Interested and Interesting, Episode 6

Not Following the Leader: Lessons from Alaska

When we’re seeking inspiration there’s no place too far, nor climate too cold to deter our discovery. In this episode we take you to Alaska and discover some compelling insights from one of the world’s oldest businesses: the fishing trade.

Barak Wright is a master story teller and accomplished audio producer. In the summer of 2012 he traveled to southern Alaska to work on a salmon fishing boat for a several weeks. Through a series of interviews with the seasoned pioneers of Alaskan fishing we learn that to truly innovate in business we must cultivate an agile, creative mind; something hard to come by on the waters of Neet’s Bay.

Special thanks to Christof Meyer – Innovation Director in the Richmond office – who introduced us to Barak Wright and made this episode possible.

From Prophet’s curator and provocateur team, Interested and Interesting is a monthly exploration of the business of brand, marketing, innovation, digital, design, and analytics. Hosts Geof and Josh introduce listeners to inspiring stories that engage and illustrate business principles in an abstract, provocative way. Our goal – to inspire listeners and liberate ideas to help drive business growth.

Interested and Interesting, Episode 6 [ 15:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (132)

Interested and Interesting, Episode 5

Growth from constraints: Bishop Allen and the EP a month project

Every project requires time, people and money. Most of the time we think of these things as constraints that restrict our possibilities. But what if we let these perceived constraints activate our creativity?

In 2006, Brooklyn based indie-rock band Bishop Allen took the constraints of producing an album and turned them into an opportunity. They started the EP a Month Project. Essentially, the band produced, released and distributed a 4-song EP every month for a year. The project changed the band’s approach to writing music entirely and was instrumental to the bands success.

In this episode of Interested and Interesting, we talk with the founding members of Bishop Allen and explore the story of the EP a Month Project. How did they turn the constraints of music writing into a transforming innovation for the band? How can you take the lessons learned by Bishop Allen and apply them to changing your business? [Music by Bishop Allen]

Interested and Interesting, Episode 5 [ 16:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (215)

Interested and Interesting, Episode 4

Adapting to change: Business lessons from the natural world

You’d be surprised at the lessons you can learn from a whale. Dr. Joy Reidenberg, professor of anatomy and functional morphology at Mt. Sinai, has made it her career to expose these lessons. Joy looks to nature for inspiration to solve human problems. Today we look to Joy for a new approach to a common business concern – adapting to change. Just as whales and other organisms have adapted to dramatic change in the natural environment, companies need to adapt to ever-changing business climate. What can we learn from the processes of change in nature that we can apply to our organizations? To answer this question, Joy discusses the evolution of whales and how nature can teach us some unique lessons. We also talked to David Aaker, Prophet’s Vice Chairman and the author of the best-selling book Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant, for a valuable business perspective. [Music brought to you by: Greenland]

Interested and Interesting, Episode 4 [ 16:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (275)

Watch Dr. Joy Reidenberg’s award-winning series, Inside Nature’s Giants:

And see how killer whales creative problem-solve, below:

Interested and Interesting, Episode 3

The Path to Innovation: Aspire to Realize

Rose Shuman is an innovator. Spending many years working on developing world projects she knows well what it takes to successfully bring something new into the world. This is illuminated best through her invention of a device called the Question Box. In this episode we explore the story of Question Box through the lens of Prophet’s innovation model Aspire to Realize. This model describes the path to innovation, and the steps necessary to stay inspired along the way. With Rose’s help we hope to illuminate the innovator’s journey. [Music brought to you by: Greenland]

Interested and Interesting, Episode 3 [ 16:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)

Interested and Interesting, Episode 2

The Customer Experience – Lessons from a Brooklyn Bike Shop

Co-creation, building relationships, and quality products make Joe Nocella at 718 Cyclery a busy, but successful entrepreneur. At 718 Cyclery Joe has created a customer experience that is unmatched in the New York bike scene. His signature touch point is something he calls ‘the collaborative build,’ and it’s a process worth a look. In this episode we talk to Joe about the success of his customer experience model. We’ll also chat with Fred Geyer at Prophet to give us an inside perspective. [Music brought to you by: Greenland]

Episode 2: The Customer Experience - Lessons from a Brooklyn Bike Shop [ 14:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (318)

Interested and Interesting: Episode 1

BioRide and The Innovation Audit

Breathing new life into old or dead ideas can be a brilliant path to innovation. Joey and Jeff Anderson know this well. By breathing new life into a wasted product, they built BioRide, a successful new business. In this episode we’ll explore the Anderson brothers’ path to success, and we’ll also talk to Prophet’s David Warren to discuss his Innovation Audit – a framework for reviving your company’s dead ideas into new growth platforms. [music brought to you by: Greenland]

Episode 1: BioRide and the Innovation Audit [ 9:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (283)