering, Dylan brings to his client work a desire for boldness and the courage to be seen and heard. Our conversation begins at the deep end of life, discussing eternity and the long-term impact of our work. But we don’t stop there, as we talk a lot about setting and managing expectations, the need for experimentation and taking risks, and moving forward into the unknown future.

What do you do when you feel lost on your creative journey? You do what today’s guest does: continue exploring the great unknown. Alicja Colon is a paper illustrator, tactile artist, and entrepreneur. She is the first person who comes to mind when I think of an artist constantly reinventing who they are and sharing the struggles and successes along the way. In this conversation, Alicja uses her brave voice of transparency and authenticity to talk about the sustainability of art and business. She talks candidly about burnout and how the freelance life affects not just herself but those around her. We then soar into the silver clouds of exploration, talking about visual analogies, curiosity, passion, and the power of personal declarations.

Who are the people in your life who have made a noticeable impact on you? Near the top of my list is today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, Diane Gibbs, a designer, graphic design educator, Host of The Design Recharge Show, and visionary behind Creatives Ignite, an online summer camp for creative entrepreneurs. If that’s not enough, she is also a dealer of hope. Her mission is to connect creatives, so no one ever feels alone. In this conversation, she shares her entrepreneurial journey from selling bookmarks at a young age to starting an online summer camp in 2020. We talk a lot about serving others, giving feedback as a way to show you care, the impact of accountability, and the value of being accessible. Oh, and she provides all the details about Creatives Ignite.

How do you use a public art installation during a pandemic to promote safe gatherings in a public space? To answer that question are two people behind Polka Dot Downtown, a performance art installation in and around Portland, Oregon, including Pioneer Courthouse Square. Bill Will is a conceptual sculptor and installation artist. Theresa Vetsch-Sandoval is the Director of Marketing for Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland’s Living Room. In this conversation, they share how this unique project came to life, what it takes to design art for massive spaces, and the impact Polka Dot Downtown has had on the community. Sprinkled throughout, Bill and Theresa talk a lot about public art and how artists can develop their reputations and share their creativity with others.

What were you born to do? A powerful question that can be overwhelming to consider, let alone answer. Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, the founder of The Film Festival Doctor, is here to discuss her soul purpose: to help filmmakers get their films seen in the right festivals and win awards. In this conversation, we also talk about her book, Born To Do It: Becoming the Leader of a Business Niche Using Powerful Spiritual Techniques and several concepts from the book, including branding and energy, positioning, identifying business opportunities, and networking. Throughout the conversation, Rebekah reflects the importance of being open to the unexpected and to others.

There is something special about moments in life where the worlds of fiction and reality align. Earlier this year, a good friend recommended “The Sweeney Sisters” by Lian Dolan. It’s a book about families and the impact of secrets, and as you’ll learn in this conversation, something I’ve been working through the past year. Not only is Lian a writer and speaker, but along with her four sisters, she co-hosts a top-rated podcast for women called Satellite Sisters. In this conversation, we begin with her early days of coming to the dinner table with a story to tell her nine family members and end by discussing the healing nature of fiction and how writing mirrors her reality. Throughout, Lian shares stories and wisdom for any creative to apply to their life, work, and craft.

Do you know what your strengths are? More importantly, do you know why that even matters? Today, I’m talking with Micah Lorenc, a Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths Coach, about all-things strengths. From his curiosity about people and a fascination with understanding what makes us unique, Micah shares his journey to understand not just what we do but who we are. Throughout this conversation, we explore our strengths and connect them to our work. Micah talks about the common misconceptions between strengths and weaknesses as well as fixed and growth mindset. In addition, he also shares how both teams and relationships would benefit from understanding the dynamics between one another’s strengths.

If you could cast any spell, what would it do? For today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, her spell would spread kindness. Holly Hatam is a New York Times Bestselling illustrator, kid-lit author fascinated with animation, imagination, nature, and magic. In this conversation, we talk about her obsession with unicorns and art, how she approaches her work, and how sensitivity is her superpower. She also shares the struggles she encounters when sharing work on social media. Most importantly, she explains how weird is a side effect of awesome.

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As a leader, how would you describe your relationships with your followers? As a follower, what about your relationship with your boss? Today’s guest is exploring relationships between leaders and followers from a scientific standpoint and intentional relationship building. Sherri Malouf is here to share what she has learned in pursuit of a Ph.D. as well as in writing a book called Science and the Leader-Follower Relationship: The Implicit Social Elements® Explained. She talks about how our brain operates in relationships and the systems and models used to understand ourselves better and find common ground with others.

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