Daring Creativity

Dare to let your work be rough around the edges - Ryan Luse

Ryan Luse is a motion designer and art director who has spent 25 years mountain biking and 15 years creating at the intersection of graphic design, motion, and art direction. After being let go from a four-year position, Ryan chose stillness over security—a decision that led him through depression, meditation, coaching and ultimately a complete creative transformation. Now creating concert visuals, Ryan shares how pushing past comfort zones on the bike mirrors pushing creative boundaries, how intuition trumps logic, and why the most uncomfortable moments often lead to the most authentic work. This conversation explores truth-seeking, scarcity as clarity, and the courage to contribute to culture rather than just commerce.Key Takeaways:The comfort zone principle – Whether mountain biking or creating, growth happens just past your comfort zone. If you're always comfortable, you're not learning much and might even get boredStillness as strategy – When faced with crisis, Ryan chose not to distract himself with more work but to dedicate time to stillness, meditation, and figuring out his authentic pathIntuition vs validation – Rational intelligence seeks external validation and checks boxes. Intuition lives in the present moment and often completely defies logic—but it's where the truth livesMeditation reveals truth – The goal isn't to reach a mindless state, but to observe thoughts without attaching reactions. Random revelations that pop up during meditation are often where the most authentic insights emergeScarcity creates clarity – Going through a year-long period of financial scarcity kept Ryan in an alert state that, when balanced with self-care, provided remarkable clarity about his pathCreative therapy matters – Working with coach Ben Tallen provided the creative-specific support that traditional therapy couldn't offer, helping Ryan discover he was both "rambunctious and personable"The leap of faith moment – When intuition overrides rational thinking and something in you knows you have to do it anyway, even if it feels dangerous and uncertain—that's growthAuthenticity over template – Rather than picking a Squarespace template, Ryan is creating stylized handwriting and hand-done lettering for his website because it feels authentic, even if it's unconventional for a motion designerFrom corporate to culture – Transitioning from tech/corporate work to music industry visuals allowed Ryan to turn up his weirdness instead of taming it back, creating work that amplifies energy and contributes to cultureProcess as discovery – Whether creating a website or working on a project, the process itself helps you discover what something is and what you authentically want to say Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

"Growth comes through creative relevance" (Johanna Augustin bonus episode)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with Johanna Augustin ~ Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Dare to trust your creative soul - Johanna Augustin

Johanna Augustin is the CEO of Pond Design, one of Stockholm's leading packaging design studios, with over 20 years of experience shaping how we experience everyday products. But her journey to becoming a packaging design innovator began in the most unexpected place: Stockholm School of Economics.This conversation examines what occurs when you dare to follow your creative soul rather than the conventional path. Johanna explains how she left microeconomics and stock markets at 21, found her calling at the crossroads of strategy and creativity, and established a practice that is helping major brands shape the future of sustainable packaging.Johanna reveals how great design emerges at the intersection of data and passion, of business rigour and creative rebellion.This is a masterclass in discovering your place in the world, trusting your instincts rather than spreadsheets, and recognising that small details—the tactile feel of a box, the surprise copy inside a lid—can genuinely brighten someone's day.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe creative soul knows: At 21, studying economics, Johanna asked herself "is this life?" and trusted that feeling enough to pivot toward creativity, even without knowing exactly where it would leadPassion beats data: When choosing between someone who says "this is best because I say so" versus someone with all the data, Johanna chooses passion and confidence every time—that's where true innovation livesThe intersection is your superpower: Johanna found her space at the crossroads of strategy, growth, and creativity—not being a designer herself became her unique advantage in leading design teamsGeneration Alpha changes everything: Young people doing unboxing rituals, reading romantic copy on packaging, caring deeply about sustainability—they're not just consumers, they're co-creators of the futureSustainability requires proactivity: The worst scenario is reactive compliance with regulations that creates solutions everyone hates; brands need to dare to be proactive and push boundaries before they're forced toThe loop must close: Creating sustainable packaging isn't just about production—it's about understanding the entire journey from source to bin and back again, with equal complexity on both endsSmall details create joy: Packaging isn't shallow—it's about making someone's breakfast happier, adding surprise and delight to everyday moments, creating tactile experiences that matterAI amplifies creativity: Rather than being threatened by AI, embrace it as a tool for execution; like Adobe revolutionised design before, AI enables more creativity, more experimentation, more boundary-pushingCategories can bloom: When micro-breweries challenged traditional beer design language, the entire category blossomed; the same revolution is happening in beauty, spirits, and food—design innovation drives product innovation Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

"People can feel the difference between faking it and speaking radical truths." (David Newman bonus episode)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with David Newman ~ Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Dare to become a category of one - David Newman

Sales expert and author David Newman reveals how to transform your business through market eminence – the art of becoming so distinctively positioned that hiring anyone else becomes risky, dangerous, and dumb. Drawing from his journey of making every mistake possible in his early years to building a thriving consultancy, David shares why being a better person matters more than being a better salesperson, how treating prospects like clients changes everything, and why the conventional wisdom of casting wide nets actually keeps you stuck in mediocrity.David introduces the concept of building an electromagnetic fence around your business that pulls in ideal clients while repelling nightmare prospects, explains why how-to content is dead in the age of AI, and outlines the three types of human-centered content that actually matter: teaching people how to think strategically, revealing harsh truths your industry won't acknowledge, and helping clients prepare for what's coming next. He challenges creatives and consultants to stop apologizing for their perspectives, embrace being polarizing and contrarian, and recognize that wasting zero time trying to please everyone is the fastest path to meaningful success and impact.Key TakeawaysThe secret to sales success isn't becoming a better salesperson – it's becoming a better person who listens with empathy, kindness, and genuine curiosity about prospects' real problemsTreat prospects like clients before they're hired by delivering the same care, attention, and strategic thinking in initial conversations that you'd provide in your first post-contract meetingMarket eminence combines three elements: visibility (being seen), credibility (being trusted for getting people on a deep level), and brand preference (making alternatives feel risky)AI has killed how-to content forever – focus instead on three human advantages: teaching how to think strategically, revealing what to believe and not believe, and future-casting what's coming nextBeing contrarian isn't a marketing gimmick – it's uncovering beliefs you already hold, harsh truths clients desperately need acknowledged, and strong viewpoints that resonate with ideal clients while making competitors uncomfortableBuild an electromagnetic fence around your business that attracts best-fit prospects, talent, and partners while actively repelling nightmare clients, bad hires, and misaligned relationshipsStop wasting time trying to be everything to everyone doing mediocre work for mediocre fees – jump immediately into the deep end of distinctive positioning and authentic differentiationPolarization is productive when it turns the wrong people off and the right people on – embrace making some people uncomfortable because they're not your people anywayThe three contrarian questions: What conventional wisdom do you secretly think is wrong? What harsh industry truth needs acknowledging? What strong viewpoint do you hold that competitors fear? Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)