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Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
Today's Document

Kaledo Art
Claire Keane
almost home
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ

PR's Tumblrdome

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todays bird

Discoholic 🪩

titsay

if i look back, i am lost
Show & Tell
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open

Andulka
ojovivo
taylor price
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"

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@3qs-blog
We’re moving!
If you’ve liked the interviews on this blog + you love all things speechy and conversationalistic (ok, both not words), then come pick up where we left off at On Conversation.
Interview: Mathilde Collin
As the bold, intelligent face of FrontApp, Mathilde Collin is an impressive example of a CEO on a mission to change how we communicate...using the ubiquitous email.
Q: What are the top two things that motivate you or get you inspired?
A: 1. Our customers' feedback. Good: I'm super motivated. Bad: There is room for improvement! 2. Our mission: Deeply change how people work.
Q: If you could send personal or business advice back in time to yourself in 2010, what would you tell yourself?
A: 1. "You can do it" 2. "Don't compare yourself to successful entrepreneurs": Everyone started as small as I did. Even the most successful founders had feelings of doubts, fear or even of throwing everything out the window. They weren't born successful entrepreneurs, they worked their butt off to get where they are today, you and I can too. 3. "Make something people want": Y Combinator's #1 advice, but it's true that it's all that matters at the beginning of a company.
Q: What are five reasons why Front could fail and five reasons why it will succeed?
A: 1. Innovating in the email space is hard 2. Having a team split between Paris and San Francisco is not easy to manage (9 hours of time difference…) 3. People don't like to change something they already do all day (& have habits, workflows, process etc.): email. 4. We build too many legos and don't work hard enough ;-) Why Front will succeed: 1. We have the best team in the world 2. Slack has proved that there is room for companies to innovate in the communication space. They've changed how companies communicate internally, we're changing how companies communicate with the outside world. 3. We've got amazing investors to help us! 4. Customer's feedback is very good 5. Customer churn is extremely low
Thanks Mathilde!
Interview: Andrew Warner
I’ve been a fan (& Premium member) of the Mixergy podcast for years. I owe Andrew a lot for asking the right questions and getting so much from his guests.
From his bio “Hi, I’m Andrew Warner. In my 20s, I used credit cards and ingenuity to create a $30+ mil / year (in sales) internet business with my younger brother. I created Mixergy to help ambitious people who love business as much as I do learn from a mix of experienced mentors. I do that through interviews where founders tell their stories and courses where they teach a solution to issues that can cripple founders.”
Q: Leaving a legacy as a leader of ambitious upstarts. Where does this drive come from? Has it been tested over the years?
A: In Manhattan, Grand Central is so big that if you drive up Park Avenue the road has to bend around it. When you do, you see a giant statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Over 150 years ago, he built a rail road that made him and generations of his family rich. He's been dead for a long time, but the rail road he built is still helping to connect the country. That's why he's still remembered. That's what I mean when is say we should build legacies.
Q: Giving advice. How hard is it not to want to give advice to the person that you're interviewing? After doing more than 1,000 interviews, you must have times where you want to jump in and say "Do this, it will save you six months of pain".
A: I don't want to give advice. I want to learn. When I started interviewing on Mixergy, my goal was to learn from people I admire. That makes it easy to avoid the mistake that other interviewers make, which is to lecture instead of listen.
Q: Seasons of life. You're now a proud father - how has this changed your perspective on your mission, your work and the mark you want to leave on the world?
A: I thought I'd get handed my baby by the doctor and everything would change. It didn't. I love my son and I love spending time with him and my wife, but my mission is the same. And my passion for that mission is still as strong. I want to build a business that leaves a legacy. My path to doing that is to make sure Mixergy helps other entrepreneurs build companies they can be proud of.
Thanks Andrew!
Interview: Bernadette Jiwa
Bernadette Jiwa brings a unique message to commodity businesses - building a brand is about telling better stories. Read her books (I’ve read them all, several times), read her blog or get in touch for advice on how to build a brand through better connections.
Q: What is the brand story that every business leader needs to spend hours studying (because they're living it)?
A: Warby Parker's, they truly understand the worldview of their audience and every element of their story speaks directly to that worldview. See their Difference Map here.
Q: It starts with why. Why are you a brand story strategist?
A: Because my younger brother died when he was just 31 with a lot of dreams, ideas and stories left in him. I want to help people to live their stories.
Q: If you could only receive content from three sources (in any medium) for the next year, which three would you choose?
A: Seth Godin's Blog , Dave Pell's Newsletter , TED.com
Thanks Bernadette!
Interview: Brian Casel
Brian Casel is a specialist in turning service businesses into product businesses. When he’s not running his Productize course, you’ll find him on his blog, podcast, in his other business or on Twitter. Over to you Brian!
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: Getting to work on things that energize me and challenge me. Knowing that I get to decide what I work on and when for what reason. Building things from the ground up and providing value for others.
Q; You've built a successful business around a systemized product/service business. Is it hard to remain focused on the restaurant space when this system would apply so well to other industries?
A: Focus has been a very tough challenge for me over the years. Yes, there are so many opportunities out there, not just applying web design to different verticals, but other opportunities to build new things and serve new markets. I've been learning how to reduce the number of things I take on and to tackle my goals one step at a time.
Q: What are the biggest challenges that you are seeing people face as they try to "productize" their service?
A: Moving away from the freelancer's mindset of trading time for money and stepping into the mindset of a business owner, where you're creating an asset that can grow in value. Learning to delegate tasks and spend your time as the founder working on things that can actually change your business for the better.
Thanks Brian!
Interview: Kim Lam
Kim Lam is mostly an illustrator living in Melbourne. A lot of her work also revolves around being the Creative Director at Dr Jason Fox, where she injects lateral thinking and helps people visualise the narrative behind progressive strategy. In her spare time, she is an inner-city veterinarian, saving little furry lives.
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: A realisation that with a whole new day, comes whole new possibilities. A small quiet note to my waking self, that a unique set of moments will occur that will be worth diarising later in the evening…so some anticipation for the day ahead. That aside, my partner gets up super early, so I also strive to get up decently early enough so that we don’t end up living in different time zones (I’m a night-owl in denial).
Q: If you ever have slumps in creating art, what gets you inspired, motivated or passionate again?
A: Sometimes the combination of non-thinking, blank-staring and a somewhat possessed pen-in-hand will yield forms on paper that I can appreciate enough to turn into the next idea. I find that using my hands versus brain in an inverse way helps a lot when stuck in a creative rut – I’ll plan drawings in writing, and plan writing with drawings. Otherwise, I’ll try to revive the muse with a change of scene. This can range from simple little activities like rearranging tchotchkes and pot plants around the home – nothing fancy! Or I might go for a wander and park myself at a local cafe with my laptop for a few hours of internet inspiration.
Q: What was the last inspiring thing that someone said to you or that you read?
A: That I read – ‘To people-watch is to glimpse the mysterious and the banal. The public face and the private gesture, the strangest other and the most familiar self.’ – from Cheryl Strayed’s introduction in the book, Pen & Ink - Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them, by Isaac Fitzgerald & Wendy MacNaughton. So poetically said, and so delicious to read. Although this excerpt wouldn’t fall under the typical ’inspirational quotes’ category, it does inspire in me a certain feeling of wonder and curiosity. It’s a reminder that we are all so different but so the same, and overall so small but very much connected. A tiny antidote at times, to introversion. But besides that, people watching is super fun, and is a good way to collect characters for cameo appearances in your dreams. That someone said – You are enough.
Thanks Kim!
Interview: Katherine Preston
Katherine Preston is the author of Out With It: How Stuttering Helped Me Find My Voice and the Creative Director of ExchangeMyPhone. Katherine is obsessed with language, she writes books, articles and speaks at events. Watch her inspiring interview with Jonathan Fields here or read her answers to three questions below. Katherine, over to you...
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: I would like to say that it is excitement, nerves, the feeling that if I don’t get up I’ll be missing something wonderful. And, while all of that is true, what literally gets me out of bed is a pact I made with my boyfriend that the last one up has to make the bed. Most mornings start with trying to sneak out of bed without him noticing, him waking up and both of us trying to leap out of bed, away from the hands of the other. Childish as it may be, it works for us.
Q: What has been the greatest time of triumph or loss in your life?
A: I stutter and, in October 2008, I left my job and my life in London to face my biggest fear and spend a year traveling around America interviewing 100 stutterers, speech therapists and researchers. I wanted to debunk the misconceptions that shroud the condition, to find out why we all stuttered and how everyone was living their lives. I dreamed that my research would lead me to write a book. Leaving all my incredible friends in England felt like a huge loss and yet, I also felt as if I was setting off on the adventure of a life time, as if I was finally doing what I should be doing with my life. My greatest triumph was creating the life that I wanted – meeting my boyfriend, joining him in starting a business and selling my book to Simon and Schuster.
Q: Who was the last person or what was the last book that inspired you, and why?
A: Cheryl Strayed and her book WILD. As a writer, I'm inspired by Cheryl’s honest and deeply evocative language. As a person, I love her passion, her empathy and her unerring commitment to what she believes.
Thanks Katherine!
Interview: Shantanu Starick
Shantanu Starick is a talented young photographer from Brisbane who is travelling the world trading his skills for food, board and travel expenses. He took some time out from "The Pixel Trade" and his commercial work to answer some questions.
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: I wish I could say that it's a beautiful girl waking me up with savoury pancakes with Rosa Pasos playing in the background...but since starting The Pixel Trade it's just my active mind instead of a girl and whilst I still get pancakes every so often, it's just not the same.
Q: What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
A: My dad used to lay a big thick blanket on the living room floor in winter, next to the fireplace. I'd sit in the middle of the blanket, he would then pick up all 4 corners around me like a swag and using gravity spin around with me inside. Peeping out the top and watching everything swirl by was one of the greatest feelings for me.
Q: If you could recommend one YouTube/Vimeo video to someone, what would it be, and why?
A: I saw this video with Kilian Martin and Alfredo Urbon...
Why I recommend it would be a number of elements combined to create a well crafted video. The music, the guys, the concept it's all very well done and as a result a very slick effective video is the result.
Thanks Shantanu!
Interview: Cate Burton
Background: I can imagine that's it's hard work to "convert" people across to buying a product that is several times more expensive than it's alternative. Herein is the daily challenge of Cate Burton, queen bee at Queen B - supplier of beautiful, pure beeswax candles & products. With an honest blog and an inspiring passion for her product, Cate is someone to find out more about...we'll start with just three questions.
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: 1. Commitments (five mornings a week I meet different friends to walk)
2. A sense of urgency - there is just so much that I want to do/learn/experience/try... the vast majority of them to do with bees, beeswax candles, creativity, design and cooking!
3.. Catholic guilt - past life stuff I'm guessing
4. Upbringing - staying in bed was never really an option and I didn't bother rebelling on this one.
Q: Who is your biggest critic?
A: Me. It's a blessing (I don't accept mediocrity) and a curse (I don't accept much really).
Q: A word of advice, the person who gave it & why it has stuck in your head
A: The world needs diversity to function. I was working in a large retail bank and railing (to a mentor) about the mediocrity and lack of customer focus. He suggested that the world wouldn't function too well if everyone was like me. It's a great point. I'm still pleased I'm me though.
Thanks Cate!
Interview: Ryan Nicodemus
Background: Having read Ryan & Joshua's blog for several years, I was interested to hear his answers to three questions. As a writer, an espouser of the minimalist lifestyle & a person who loves to mentor (read his full bio here), he is pursuing a meaningful life with less stuff.
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
The opportunity to help thousands of people's lives in a positive way. If it's with writing an essay or working with a mentoring client I get the opportunity to help people out in this crazy world.
Q: Who is your biggest critic?
Myself.
Q: If you could recommend one YouTube video...
This one.
Hands down the most inspirational video I have ever seen. This is a story to help people move forward no matter what. It's the story of my life. It's the story of many people's lives. It's a story that everyone should hear.
Thanks Ryan!
Interview: Sarah Hornby
Background: It is not often that you meet a passionate & determined (yet graceful) person who feels "obligated" to see the poor, their families and their communities transformed with dignity, empowerment and hope. Sarah Hornby works as a Donor Relations Manager at Opportunity International and comes across as someone willing to bet their life on the chance that poverty alleviation and innovative support can transform one person...and then another...and then another. Over to you, Sarah.
Q. What gets you up in the morning?
At the moment - sheer will power - and the fact that my husband turns the shower on, so the water is already hot when I stagger into the bathroom, bleary-eyed. But at times outside of those near to holidays, what gets me out of bed is a sense of obligation in many ways; obligation to use my time productively, to live the life I've been given and enjoy the blessings I've been afforded. I think obligation is a bit of a dirty word these days, but for me, it implies a sense of purpose behind the mundane.
Q. What are the possibilities of micro-lending & what are the next developments in this area?
Probably the greatest possibility of microlending is a life free from poverty. Other inspiring possibilities include stability in income flows, greater education, better healthcare and improved nutrition for families of microfinance clients, as well as important social factors like an improved sense of dignity and hope. When I was in India a couple of years ago, I met an amazing woman called Parvati in an urban Hyderabad slum. She had two businesses; one was vegetable selling, and the other was a sewing business. She earned an income by selling vegetables to neighbours and hand sewing saris provided to her from a local supplier. As Parvati didn't own the saris, she was paid a wage - 200 rupees (A$3.75) for 40 hours work. Her vegetable business supplemented the income from her sewing business. Through one of Opportunity International Australia's partner microfinance organisations, Parvati took out a loan of A$200 and used this to buy vegetables in bulk - which she was able to receive at a lower price. As she sold more stock, she made a greater profit. By her third loan, she was able to purchase her own material and solely focus on sewing saris. When I met her, I purchased a sari from her for 2,000 Rupees (A$37.50). Obviously, this is a large increase over three loan cycles. But what excites me about Parvati is not that she made a good profit - but that she is able to educate her daughter and put a third meal on the table so her family is well fed. These are the possibilities. The next exciting developments in the microfinance space, particularly for Opportunity, are the growth of our complementary services. Many of our microfinance partners offer more than just small loans and standard financial services to their clients - today some or our partners are providing services like access to affordable healthcare, financial literacy training, insurance and access to clean water and sanitation. These complementary services offer our clients a better chance at lifting themselves and their families free from poverty. Another innovation for microfinance that is making a positive impact on rural communities is the expansion of mobile-phone banking. A number of Opportunity's partners in India are investigating introducing mobile banking to their clients living in remote areas, helping them access the savings accounts they need to keep their hard-earned incomes safe.
Q. Who was the last person or what was the last book that inspired you, and why?
The last great book I read was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Strangely, I've met few people that have read this book - which is such a shame, because the joy of reading a great book is only fully realised when you pore over the shared experience with someone else equally inspired. I love this book because it tackles challenging aspects of life; faith, survival, loss and truth through the story of Pi - a little boy trapped on a boat with dangerous zoo animals. I realise it sounds bizarre - but I quite literally could not put it down. There is a book of philosophical quotes just begging to be written by extracting some of the gems from this novel. One of my favourites; "It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them - and then they leap." Following this book I suffered the inevitable post-good book low that follows every great read, because no other book seems to match it in depth or quality.
Thanks Sarah!
Interview: Liselore Goedhart
Background: Liselore Goedhart started her own company in Utrecht, together with 4 other DVTG classmates, called Monobanda [video] and create games that exist within the virtual and the tangible world. Find out more about Lizzy and see some of her work over at her blog.
Q: What is a typical day like for you?
A: The great thing about having your own company is that a typical day isn't very common. Almost every day feels like an adventure, because there are a lot of things you can't predict. There are of course some things that are typical, like the cozy, but often chaotic atmosphere in the office (I own the company with four other guys), the funny sounds I make with my design partner in crime Niki Smit who's sitting opposite of me, deciding what music we put on so that we can synchronize our humming and things like answering e-mails, discussing projects, meeting people and work on some design/ concept stuff in between. Evenings usually involve watching a movie or series, playing the piano, petting my cat and staying up too late.
Q: What do you think is essential to character design?
A: In my designs I always try to portray an emotion or feeling using very little elements. I really like it if a viewer or player has a chance to put in their own imagination and creativity. My design process mostly starts with drawing some characters in my sketchbook. I don't think too much about what I want to achieve in the end, but just put down my pencil and see where it will take me. In that way the characters will never be too overdesigned. After some concepting I usually know when I have created the character I want and then start to design it further in Illustrator. Forming the shapes, creating the eyes and finding the colors: this is when the character really comes to life for me. If I laugh while designing a character, I know I am on track. What I think is essential to great character design is bringing across an emotion with only the eyes or a shape. Viewers will connect everything in their head and project their own feelings on the specific artwork. For me it's a very perfectionistic job, because it really comes down to a lot of pixel work to make the expression of my character just right.
Q: Who was the last person you spoke to or read about that inspired you?
A: The guys from Simogo game studio. Their passion and love for making small games really shines through their blog, tweets and e-mails. I had the privilege to receive an try out a test version of their newest iPhone game Bumpy Road and fell in love with their quirky and cute style of characters, sounds and storytelling. They even inspired me to make my first ever fan art!
Thanks Liselore!
Interview: Jeff Goins
Background: Jeff Goins is a writer, idea guy, and difference-maker. He generously shares advice on writing, blogging, creativity & telling your story over at his blog.
Q: What gets you up in the morning and fuels your passion for your work?
A: Oddly enough, what's been getting me up every morning lately is my blog. I wake up pretty early everyday (this is also odd for me) to write what's on my heart. Hidden in that motivation, though, I believe, is a deeper motivation -- the desire to create. That's what gets me up each morning: the opportunity to do something new every single day.
Q: What do you think is the biggest barrier to writing & how do people overcome it?
A: The biggest barrier to writing for people is themselves. Their self-doubt. Their anxiety. Their perfectionism. How do you overcome it? I've written a number of articles on this subject, but the bottom line is this: you overcome any kind of creative block by disciplining yourself to create anyway. How do you lose weight? You do the one thing you don't want to do -- stop eating so much and work out. This is true in any aspect of life -- that which you're avoiding or procrastinating is often the medicine you need to get better. The other tip I might suggest is this: get over yourself. What you write isn't about you; it's about the Muse speaking through you. I call that "God." Some people may have other names or ideas for what it is, but most creatives know that inspiration comes from somewhere or something beyond themselves. The point is that a creative endeavor is about the art, maybe even the audience, but rarely about the artist.
Q: What's the last book that you read or person you spoke to, that inspired you in your work?
A:I just finished reading Poke the Box by Seth Godin on my Kindle app for my phone. For some reason, books take forever to read when you're viewing them on a three-inch screen. Who'd have thought? I was inspired and challenged by this book in ways that I've never before been (and I'm a pretty avid fan of Seth Godin). First, I was challenged to be careful with making "big asks" of influential people (something Godin talks about) without first building a lot of trust. Second, I was challenged to start something, which is the whole point of the book. For a while now, I've wanted to take my writing to the next level. And now I'm going to do just that. I'm beginning now, not later. I'm learning, thanks to Seth, how to start. For those who care, there is some exciting stuff coming down the pike.
Thanks Jeff!
Oliver Jeffers
Hello. I worked up the courage to interview Oliver Jeffers… So I got my fingers stretched and courageously, wrote him an email... There were a couple of things I was keen to ask him, and I was mega stoked when he wrote back to my slightly mediocre questions. Thanks heaps Mr Jeffers! Q1 // When you were young, and had everything to loose, what did you hope you'd become, {what's in your blood} do you think?
When I was young I think I had nothing to loose, but I always fancied myself as a professional footballer.
Q2 // what are some irrevocable tips you might have for any writer/creative type. What are the things you soughta live by to you know- do rad stuff… Work as hard as you can and then even harder. Q3 // Do you believe in God, and if so, or not, what has lead you to your current conviction?
I'd rather not talk about religion if you don't mind. Sure thing, merci for your time ;) Check out the professors books here, they are radness in childrens book form.
Interview: Alece Ronzino
Background: The bio on Alece's blog describes her life so far: "My story is one of brokenness, but also of redemption. I’m a New Yorker who lived in South Africa for thirteen years, running a ministry that I love, Thrive Africa. Right now God’s in the process of rebuilding my heart and my life in the wake of my husband’s unfaithfulness and decision for divorce. You can read more about my journey here. I’m grateful to know that my story isn't finished yet. I'm still (mostly) unwritten."
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: I've gotta be honest: I despise mornings. My chronic health issues make them especially tough for me. But -- and this may sound strange outside my own head -- knowing I'm loved and wanted is the thing that gets me out of bed. Sometimes it comes in the form of a text from a friend, or having something planned with my family. Music does the trick too. A little Jason Mraz or P!nk makes any morning better.
Q: What compels you to write so honestly & bravely on your blog?
A: I crave authenticity just as much as I fear it, so I figure I need to just do it afraid. Life is messy and I am broken, and that's okay. Sometimes the greatest thing I can offer to someone is the gift of going second. My hope is always that by being raw and real, others feel safe enough to do the same.
Q: What is more important in hard times: the why me or the what next, and why?
A: The "why me" is so futile because, in all honesty... why not me? I don't deserve any better than the next person. So I try to focus more on the "what next". And sometimes my "what next" is something as small and simple as making the bed -- finalizing the decision to get up and face the day. It's the constant reminder that baby steps are still progress.
Thanks Alece!
Questions: Narika
Background: Three questions with Narika who "takes photos, makes films & does life". Q: If you could live someone else's life for a week, who would you choose and why?
A: I can't think of anyone, mostly because if it was anyone outside the story I'm living at the moment it would be missing all the people I love. Given it is only for a week though maybe Spencer Chamberlain from underoath, I was for a brief time a little devastated that I would never be the male lead vocals in a hardcore band.
Q: What has been the greatest time of loss or triumph in your life?
A: It's not quite that dramatic, but maybe moving to America for a few months last year, the best adventure ever while leaving behind everything I loved for a while.
Q: If you could only save two photos you've ever taken, what would they be?
A: The answer to this will possibly always change, but two that come to mind are this one and this one.
The first because it was from an amazing weekend shooting a little video that brought so much to life in me, the second because it was one of the first film photos I took when I really fell in love with taking photos, the light was a fluke and the photo takes me back to a time that felt like waking up. I remember getting the roll of film back and just knowing I wanted to capture everything. I think I've had a camera with me ever since.
Thanks Narika!
Questions: Bonnie
Bonnie Gray is a 21 year old, creative keeper & friend of mine... Q: Tell me something new.
A: I love my own company...I just figured that out.
Q: What gets u up & keeps you going when everything's too much?
A: Music, worship ... Sometimes I don't have energy to sing along, but their strength & outlook makes me strong.
Q: What is your earliest memory?
A: Playing fairies with my aunty Cathy & eating honey suckles. My aunty was wearing a red cotton dress with puffy sleeves & rainbow flowers and glitter all over it....we'd all put on dress ups & she would be the queen fairy, we'd hold hands & fly across the world. In my head I was literally flying even though we were just adventuring in the backyard.