Bob Baurys and Cristián Saracco, Applied Creativity (Re:Issue from 2019)

In this milestone episode 250, host Mark Stinson re-issues one of the first interviews in the podcast series from 2019. The early guests exemplify the world of creativity in business.

Bob Baurys, CEO of 83bar, and Cristián Saracco, founder of Allegro 234, shared their insights and experiences in nurturing ideas and growing successful enterprises.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

·      How to grow your business through the power of branding

·      The value of personalizing your product or service when making business decisions

·      The reason why the employees you start your business with often times are not the same employees you’ll need to scale your business later on

·      How to successfully sell your ideas to clients

·      Why Bob feels that “Speed reduces risk at every single level”

Bob is known for his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach. He emphasizes the importance of empowering patients to take charge of their healthcare through systematic and personalized approaches. By personalizing the idea and envisioning the individuals they aim to serve, Bob and his team maintain focus and passion for their mission.

Cristián and his company emphasize helping clients grow through their brands, and they continuously evolve their services and products to cater to changing customer journeys and experiences. By considering a triple-bottom-line approach, Allegro 234 integrates social and environmental factors alongside profits, ensuring a holistic approach to branding.

Both guests discuss the challenges of scaling businesses and staying true to the core idea as they add more team members and clients. Bob emphasizes the need for different types of people in different stages of a business. Early on, independent thinkers who can break the rules and develop new pathways are vital. As the business matures, structured thinking and replication of systems become crucial for scaling.

Cristián highlights their process of building a team that not only possesses the necessary capabilities but also shares a personal connection and alignment with the company's culture and purpose. This approach has led to a stable and cohesive team that has worked together for an extended period.

The episode concludes with a discussion on idea generation. While both guests acknowledge that ideas can come intuitively, they also actively seek inspiration by exploring history, art, and other sources. Urgent needs and pressure often spark the most innovative ideas, pushing them to think outside their normal toolbox and find creative solutions.

Throughout the episode, Bob and Cristián highlight the importance of personalization, passion, and adaptation in keeping ideas alive and transforming them into successful businesses. Their stories inspire listeners to embrace creativity and evolve their approaches in the ever-changing business landscape.

Highlight quotes:

- "When you focus on the core constituency, the idea burns deep and passionate." - Bob Baurys

- "Ideas come by compression, the accumulation of stuff that really moves the needle." - Bob Baurys

- "We go to look for ideas, ideas come by intuition." - Cristián Saracco

In the second half of this interview, the group discuss the process of creative problem-solving and how to generate innovative ideas. Bob mentions using a three by three grid. He explains that he puts the problem in the upper left corner, potential solutions in the left column, reasons why they would work in the middle column, and reasons why they wouldn't work in the right column. Bob finds that the solution often comes from a hybrid of the first three ideas.

Cristián talks about their methodological framework called A B C D E. They establish objectives, create tension to stimulate new ideas, anticipate trends, blend ideas, create different concepts, and finally, execute the chosen idea. They emphasize the importance of setting achievable goals to avoid frustration and involve clients in the ideation process to ensure understanding and excitement.

On the subject of developing creative capabilities. Cristián believes creativity is not just inspiration but also requires effort and work. Bob suggests getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, as it enhances the brain's elasticity and intuition.

Regarding selling ideas to clients, Cristián mentions tailoring the communication style to the client's deductive or inductive thinking approach. They engage clients in the creative process, making the idea more obvious and tangible for them. Bob adds that finding the right client and showing how the idea benefits both their business and career can build momentum and ownership.

In terms of cultural and global differences in creativity, the guests highlight the need to adapt to different clients and markets. They emphasize the importance of understanding clients' perspectives and working collaboratively to overcome traditional thinking and cultural barriers. The world is becoming more interconnected, but there are still variations in approaches to creativity based on different cultural contexts.

Thanks to my friend, G. Mark Phillips, for helping start this global journey of creativity.

(c) BSB Media