The Impossible Network

Over the last twelve months I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some extraordinary people and have been inspired by their passion, insights, and wisdom.  The following audio clips are just a short selection of our guest’s reflections. We asked John C Haven’s Episode 40 to reflect on the societal changes required in an AI-driven world and the challenge for businesses to look beyond just meeting their numbers.    We then asked Jazz Musician and Mathematician Marcus G Miller Episode 56 what he would do to the education system to improve the opportunities for youth.  Caroline Chubb Calderon Episode No 42 reflected on the challenges of retaining our humanity as we face of identity politics, political polarization and the encroachment of AI in work and life.  And Shantell Martin Episode 25 reflects on serendipity by providing a beautiful metaphor for how hard work Creates opportunity. Finally, I asked Debbie Millman Episode 30 about the serendipity of a seemingly career-ending set of events redefined her future path Enjoy the holidays and we will be back with new guests next week.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Week’s Guest Michael Hanchett Hanson - deconstructing creativityWhat is creativity - It's a big question. I’ve worked in the creative industries all my life, yet I’ve never considered creativity to from a psychological and developmental perspective until I sat down with this weeks guest Michael Hanchett Hanson - author and founder and director of the Masters Concentration in Creativity and Cognition program at Teachers College, Columbia University,In part one of the interview, we cover the impact of Michael's upbringing and the dual influence of his mother and father, his mentors and his early ambitions growing up in Texan Bible belt.Michael deconstructs the social, material and temporal components of creativity. We discuss genius, distinctiveness, and exceptionality.Finally, we cover the serendipity in his journey and how he applies creativity in his life.I hope you find value in this vibrant and vigorous exploration of creativity with Michael Hanchett Hanson.The Podcast we Love Joshua Spodek Leadership and The Environment This is a podcast from one of our upcoming guests. Josh is the ultimate renaissance man with an incredible personal journey. We are sharing Josh’s interview from 2018 with Bea Johnson, TEDx Speaker and a mother living a zero waste lifestyle for over ten years. Listen to Josh’s other podcasts, they are packed with value and insights on leadership and the environment.. We found this online From coal country to solar country When in the midst of a grand transition from fossil fuels to renewables but it still feels we are too reliant on fossil fuel economy. We read this piece in the Atlantic about how in one Colorado county, solar-energy-training classes are helping ease the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and may well fill the economic hole left by the dying coal industry, which sustained the area for more than 120 years. There may be insights and lessons here for other regions and countries working to address what is a global imperative.Recommended to usThe case against contemporary feminism A past guest sent us this exploration of what feminism means in the age of Trump. The New Yorker article sets out two recently published arguments against contemporary feminism that have emerged in near-exact opposition to each other: either feminism has become too strict an ideology or it has softened to the point of uselessness. Both sides make a compelling case. Series of the week College Behind Bars This four-part series streamed on PBS in the US, follows men and women incarcerated in maximum and medium security prisons across New York state over the span of four years, as they attempt to gain college degrees through the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous prison education programs in the U.S.Producer Sarah Botstein states “ We always say we hope the film will raise two really important questions: who in our country should, and does have access to education? And what is prison for? We hope people think about how those two questions intersect with the systemic issues of race and poverty, and what is broken about our country.”This is not just a US issue but a global one. Mulling on thisIs life just a game? Is what we experience just a user interface? Donald Hoffman argues such. Is this a plausible argument? If so, there must be a game maker? But who, what, or where is the game god? I am posting this thought as an early stage consideration that there may be a way to reconcile ancient religious doctrines, teachings and dogmas with emerging scientific insights to create a new point of view or perspective on our existence and reason for being. Watch this space. Tools we’re using Over AppIf you don’t use Sketch or Adobe tools but want to bring your ideas to life and make a visual impact in simple and easy manner then Over is your app. A combination of curated cont... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest OverviewWhat is creativity - It's a big question. I’ve worked in the creative industries all my life, yet I’ve never considered creativity to from a psychological and developmental perspective until I sat down with this weeks guest Michael Hanchett Hanson - author and founder and director of the Masters Concentration in Creativity and Cognition program at Teachers College, Columbia University,In part one of the interview, we cover the impact of Michael's upbringing and the dual influence of his mother and father, his mentors and his early ambitions growing up in Texan Bible belt.Michael deconstructs the social, material and temporal components of creativity. We discuss genius, distinctiveness, and exceptionality.Michael breaks down creativity and explains the impact of education on creativity and the value of deep learning, and explains the domain-general and domain-specific theories of creativity.Michael debunks the notion of out of the box thinking and provides an alternative mode and we discuss the value of constraints in creativity.Finally, we cover the serendipity in his journey and how he applies creativity in his life.I hope you find value in this vibrant and vigorous exploration of creativity with Michael Hanchett Hanson.What we discuss His early upbringing in TexasGrowing up in the Bible beltMichael discusses his father's intellectual influenceHis Mother’s aesthetic influenceMichael describes his mentor Howard GruberPendergast regime and prohibitionThe safety of his upbringingSchool life in TexasThe supportive role of his motherBeing a cognitive voyeurStudying architectureDistributed cognitionGruber's definition of creativityThe social material and temporal distribution of creativitySymbol making animalsGenius - the Latin definitionGenius is in the workGenius is not in the person. The genius is in the work as it coalesces socially, materially, in temporarily.Ken RobinsonClayton ChristensenThe role of education and creativityCreativity - domain-specific or generalistThe role of the depth of understandingDivergent thinkingStructureProcrastinationHis level of creativityCuriosityWhen we need to avoid creativityThe intellectual, philosophical and aesthetic.The network of enterprisePrinciplesTough choicesThe Impossible QuestionThe role of graceEffort and work Connecting Linkedin Links in the showWorldmaking: Psychology and the Ideology of Creativity Howard Gruber Jean Piaget Thomas AquinasBeyond Good and EvilEdward Clapp Project Zero Harvard Robert Lustig The Mud club The Infidel and the ProfessorThe courage to create Creativity and constraints  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Week’s Guest Stephen Hecht, the co-founder of Million Peacemakers, provides inspiration to anyone that doubts their ability to change the world for the better, at scale. Stephen is proof that good intentions, a little creativity, underpinned by clear goals can result in monumental impact, at any age.  Million Peacemakers is a non-profit organization that empowers people to transform conflict into what they call Nonflict. Stephens's inspiration came from his multi-faith work and his own transformation in focussing on the commonality in people over their differences.Over 225,000 people around the world trained in the first 5 years with a focus on youth, families, and businesses, Stephen is changing the world one peacemaker training session at a time.Listen to Stephens story or sign up to be a peacemaker at MillionPeacemakers.org.The Podcast we Love Slate podcasts make really sold shows but it’s Slow Burn series is a wonderful podcast that has told two of the biggest stories of the 20th Century The Watergate scandal and the impeachment of Bill Clinton. In season three Slow Burn tells the story of the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. It’s a fascinating insight into the gang-related, east coast-west coast, BadBoy-Deathrow rivalries that ripped apart the hip hop community.   Listen on SpotifyWe found this online We found this really useful article in HBR. Whether it’s in interviews or negotiations, we are frequently asked questions we would rather not answer. In many instances, an honest answer might weaken our position, compromise our privacy, or disclose sensitive corporate information. A dishonest response might make the situation worse still. This article explores the mechanism and value of using deflection as a strategy and how it can impact both our economic outcome and our relationship with the person asking.Recommended to usEver wondered how the Explicit Lyrics Sticker that we see on albums emerged? The story behind and the battle behind Parental Advisory and Music Censorship is extraordinary. Estelle Caswell from VOX tells the story How heavy metal and Satan gave us this sticker.Movie of the week This week’s recommendation is a series. We just finished The Loudest Voice - the seven-part limited series based on a bestselling book is about Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News. To understand the events that led to the rise of the modern Republican party, one must understand Ailes. Focusing primarily on the past decade in which Ailes arguably became the party’s de facto leader, the series also touches on defining events in Ailes’ life. If you can access it watch Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Ailes is riveting. Mulling on thisFollowing the outcome of the UK Election where England voters triggered a landslide Conservative win for Boris Johnson’s strategy and Scotland voted in opposition with the nationalists winning the popular vote. This article published before the election Why We Need to Stop Dreaming of England.This might well be the time to abandon the myth of Englishness as Britain collectively must embrace the real challenges of Brexit and the radical upheaval that lies ahead. Tools we’re Using This week we are featuring a new philanthropic app. It’s called Give Momentum - think Venmo for giving - you make automatic donations that transform ordinary moments like buying coffee, seeing Ronaldo score a goal or even when the President Tweets into opportunities for meaningful and positive change. Give anywhere, get some guidance, and track your impact, all in one place. It makes giving fun. Social Impact And finally, someone is turning off the tap on plastic pollution.NextWave Member companies like HP and IKEA working to decrease the volume of plastic and nylon litter and waste before it enters the ocean. Members are committed to demonstrating to other companies the comm... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GUEST OVERVIEWStephen Hecht co-founder of Million Peacemakers provides inspiration to anyone that doubts their ability to change the world for the better, at scale. Stephen is proof that good intentions, a little creativity, underpinned by clear goals can result in monumental impact, at any age.  Million Peacemakers is a non-profit organization that empowers people to transform conflict into what they call Nonflict. Stephens's inspiration came from his multi-faith work and his own transformation in focussing on the commonality in people over the differences.Over 225,000 people around the world trained in the first 5 years with a focus on youth, families, and businesses, Stephen is changing the world one peacemaker training session at a time.Stephen has led Nonflict way workshops in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, the USA including Puerto Rico, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Bulgaria, England, Germany, Spain, and Canada.He was also a speaker at the Vatican in March 2019 for an international conference on Religions and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and was invited back 3 weeks later to speak about creating a culture of peace in the world.I hope you enjoy this episode of empathy, compassion and conflict resolution with Stephen Hecht What We Discuss Growing up in Montreal CanadaBeing involved in the family retail business from an early ageBeing aware of his seriousness as a child His uncle’s defining influenceEarly conflict in his family businessThe defining experience of visiting Israel  Witnessing intra-group conflict His education path The early experience of conflict in business as globalization set inMeeting Dr. Amir Kafir Joining Young President Organization Building Love Thy Neighbor to live in Montreal to create interfaith unity in 2009 - 19min Hi three MarriagesPeace Action Network Building the three-step model for NonflictThe ways of confronting conflict Conflict defined The steps to conflict resolution Einstein Creating a Million Peacemakers How Serendipity has enabled themWorking with the Vatican and The PopeHis principlesHis Hard Choices Discovering new ideasWhere in History? Impossible QuestionFailure Keeping up with technology Social Links Million Peacemakers Instagram Facebook Twitter Links In the Show Young Presidents OrganizationCardinal Turkson Sustainable Development Goals Robin Sharma The 5 am ClubThe Vatican Martin Luther King  Nelson Mandela  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Week’s Guest If you missed last weeks‘ guest was Marcus G Miller. He was born and raised in Jersey, from a sax-playing accountant father and a schizophrenia suffering Mother, he graduated Harvard University, became a hedge fund trader before becoming a professional jazz musician and mathematician.Marcus has since performed at the Obama White House, Madison Square Garden, The World Economic Forum at Davos, The Montreux Jazz Festival, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and recently spoke at the TED Summit in Edinburgh. Marcus is a genuine polymath and is exploring the structural similarities between math, and music, to enable creative problem solvers to unlock their imagination and to ‘jam’ on the world’s toughest challenges.I hope you enjoy the intellectual curiosity and expansive imagination of Marcus G Miller.   The Podcast we Love Big Questions with Cal Fussman has been one of our weekly listens since Tim Ferris persuaded him to start one. We just caught up on some recent episodes and loved the interview with Muhammad Ali’s daughter Hana, three years after Ali’s passing.She talks about her dad and the book she has written called 'At Home With Muhammad Ali.The conversation opens a window into how life was like in the moments when the cameras weren’t around and his unique capacity to connect with the world. What a giant of a man. What a giant of a man. We found this online As we increasingly seek control over our privacy rights online, China just introduced a new rule requiring face scans of customers signing up for new mobile plans that came into effect Dec. 1, amid widespread adoption of facial-recognition technology across the country.Read here the piece on the policy is part of a broader push by the Chinese government to limit people’s ability to stay anonymous online increasing their fear that biometric data could be compromised.Is this the state of things to come?Recommended to usWe have not seen it yet but we have been told that if you are in London a must see theatre experience is stage adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s The Neapolitan Novels - into a two part play My Brilliant Friend, five action-packed hours now at the national theatreMovie of the week Diego MaradonaLove him or loathe him  Diego Maradonna documentary is mesmerizing as it tells the story of this celebrated and controversial soccer player as he arrives in Naples in 1984, for a world-record fee. It recounts the miracles he performed on the field and includes more than 500 hours of never-before-seen footage from Maradona’s personal archives, and decades-old news footage and interviews with historians and journalists. Wonderful storytelling.Mulling on this We found this article on Fast Company asking the question is digital distraction as bad as we thnk?We all know the pitfalls and potential mental health effects of too much screen time, but this piece acknowledges the downsides but also focuses on the upsides of connectivity and the value in seeking many consider to be the ever elusive balance.Tools we’re Using We just installed Google Duo, Google’s latest attempt to wrestle share of our time and attention from Apple’s Facetime and Facebook’s What’s App. The value is that is allows simple video calls between Iphones and Android. And Like What’s app it offers end to end encryption and its delivered in a simple user interface. So far ..we quite like.Social Impact ou might have missed this but a few months ago AS Roma decided to not only announce new signings but to do so alongside missing children.The idea from their head of strategy, Paul Rogers, grew out of his love of the story of 90’s rock band Soul Asylum, whose video for their hit song Runaway Train also featured missing children."Paul explains that Roma had built up quite a sizable social media presence and going into the summer transfer window, and he s... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest OverviewBorn and raised in Jersey, from a sax-playing accountant father and a mother with schizophrenia, a Harvard graduate, a hedge fund trader turned professional jazz musician and mathematician is this week’s guest Marcus G Miller.In this episode Marcus explains how he started playing saxophone at age nine and how through the guidance of a teacher Michael Ghegan and the mentoring of world renowned saxophonist Bruce Williams he ended up on stage at age 13. An avid reader and a world level fencer, we went on to graduate from Harvard University with a degree in Mathematics before joining Ray Dalio’s hedge fund Bridgewater Associates. However his passion drew him back to New York City to pursue a career as a jazz musicianMarcus has since performed at the Obama White House, Madison Square Garden, The World Economic Forum at Davos, The Montreux Jazz Festival, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and recently spoke at the TED Summit in Edinburgh. Marcus is a genuine polymath and is exploring the structural similarities between math, and music, to enable creative problem solvers to unlock their imagination and to ‘jam’ on the world’s toughest challenges.I hope you enjoy the intellectual curiosity and expansive imagination of Marcus G Miller.    What we discuss:His upbringing in Jersey The impact of his accountant father His early desire to compete and winThe impact of being skilled at music hadThe challenges he faced as he grew up The motivation to successHis mentor Michael GheganBruce Willams his teacher Subbing for Brice as a young teenagerConfidenceDeciding to study math at Harvard His love of math How he is drawn to building the connection between math and music The subjective creative approach of doing both Base level reality and the propositions of logicThe underlying structure and overlap of math and music The non logical way of getting from Point A to BThe importance of fun in exploring possibilities in math and music and getting access to moreThe similarity in systems and subjectivity and individuality of Math and music Solving problems and go deeper Building rooms in your house of understandingWhere sparks of ideas come from?The importance of imagination and his disciplineTraining to be available to receive ideasOrder and structure in his life How he avoids social media and uses his phone The power of long-hand writingThe resistance and being open to ideas Managing his use of social media Becoming a hedge fund trader for Bridgewater The serendipity of getting a NYC gig while in the second semester Joining the Hedge Fund Leaving the hedge fund Focusing on music His search for meaning and connection How he’d change education to foster curiosity and creativity and improvisation  How Jazz is a conversation and has narrativeConnection between Jazz and Language Higher order language to think freely FearlessTo arrange ideas and music Teach kids to think freely. Creativity, structure and boundaries The bridge between math and music Links to SocialWebsiteInstagramSpotify FacebookLinks in the Show Tequila Jazz track  Bruce Williams Jazz Michael Ghegan War of Art - Stephen PrestfiledNir Eyal - DistractedRob Schneiderman Goethe FaustHarvard University Ray Dalio BridgewaterAion Carl Jung Mintons Jazz Bar  St Nicks jazz Julliard Music SchoolBach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi Everyone This is our weekly digest episode where we share some of what we liked, discovered and was recommended to us.We start with: LAST WEEKS EPISODELast weeks guest was Emily Oberman Partner at Pentagram Design. In this engaging 2 parter we cover her upbringing; being immersed in art, discovery and joy, and how humor and singing was never far; the work ethic her parents instilled; and being introduced her to Monty Python,The Marx Brothers and MAD Magazine at an early age.She explains why the idea of being a beautiful weirdo has remained with her throughout her career as she seeks out oddness in everyone she meetsWe discuss her early design influences, her approach to design and the role of story and ideas her work. We explore how Emily met and formed a 17 year partnership, with Bonnie Siegler, in the New York design firm Number17 before we dive deep into her 20 seasons of driving the identity of Saturday Night Live. We also discuss her leadership experience at Pentagram and the challenges of combining that with motherhood.  PODCAST WE LOVED CODE SWITCH - NPRRegardless of where you live, race and identity are part of the often cultural charged narrative. So if you ever find yourself in a conversation about race and identity where you just get...stuck, Code Switch can help.Created by journalists of color, and as they say themselves - this isn't just the work they do, it's the lives they lead.' It's a great listen, its funny and it will certainly make you reflect on some of your own cultural assumptions.WHAT WE DISCOVERED CONTRACT FOR THE WEBIn the 90's I think many of us expected The internet herald some from of global online utopia. Fast forward 25 years, flooded with fake news, election meddling, online bullying and a slew of other ills The Internet descended into a nightmarish mess. Its creator, Tim Berners-Lee, wants to reverse the slide.On November 25, Berners-Lee unveiled the Contract for the Web, an action plan he crafted with the help of over 80 other experts. It aims to boost privacy protections online, reduce digital incivility and discourage government crackdowns on the Web while ensuring that everyone on the planet gets access to the internet. There might well be hope for the future of The Internet. RECOMMENDED TO USARCADIA EARTH We recently took the recommendation of previous guest Alessandro Armillotta and visited Arcadia Earth her in Manhattan. It's an immersive augmented reality driven journey through Planet Earth that educates us on the impact of our behavior on the climate. On this large scale multi-sensorial journey will guide you through underwater worlds, fantasy lands, and inspirational art installations. powered by augmented reality, virtual reality, projection mapping, and interactive environments. As we explored, we learned how small lifestyle changes can have a massive impact on the future of our planet. MULLING ON THIS APOCALYPSE WHEN?It's easy to fall into the trap of helplessness and indifference in the face of the number of apocalyptic predictions about the impact of climate change. Bill McKibben suggested climate-driven fires in Australia had made koalas “functionally extinct.” Extinction Rebellion said “Billions will die” and “Life on Earth is dying.” Vice claimed the “collapse of civilization may have already begun.” This article by Michael Shellenberger in Forbes provides a more balanced view.  TOOL WE ARE USING STORY ART - INSTAGRAM STORY EDITORWe just started using this neat little tool called StoryArt. It's basically an Instagram story editor that offers 1000's of story templates to help you create collage layouts for your Instagram story.  You get the free version first and we just upgraded the $2 for the paid one.  MOVIE OF THE WEEKWHAT'S MY NAME - MUHAMMAD ALIWe loved this HBO two-part documentary which paints an intimate portrait of Ali - the man who was a beacon of hope ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Overview Born and raised in New York, to a graphic designer father and illustrator mother, her prolific life in design and branding was almost destined, welcome this week’s guest, partner at international design firm, Pentagram, Emily ObermanIn part two we explore how Emily met and formed a 17 year partnership, with Bonnie Siegler, in the New York design firm Number17 before we dive deep into her 20 seasons of driving the identity of Saturday Night Live. We also discuss her leadership experience at Pentagram and the challenges of combining that with motherhood Finally we discuss diversity and of course her quick fire questions and answers.I hope you enjoy this curiosity, humour and design principles of Emily Oberman What we discuss Forming Number17 With Bonnie SieglerWorking for smart good people and products she likes The experience of creating the credits of SNL The challenge of motherhood and a leadership in designThe hard work she has had to doDriving diversity in Pentagram and leading by example Social Links Instagram Linkedin Links in the Show Debbie MillmanVH1 ViacomNumber17 Agency M&CoDC comicsThe Wing Ready Player One Pentagram Lorne Micheals Saturday Night Live Monty Python MAD Comic Marx BrothersMetropolitan museum The HighlineHudson river park Devil in the White City Book  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Overview Emily Oberman - a partner at the international design firm, Pentagram, was born and raised in New York, to a graphic designer father and illustrator mother, discusses her prolific life in design and branding. In part one of this two-part episode Emily recounts the impact of her upbringing based on the idea of art, discovery, and joy, how humor and singing were never far and explains how the work ethic her parents instilled has served her well through her three decades in design. Emily discusses how her parents introduced her to Monty Python, The Marx Brothers, and MAD Magazine and how the idea of being a beautiful weirdo has remained with her throughout her career as she seeks out oddness in everyone she meetsWe cover Emily’s serendipitous journey from studying design at Cooper Union in NYC, her sojourn into film studies and how that set her on her path to a life in design, content, and storytelling. We discuss Emily’s early design influences, her approach to design and the role of story and ideas in her work. We end part one with Emily recounting how she ended up working under her mentor Tibor Kalman at design firm M&Co In part two we explore how Emily met and formed a 17-year partnership, with Bonnie Siegler, in the New York design firm Number17 before we dive deep into her 20 seasons of driving the identity of Saturday Night Live. We also discuss her leadership experience at Pentagram and the challenges of combining that with motherhood Finally, we discuss diversity and of course her quick-fire questions and answers.I hope you enjoy this curiosity, humor and design principles of Emily Oberman What we discuss The environment of art, discovery, and joy that defined her upbringingHow her parents injected humor and wit in everything they did Her appreciation for art, design and the power of idea-driven design The impact of her parents instilled in her from an early ageThe idea of being a beautiful weirdo How she embraces the off and seeks oddness in all places Why her family all share that goal of beautiful weirdnessEmily Oberman shares the impact of a teacher who recognized her talent and nurtured itEmily explains how she introduced her to Greek literature. Emily breaks down her decision to go to Cooper UnionStudying acting Why she is a worrierThe illustrators she was inspired by How her love of theatre and film led her to take a year to study acting How this led her to love film and ultimately motion graphics Design as performance Examples of how she approaches design using examples Ready Player One and the women’s co-working space, The Wing Forming Number17 With Bonnie SieglerWorking for smart good people and products she likes The experience of creating the credits of SNL The challenge of motherhood and leadership in designThe hard work she has had to doDriving diversity in Pentagram and leading by example Social Links Instagram Linkedin Links in the Show Debbie MillmanCooper UnionTibor KalmanMilton Glaser Max Fleischer Bob Kane Jack Kirby Mort Drucker Stella AdlerColors magazine VH1 ViacomNumber17 Agency M&CoDC comicsThe Wing Ready Player One Pentagram Lorne Micheals Saturday Night Live Monty Python MAD Comic Marx BrothersMetropolitan museum The HighlineHudson river park Devil in the White City Book  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.