Hit the Ground Running https://www.fastcompany.com/podcasts en © Fast Company Magazine Hit The Ground Running, from Fast Company Magazine, is a podcast where we figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life. Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they explore everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/24a03b30-828d-11eb-9280-737bd6b4bcee/image/HitTheGroungRunning_Podcast_Logo.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Hit the Ground Running https://www.fastcompany.com/podcasts no episodic Fast Company Hit The Ground Running, from Fast Company Magazine, is a podcast where we figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life. Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they explore everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle. Hit The Ground Running, from Fast Company Magazine, is a podcast where we figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life. Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they explore everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle.

]]> Fast Company podcasts@fastcompany.com How Dropout competes in a cutthroat, subscription-streaming market Last September, CollegeHumor rebranded as Dropout. The 25-year old comedy platform made the move after a surge in subscriptions to the company's streaming platform, Dropout TV. After decades of struggling to find profitability, this became the centerpiece of its business model. “Truthfully, as a high school dropout, I never really connected with the brand name CollegeHumor,” said Dropout CEO Sam Reich. "We promised ourselves we would only do away with the name when we felt that Dropout was popular enough to eclipse it, and we feel that time is now.” Since purchasing the company for a whopping $0 in 2020, Reich has prioritized producing long-form improv content, keeping costs low and driving brand awareness through vertical videos on social media networks like TikTok. Dropout currently has 11 active series including its two most popular properties Game Changer and Dimension 20, a series where comedians actually play a live game of Dungeons & Dragons. By the end of this year, they are set to have 15 series including a live comedy special series called Dropout Presents that will launch this summer with a stand-up special from YouTuber Hank Green. The company has also ventured into live event programming for Dimension 20 in partnership with Live Nation, starting with a four-show tour of the U.K. this spring and, most impressively, leading up to a show at Madison Square Garden in January of 2025. Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Last September, CollegeHumor rebranded as Dropout. The 25-year old comedy platform made the move after a surge in subscriptions to the company's streaming platform, Dropout TV. After decades of struggling to find profitability, this became the centerpiece of its business model. “Truthfully, as a high school dropout, I never really connected with the brand name CollegeHumor,” said Dropout CEO Sam Reich. "We promised ourselves we would only do away with the name when we felt that Dropout was popular enough to eclipse it, and we feel that time is now.” Since purchasing the company for a whopping $0 in 2020, Reich has prioritized producing long-form improv content, keeping costs low and driving brand awareness through vertical videos on social media networks like TikTok. Dropout currently has 11 active series including its two most popular properties Game Changer and Dimension 20, a series where comedians actually play a live game of Dungeons & Dragons. By the end of this year, they are set to have 15 series including a live comedy special series called Dropout Presents that will launch this summer with a stand-up special from YouTuber Hank Green. The company has also ventured into live event programming for Dimension 20 in partnership with Live Nation, starting with a four-show tour of the U.K. this spring and, most impressively, leading up to a show at Madison Square Garden in January of 2025. Last September, CollegeHumor rebranded as Dropout. The 25-year old comedy platform made the move after a surge in subscriptions to the company's streaming platform, Dropout TV. After decades of struggling to find profitability, this became the centerpiece of its business model.

“Truthfully, as a high school dropout, I never really connected with the brand name CollegeHumor,” said Dropout CEO Sam Reich. "We promised ourselves we would only do away with the name when we felt that Dropout was popular enough to eclipse it, and we feel that time is now.”

Since purchasing the company for a whopping $0 in 2020, Reich has prioritized producing long-form improv content, keeping costs low and driving brand awareness through vertical videos on social media networks like TikTok. Dropout currently has 11 active series including its two most popular properties Game Changer and Dimension 20, a series where comedians actually play a live game of Dungeons & Dragons. By the end of this year, they are set to have 15 series including a live comedy special series called Dropout Presents that will launch this summer with a stand-up special from YouTuber Hank Green. The company has also ventured into live event programming for Dimension 20 in partnership with Live Nation, starting with a four-show tour of the U.K. this spring and, most impressively, leading up to a show at Madison Square Garden in January of 2025.

]]> 3950 Perplexity CEO slams Google By now, we’re used to talking to AI chatbots, and we’re used to googling something to find an answer. Last week, though, Google launched a new feature that combines the two called AI Overviews. The feature—which many users are already trying to turn off—is designed to reduce the number of searches users have to make. But the idea of combining a chatbot, search tool, and encyclopedia has actually been championed and refined by a two-year-old startup called Perplexity. The ambitious startup, which calls itself an Answer Engine, has been funded by the likes of Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. The stakes are high: If Perplexity can pull off its mission, the company could become—according to some—a Google killer. Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas spoke at our Most Innovative Companies Summit last week, and had some choice words about Google’s new features and the future of his own company. We spoke to executive editor Amy Farley to unpack what he said. Then, we chatted with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer about brand apology ads and E.l.f beauty’s recent study on how there are too many dicks across U.S corporate boards. Wed, 22 May 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company By now, we’re used to talking to AI chatbots, and we’re used to googling something to find an answer. Last week, though, Google launched a new feature that combines the two called AI Overviews. The feature—which many users are already trying to turn off—is designed to reduce the number of searches users have to make. But the idea of combining a chatbot, search tool, and encyclopedia has actually been championed and refined by a two-year-old startup called Perplexity. The ambitious startup, which calls itself an Answer Engine, has been funded by the likes of Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. The stakes are high: If Perplexity can pull off its mission, the company could become—according to some—a Google killer. Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas spoke at our Most Innovative Companies Summit last week, and had some choice words about Google’s new features and the future of his own company. We spoke to executive editor Amy Farley to unpack what he said. Then, we chatted with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer about brand apology ads and E.l.f beauty’s recent study on how there are too many dicks across U.S corporate boards. By now, we’re used to talking to AI chatbots, and we’re used to googling something to find an answer. Last week, though, Google launched a new feature that combines the two called AI Overviews. The feature—which many users are already trying to turn off—is designed to reduce the number of searches users have to make. But the idea of combining a chatbot, search tool, and encyclopedia has actually been championed and refined by a two-year-old startup called Perplexity. The ambitious startup, which calls itself an Answer Engine, has been funded by the likes of Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. The stakes are high: If Perplexity can pull off its mission, the company could become—according to some—a Google killer. Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas spoke at our Most Innovative Companies Summit last week, and had some choice words about Google’s new features and the future of his own company. We spoke to executive editor Amy Farley to unpack what he said.

Then, we chatted with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer about brand apology ads and E.l.f beauty’s recent study on how there are too many dicks across U.S corporate boards.

]]> 3487 Why is the WNBA so hot right now? The WNBA’s 2024 season comes on the heels of a recent groundswell of interest in women’s basketball. Last year was the WNBA’s most-watched regular season in over two decades and the recently wrapped NCAA tournament has brought a new generation of fans to the sport. The women’s March Madness final averaged 18.7 million viewers, while the men’s final averaged just 14.82 million viewers. Basically, the WNBA is a hot commodity and brands are noticing. Fast Company Staff Editor AJ Hess joined us to explain how this happened and why the stakes for the WNBA are so high this season. Then, in a bit of a role reversal, Josh played the interviewer and asked Yaz about her latest reporting on Oprah. It covered Weight Watchers, diet culture, and our favorite topic on this show, GLP-1s. The impetus for Yaz's article was a Weight Watchers event last week in New York where Oprah was speaking. Yaz explained what happened and what it means for the future of the company. Wed, 15 May 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The WNBA’s 2024 season comes on the heels of a recent groundswell of interest in women’s basketball. Last year was the WNBA’s most-watched regular season in over two decades and the recently wrapped NCAA tournament has brought a new generation of fans to the sport. The women’s March Madness final averaged 18.7 million viewers, while the men’s final averaged just 14.82 million viewers. Basically, the WNBA is a hot commodity and brands are noticing. Fast Company Staff Editor AJ Hess joined us to explain how this happened and why the stakes for the WNBA are so high this season. Then, in a bit of a role reversal, Josh played the interviewer and asked Yaz about her latest reporting on Oprah. It covered Weight Watchers, diet culture, and our favorite topic on this show, GLP-1s. The impetus for Yaz's article was a Weight Watchers event last week in New York where Oprah was speaking. Yaz explained what happened and what it means for the future of the company. The WNBA’s 2024 season comes on the heels of a recent groundswell of interest in women’s basketball. Last year was the WNBA’s most-watched regular season in over two decades and the recently wrapped NCAA tournament has brought a new generation of fans to the sport. The women’s March Madness final averaged 18.7 million viewers, while the men’s final averaged just 14.82 million viewers. Basically, the WNBA is a hot commodity and brands are noticing. Fast Company Staff Editor AJ Hess joined us to explain how this happened and why the stakes for the WNBA are so high this season.

Then, in a bit of a role reversal, Josh played the interviewer and asked Yaz about her latest reporting on Oprah. It covered Weight Watchers, diet culture, and our favorite topic on this show, GLP-1s. The impetus for Yaz's article was a Weight Watchers event last week in New York where Oprah was speaking. Yaz explained what happened and what it means for the future of the company.

]]> 3513 Boeing is having a bad year Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage. Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings. Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage. Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings. Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage.

Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings.

]]> 3241 Boeing is having a bad year Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage. Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings. Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage. Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings. Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in very hot water. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what’s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage.

Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what’s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It’s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings.

]]> 3241 NBC's hiring and firing of Ronna McDaniel Two weeks ago, the former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel was hired and then fired as an MSNBC contributor. This came about after pushback from staff, including complaints that she had touted Donald Trump’s debunked claims of voting malfeasance in the 2020 election. At the same time, there was backlash from people on the right who chalked up her dismissal as proof of left-wing media bias. Presiding over the chaos was NBCUniversal News chairman Cesar Conde, who has been trying to make the network for all viewpoints. But is that even possible in the Trump era? We talked to Fast Company contributing writer Brian Stelter, who profiled Cesar Conde in our upcoming spring issue. Then we chatted about one of Fast Company’s recognition programs, Brands That Matter. This is where Fast Company highlights companies that build a connection with their audiences by being culturally relevant, making an impact, and communicating their mission and values clearly. Our advertising and brand correspondent, Jeff Beer, joined us to share his favorite brands at the moment. Kristen Wiig's reprisal of the Target lady, SunChips jumping on the eclipse phenomenon, and . . . Dramamine producing a short documentary about barf bags. Wed, 10 Apr 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Two weeks ago, the former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel was hired and then fired as an MSNBC contributor. This came about after pushback from staff, including complaints that she had touted Donald Trump’s debunked claims of voting malfeasance in the 2020 election. At the same time, there was backlash from people on the right who chalked up her dismissal as proof of left-wing media bias. Presiding over the chaos was NBCUniversal News chairman Cesar Conde, who has been trying to make the network for all viewpoints. But is that even possible in the Trump era? We talked to Fast Company contributing writer Brian Stelter, who profiled Cesar Conde in our upcoming spring issue. Then we chatted about one of Fast Company’s recognition programs, Brands That Matter. This is where Fast Company highlights companies that build a connection with their audiences by being culturally relevant, making an impact, and communicating their mission and values clearly. Our advertising and brand correspondent, Jeff Beer, joined us to share his favorite brands at the moment. Kristen Wiig's reprisal of the Target lady, SunChips jumping on the eclipse phenomenon, and . . . Dramamine producing a short documentary about barf bags. Two weeks ago, the former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel was hired and then fired as an MSNBC contributor. This came about after pushback from staff, including complaints that she had touted Donald Trump’s debunked claims of voting malfeasance in the 2020 election. At the same time, there was backlash from people on the right who chalked up her dismissal as proof of left-wing media bias. Presiding over the chaos was NBCUniversal News chairman Cesar Conde, who has been trying to make the network for all viewpoints. But is that even possible in the Trump era? We talked to Fast Company contributing writer Brian Stelter, who profiled Cesar Conde in our upcoming spring issue.

Then we chatted about one of Fast Company’s recognition programs, Brands That Matter. This is where Fast Company highlights companies that build a connection with their audiences by being culturally relevant, making an impact, and communicating their mission and values clearly. Our advertising and brand correspondent, Jeff Beer, joined us to share his favorite brands at the moment. Kristen Wiig's reprisal of the Target lady, SunChips jumping on the eclipse phenomenon, and . . . Dramamine producing a short documentary about barf bags.

]]> 3655 Truth Social and Sephora Tweens Truth Social went public last week. The company disclosed its finances in an SEC filing that revealed it had brought in just over $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million in 2023. Those numbers don’t seem to make sense. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg joined us to break down what is responsible for the dire state of that business. Also, tweens and teens experimenting with makeup and skincare is nothing new, but there’s a new trend happening where tweens are showing a lot of interest in the Sephora brand . . . so we wanted to hear directly from them and got to speak with one tween about how they got so interested in skincare, and, of course, what their favorite products are. Then we spoke with Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, who shared why she thinks tweens love the brand so much and what the company is doing to connect with that community. Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Truth Social went public last week. The company disclosed its finances in an SEC filing that revealed it had brought in just over $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million in 2023. Those numbers don’t seem to make sense. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg joined us to break down what is responsible for the dire state of that business. Also, tweens and teens experimenting with makeup and skincare is nothing new, but there’s a new trend happening where tweens are showing a lot of interest in the Sephora brand . . . so we wanted to hear directly from them and got to speak with one tween about how they got so interested in skincare, and, of course, what their favorite products are. Then we spoke with Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, who shared why she thinks tweens love the brand so much and what the company is doing to connect with that community. Truth Social went public last week. The company disclosed its finances in an SEC filing that revealed it had brought in just over $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million in 2023. Those numbers don’t seem to make sense. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg joined us to break down what is responsible for the dire state of that business.

Also, tweens and teens experimenting with makeup and skincare is nothing new, but there’s a new trend happening where tweens are showing a lot of interest in the Sephora brand . . . so we wanted to hear directly from them and got to speak with one tween about how they got so interested in skincare, and, of course, what their favorite products are. Then we spoke with Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, who shared why she thinks tweens love the brand so much and what the company is doing to connect with that community.

]]> 4195 Powering the Future - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge. Mon, 25 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge. The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

]]> 1533 The Most Innovative Companies list is out! Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story! Wed, 20 Mar 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story! Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers:

Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com.

Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there.

For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story!

]]> 4480 The Most Innovative Companies list is out! Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story! Wed, 20 Mar 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story! Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers:

Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com.

Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there.

For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story!

]]> 4480 Fast Company at SXSW and Netflix's 3 Body Problem This past weekend, Fast Company hosted a three-day event as part of SXSW in Austin. Yaz moderated a bunch of panels, Josh was producing podcasts, and best-friend-of-the-pod Max Ufberg also moderated a number of panels. We met up with Max in person to record the show for the first time! Here's our recap of the weekend at the Fast Company Grill. Then, Netflix’s new series “3 Body Problem” is based on the first volume of the Chinese science fiction trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past.” The series depicts a fictional past, present, and future when an alien civilization comes to Earth. Yaz chatted with “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, “True Blood” executive producer Alexander Woo, and director Derek Tsang about the process of adapting a popular book series and turning it into a successful television show . . . and whether or not fan reactions factor into it. Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company This past weekend, Fast Company hosted a three-day event as part of SXSW in Austin. Yaz moderated a bunch of panels, Josh was producing podcasts, and best-friend-of-the-pod Max Ufberg also moderated a number of panels. We met up with Max in person to record the show for the first time! Here's our recap of the weekend at the Fast Company Grill. Then, Netflix’s new series “3 Body Problem” is based on the first volume of the Chinese science fiction trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past.” The series depicts a fictional past, present, and future when an alien civilization comes to Earth. Yaz chatted with “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, “True Blood” executive producer Alexander Woo, and director Derek Tsang about the process of adapting a popular book series and turning it into a successful television show . . . and whether or not fan reactions factor into it. This past weekend, Fast Company hosted a three-day event as part of SXSW in Austin. Yaz moderated a bunch of panels, Josh was producing podcasts, and best-friend-of-the-pod Max Ufberg also moderated a number of panels. We met up with Max in person to record the show for the first time! Here's our recap of the weekend at the Fast Company Grill.

Then, Netflix’s new series “3 Body Problem” is based on the first volume of the Chinese science fiction trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past.” The series depicts a fictional past, present, and future when an alien civilization comes to Earth. Yaz chatted with “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, “True Blood” executive producer Alexander Woo, and director Derek Tsang about the process of adapting a popular book series and turning it into a successful television show . . . and whether or not fan reactions factor into it.

]]> 3582 Supply Ch(AI)n Strategy Session - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers. Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers. How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

]]> 1183 Oscar Campaigns & TheRealReal What is an Oscar campaign? How do studios run them? When does Oscar campaigning start? We spoke with Allie Carieri to learn all about the work (and the money) that go into creating Oscar campaigns. Carieri creates experiences and events around entertainment, awards, film, and television as an independent marketing strategist. She also oversees experiential marketing activations as an accounts director at Civic Entertainment Group. She told us about the history of Oscar campaigns, the budgets behind these efforts, and we list some of the more successful campaigns. On another story, luxury consignment company The RealReal has struggled to prove to investors that it can be a profitable company. But just last week, the company announced that it had its first profitable quarter. Rati Sahi Levesque, president and COO, explains how the company turned things around. Wed, 06 Mar 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company What is an Oscar campaign? How do studios run them? When does Oscar campaigning start? We spoke with Allie Carieri to learn all about the work (and the money) that go into creating Oscar campaigns. Carieri creates experiences and events around entertainment, awards, film, and television as an independent marketing strategist. She also oversees experiential marketing activations as an accounts director at Civic Entertainment Group. She told us about the history of Oscar campaigns, the budgets behind these efforts, and we list some of the more successful campaigns. On another story, luxury consignment company The RealReal has struggled to prove to investors that it can be a profitable company. But just last week, the company announced that it had its first profitable quarter. Rati Sahi Levesque, president and COO, explains how the company turned things around. What is an Oscar campaign? How do studios run them? When does Oscar campaigning start?

We spoke with Allie Carieri to learn all about the work (and the money) that go into creating Oscar campaigns. Carieri creates experiences and events around entertainment, awards, film, and television as an independent marketing strategist. She also oversees experiential marketing activations as an accounts director at Civic Entertainment Group. She told us about the history of Oscar campaigns, the budgets behind these efforts, and we list some of the more successful campaigns.

On another story, luxury consignment company The RealReal has struggled to prove to investors that it can be a profitable company. But just last week, the company announced that it had its first profitable quarter. Rati Sahi Levesque, president and COO, explains how the company turned things around.

]]> 3907 Time for Growth - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board. Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board. In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

]]> 1473 Inside the chaos at the Bored Ape Yacht Club In 2022, The Bored Ape Yacht Club was kind of inescapable on some parts of the internet. People—including a range of celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Eminem—were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire some monkey jpegs store on the blockchain as NFTs. The conglomerate overseeing the collection along with other NFT series, such as CryptoPunks, is called Yuga Labs. VCs including A16z flocked to invest in it, valuing the company at $4 billion. Yuga’s stated ambition at the time was to create an interoperable gaming metaverse, where NFT holders could game on a browser. Lately, though, it seems that things haven’t been going so well for the company. ‘Fast Company’ tech editor Max Ufberg joined us to interview Yaz and ‘Fast Company’ staff editor, Connie Lin, about what happened and whether NFTs are even still . . . a thing. Then, Bubble Goods founder and CEO Jessica Young wanted to create an online marketplace where you could find the best—and best-for-you—foods right at your fingertips. Bubble Goods carries only packaged goods that are free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and fillers, plus no refined or cane sugar. And everything it sells comes from small, indie makers that Bubble Goods taste-tests first to make sure its worthy of its consumers. We spoke to Jessica about what led her to create this space for food products, the vetting process for items to be on the site, and what are some of her favorites on the platform. Wed, 28 Feb 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company In 2022, The Bored Ape Yacht Club was kind of inescapable on some parts of the internet. People—including a range of celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Eminem—were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire some monkey jpegs store on the blockchain as NFTs. The conglomerate overseeing the collection along with other NFT series, such as CryptoPunks, is called Yuga Labs. VCs including A16z flocked to invest in it, valuing the company at $4 billion. Yuga’s stated ambition at the time was to create an interoperable gaming metaverse, where NFT holders could game on a browser. Lately, though, it seems that things haven’t been going so well for the company. ‘Fast Company’ tech editor Max Ufberg joined us to interview Yaz and ‘Fast Company’ staff editor, Connie Lin, about what happened and whether NFTs are even still . . . a thing. Then, Bubble Goods founder and CEO Jessica Young wanted to create an online marketplace where you could find the best—and best-for-you—foods right at your fingertips. Bubble Goods carries only packaged goods that are free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and fillers, plus no refined or cane sugar. And everything it sells comes from small, indie makers that Bubble Goods taste-tests first to make sure its worthy of its consumers. We spoke to Jessica about what led her to create this space for food products, the vetting process for items to be on the site, and what are some of her favorites on the platform. In 2022, The Bored Ape Yacht Club was kind of inescapable on some parts of the internet. People—including a range of celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Eminem—were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire some monkey jpegs store on the blockchain as NFTs. The conglomerate overseeing the collection along with other NFT series, such as CryptoPunks, is called Yuga Labs. VCs including A16z flocked to invest in it, valuing the company at $4 billion. Yuga’s stated ambition at the time was to create an interoperable gaming metaverse, where NFT holders could game on a browser.

Lately, though, it seems that things haven’t been going so well for the company. ‘Fast Company’ tech editor Max Ufberg joined us to interview Yaz and ‘Fast Company’ staff editor, Connie Lin, about what happened and whether NFTs are even still . . . a thing.

Then, Bubble Goods founder and CEO Jessica Young wanted to create an online marketplace where you could find the best—and best-for-you—foods right at your fingertips. Bubble Goods carries only packaged goods that are free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and fillers, plus no refined or cane sugar. And everything it sells comes from small, indie makers that Bubble Goods taste-tests first to make sure its worthy of its consumers. We spoke to Jessica about what led her to create this space for food products, the vetting process for items to be on the site, and what are some of her favorites on the platform.

]]> 3353 What do the Apple Vision Pro, Humane AI, and the AI Tab necklace say about the future of AI hardware? January was a big month for AI hardware, and we wanted to go over some of the biggest devices and tech out there. ‘Fast Company’ global design editor Mark Wilson joined us to chat about a couple of devices, including the Humane Pin, the Rabbit r1, and a wearable AI microphone called Tab. For more on these, check out Mark’s reporting, and what he thinks about the Apple Vision Pro. In 2022, the beauty market—defined as skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare—generated approximately $430 billion in revenue. Today, beauty is on an upward trajectory across all categories. It has proven to be resilient amid global economic crises. We wanted to figure out why. So, Yaz sat down with Kara Brothers, president of Starface, which makes star-shaped acne patches so popular with Gen Z on social media; Volition Beauty founder and VC Patricia Santos who also works with influencers to launch products for their audience; and makeup artist and luxury-brand founder Fara Homidi. Wed, 21 Feb 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company January was a big month for AI hardware, and we wanted to go over some of the biggest devices and tech out there. ‘Fast Company’ global design editor Mark Wilson joined us to chat about a couple of devices, including the Humane Pin, the Rabbit r1, and a wearable AI microphone called Tab. For more on these, check out Mark’s reporting, and what he thinks about the Apple Vision Pro. In 2022, the beauty market—defined as skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare—generated approximately $430 billion in revenue. Today, beauty is on an upward trajectory across all categories. It has proven to be resilient amid global economic crises. We wanted to figure out why. So, Yaz sat down with Kara Brothers, president of Starface, which makes star-shaped acne patches so popular with Gen Z on social media; Volition Beauty founder and VC Patricia Santos who also works with influencers to launch products for their audience; and makeup artist and luxury-brand founder Fara Homidi. January was a big month for AI hardware, and we wanted to go over some of the biggest devices and tech out there. ‘Fast Company’ global design editor Mark Wilson joined us to chat about a couple of devices, including the Humane Pin, the Rabbit r1, and a wearable AI microphone called Tab. For more on these, check out Mark’s reporting, and what he thinks about the Apple Vision Pro.

In 2022, the beauty market—defined as skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare—generated approximately $430 billion in revenue. Today, beauty is on an upward trajectory across all categories. It has proven to be resilient amid global economic crises. We wanted to figure out why. So, Yaz sat down with Kara Brothers, president of Starface, which makes star-shaped acne patches so popular with Gen Z on social media; Volition Beauty founder and VC Patricia Santos who also works with influencers to launch products for their audience; and makeup artist and luxury-brand founder Fara Homidi.

]]> 4035 Why people are ditching Tinder . . . and falling in love with lab-grown diamonds We’re about to hit the end of peak dating season with Valentine’s Day this week and what better way to commemorate that than to chat about the state of the dating industry. Fast Company Staff Writer Jess Bursztynsky joined us to chat about what the apps are doing to address dating fatigue and how they're continuing to incorporate AI into their strategies, for example, Tinder is able to use AI to help users pick out which photos in their camera rolls would work best for their profiles.  Then Angara co-founders Aditi and Ankur Daga, and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein came on the pod to discuss the lab-grown diamond boom and whether or not you should disclose when you've purchased a lab-grown diamond. Answer: yes. This business is all about trust. Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company We’re about to hit the end of peak dating season with Valentine’s Day this week and what better way to commemorate that than to chat about the state of the dating industry. Fast Company Staff Writer Jess Bursztynsky joined us to chat about what the apps are doing to address dating fatigue and how they're continuing to incorporate AI into their strategies, for example, Tinder is able to use AI to help users pick out which photos in their camera rolls would work best for their profiles.  Then Angara co-founders Aditi and Ankur Daga, and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein came on the pod to discuss the lab-grown diamond boom and whether or not you should disclose when you've purchased a lab-grown diamond. Answer: yes. This business is all about trust. We’re about to hit the end of peak dating season with Valentine’s Day this week and what better way to commemorate that than to chat about the state of the dating industry. Fast Company Staff Writer Jess Bursztynsky joined us to chat about what the apps are doing to address dating fatigue and how they're continuing to incorporate AI into their strategies, for example, Tinder is able to use AI to help users pick out which photos in their camera rolls would work best for their profiles. 

Then Angara co-founders Aditi and Ankur Daga, and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein came on the pod to discuss the lab-grown diamond boom and whether or not you should disclose when you've purchased a lab-grown diamond. Answer: yes. This business is all about trust.

]]> 3926 Super Bowl ads and Stanley cups The Super Bowl is set to kick off this Sunday, and we’re taking a look at some of the ads that are already out there. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer joined us to share what he thinks about this year’s slate of ads. He’s noticed how brands are evolving to use the Super Bowl itself in their teasers and ads, which shows the trajectory of the way brands are going . . . they used to go for funny or emotional but now it’s an ad about being an ad. Using the game itself to help advertise a product is creating a very meta approach. We also talked about what’s going on with those Stanley cups. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff writer Liz Segran explained how the trendy tumblers do contain lead but more importantly, how this revelation will impact the company’s dominance in the very crowded reusable water bottle market. Also, how sustainable are these containers when they’re being marketed as a fashion accessory? For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 07 Feb 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The Super Bowl is set to kick off this Sunday, and we’re taking a look at some of the ads that are already out there. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer joined us to share what he thinks about this year’s slate of ads. He’s noticed how brands are evolving to use the Super Bowl itself in their teasers and ads, which shows the trajectory of the way brands are going . . . they used to go for funny or emotional but now it’s an ad about being an ad. Using the game itself to help advertise a product is creating a very meta approach. We also talked about what’s going on with those Stanley cups. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff writer Liz Segran explained how the trendy tumblers do contain lead but more importantly, how this revelation will impact the company’s dominance in the very crowded reusable water bottle market. Also, how sustainable are these containers when they’re being marketed as a fashion accessory? For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! The Super Bowl is set to kick off this Sunday, and we’re taking a look at some of the ads that are already out there. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer joined us to share what he thinks about this year’s slate of ads. He’s noticed how brands are evolving to use the Super Bowl itself in their teasers and ads, which shows the trajectory of the way brands are going . . . they used to go for funny or emotional but now it’s an ad about being an ad. Using the game itself to help advertise a product is creating a very meta approach.

We also talked about what’s going on with those Stanley cups. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff writer Liz Segran explained how the trendy tumblers do contain lead but more importantly, how this revelation will impact the company’s dominance in the very crowded reusable water bottle market. Also, how sustainable are these containers when they’re being marketed as a fashion accessory?

For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 3559 WWE, Netflix—and the baby-faced rival who wants to body slam them Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ‘Fast Company’ deputy editor David Lidsky joined us to chat about Yaz’s piece on Tony, why he formed AEW in 2019, and how he was a huge wrestling nerd who grew up doing e-wrestling. And here are some more wrestling updates: Starting in January 2025, WWE’s flagship series, Raw, will be moving to Netflix WWE will still have some shows streaming on Peacock and still has pay-per-view offerings Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is joining the board of directors at TKO Group (which consists of UFC and WWE) Then, our producer Blake Odom sat down with Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. They chatted about the company’s $4 billion valuation, its most prominent investor (SoftBank), and how it jumped into the very crowded athleisure space. Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ‘Fast Company’ deputy editor David Lidsky joined us to chat about Yaz’s piece on Tony, why he formed AEW in 2019, and how he was a huge wrestling nerd who grew up doing e-wrestling. And here are some more wrestling updates: Starting in January 2025, WWE’s flagship series, Raw, will be moving to Netflix WWE will still have some shows streaming on Peacock and still has pay-per-view offerings Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is joining the board of directors at TKO Group (which consists of UFC and WWE) Then, our producer Blake Odom sat down with Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. They chatted about the company’s $4 billion valuation, its most prominent investor (SoftBank), and how it jumped into the very crowded athleisure space. Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ‘Fast Company’ deputy editor David Lidsky joined us to chat about Yaz’s piece on Tony, why he formed AEW in 2019, and how he was a huge wrestling nerd who grew up doing e-wrestling.

And here are some more wrestling updates:

  • Starting in January 2025, WWE’s flagship series, Raw, will be moving to Netflix
  • WWE will still have some shows streaming on Peacock and still has pay-per-view offerings
  • Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is joining the board of directors at TKO Group (which consists of UFC and WWE)


Then, our producer Blake Odom sat down with Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. They chatted about the company’s $4 billion valuation, its most prominent investor (SoftBank), and how it jumped into the very crowded athleisure space.

]]> 3139 Daily Harvest rolls out Ozempic-designed meals Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky Silver explained how Daily Harvest’s January Jumpstart program includes GLP-1-focused meal plans. Then we chatted with Sharp Entertainment CEO Matt Sharp. Sharp is the guy behind such reality TV hits as ‘90 Day Fiancé,’ ‘Inmate to Roommate,’ and ‘Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship!’ He told us about how many nos he got from networks before finding success. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky Silver explained how Daily Harvest’s January Jumpstart program includes GLP-1-focused meal plans. Then we chatted with Sharp Entertainment CEO Matt Sharp. Sharp is the guy behind such reality TV hits as ‘90 Day Fiancé,’ ‘Inmate to Roommate,’ and ‘Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship!’ He told us about how many nos he got from networks before finding success. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky Silver explained how Daily Harvest’s January Jumpstart program includes GLP-1-focused meal plans.

Then we chatted with Sharp Entertainment CEO Matt Sharp. Sharp is the guy behind such reality TV hits as ‘90 Day Fiancé,’ ‘Inmate to Roommate,’ and ‘Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship!’ He told us about how many nos he got from networks before finding success.

For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 3070 Big Tech might not be able to use Section 230 for protection anymore A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they’re using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.’ Rather than faulting these platforms for other people’s posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn’t cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company’s top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they’re using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.’ Rather than faulting these platforms for other people’s posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn’t cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company’s top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they’re using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.’

Rather than faulting these platforms for other people’s posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn’t cover.

Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company’s top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation.

For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 2710 Sam Altman is still CEO of Open AI The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Dall-E services, came to a head on November 17 when the organization’s nonprofit board of directors voted to fire CEO Sam Altman. But then he was reinstated on November 22. It’s been a wild ride, but Fast Company senior writers Ainsley Harris and Mark Sullivan joined us to help break down the confusing back and forth at the generative AI company. For more on the company’s tumultuous activities, check out Ainsley's and Mark's reporting. “We need to make it a little more snackable, a little bit more bite-size.” USAFacts president Poppy MacDonald explained how she helps make government data more accessible, available, and interactive. Founded and funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the nonpartisan nonprofit ensures government data is available to the general public. But what about operating in a post-truth world? MacDonald explained they don’t get involved in polling or forecasts, and instead they stick with what the facts are as published by the government. They provide the data and then people—whether an individual, business, or elected leader—decide what they want to do about that data. “We’re really hoping for a healthy debate, but we think a healthy debate about how to move our democracy forward starts with facts.” For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 29 Nov 2023 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Dall-E services, came to a head on November 17 when the organization’s nonprofit board of directors voted to fire CEO Sam Altman. But then he was reinstated on November 22. It’s been a wild ride, but Fast Company senior writers Ainsley Harris and Mark Sullivan joined us to help break down the confusing back and forth at the generative AI company. For more on the company’s tumultuous activities, check out Ainsley's and Mark's reporting. “We need to make it a little more snackable, a little bit more bite-size.” USAFacts president Poppy MacDonald explained how she helps make government data more accessible, available, and interactive. Founded and funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the nonpartisan nonprofit ensures government data is available to the general public. But what about operating in a post-truth world? MacDonald explained they don’t get involved in polling or forecasts, and instead they stick with what the facts are as published by the government. They provide the data and then people—whether an individual, business, or elected leader—decide what they want to do about that data. “We’re really hoping for a healthy debate, but we think a healthy debate about how to move our democracy forward starts with facts.” For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Dall-E services, came to a head on November 17 when the organization’s nonprofit board of directors voted to fire CEO Sam Altman. But then he was reinstated on November 22. It’s been a wild ride, but Fast Company senior writers Ainsley Harris and Mark Sullivan joined us to help break down the confusing back and forth at the generative AI company.

For more on the company’s tumultuous activities, check out Ainsley's and Mark's reporting.

“We need to make it a little more snackable, a little bit more bite-size.” USAFacts president Poppy MacDonald explained how she helps make government data more accessible, available, and interactive. Founded and funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the nonpartisan nonprofit ensures government data is available to the general public. But what about operating in a post-truth world? MacDonald explained they don’t get involved in polling or forecasts, and instead they stick with what the facts are as published by the government. They provide the data and then people—whether an individual, business, or elected leader—decide what they want to do about that data. “We’re really hoping for a healthy debate, but we think a healthy debate about how to move our democracy forward starts with facts.”

For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 2773 The SAG-AFTRA strike is over! After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this past summer with the strike, as well as the overall state of unions at the moment. As of airing this episode, the union’s national board approved the new contract with major studios and sent it to membership for ratification. “I’m completely uninterested in building small things.” Emma Grede has started a LOT of businesses. Probably best known for cofounding Good American, Emma is also a founding partner at Skims. For her, when it comes to starting a business, it’s never about who she’s going to partner with but rather what problem are we solving: What are we trying to do, and how do we uniquely align that with the right individual at the time? As she was starting out, Emma worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, and Calvin Klein. She said that gave her a kind of unique understanding and perspective, but also a clear insight into what she considers one of the best accelerators: fame. “I was very, very early in influencer marketing, and I think that we’ve seen enough celebrities create brands and fail or create brands and not have success like Good American and Skims and Safely to know that it isn’t talent alone [that’s] going to propel a brand.” For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 15 Nov 2023 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this past summer with the strike, as well as the overall state of unions at the moment. As of airing this episode, the union’s national board approved the new contract with major studios and sent it to membership for ratification. “I’m completely uninterested in building small things.” Emma Grede has started a LOT of businesses. Probably best known for cofounding Good American, Emma is also a founding partner at Skims. For her, when it comes to starting a business, it’s never about who she’s going to partner with but rather what problem are we solving: What are we trying to do, and how do we uniquely align that with the right individual at the time? As she was starting out, Emma worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, and Calvin Klein. She said that gave her a kind of unique understanding and perspective, but also a clear insight into what she considers one of the best accelerators: fame. “I was very, very early in influencer marketing, and I think that we’ve seen enough celebrities create brands and fail or create brands and not have success like Good American and Skims and Safely to know that it isn’t talent alone [that’s] going to propel a brand.” For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this past summer with the strike, as well as the overall state of unions at the moment. As of airing this episode, the union’s national board approved the new contract with major studios and sent it to membership for ratification.

“I’m completely uninterested in building small things.” Emma Grede has started a LOT of businesses. Probably best known for cofounding Good American, Emma is also a founding partner at Skims. For her, when it comes to starting a business, it’s never about who she’s going to partner with but rather what problem are we solving: What are we trying to do, and how do we uniquely align that with the right individual at the time?

As she was starting out, Emma worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, and Calvin Klein. She said that gave her a kind of unique understanding and perspective, but also a clear insight into what she considers one of the best accelerators: fame. “I was very, very early in influencer marketing, and I think that we’ve seen enough celebrities create brands and fail or create brands and not have success like Good American and Skims and Safely to know that it isn’t talent alone [that’s] going to propel a brand.”

For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 3028 WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the end of an empire WeWork’s tumultuous ride has come to an end. We chatted with journalist Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, about one of the wildest and most dramatic startup stories in corporate America’s history. “The brand is bruised.” What’s going on at Marvel Studios? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer breaks down the Marvel Cinematic Universe with culture writers Joanna Robinson and David Gonzales. They chat about MCU’s strengths and weakness, and how the company once excelled at storytelling and teaching its audience how to be loyal to the brand. But now, Marvel is watching its goodwill chip away, Robinson said. So what happens when a brand’s logo doesn’t carry the same strength? “They have these pieces—it would be foolish to count them out—but they know they don’t have any free passes left,” she said. For more behind-the-scenes look at the MCU, check out: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios And you can find Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Wed, 08 Nov 2023 23:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company WeWork’s tumultuous ride has come to an end. We chatted with journalist Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, about one of the wildest and most dramatic startup stories in corporate America’s history. “The brand is bruised.” What’s going on at Marvel Studios? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer breaks down the Marvel Cinematic Universe with culture writers Joanna Robinson and David Gonzales. They chat about MCU’s strengths and weakness, and how the company once excelled at storytelling and teaching its audience how to be loyal to the brand. But now, Marvel is watching its goodwill chip away, Robinson said. So what happens when a brand’s logo doesn’t carry the same strength? “They have these pieces—it would be foolish to count them out—but they know they don’t have any free passes left,” she said. For more behind-the-scenes look at the MCU, check out: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios And you can find Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! WeWork’s tumultuous ride has come to an end. We chatted with journalist Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, about one of the wildest and most dramatic startup stories in corporate America’s history.

“The brand is bruised.” What’s going on at Marvel Studios? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer breaks down the Marvel Cinematic Universe with culture writers Joanna Robinson and David Gonzales. They chat about MCU’s strengths and weakness, and how the company once excelled at storytelling and teaching its audience how to be loyal to the brand. But now, Marvel is watching its goodwill chip away, Robinson said. So what happens when a brand’s logo doesn’t carry the same strength? “They have these pieces—it would be foolish to count them out—but they know they don’t have any free passes left,” she said.

For more behind-the-scenes look at the MCU, check out: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios

And you can find Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

]]> 3727 FROM FASTCO WORKS AND CAPITAL ONE: Empathy and Innovation: Keeping the Customer at the Center Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences. Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:01:05 -0000 full Fast Company Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences. Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences.

]]> 409 FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP - Growth Agents: How Pink Lily went from a side hustle to a multimillion-dollar company The company’s director of finance explains how her job goes well beyond accounting. Tina Hetzer, director of finance at Pink Lily, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. She built Pink Lily’s finance team from scratch and has helped the company become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Hetzer discusses the cash-flow challenges unique to fashion retailers and explains how working at a smaller, founder-run company can fuel greater collaboration across the organization.   Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The company’s director of finance explains how her job goes well beyond accounting. Tina Hetzer, director of finance at Pink Lily, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. She built Pink Lily’s finance team from scratch and has helped the company become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Hetzer discusses the cash-flow challenges unique to fashion retailers and explains how working at a smaller, founder-run company can fuel greater collaboration across the organization.   The company’s director of finance explains how her job goes well beyond accounting. Tina Hetzer, director of finance at Pink Lily, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. She built Pink Lily’s finance team from scratch and has helped the company become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Hetzer discusses the cash-flow challenges unique to fashion retailers and explains how working at a smaller, founder-run company can fuel greater collaboration across the organization.  

]]> 1124 FROM SAP AND FASTCO WORKS: Growth Agents: Duolingo’s CFO on how the company took over the language learning space Duolingo’s freemium subscription model, beloved brand and strategic investments have allowed it to execute its educational mission and become a cultural touchstone. Matthew Skaruppa, CFO of Duolingo, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. Since he joined the company in 2020, Duolingo has grown its base of monthly active users by more than 80%. Each month, 75 million users hone their language skills on the Duolingo app. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Skaruppa discusses how his analytical background has allowed to him to be a more strategy-oriented CFO. For him, that has meant balancing big aspirations and finite resources, and turning the uncertainties of tomorrow into action today. Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Duolingo’s freemium subscription model, beloved brand and strategic investments have allowed it to execute its educational mission and become a cultural touchstone. Matthew Skaruppa, CFO of Duolingo, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. Since he joined the company in 2020, Duolingo has grown its base of monthly active users by more than 80%. Each month, 75 million users hone their language skills on the Duolingo app. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Skaruppa discusses how his analytical background has allowed to him to be a more strategy-oriented CFO. For him, that has meant balancing big aspirations and finite resources, and turning the uncertainties of tomorrow into action today. Duolingo’s freemium subscription model, beloved brand and strategic investments have allowed it to execute its educational mission and become a cultural touchstone. Matthew Skaruppa, CFO of Duolingo, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. Since he joined the company in 2020, Duolingo has grown its base of monthly active users by more than 80%. Each month, 75 million users hone their language skills on the Duolingo app. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Skaruppa discusses how his analytical background has allowed to him to be a more strategy-oriented CFO. For him, that has meant balancing big aspirations and finite resources, and turning the uncertainties of tomorrow into action today.

]]> 1588 Understanding the girlboss era, the sexist backlash, and what's next Only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs, even though women make up 47% of the workforce. And female founders only get 2% of venture capital. When Sophia Amoruso coined the term ‘girlboss’ in her 2014 memoir, #Girlboss, she helped spark a movement for women to step into more leadership roles. But then she and a couple of other girlbosses faced backlash over their management practices, including creating toxic work environments. Compared to some of their problematic male counterparts, though, these women ultimately lost control of the companies they built. Fast Company senior staff writer Liz Segran breaks down why the reign of the girlboss is over and how the next generation of founders shouldn’t feel compelled to follow their playbook. “I have no intention of raising money and blowing up and trying to take over the world,” Bite founder and CEO Lindsay McCormick says. The sustainable toothpaste company’s goal is to stay small, stay true to the customers that they serve, and continue to be able to trailblaze. She said the company aims to show big brands that there is something to be done about caring for the environment. “And if you do it right, people will get on board.” And check out Stephanie Clifford’s coverage of the ongoing SBF trial. Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs, even though women make up 47% of the workforce. And female founders only get 2% of venture capital. When Sophia Amoruso coined the term ‘girlboss’ in her 2014 memoir, #Girlboss, she helped spark a movement for women to step into more leadership roles. But then she and a couple of other girlbosses faced backlash over their management practices, including creating toxic work environments. Compared to some of their problematic male counterparts, though, these women ultimately lost control of the companies they built. Fast Company senior staff writer Liz Segran breaks down why the reign of the girlboss is over and how the next generation of founders shouldn’t feel compelled to follow their playbook. “I have no intention of raising money and blowing up and trying to take over the world,” Bite founder and CEO Lindsay McCormick says. The sustainable toothpaste company’s goal is to stay small, stay true to the customers that they serve, and continue to be able to trailblaze. She said the company aims to show big brands that there is something to be done about caring for the environment. “And if you do it right, people will get on board.” And check out Stephanie Clifford’s coverage of the ongoing SBF trial. Only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs, even though women make up 47% of the workforce. And female founders only get 2% of venture capital. When Sophia Amoruso coined the term ‘girlboss’ in her 2014 memoir, #Girlboss, she helped spark a movement for women to step into more leadership roles. But then she and a couple of other girlbosses faced backlash over their management practices, including creating toxic work environments. Compared to some of their problematic male counterparts, though, these women ultimately lost control of the companies they built. Fast Company senior staff writer Liz Segran breaks down why the reign of the girlboss is over and how the next generation of founders shouldn’t feel compelled to follow their playbook.

“I have no intention of raising money and blowing up and trying to take over the world,” Bite founder and CEO Lindsay McCormick says. The sustainable toothpaste company’s goal is to stay small, stay true to the customers that they serve, and continue to be able to trailblaze. She said the company aims to show big brands that there is something to be done about caring for the environment. “And if you do it right, people will get on board.”

And check out Stephanie Clifford’s coverage of the ongoing SBF trial.

]]> 2911 FROM SAP AND FASTCO WORKS: Growth Agents: The inside story of Sweetgreen’s rapid rise to the top Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he started, Sweetgreen had 25 stores; today, there are more than 220—and Reback says the company is still in its “infancy.” In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Reback takes a deep dive into his role as a growth agent. Capital is the engine that drives growth, and Reback says his job is to make sure the company has adequate capital to grow as well as determining how best to allocate it, including investments in stores, marketing, staff, and technology—or, as he puts it, to push innovation forward in a way that’s capital efficient. Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he started, Sweetgreen had 25 stores; today, there are more than 220—and Reback says the company is still in its “infancy.” In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Reback takes a deep dive into his role as a growth agent. Capital is the engine that drives growth, and Reback says his job is to make sure the company has adequate capital to grow as well as determining how best to allocate it, including investments in stores, marketing, staff, and technology—or, as he puts it, to push innovation forward in a way that’s capital efficient. Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he started, Sweetgreen had 25 stores; today, there are more than 220—and Reback says the company is still in its “infancy.” In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Reback takes a deep dive into his role as a growth agent. Capital is the engine that drives growth, and Reback says his job is to make sure the company has adequate capital to grow as well as determining how best to allocate it, including investments in stores, marketing, staff, and technology—or, as he puts it, to push innovation forward in a way that’s capital efficient.

]]> 725 Why nostalgia is such a powerful force for brand marketing What do Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light all have in common? They’re all brands that have built a connection with their consumers. On today’s episode, we’re looking at our company’s ‘Brands That Matter’ recognition program with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer. Not only is it about building connections, but also developing culturally relevant messaging, making an impact through social causes, and communicating their mission and values clearly. We also chat about peak marketing nostalgia and, specifically, how Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is re-releasing SpongeBob shapes, which seems like a perfect example of a brand keying into what millennials miss about childhood. ‘Are you ok with being in the shadows?’ Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, talks about how he started his streetwear brand, The Hundreds, 20 years ago. Every year, there’s always a debate about what streetwear is—some people say it’s not cool anymore because of elitism and snobbery within subcultures. To get around this, Hundreds says you need young people discovering it for first time, as well as seasoned veterans weighing in, for a brand to have lore and build a legacy. Most streetwear brands are built to be ephemeral, but Hundreds said what helped his company was sticking to its core values: honesty, communication, and being personable. “People never go out of style.” Check out @bobbyhundreds and The Hundreds’ Substack ‘Monologue’: https://bobbyhundreds.substack.com/p/the-importance-of-diversity-and-representation Wed, 04 Oct 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company What do Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light all have in common? They’re all brands that have built a connection with their consumers. On today’s episode, we’re looking at our company’s ‘Brands That Matter’ recognition program with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer. Not only is it about building connections, but also developing culturally relevant messaging, making an impact through social causes, and communicating their mission and values clearly. We also chat about peak marketing nostalgia and, specifically, how Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is re-releasing SpongeBob shapes, which seems like a perfect example of a brand keying into what millennials miss about childhood. ‘Are you ok with being in the shadows?’ Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, talks about how he started his streetwear brand, The Hundreds, 20 years ago. Every year, there’s always a debate about what streetwear is—some people say it’s not cool anymore because of elitism and snobbery within subcultures. To get around this, Hundreds says you need young people discovering it for first time, as well as seasoned veterans weighing in, for a brand to have lore and build a legacy. Most streetwear brands are built to be ephemeral, but Hundreds said what helped his company was sticking to its core values: honesty, communication, and being personable. “People never go out of style.” Check out @bobbyhundreds and The Hundreds’ Substack ‘Monologue’: https://bobbyhundreds.substack.com/p/the-importance-of-diversity-and-representation What do Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light all have in common? They’re all brands that have built a connection with their consumers. On today’s episode, we’re looking at our company’s ‘Brands That Matter’ recognition program with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer. Not only is it about building connections, but also developing culturally relevant messaging, making an impact through social causes, and communicating their mission and values clearly. We also chat about peak marketing nostalgia and, specifically, how Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is re-releasing SpongeBob shapes, which seems like a perfect example of a brand keying into what millennials miss about childhood.

‘Are you ok with being in the shadows?’ Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, talks about how he started his streetwear brand, The Hundreds, 20 years ago. Every year, there’s always a debate about what streetwear is—some people say it’s not cool anymore because of elitism and snobbery within subcultures. To get around this, Hundreds says you need young people discovering it for first time, as well as seasoned veterans weighing in, for a brand to have lore and build a legacy. Most streetwear brands are built to be ephemeral, but Hundreds said what helped his company was sticking to its core values: honesty, communication, and being personable. “People never go out of style.”

Check out @bobbyhundreds and The Hundreds’ Substack ‘Monologue’: https://bobbyhundreds.substack.com/p/the-importance-of-diversity-and-representation

]]> 2968 For Lego, net zero goals are anything but child’s play Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030. “Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver. And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day. And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal.  Wed, 27 Sep 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030. “Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver. And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day. And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal.  Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030.

“Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver.

And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day.

And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal. 

]]> 2921 Who is the ‘most fairly paid’ CEO in America—and what does that even mean? So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality. Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’ And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9I For more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss FAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality. Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’ And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9I For more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss FAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality.

Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’

And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9I

For more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

FAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

]]> 2503 Barbie's global domination: Exactly how Mattel pulled it off The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach. Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations. Wed, 19 Jul 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach. Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations. The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach.

Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations.

]]> 1893 Will Threads disrupt the digital public square? We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse. And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse. And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette. We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter?

Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse.

And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette.

]]> 2029 Hacking into the wellness industry with Fast Company's 'Future Me' Docuseries When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage. Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour. Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage. Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour. Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage.

Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour.

Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium

]]> 2135 It's time to ban right turns on red lights Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things. And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself. For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things. And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself. For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things.

And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself.

For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

]]> 2190 Are we all going to start using the new Apple Vision Pro headset? On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the latest biotech research in menopause with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris. Wed, 07 Jun 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Fast Company On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the latest biotech research in menopause with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris. On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the latest biotech research in menopause with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris.

]]> 2054 What are long-shot presidential candidates talking about on podcasts? The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates creating space for themselves on . . . podcasts, of all places. Yaz chatted with ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey to hear about his journey listening to some of these long-shot candidates on quite an array of podcasts. Harry’s Razors is arguably one of the first companies to pioneer the direct-to-consumer model. This year, the company is celebrating 10 years. Yaz sat down with Jeff Raider, cofounder and co-CEO, to hear his thoughts on how the industry has evolved since Harry’s first started. Wed, 31 May 2023 21:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates creating space for themselves on . . . podcasts, of all places. Yaz chatted with ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey to hear about his journey listening to some of these long-shot candidates on quite an array of podcasts. Harry’s Razors is arguably one of the first companies to pioneer the direct-to-consumer model. This year, the company is celebrating 10 years. Yaz sat down with Jeff Raider, cofounder and co-CEO, to hear his thoughts on how the industry has evolved since Harry’s first started. The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates creating space for themselves on . . . podcasts, of all places. Yaz chatted with ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey to hear about his journey listening to some of these long-shot candidates on quite an array of podcasts.

Harry’s Razors is arguably one of the first companies to pioneer the direct-to-consumer model. This year, the company is celebrating 10 years. Yaz sat down with Jeff Raider, cofounder and co-CEO, to hear his thoughts on how the industry has evolved since Harry’s first started.

]]> 1831 Presenting: The new season of 'Most Innovative Companies' Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news. And Yaz chatted with Loom CEO Joe Thomas—Loom is essentially TikTok for business, which sounds crazier than it is—about how video conferencing is here to stay. Also, a special thanks to Marfa Public Radio for helping us out with some recording on this episode!  Wed, 24 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news. And Yaz chatted with Loom CEO Joe Thomas—Loom is essentially TikTok for business, which sounds crazier than it is—about how video conferencing is here to stay. Also, a special thanks to Marfa Public Radio for helping us out with some recording on this episode!  Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news.

And Yaz chatted with Loom CEO Joe Thomas—Loom is essentially TikTok for business, which sounds crazier than it is—about how video conferencing is here to stay.

Also, a special thanks to Marfa Public Radio for helping us out with some recording on this episode! 

]]> 1662 I miss in-office holiday parties In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about the tradition of office holiday parties. Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:26:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about the tradition of office holiday parties. In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about the tradition of office holiday parties.

]]> 1551 Prince Harry told Yaz that quitting can be good for your mental health...then she went viral In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss Yasmin's Prince Harry interview going viral and all the effects of pseudo internet stardom. Tue, 14 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss Yasmin's Prince Harry interview going viral and all the effects of pseudo internet stardom. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss Yasmin's Prince Harry interview going viral and all the effects of pseudo internet stardom.

]]> 709 What’s a geriatric millennial? In this episode of ‘Hit the Ground Running,’ Yasmin and Christina talk about aging in millennial culture and the rise of Gen Z. Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:18:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode of ‘Hit the Ground Running,’ Yasmin and Christina talk about aging in millennial culture and the rise of Gen Z. In this episode of ‘Hit the Ground Running,’ Yasmin and Christina talk about aging in millennial culture and the rise of Gen Z.

]]> 1786 You’re fired! Now what? In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss every employee’s worst fear: being fired. They also talk with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Franz Bowen about his experience being fired, and how he bounced back. Tue, 30 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss every employee’s worst fear: being fired. They also talk with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Franz Bowen about his experience being fired, and how he bounced back. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss every employee’s worst fear: being fired. They also talk with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Franz Bowen about his experience being fired, and how he bounced back.

]]> 1894 We are thankful for... In this episode of Hit the ground running. Yasmin and Christina get into the spirit of thanksgiving and talk about the things that they are thankful for this holiday season. Tue, 23 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode of Hit the ground running. Yasmin and Christina get into the spirit of thanksgiving and talk about the things that they are thankful for this holiday season. In this episode of Hit the ground running. Yasmin and Christina get into the spirit of thanksgiving and talk about the things that they are thankful for this holiday season.

]]> 530 How I paid off $21,000 in student loans In this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the scourge of student loan debt. They also speak with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Blake Odom about his student debt-repayment journey. Tue, 16 Nov 2021 11:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the scourge of student loan debt. They also speak with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Blake Odom about his student debt-repayment journey. In this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the scourge of student loan debt. They also speak with ‘Hit the Ground Running’ producer Blake Odom about his student debt-repayment journey.

]]> 1610 "Keeping Tabs" on our favorite pieces of content In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss the content that keeps them engaged and entertained throughout the week. Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss the content that keeps them engaged and entertained throughout the week. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss the content that keeps them engaged and entertained throughout the week.

]]> 559 When I was 12 years old... In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their 12 year old selves and share funny stories and lessons they learned. Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their 12 year old selves and share funny stories and lessons they learned. In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their 12 year old selves and share funny stories and lessons they learned.

]]> 495 How I am balancing motherhood and a successful career In this episode, Christina and Yasmin speak with Fast Company Staff Writer, Zlati Meyer & Mansueto Ventures Head of HR, Nivani Sabess. About their experiences becoming mothers while pursuing their careers. Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Christina and Yasmin speak with Fast Company Staff Writer, Zlati Meyer & Mansueto Ventures Head of HR, Nivani Sabess. About their experiences becoming mothers while pursuing their careers. In this episode, Christina and Yasmin speak with Fast Company Staff Writer, Zlati Meyer & Mansueto Ventures Head of HR, Nivani Sabess. About their experiences becoming mothers while pursuing their careers.

]]> 1572 How Xavier Jernigan cultivated Spotify’s relationships with HBO & Disney. In this bonus episode of hit the ground running. Xavier Jernigan talks about the qualities he looks for when hiring talent, His top Spotify playlist recommendations and how he cultivated Spotify’s relationships with HBO & Disney. Tue, 19 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this bonus episode of hit the ground running. Xavier Jernigan talks about the qualities he looks for when hiring talent, His top Spotify playlist recommendations and how he cultivated Spotify’s relationships with HBO & Disney. In this bonus episode of hit the ground running. Xavier Jernigan talks about the qualities he looks for when hiring talent, His top Spotify playlist recommendations and how he cultivated Spotify’s relationships with HBO & Disney.

]]> 917 Make the road by walking. How to map your career with guest Xavier Jernigan On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the importance of career mapping with Spotify studios director and host of "The Get Up" morning show Xavier Jernigan. Tue, 12 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the importance of career mapping with Spotify studios director and host of "The Get Up" morning show Xavier Jernigan. On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the importance of career mapping with Spotify studios director and host of "The Get Up" morning show Xavier Jernigan.

]]> 1830 Dorms, Bursars, and R.A's. Our first week of college On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their first week as college students. Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their first week as college students. On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin reminisce about their first week as college students.

]]> 445 Are college degrees worthwhile or worthless? On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the relevancy of college degrees in todays job market. They also speak with Inc Magazine Director of Photography, Ernie Monteiro about building a successful career without a college degree. Tue, 28 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the relevancy of college degrees in todays job market. They also speak with Inc Magazine Director of Photography, Ernie Monteiro about building a successful career without a college degree. On this episode, Christina and Yasmin discuss the relevancy of college degrees in todays job market. They also speak with Inc Magazine Director of Photography, Ernie Monteiro about building a successful career without a college degree.

]]> 1603 Bonus: My motivation playlist On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin talk about the tracks that get them pumped up for work. Listen to the Hit the Ground Running Playlist on Spotify Tue, 21 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin talk about the tracks that get them pumped up for work. Listen to the Hit the Ground Running Playlist on Spotify On this is bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Christina and Yasmin talk about the tracks that get them pumped up for work.

Listen to the Hit the Ground Running Playlist on Spotify

]]> 642 7 tips to help you process your grief at work On today’s episode Yasmin and Christina talk about experiencing grief while at work. They also cover seven ways to deal with grief at work. Tue, 14 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company On today’s episode Yasmin and Christina talk about experiencing grief while at work. They also cover seven ways to deal with grief at work. On today’s episode Yasmin and Christina talk about experiencing grief while at work. They also cover seven ways to deal with grief at work.

]]> 1938 Bonus: I need a vacation ASAP! In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the importance of vacation time and what having "unlimited vacation" actually means. Tue, 07 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the importance of vacation time and what having "unlimited vacation" actually means. In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the importance of vacation time and what having "unlimited vacation" actually means.

]]> 526 Work Friends. How Many of Us Have Them? Work Friends. Ones We Can Depend On In this episode. Yasmin and Christina talk with Fast Company work life Staff Writer Pavithra Mohan about maintaining workplace relationships in the digital office era. Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode. Yasmin and Christina talk with Fast Company work life Staff Writer Pavithra Mohan about maintaining workplace relationships in the digital office era. In this episode. Yasmin and Christina talk with Fast Company work life Staff Writer Pavithra Mohan about maintaining workplace relationships in the digital office era.

]]> 1706 Bonus: Millennials may never become home owners. In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the likelihood of millennials becoming homeowners. Tue, 24 Aug 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the likelihood of millennials becoming homeowners. In this bonus episode, Yaz and Christina talk about the likelihood of millennials becoming homeowners.

]]> 522 Have you ever thought of Changing Careers? Here's what to expect. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss changing careers with the "Friend of a Friend" podcast host Olivia Perez. Tue, 17 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss changing careers with the "Friend of a Friend" podcast host Olivia Perez. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss changing careers with the "Friend of a Friend" podcast host Olivia Perez.

]]> 1797 Bonus: Our favorite work themed movies In this episode, Christina and Yasmin talk about their favorite work themed movies and shows. Tue, 10 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Christina and Yasmin talk about their favorite work themed movies and shows. In this episode, Christina and Yasmin talk about their favorite work themed movies and shows.

]]> 509 Am I the only one who feels like an imposter at work? In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss their challenges with imposter syndrome. Tue, 03 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss their challenges with imposter syndrome. In this episode, Yasmin and Christina discuss their challenges with imposter syndrome.

]]> 1326 Bonus: My first job. In this bonus episode. Yasmin and Christina talk about their very first jobs. Tue, 27 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company In this bonus episode. Yasmin and Christina talk about their very first jobs. In this bonus episode. Yasmin and Christina talk about their very first jobs.

]]> 587 Is it a side hustle or a second career? In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about how side hustles and how they are helping people thrive post covid. They also speak with Jasmine Lawrence, founder of eden body works and product manager on the Everyday Robot Project at X, about the challenges and rewards of managing as she calls it a “dual careers” Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Fast Company In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about how side hustles and how they are helping people thrive post covid. They also speak with Jasmine Lawrence, founder of eden body works and product manager on the Everyday Robot Project at X, about the challenges and rewards of managing as she calls it a “dual careers” In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about how side hustles and how they are helping people thrive post covid. They also speak with Jasmine Lawrence, founder of eden body works and product manager on the Everyday Robot Project at X, about the challenges and rewards of managing as she calls it a “dual careers”

]]> 1911 Bonus: Top 5 In this bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Yasmin and Christina talk about their top 5 work snacks and restaurants to eat in near the Fast Company office. Tue, 13 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Yasmin and Christina talk about their top 5 work snacks and restaurants to eat in near the Fast Company office. In this bonus episode of Hit the Ground Running, Yasmin and Christina talk about their top 5 work snacks and restaurants to eat in near the Fast Company office.

]]> 716 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They also speak with Joseph Johnson, chief people officer at Mansueto Ventures parent company of Fast Company Magazine. Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They also speak with Joseph Johnson, chief people officer at Mansueto Ventures parent company of Fast Company Magazine. In this episode Yasmin and Christina talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They also speak with Joseph Johnson, chief people officer at Mansueto Ventures parent company of Fast Company Magazine.

]]> 1826 Bonus: MC. C Roy-Roy? In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running. Christina shares a story about producing a short rap with her best friend while auditioning for an internship for HBO's hit show Insecure. Tue, 29 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running. Christina shares a story about producing a short rap with her best friend while auditioning for an internship for HBO's hit show Insecure. In this bonus episode of Hit the ground running. Christina shares a story about producing a short rap with her best friend while auditioning for an internship for HBO's hit show Insecure.

]]> 285 Ya’ll Hiring!? Tips and tools to become the best candidate In this episode Yasmin and Christina discuss interviewing, resumes, and preparing to get the job you want. . They also speak with Bianca Jeanty Career Strategist, Serial Entrepreneur, and Author of “Y’all Hiring? The Playbook for Managing Recruiters and Referrals.”  Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode Yasmin and Christina discuss interviewing, resumes, and preparing to get the job you want. . They also speak with Bianca Jeanty Career Strategist, Serial Entrepreneur, and Author of “Y’all Hiring? The Playbook for Managing Recruiters and Referrals.”  In this episode Yasmin and Christina discuss interviewing, resumes, and preparing to get the job you want. . They also speak with Bianca Jeanty Career Strategist, Serial Entrepreneur, and Author of “Y’all Hiring? The Playbook for Managing Recruiters and Referrals.” 

]]> 1981 Bonus: Workplace horror stories Yasmin and Christina swap horror stories about their former jobs. Tue, 15 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company Yasmin and Christina swap horror stories about their former jobs. Yasmin and Christina swap horror stories about their former jobs.

]]> 544 I’m a post covid graduate. Now what? In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the challenges that post pandemic graduates will be facing in the job market. The ladies also speak with Journalist and Author Rainesford Stauffer about managing expectations as a new graduate and her book AN ORDINARY AGE: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptional. Tue, 08 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the challenges that post pandemic graduates will be facing in the job market. The ladies also speak with Journalist and Author Rainesford Stauffer about managing expectations as a new graduate and her book AN ORDINARY AGE: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptional. In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the challenges that post pandemic graduates will be facing in the job market. The ladies also speak with Journalist and Author Rainesford Stauffer about managing expectations as a new graduate and her book AN ORDINARY AGE: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptional.

]]> 1981 Help! My 9 to 5 is becoming my 24/7 In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk recap the results of what happened when they turned off slack and email notifications after hours and on the weekend. The ladies also speak with Fast Company's Work Life senior staff editor Julia Herbst about maintaining a healthy work life balance and setting boundaries. Tue, 25 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk recap the results of what happened when they turned off slack and email notifications after hours and on the weekend. The ladies also speak with Fast Company's Work Life senior staff editor Julia Herbst about maintaining a healthy work life balance and setting boundaries. In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk recap the results of what happened when they turned off slack and email notifications after hours and on the weekend. The ladies also speak with Fast Company's Work Life senior staff editor Julia Herbst about maintaining a healthy work life balance and setting boundaries.

]]> 1970 Should my old tweets get me fired from my new job? In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about how to navigate your professional and personal social media presence. The ladies also speak with author and former New York Times and Vice journalist Jamal Jordan about how he handles his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Tue, 11 May 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 Fast Company In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about how to navigate your professional and personal social media presence. The ladies also speak with author and former New York Times and Vice journalist Jamal Jordan about how he handles his Twitter and Instagram accounts. In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about how to navigate your professional and personal social media presence. The ladies also speak with author and former New York Times and Vice journalist Jamal Jordan about how he handles his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

]]> 1815 We turned our zoom cameras off for a week. Did not go well. In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the results of their “camera off” challenge in meetings. They also speak with Dr. Courtney McCluney, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and labor relations at Cornell University, about the nuances and challenges of remote work for people of color and notions of professionalism through the lens of gender and race, as well as the pros and cons of anonymity in the workplace. Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 2 Fast Company In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the results of their “camera off” challenge in meetings. They also speak with Dr. Courtney McCluney, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and labor relations at Cornell University, about the nuances and challenges of remote work for people of color and notions of professionalism through the lens of gender and race, as well as the pros and cons of anonymity in the workplace. In this episode, hosts Christina and Yasmin talk about the results of their “camera off” challenge in meetings. They also speak with Dr. Courtney McCluney, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and labor relations at Cornell University, about the nuances and challenges of remote work for people of color and notions of professionalism through the lens of gender and race, as well as the pros and cons of anonymity in the workplace.

]]> 2018 Should I be wearing pants for this? Zoom questions answered. In this first episode of Hit The Ground Running, you’ll meet our host Yasmine Gagne  (Fast Company Writer/Editor) and Christina Royster (Fast Company Social Media Producer.) They discuss the challenges of home office and Zoom appearance and explore digital office etiquette. They also talk with Fast Company Senior Editor Kate Davis about the “new rules” and the future of work. Be sure to like comment and subscribe Tue, 30 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 1 Fast Company In this first episode of Hit The Ground Running, you’ll meet our host Yasmine Gagne  (Fast Company Writer/Editor) and Christina Royster (Fast Company Social Media Producer.) They discuss the challenges of home office and Zoom appearance and explore digital office etiquette. They also talk with Fast Company Senior Editor Kate Davis about the “new rules” and the future of work. Be sure to like comment and subscribe In this first episode of Hit The Ground Running, you’ll meet our host Yasmine Gagne  (Fast Company Writer/Editor) and Christina Royster (Fast Company Social Media Producer.) They discuss the challenges of home office and Zoom appearance and explore digital office etiquette. They also talk with Fast Company Senior Editor Kate Davis about the “new rules” and the future of work.


Be sure to like comment and subscribe

]]> 3048 Introducing Hit the Ground Running from Fast Company Magazine Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life, exploring everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle. Subscribe to Hit the Ground Running now. Tue, 16 Mar 2021 23:14:00 -0000 trailer Fast Company Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life, exploring everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle. Subscribe to Hit the Ground Running now. Join hosts Christina Royster and Yasmin Gagne as they figure out together how to navigate the unwritten rules of work and life, exploring everything from what to wear on a zoom call to how to manage a side hustle. Subscribe to Hit the Ground Running now.

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