Creating a Shared Humanity through Authentic Storytelling with Polina Pompliano
Jun 4, 2024
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Barrett Brooks talks with Polina Pompliano about her career as a storyteller and the sacrifices needed to pursue passion. They discuss humanizing stories, resilience, and meaningful work. Topics include personal growth, cross-cultural communication, balancing authenticity and aspiration, navigating ambition in relationships, and building resilience.
Embracing vulnerabilities and insecurities humanizes individuals and enriches storytelling.
Publishing a book in one's native language fosters deep emotional connections and significant shared experiences.
Language and culture influence writing styles, emphasizing the challenges and insights of conveying emotions across different languages.
Supporting individual ambitions in relationships promotes growth and mutual encouragement, nurturing healthy partnerships.
Deep dives
Shared Humanity and Imperfections
Emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the shared humanity in all of us, the podcast discussion revolved around humanizing individuals by embracing their flaws, insecurities, and vulnerabilities, whether in moments of confidence or vulnerability. The speaker highlighted the significance of recognizing that one instance of failure or success does not define a person, but instead contributes to their overall human experience.
Publishing a Book in Bulgarian
The episode delved into the meaningful experience of publishing a book in Bulgarian for the speaker, Paulina Pappliano. Recounting personal anecdotes, the realization of how impactful it was to share the book in the native language resonated deeply. The shared moments with family and friends, along with the unexpected emotional responses, added a layer of significance to the publishing journey.
Exploring Language Influence on Writing Style
The podcast episode highlighted the impact of language and culture on writing style, featuring a discussion on the differences between English and Bulgarian expressions. Exploring the nuances of language translation and its effect on conveying emotions and ideas, the speaker reflected on the challenges and insights gained from articulating concepts in different languages.
Navigating Ambition in Relationships
Delving into the dynamics of ambition within relationships, the conversation touched upon navigating shared goals and individual aspirations. The speaker emphasized the importance of supporting each other's ambitions without fostering unhealthy competition, emphasizing the value of mutual encouragement and growth within partnerships.
Challenging Views on Humanity and Overcoming Self-Imposed Obstacles
The podcast delves into the discussion about contrasting views on humanity, Hobbesian versus Lockean, using Tim Ferriss's perspective to explore overcoming the fear of dating and self-identified negative base nature of humanity. It highlights the challenge of seeking a mate when fame and success limit the pool of potential partners while emphasizing the importance of early stages in relationships where mutual ambition drives growth.
Maintaining Humility and Connection in Relationships
The episode touches upon the significance of humility in relationships, emphasizing the role it plays in staying connected and grounded amidst success and recognition. It cites personal experiences, like encounters with fans and reflections on long-term relationships breaking up, to underscore the importance of humility and shared experiences in relationships.
Achieving Resilience Through Endurance and Emotional Processing
The podcast explores resilience and endurance through stories of individuals like Arnold Schwarzenegger, showcasing how enduring hardships and processing emotions can build resilience. It delves into the value of ritual, like burning past regrets, in enabling personal growth and creating a pathway to move forward from life's challenges. The conversation emphasizes the transformative power of self-reflection and embracing vulnerabilities to navigate life's ups and downs.
Polina Marinova Pompliano is the author of “Hiden Genius” and the founder of The Profile, a media organization that studies successful people and companies. Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she covered technology and venture capital. As the author and editor of Term Sheet, FORTUNE’s industry-leading dealmaking newsletter, Polina interviewed the industry’s most influential dealmakers, including Melinda Gates, Steve Schwarzman, Richard Branson, and more.
This week, Barrett talks with Polina about her career as a storyteller, personal growth, and the sacrifices required to pursue one's passion. Polina reflects on immigrating to the US from Bulgaria, her career in journalism, and the influence of marriage and motherhood on her ambitions. Together, they discuss building the resilience required to handle life's challenges, the importance of humanizing stories, and the pursuit of meaningful work.
In this episode:
00:00 - Intro
02:48 - What it’s like to publish a very personal book
05:43 - How Polina's book impacted her relationships
08:44 - Communication emotion in different languages
13:58 - How Polina’s early experiences have shaped her
23:00 - Polina’s fullest version of herself
25:42 - How becoming a parent changes you
31:24 - The transition from curator to profiler
39:31 - The value in sharing personal stories
49:42 - Polina’s and Barrett’s experiences at UGA
56:08 - Can ambitious people have successful relationships?
01:03:37 - How Polina and her husband remain humble and connected
01:10:26 - Why resilience is so important
01:21:08 - On dealing with grief
01:26:40 - When success becomes the obstacle
01:31:06 - Making the right career decisions
01:35:02 - Find something and become the best at it
01:39:01 - Polina’s advice to her younger self
01:41:19 - The future Polina is trying to create
01:43:25 - Who Polina is becoming
Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com.
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.
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