Overshare: Honest Conversations with Creatives

Recruiter Roundtable with Wieden+Kennedy and Squarespace

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 18 May 2020 10:00:17 +0000

In this bonus episode of Overshare Season 3, Working Not Working co-founder and CEO Justin Gignac hosts a roundtable conversation with two senior recruiters from highly-celebrated companies. Lauren Ranke is the Director of Creative Talent at Wieden+Kennedy and Chloe Harlig is the Senior Creative Recruiter at Squarespace. Both companies recently received some well-deserved acclaim from Ad Age, with Wieden+Kennedy winning Agency of the Year and Squarespace winning In-House Agency of the Year.

This recording is from a live virtual event that took place on May 7th. Lauren and Chloe discuss how their hiring approaches have changed during quarantine, why self-initiated work is more important than ever, how they continue to keep their eyes trained on the future, and whether remote work will become the standard. Our digital audience of creatives, many of whom submitted thoughtful questions that Justin relayed to the recruiters, left the conversation feeling better educated on the thoughts and considerations of those who bring them work. They also left more hopeful.

Because Lauren and Chloe were both so generous with insights, we're excited to share the full conversation with the creative community.

Follow Overshare (@oversharetalks) and Working Not Working (@wnotw) on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:

Squarespace

Wieden+Kennedy

The United

Romance in the Time of Quarantine: A Masterclass from Photographer, Drone Flirter, & Bubble Boy Jeremy Cohen

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 11 May 2020 10:00:15 +0000

In the season 3 finale of Overshare, host Justin Gignac sits down with Brooklyn-based photographer Jeremy Cohen, who has received A LOT of attention recently. Like most of us, Jeremy has had a lot of time on his hands these past couple of months. He’s used this time to think, to look out his window, to cook naked, and to cook up a quarantine record for the most romantic gesture.

From his balcony, Jeremy could see his neighbors’ roofs. He started photographing and filming all of the activity: yoga, working out, kite flying, book reading, and dancing. But one neighbor stood out. He waved to her from his balcony. She waved back. He then taped his phone number to his drone and flew it across the street to her. That meet-cute has snowballed into "The Quarantine Cutie" romance, which has since taken over the internet. Millions of people have watched videos of him sending the drone, asking her out, and showing up to their date in a human-sized bubble to practice proper social distancing.

Jeremy has offered not only a great distraction for all of us, but a reminder of our shared humanity. He has a great perspective on these times, as well as the personal and professional effects that come with suddenly having half a million Instagram followers.

In this conversation, Jeremy discusses the whirlwind nature of these past couple months, which included landing his first magazine cover for New York Magazine. And well-timed with Mother’s Day, Jeremy also discusses the impact that his mother, a Stage IV cancer survivor, has had on his work as well as his positive outlook on life. This episode will help you keep your head up in these times, which makes it a great finale to this season.

Follow Overshare (@oversharetalks) and Working Not Working (@wnotw) on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Jeremy Cohen ( Working Not Working / Instagram / website )
Jeremy's first drone flirtation to Tori across the street
Bubble Boy date with Tori
Jeremy's cover of New York Magazine
Roof Culture During Quarantine (Part 1 & Part 2)
Enema of the State by Blink 182
Deja and Entendu by Brand New
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver

Directors Coodie & Chike on Kanye West, Serendipity, and Being Too Nice

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 4 May 2020 10:00:34 +0000

Directing Duo Clarence "Coodie" Simmons & Chike Ozah, better known as Coodie & Chike, have so much infectiously positive energy and perspective from all their years in the business. We're thrilled to have them on this week's episode of Overshare.

Coodie & Chike started collaborating in the early 2000s and got their big break directing Kanye West’s music video “Through the Wire,” followed by music videos for “Two Words” and “Jesus Walks." They had less than two days to put "Jesus Walks" together from scratch, making it nothing short of a creative miracle, not to mention a classic. Their recounting of that experience with host Justin Gignac is a celebration in the art of scrappiness.

Coodie & Chike went on to work with big acts like Pitbull, Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, and Mos Def. In 2007, they founded their own production company, Creative Control. They’ve since directed ESPN "30 for 30" documentary Benji, BET documentary Muhammed Ali: The People’s Champ, and just released A Kid from Coney Island about Stephon Marbury.

In this episode, you will learn that not having the time or money or resources to make great work are just excuses. You’ll also learn that wherever your happiness is coming from right now, that’s what really matters. This conversation is packed with insights and endless positivity.

Follow Overshare (@oversharetalks) and Working Not Working (@wnotw) on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Coodie & Chike ( @officialcoodieandchike / @coodierock / @cozah)
Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout
Chike's favorite craft cocktail bars - Dutch Kills, Dullboy, Pegu Club, Death & Co,
Car Wash film
Ernie Barnes' painting "The Sugar Shack"
Bill Withers
Artist Nina Chanel ( website / Instagram )
Coodie's favorite album as a teenager, LL Cool J's BAD
Chike's favorite album as a teenager Big Daddy Kane's Taste of Chocolate
Coodie & Chike's videos for Kanye: Through the Wire, Two Words, Jesus Walks
Channel Zero TV
Pitbull "Culo" music video
Erykah Badu "Window Seat" music video
Matt & Kim "Lessons Learned" music video that inspired Erykah Badu
Lupe Fiasco feat. Ed Sheeran "Old School Love" music video
Benji ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Chicago hoop legend, Ben Wilson
A Kid from Coney Island documentary about Stephon Marbury

Robot-Proof Your Career with Mad Scientist Dr. Vivienne Ming

justin@workingnotworking.com (Justin Gignac) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Dr. Vivienne Ming is a theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, author, and self-described mad scientist. She's been named as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2017, and as one of the Financial Times' "LGBT leaders and allies today". Dr. Ming co-founded Socos, her fifth company, an independent institute exploring the future of human potential. In her free time, she has invented AI systems to help treat her diabetic son, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers weeks in advance, and reunited orphan refugees with extended family members. Dr. Ming also speaks frequently on issues of LGBT inclusion and gender in technology.

In this conversation with host Justin Gignac., Dr. Ming talks about choosing a college major based on a coin toss, how her ultimate goal is to give the key note at Comic-Con, and why Dr. Ming sees creatives and the creative economy as an integral part of the future of work. Coming from someone who creates AI and Robotics, that’s pretty reassuring.

In this episode, you will learn that the scientifically proven secret to a more successful and rich life is living with a sense of purpose, and in order to future-proof your career, one of the biggest skills you need is resiliency and a growth mindset. You'll also be armed with a whole lot of knowledge that you can drop in your next Zoom call with friends, family, or coworkers.

Follow Overshare (@oversharetalks) and Working Not Working (@wnotw) on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Socos Labs
Dr. Ming's 99U Talk "Share Your Vision With the World"
NOVA on PBS
Dr. Ming's home town of Monterey, CA captured in The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
Roy Batty's final monologue in Blade Runner
Westworld on HBO
Some of Dr. Ming's favorite cartoons: Bojack Horseman, Venture Brothers, and Rick and Morty
Dr. Ming's new entrance music: You Haven’t Done Nothin' by Stevie Wonder
"I Built a Superpower to Treat My Son's Diabetes" article by Dr. Ming
"There is a Tax on Being Different" article by Dr. Ming
James J. Heckman - University of Chicago
Article on the "Lost Einsteins" research by Raj Chetty
Meta learning
Socos.org - Socos Academy

Charlie Engle Ran Across the Sahara and He Isn't Stopping

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 10:00:11 +0000

Charlie Engle is an addict who runs and a runner who writes. He’s authored a memoir titled Running Man and has given inspiring talks to CEOs, marathon runners, the United States Armed Forces, and at think tanks and conferences.

Charlie's not just any kind of runner; he does ultra marathons that test his limits. Testing limits is kind of Charlie's thing. Sometimes it's intentional: he ran across the entire Sahara Desert edge to edge, which had never been done before. Sometimes it's accidental: he's been to prison, and also kidnapped at gunpoint in Kenya. Now, Charlie is about to attempt his greatest feat and become the first athlete to trek from the lowest point to the highest point on every continent. It's a fitting pursuit for someone who has experienced extreme lows and repeatedly bounced back with equal highs.

Charlie’s life has been anything but dull, and the way he’s responded is similarly dynamic. Luckily for all of us, Charlie is an open book, and talks about all of his hardships and moments of perseverance with complete candor in this conversation with host Justin Gignac.

In this episode, you will learn how you are capable of so much more than you even know, and that there’s never the perfect time for anything. You just need to make a decision to commit and then figure out how to do it, which Charlie has done time and time again.

Follow Overshare (@oversharetalks) and Working Not Working (@wnotw) on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Charlie Engle ( website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook )
Book Charlie just finished, The Night of the Gun by David Carr
Heavyweight podcast episode with Rob Corddry
Running the Sahara documentary film starring Charlie
Charlie's memoir, Running Man
5.8, Dead Sea to Everest - Charlie's next endeavor to trek from the lowest point to highest point on every continent
Charlie's blog post recounting getting kidnapped in Kenya, One Bullet...One Goat
water.org
green.org – Charlie's new non-profit

Lauren Hom Will Teach You Everything She Knows

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Lauren Hom is a designer and letterer based in Detroit, schooled in New York, and raised in Los Angeles. Known for her bright color palettes, playful letterforms, and quirky copywriting, Lauren has worked with clients like Starbucks, Google, AT&T, YouTube and TIME Magazine. Her work has been recognized by Communication Arts, the Type Directors Club, and the Webby Awards.

Lauren saw herself solely as an illustrator and letterer, but added “teacher” to her list of titles after connecting with a career coach in Vietnam. And who wouldn’t want to have her as a teacher? Lauren wants to put things out there that she wishes she had known when she was getting started. She's a hustler, she’s transparent, she’s humble, and her illustration and lettering business is on track to make half a million dollars this year. Host Justin Gignac was gobsmacked when she admitted this on her IG Stories. For those of you not in illustration and lettering…that’s a lot.

In this episode, you will learn the importance of destigmatizing money in the creative industry, and how necessary it is to be around people who help you dream bigger and encourage you to think about yourself in a different way.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Lauren Hom ( WNW / website / Instagram )
Daily Dishonesty ( website / book )
Lauren's "Passion to Paid" class
Lauren's new class "Mural Painting for Designers"
The Striving Artist podcast with Lauren and Stefan Kunz
#HOMwork Lauren's weekly IG lettering challenge
Lauren's pervy lettering and food orgy "Peen Cuisine"
"Passport Photos" project by Max Siedentopf
Andy J. Pizza’s skillshare "Make Creativity Your Career"
Ice Cream University

Jonathan Jackson Will Not Be Constrained to a Singular Expertise

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 6 Apr 2020 10:00:29 +0000

It’s funny how there are some things you don’t know about your friends until you interview them for a podcast. Overshare host Justin Gignac has known Jonathan Jackson since 2006 after they both won the ADC Young Guns, but Justin learned a lot about his friend during this conversation that he never knew. Hopefully you listeners will learn a lot from this interview as well, and then go get to know Jonathan’s work.

Jonathan Jackson is the co-founder and partner at Bushwick design studio WeShouldDoItAll, which he started with his wife Sarah Nelson Jackson. The name is born out of a simple intention, that designers should not be confined to a singular expertise. In the words of Robert A. Heinlein, “specialization is for insects.”

WSDIA has dabbled in everything, including branding, spatial, environmental, interactive, and print projects. They’ve collaborated with Nike, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Spotify, Samsung, and ESPN. "I think it's human nature that people want to put a title on you or put you in a box in a certain way. We are constantly trying to fight that. Constantly trying to hold a mirror to ourselves and see how the world sees us and try to combat that."

In this episode, you will learn the power of not having a self-limiting mindset, and how important it is to have diverse voices in the room when creating design and culture.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:
Jonathan Jackson Instagram
WeShouldDoItAll ( website / Instagram )
Usher's "U Don’t Have to Call" music video
Sol Lewitt “Structures”
Michael Sorkin ( Wiki / Sorkin Studio )
Archea
Frank Lloyd Wright
Le Corbusier
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Adrien Menard WSDIA's first hire
Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder
Kendrick’s Control verse
Men of Change, The Smithsonian traveling exhibition
The National Museum of African American History & Culture
Scope of Work ( website / Instagram )
Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Studio Lin
PLAYLAB, INC.
OK-RM London
OMA
Herzog & De Meuron
Peterson Rich Office
So-iL

Sophia Chang on Hoarding Skills and Staying Busy

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:00:10 +0000

Sophia Chang hails from the borough of Queens, New York and in less than a decade managed to champion a name for herself in the art, design, and streetwear community worldwide. With her BFA from Parsons School of Design coupled with a natural acumen for business, she has collaborated with A-list names across multiple fields such as Samsung, Nike, Refinery29, Adidas, Apple, Footlocker, HBO, and the NBA.

During this conversation with host Justin Gignac, Sophia describes herself as a skill hoarder. As she explains, “Teach a man how to fish and they’ll eat for the rest of their lives.” It's an approach that has prepared Sophia for evolving in an ever-shifting creative industry, and she is already considering how to draw from that well in the current climate. There’s something really refreshing about how forthright Sophia is in her creative mindset. Not only does that help her frame her own practice; that decisiveness translates easily for potential business partners and clients.

In this episode, you will learn to assess and repurpose your skills in new ways for people who may need them. And you’ll learn ways to be proactive when work starts getting slow.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram.

SHOW NOTES:

Sophia Chang (Instagram / website)
Sophia’s Skillshare classes
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (There's free versions you can find online)
The 5 Love Languages
Gallup StrengthsFinder
UNDO-Ordinary
UNDO Lab
Common Ace
Jim Kwik (website / podcast)

Archie Lee Coates IV Can't Believe He Did That

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 10:00:07 +0000

Archie Lee Coates IV is a founder and partner at PLAYLAB, INC., an extremely multi-disciplinary creative practice. With no particular focus, Archie and company simply explore things that interest them by initiating and working with others on ideas. Like + POOL, an initiative to build a water-filtering floating pool in New York’s East River.

During this conversation, recorded live at On Air Fest, Archie discusses the roles that exploration and adventure play in aptly named PLAYLAB, INC's creative approach. "We don't have any goals as an office that are that specific. There's no financial goal. There's no size goal. There's a happiness and quality of life goal."

Archie also talks creative belief systems, the feelings he's chasing to measure how far he's come and what he still aims to accomplish, and how he visualizes his legacy as a coffee table book. If his son would leaf through the accomplishments of his parents and say, “Our family is tight,” that would seal it.

In this episode you will learn how to dream bigger, how to seek out that feeling of "I can't believe I'm doing this," and the importance of knowing when to check yourself when you're going through the motions.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram and Twitter.

SHOW NOTES:

Archie Lee Coates IV (Instagram / website)
+ POOL (Instagram / website)
Grown Up Flowers public art exhibition
Virgil Abloh "ARTWORK" book

Tristan Eaton on Inventing Your Own Universe and Secret Identities

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 10:00:06 +0000

This episode is from a live recording on stage in Cannes, France during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Host Justin Gignac has a beachside chat with street art legend Tristan Eaton.

Tristan started pursuing street art as a teenager, painting everything from billboards to dumpsters in the urban landscapes of the cities where he lived. He created his first toy with Fisher-Price at the age of 18 and was and was at the forefront of the designer toy craze in the early 2000s with his work at KidRobot, creating the Dunny and Munny art toys.

He is regularly commissioned by a roster of clients that includes Nike, Versace, and even Barack Obama. These days, Eaton is one of the most prominent street artists working today. His large scale mural work features a meticulous, visual collage of pop imagery mixed with his unique personal style, all executed with freehand spray paint on a colossal scale.

In this conversation, Tristan discusses how toy design was a natural evolution from the world of street art, but why he ultimately felt a calling back to his roots. "Being deeply in the middle of Hypebeast culture and being a slave to people's shopping habits and how you make your art--that was never why I wanted to make art. I didn't want to retroactively design my art for a seasonal release-or a shopping habit."

Tristan sees his creative career in chapters, but no matter the reinvention, he is forever cast under the spell of spray paint's alchemy. His art is a permanent catalyst in his own life. "A lot of my girlfriends in the past have hated my art because it's a strange force. It gives me my sense of who I am and my work ethic. Sometimes the people in your life want to be the ones that give you that. But I'm very lucky because I find this power and strength and peace from my own art."

In this episode, you will learn the importance of self-reinvention to escape formulaic mediocrity, how to know if your subconscious is driving your work, and why inviting people into your own invented universe is perhaps the only way to get clients to give you free rein.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram and Twitter.

SHOW NOTES:

Tristan Eaton (Instagram / website)
Tristan's "Legacy" series

Shawna X Can Have It All

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Sun, 8 Mar 2020 10:00:06 +0000

Shawna X is an independent artist and creative based in New York, known for her vibrant, visceral and highly graphical image-making across mediums in digital, spatial, and motion spaces. She creates experiences in music, fashion, and technology, collaborating with the likes of Adidas, The New Yorker, Warby Parker, and Ghostly International. Shawna's work addresses themes like cultural identity, the creative process and more recently, motherhood.

During the conversation, Shawna opens up about how her work has evolved with recent life changes, and why sometimes that means letting go of certain clients. As she's grown as an artist, Shawna's priorities have shifted. "More than the money, more than the project, it's the people you're making work with...No project is really that glamorous." She also investigates what exists beyond surface-level goals. For Shawna, the bigger picture is freedom: of the mind, from pressures of society, from labels of motherhood and cultural expectations. The audience who she feels she has something to prove to is an audience of just one: her daughter Ren.

In this episode, you will learn that doing CrossFit while pregnant is probably not the best way to train for childbirth. Also, how having doubt and self-sabotaging your work and maybe your sanity alongside that doubt can be a valuable part of the creative process. This is a conversation we were really excited to have and it does not disappoint.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram and Twitter.

SHOW NOTES:

Shawna X (Instagram / Working Not Working / website)
Adam JK's "I literally do not know what I'm doing" hat
F*** Your Manners exhibition
Shawna's partner Collin Hughes
Zipeng Zhu
Hassan Rahim makes Shawna jealous

David Droga Needs No Introduction…but We Give Him a Lengthy One Anyway (Rerun)

justin@workingnotworking.com (Justin Gignac) — Mon, 2 Mar 2020 11:00:09 +0000

We're bringing back some of our favorite, most inspiring episodes in the lead up to the launch of Season 3. In our most popular interview to date, Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac sits down with David Droga, Creative Chairman and Founder of advertising agency Droga5. At the time, David was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and three years away from selling his company to Accenture for almost half a billion dollars. He reflects on years of influential work for clients like Google, Under Armour, Newcastle, UNICEF Tap Project, Prudential, and Jay-Z, and opens up about sibling rivalry, the importance of setting almost unattainable goals, and how he balances outrageous ego versus outrageous insecurity.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram and Twitter.

Shantell Martin + Ivan Cash on the Art of Human Connection and Being You (Rerun)

justin@workingnotworking.com (Justin Gignac) — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 22:57:06 +0000

We're bringing back some of our favorite, most inspiring episodes in the lead up to the launch of Season 3. In this episode from our first season, Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac welcomes artists Shantell Martin and Ivan Cash. If you're looking for a fresh perspective on your work and life this conversation will inspire you. Both Shantell and Ivan create work that focuses on human connection. Helping us put down our devices and our personas and live in the present. The resulting conversation is especially lively and insightful, as it shifts from creative foundations to the complex ideas of sharing and spontaneity and connection, to how artists can challenge an overreliance on technology both professionally and personally.

Illustration Roundtable with Ping Zhu, Daniel Fishel, Marly Gallardo, & Molly Magnell

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Overshare. Host Justin Gignac sits down with acclaimed illustrators Ping Zhu, Daniel Fishel, Marly Gallardo, and Molly Magnell to discuss all aspects of navigating a creative career through the lens of illustration. The group tackles a wide range of topics from how to break in and get the attention of clients, being patient with yourself as you develop and discover your personal style, how to determine what to charge and what is too low for each of them, how to ask for more money, and techniques they use to navigate down times. This conversation is full of insights and advice from 4 artists navigating different stages in their careers—from Molly who is fresh out of school to Ping who was an answer on Molly's quiz in school.

This episode is a complement to Working Not Working's Illustration Week content. You can find more interviews, articles, short films, and exhibitions on Working Not Working Magazine.

This episode was recorded by our friends at Second Child in NYC. Most of season 2 of Overshare was recorded in their beautiful production facility in downtown Manhattan and we were excited to fully utilize the audio studio for this roundtable. Huge thanks to Jesse Peterson for editing this episode.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

SHOW NOTES:

Molly Magnell (@mollymagnell)

Marly Gallardo (@marlygallardo)

Ping Zhu (@pingszoo)

Daniel Fishel (@o_fishel)

Also mentioned...

Adventure Time

Steven Universe

Charley Harper

The Snowy Day Board Book by Ezra Jack Keats

The New York Times Disability essays, art, and opinion

Jillian Tamaki

Edel Rodriguez

Cushion app for freelancers

Victo Ngai

Christian Robinson

Keith Negley

Molly's new ergonomic computer mouse to counteract her trigger finger injury

Jeff Staple on Two Decades of Success by Any Means Necessary

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

In the final episode of Season 2, host Justin Gignac sits down with one of the founding fathers of streetwear, Jeff Staple. Jeff is the founder and creative director of Staple Design and Reed Space. His 2005 collaboration with Nike led to riots outside of Reed Space as people fought to get their hands on the limited Nike SB Dunk “Pigeon”. Many people credit that moment, and that shoe, as the shoe that catapulted sneaker culture to the masses.

Jeff hosts the podcast Business of Hype on Hypebeast Radio. He’s also one of the nicest and most respected people in the game and the unofficial mayor of the Lower East Side ever since he opened his store Reed Space in 2001. He is now the Creative Director of TGS Holdings whose shop Extra Butter is only a few doors down from the original Reed Space location on Orchard Street.

During the conversation, Jeff shares how he has sustained success over two decades in the game and avoided becoming just another trend. He also divulges his somewhat questionable and illicit use of rollerblades to get accepted into Parsons. Additionally, Jeff reveals what he was thinking during two near-death experiences—including his mindset when he started digging his own grave while stranded on the side of a mountain.

In this episode, you will learn what it takes to stay relevant over the course of your career, how to maximize your sleep, and that your only job in life is to just stay alive.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

SHOW NOTES:

Staple Design

Reed Space

Extra Butter

Jeff's Podcast Business of Hype on Hypebeast Radio

PUMA x STAPLE PIGEON Suede Classic Sneakers

Director Elena Parasco on Smashing Stereotypes Through the Female Gaze

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 5 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

This Overshare is an in-studio conversation with film director and creative director Elena Parasco (@elenaparasco). Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) chat's with Elena about her burgeoning directing career and the motivation behind it. Instead of complaining about the lack of content that represented women in sport in a way that relates to her, she decided to make her own. The result is a growing body of work that examines sport and play through the female gaze. Disrupting those traditional, cliché stereotypes of sports imagery that we’re used to and making work that celebrates more accessible female role models.

Elena is tenacious and resilient when trying to get her ideas out into the world, whether for herself or for clients like Nike, Air Jordan, A$AP Rocky, Calvin Klein, and Guess. She touches on how her non-traditional background studying cognitive science and psychology has informed her creative career and filmmaking. And is adamant about the necessity to have women in the room when creating content.

In this episode, you will learn about embracing the doubt of others as motivation and how to find happiness in small wins. Especially, when going through challenging times in your career.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

SHOW NOTES:

Elena's Website

Elena's films DOWNTOWNGIRLSBBALL and Nike Locker Room Talk

National Women’s Ice Hockey team of Mexico film and trading card series "Trade Your Hero for Mine" in Victory Journal

Elena recommends reading The Age of Insight by Eric Kandel

"A little madness goes a long creative way." - Donald Kuspit

Justin learned a new word from Elena. Ebullient...cheerful and full of energy (also means (of liquid or matter) boiling or agitated as if boiling.)

Tina Essmaker on Resiliency and Embracing the Great Contentment

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:30:00 +0000

Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sits down in the studio with Tina Essmaker (@tinaessmaker) for a deeply personal conversation. Tina opens up about loss, divorce, resiliency, and new beginnings as she moves on from her role as Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The Great Discontent. She embarks on this next chapter of her career as a coach, speaker, and writer with courage and enthusiasm.

Tina has made a career out of listening to and supporting others. For more than a decade, she was focused on social work helping runaway and homeless teens. Then co-founded TGD where she interviewed over 250 artists, makers and risk takers, including Cheryl Strayed, Debbie Millman, Reggie Watts, Tavi Gevinson, Leon Bridges, and Krista Tippett.

In this episode, you will learn how to pick yourself back up in difficult times and create a life from the inside out based on what’s important to you instead of reacting to outside pressures and expectations.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

SHOW NOTES:

Tina's Website

Asking Not Asking, Tina's Bimonthly Coaching Column on WNW Magazine

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Dan Rubin interview, the first on TGD

Author Sheila Heti

Author of Wild, Cheryl Strayed

Tina's 2017 AIGA Design Conference talk on humanity, vulnerability and empathy

Podcasts about money

Every Dollar, Dave Ramsey's budgeting app

Justin's speaking nightmare of losing his notes in his first ever professional talk (just watch the first 60 seconds)

Dark Igloo is from the '90s and Here to Play

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 8 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Dave Franzese and Mark Richard Miller are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their creative studio Dark Igloo. Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) invites the duo into the studio to reflect on the past decade of creating work that's drenched in humor and nostalgia. They discuss their mission to do 50% of projects for themselves (like Bored Game and Contact Us) and 50% for clients like Bonnaroo, Nike, Dig Inn, and most notably, GIPHY.

Their conversation touches on topics from '90s nostalgia, what we absorb from our parents, and how having children has changed their perspective on both work and play.

In this episode, you will learn that every project, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is an opportunity to build a relationship that could change your career in the future. And that passion, enthusiasm, and play are self-perpetuating and worth prioritizing.

Follow @OvershareTalks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

SHOW NOTES:

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Jim Henson

Stan Winston

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Jon Burgerman is Not a Doodler

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Camp David in Brooklyn, NY. Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sits down with the incomparable Jon Burgerman (@jonburgerman). He’s an artist and author whose ability to play is contagious and inspiring. If you haven’t seen Jon’s work check out the links below. His Instagram brings so much joy on a daily basis. Whether it’s bringing every imaginable inanimate object to life with googly eyes in his Instagram stories or the characters he creates, everything will make you smile.

Jon lives by the motto “It’s Great to Create” and his work is a reminder of the joy of creating. All of us had those skills to make and play as kids and some of us were fortunate to not lose it.

In this episode, you will learn that the key to creative freedom is really to just stop caring what other people think and you’ll learn how to reframe your thinking when jealousy of other peoples’ work or success inevitably creeps up.

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SHOW NOTES:

Jon's Instagram

Jon's Books: It's Great to Create, How to Eat Pizza, Splat, Rhyme Crime, Burgerworld Coloring Book, Daily Doodle

Joan founders Lisa Clunie + Jaime Robinson on Taking No Shit and Having Fun Doing It

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This episode of Overshare is with Jaime Robinson and Lisa Clunie, founders of creative agency Joan—a company inspired by the trailblazing, take no shit Joans throughout history. It’s a fitting moniker for these two. Having spent their careers at companies like Fallon, BBH, Pereira & O'Dell, Wieden+Kennedy, and Refinery29 they set out to create a different kind of creative agency.

Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) dives into the incredible partnership, deep friendship, and obvious overflowing love Lisa and Jaime have for each other and for the work they do. There's a lot packed into this episode. There are songs sung, honest insights on the challenges of starting a business, and a few references to Howard Hughes bottling his pee.

In this episode, you will learn that happiness and ambition can actually co-exist, and how meeting a stranger that shares your passions can unlock whole new chapters in your career.

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This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is growing a ton right now, especially in their creative and marketing departments. They’re looking for Product Designers, Web Designers, UX Writers, a Creative Writer, a Project Management Lead, and more. Head to squarespace.com/careers to check out all of their open roles.

SHOW NOTES:

Damn Joan

Damn Necklace (unfortunately no longer for sale)

Estelle - American Boy [feat. Kanye West]

Director Taika Waititi makes Jaime jealous.

Emily Weiss, Founder & CEO of Glossier, makes Lisa jealous.

Adam J. Kurtz on Helping You Feel Your Feelings

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is with Adam J. Kurtz. Also known on the internet as Adam JK (@adamjk). Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sits down in the studio for a chat with the artist, author, designer, speaker, and personal growth encourager. He’s authored 3 books and journals that make life as a creative, and as a human, a bit easier to navigate. You can find links below to 1 Page at a Time, Pick Me Up, and his latest book, Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives.

Adam and Justin touch on topics from making due with what you've got, giving people permission and a structure to connect with themselves, and how all Adam really needed was for Alanis Morissette to know he exists.

In this episode, you will learn things really are what you make of them. That most times a small shift in how you think about things can make all the difference.

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SHOW NOTES:

"Put an Onion Ring on It" video of Adam eating an onion while listening to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies'

Adam's Books: 1 Page at a Time, Pick Me Up, Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives

Unsolicited Advice Planners

Ok Tarot Cards

Robyn Kanner is Gonna Be Ok

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Justin Gignac (@justingignac) chats in the studio with writer, designer and co-founder of MyTransHealth, Robyn Kanner (@robynkanner).

They had a deeply personal conversation on a range of topics. From Robyn's love and appreciation of Kanye to her self-described “messy” career path, graduating high school early and teaching herself design by imitating album covers she loved in Photoshop. Robyn embraces and actually strives to be uncomfortable. Using it as a fuel for her writing and design.

In this episode, you will learn that it’s ok to be messy. Not in the organization sense, but messy in the decisions and mistakes you make. None of us are unique or special in our struggles. Once you embrace who you are and feel comfortable with your voice it will transform your work.

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SHOW NOTES:

Robyn's article for The Atlantic "I Detransitioned. But Not Because I Wasn't Trans.", MEL article "I’m Trans, and I Won’t Stop Trolling Instagram’s Titty Policy", and her talk "Has Your Misery Ever Been a Sight to See?"

Robyn + Mike Monteiro's podcast EARN YR DEATH

Utah Jazz gradient uniforms

Designer Walter Craven

Designer Mark Weaver

Designer Scott Hanson

Musician Dan Capaldi

Headstart's album Our House

Jeff Buckley's album Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

Victor Ng designer on Hillary’s campaign

Storyteller Bijan Stephen makes Robyn jealous

Chobani's Kwame Taylor-Hayford on the Untapped Potential of Living a Safe Life

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode, host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sits down in the studio with Kwame Taylor-Hayford(@xquamx), who is the Managing Director of Brand Development at Chobani, as well as co-founder of social activism organization Saturday Morning and co-owner of August Market, a lifestyle store in Western NY state he and his wife started.

Kwame has held many roles in advertising over the years. From his early days of being an account executive at TBWA Media Arts Lab working on the Mac vs. PC campaign to being an integrated producer at various ad agencies around the country, to his role at Chobani now.

It makes sense his career has been transient since he spent his childhood as the son of a diplomat, moving every couple of years from New York City, to Ghana, to Egypt, South Africa, the UK and back to NYC to finish high school. Being immersed in so many cultures has given Kwame an appreciation of people and a curiosity to learn something from everyone.

In this episode, you will learn the value of being curious, pushing yourself every day, and how appreciating different cultures and people can positively affect your creative perspective.

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SHOW NOTES:

TV 2 Denmark "All That We Share" - an extremely powerful short film about our shared humanity that Justin mentions in this episode.

SNL Editor Adam Epstein on Optimistic Nihilism and the Power of Great Teams

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Editor Adam Epstein (@eppyad) has had a hand in some of your favorite Saturday Night Live films. In the past 9 years, he has edited over 100 SNL digital shorts including Levi’s Woke, Star Wars Undercover Boss, The Day Beyonce Turned Black, and Farewell Mr. Bunting. Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sat down with Adam in the studio to gain more insight into the chaos and insane team effort it takes to pull off the films they do in only 2 or 3 days. He also discusses his love of sports and great teams, and the close parallels to the collaborative process of filmmaking.

In this episode, you will learn about the importance of working with great collaborators you can trust and how sometimes inconsequential decisions, like joining a kickball team, can give you the biggest break of your career.

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Illustrator Laura Callaghan on Inclusivity and Being a Creative Late Bloomer

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 2 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This is a recording from our live event at The Trampery in London with Irish illustrator Laura Callaghan (@lauracallaghanillustration). She opens up to host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) about her humble beginnings of doing illustration on nights and weekends while working in the accounts department at a biscuit factory and her first failed attempt at being a full-time freelancer. Laura taps into the recent fad of brands co-opting feminism for capitalism and how so much work about women, by women is one-dimensionally pegged as "Badass boss bitches boss ladies".

In this episode, you will learn how to persevere through the uncertainty of when to start your freelance career. That it’s ok to go back to a full-time job you might not love and hone your craft before going freelance again. You’ll also learn not to measure your talent and success on your number of followers.

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Jacquelyn De Jesu on Reinventing the Shower Cap

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 10:05:00 +0000

Host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) sits down with Jacquelyn De Jesu (@deejayzoo), founder, and CEO of Shhhowercap. Jacquelyn shares her journey from being an art director in advertising to the moment she was compelled to make a modern shower cap. Her bootstrapped journey has lead to features in Forbes, Fast Company and Vogue and her shower caps are now carried in stores from Neiman Marcus and Sephora to the MoMA Design Store.

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Yancey Strickler on Life After Kickstarter and Why Artists Should be Our Business Heroes

justin@workingnotworking.com (Working Not Working) — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Yancey Strickler, co-founder and former CEO of Kickstarter, joins host Justin Gignac (@justingignac) on stage for a candid chat about life after Kickstarter. He reveals his rule of believing in everything, the ego benefits of seeing an astrologist, the importance of putting more love into the world, and why he grew a mustache inspired by the Beatles to help him write his ambitious book about challenging the dominance of financial maximization as the driving force of society.

Yancey shares many insights from his last decade at Kickstarter - taking it from a simple idea with two co-founders to a platform that has generated more than $3.5 billion in funding for more than 125,000 creative projects.

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Episode 9 - Gemma O'Brien

Fri, 9 Mar 2018 18:00:00 +0000

Working Not Working co-founder, Justin Gignac, sits down with Australian artist and designer Gemma O'Brien. Her lettering, illustration, and typography has been seen around the world on walls and branding for clients like Apple, adidas, Adobe, and The New York Times. This is a live recording from Justin and Gemma's conversation in a basement bar in New York City. Gemma opens up quitting law school, getting internet famous in Germany when she was only a student, and knowing and defending your value to clients.

Episode 8 - Kate Moross

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 04:54:00 +0000

London-based illustrator, art director, director and designer Kate Moross is the latest in the Overshare hot seat. Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac interviewed Kate on a rainy, London night in front of a live audience. Opening up about how she doesn't view herself as a creative person, the struggles of owning and running a non-capitalistic design studio, how to hire the right people ("It's better to have a hole in your team than an asshole") and how she is watching absolutely everything on TV.

Kate is also the author of Make Your Own Luck: A DIY Attitude to Graphic Design and Illustration.

Episode 7 - Sara Shelton

Tue, 30 May 2017 16:49:00 +0000

Working Not Working Member and Freelance Copywriter, Sara Shelton, has created something special that many of us could benefit from. A t-shirt. It's a black t-shirt with white text that says "WE GET DEPRESSED". It's a very simple idea inspired by a very tragic event in Sara's life. She's hoping to remove the stigma and shame from depression. And if enough people wear this shirt, maybe depression becomes just another thing a lot of us have.

This special episode of Overshare is hosted by our friend, Claire Wasserman, from Ladies Get Paid.

Episode 6 - Shantell Martin + Ivan Cash

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 18:00:00 +0000

Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac welcomes artists Shantell Martin and Ivan Cash in the latest episode of Overshare. If you're looking for a fresh perspective on your work and life this conversation will inspire you. Both Shantell and Ivan create work that focuses on human connection. Helping us put down our devices and our personas and live in the present. The resulting conversation is especially lively and insightful, as it shifts from creative foundations to the complex ideas of sharing and spontaneity and connection, to how artists can challenge an overreliance on technology both professionally and personally.

Thanks to our friends at AND CO for their support. Let AND CO help you run your freelance business by managing your invoicing, time tracking, expenses, and projects with the combination of a smart app and your personal Chief Operator. Get 20% off for 3 months on all premium memberships with the code “WNW”.

Episode 5 - David Droga

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:33:00 +0000

For our 5th episode, Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac sits down with David Droga, Creative Chairman and Founder of advertising agency Droga5. Droga5 has been named Agency of the Year ten times in its ten years in existence thanks to influential work for clients like Google, Under Armour, Newcastle, UNICEF Tap Project, Prudential, and Jay-Z. David opens up about sibling rivalry, the importance of setting almost unattainable goals, and how he balances outrageous ego versus outrageous insecurity.

Episode 4 - Jessica Hische + Jennifer Daniel

Tue, 1 Nov 2016 20:25:00 +0000

This fourth episode was recorded live in San Francisco in September 2016 with professional oversharers Jennifer Daniel and Jessica Hische. Working Not Working co-founder Justin Gignac attempted to uncover more about the two notorious designers than you can find combing through their 34,000 tweets. They dive into the psychology behind their need to share on social media, how it has impacted their careers and how having children has changed everything. This is not your typical design talk about favorite typefaces and inspiration. There's a lot of real talk about pregnancy, labor and the struggles of balancing parenting and career.

Thanks to our friends at AND CO for their support. Let AND CO help you run your freelance business by managing your invoicing, time tracking, expenses and projects with the combination of a smart app and your personal Chief Operator. Get 20% off for 3 months on all premium memberships with the code “WNW”.

BONUS - Ask An Expert Episode 1 - "Get Rich or Die Cryin"

Thu, 1 Sep 2016 19:30:00 +0000

WNW Members Cooper Smith and Marques Gartrell interviewed FreshBooks for the premiere of "Ask An Expert", where we ask smart people who know the things we don't about the things we should. This episode called "Get Rich or Die Cryin" dives into the sometimes anxiety-filled world of getting paid. Apparently, accountants don't really care if your invoice is impeccably designed. Who knew?

Big thanks to Robb Eng and Jackie Tanner from FreshBooks for dropping some knowledge on us.

Episode 3 - Kate Bingaman-Burt, Adam R. Garcia, and Rich Tu

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 18:17:00 +0000

This recording was from our live event during Design Week Portland in April 2016. Renowned illustrators and designers Kate Bingaman-Burt, Adam R. Garcia and Rich Tu chatted with WNW co-founder Justin Gignac about Portland clichés, embracing and rebounding from career failures, and the downsides of ambition. Plus, an adorable story about Kate's grandmother's favorite dirty word.

Thanks to FreshBooks, The Outpost and Scout Books for their support.

Episode 2 - Jon Contino

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 04:54:00 +0000

Renowned designer, Jon Contino, is not known for holding back and he doesn't disappoint in his conversation with WNW co-founder Justin Gignac. The definitely not PG discussion covers Jon's opinions on imitation vs. stealing, losing your edge, creative insecurity and always having something to prove.

Episode 1 - Leta Sobierajski + Wade Jeffree

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 04:39:00 +0000

WNW co-founder Justin Gignac interviews creative couple Leta Sobierajski and Wade Jeffree in a New York City dive bar. The recently married Brooklyn-based designers opened up about everything from getting paid to getting rejected, and even the Squatty Potty.

Thanks to FreshBooks for their support.