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The Iowa Idea: James Tutson

“Trying to do something more beautiful.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by James Tutson. James is a singer-songwriter from Iowa City. His style is a combination of southern soul and rhythm & blues. He has recorded four studio albums, two solo and two with his band James Tutson and the Rollback. When he’s not performing, he spends time with his wife, Stephanie, their two kids Etta, and Haven, and serving local youth through the non-profit, Neighbors. His fifth studio album, “Still” is scheduled for release in March of 2021.

James and I dig into his journey as a musician, as well his influences from Amos Lee to James Baldwin. We talk about the work he and Stephanie are doing with their non-profit Neighbors.

Our discussion explored some of the similarities with music and design, including being intentional, framing, and collaboration. Our conversation concludes after examining themes of creativity, “fore-ness,” and love.

A special note of thanks to Dave Gould as friend and curator. I think this is the fourth guest of the podcast that is connected to Dave.

It was an honor having James join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About James

James Tutson is a singer-songwriter from Iowa City, IA. His style is a combination of southern soul and rhythm & blues. He has recorded four studio albums, two solo and two with his band James Tutson and the Rollback. When he’s not performing, he spends time with his wife, Stephanie, their two kids Etta, and Haven, and serving local youth through the non-profit, Neighbors, started by James and Stephanie. His fifth studio album “Still” is scheduled to release in March of 2021. For more information on James, “Still”, live music and exclusive content subscribe on www.jamestutson.com for James’ newsletter and follow on Instagram: @jtutson.

Credits

The song “Afraid” from Make You Free (2019) appears courtesy of James Tutson and The Rollback.

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Kaleb Wyse

“Use what you have until it becomes what you want.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Kaleb Wyse. Kaleb the fourth generation to live on his family farm in Iowa. Leaving business and accounting he started Wyse Guide as an outlet for his passions in the garden and in the kitchen. With his YouTube channel, Kaleb’s goal is to show viewers how they too can start a garden, no matter the size; preserve the food; create a meal; and create the home they love to live in. With Wyse Guide Kaleb works to pass these passions on to others.We dig in into Kaleb’s journey from farm life, to accounting, and back to a farm life that embraces the principles of traditional farm life with a modern twist where he embraces technology to share his passion and perspectives.

It was an honor having Kaleb join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Kaleb

Kaleb Wyse is the fourth-generation to live on his family farm in Iowa. Leaving business and accounting Kaleb started Wyse Guide as an outlet for his passions both outdoors in the garden and indoors in the kitchen. His goal is to show viewers how they too can start a garden, no matter the size. Preserve the food. Create a meal and create the home they love to live in.

Kaleb’s website: https://wyseguide.com

Kaleb’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/wyseguide

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Anuvab Pal

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Anuvab Pal. The New York Times calls Anuvab India’s Most Intelligent Comedian. The Times of India calls him one of India’s top 10 comedians. His work has been featured on The BBC, Time Magazine, CNN, and other global media. He’s the screenwriter of three well known Bollywood films, including the “Loins of Punjab Present” and the author of 4 bestselling novels, including the nonfiction book on the Bollywood movie, The Disco Dancer. His standup performance of “Empire,” is part of the permanent collection at Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Anuvab and Kunaal Roy Kapur host one Spotify’s most popular podcasts – “Our Last Week,” where the hosts answer emails about conundrums.

We dig in into Anuvab’s journey into comedy and writing, including his introduction of American cultural icons waiting for Anuvab when he attended college in Ohio, and the influence of the mocumentary genre. We discuss the greatness that is the ‘80s Bollywood cult classic “Disco Dancer” and the struggles of those confronting Guitarphobia. If you haven’t had the chance, please check out the movie Disco Dancer, it is the funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time. Be warned, the director believes it is a serious film.

Before I had hit record, Anuvab and I were discussing his connection to Iowa. While he lived in the States, he was invited to Diwali celebration in Clive, IA.

It was an honor having Anuvab join me on the show and coordinating a 12.5 hour time zone difference to make this episode happen. I thank him for sharing his time, insights, and for introducing me to Disco Dancer. I also need to thank Dave Hill and the The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour team for introducing me to Disco Dancer and Anuvab. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Anuvab

The New York Times calls Anuvab Pal India’s Most Intelligent Comedian. The Times Of India calls him one of India’s top 10 comedians. His stand-up comedy special “The Nation Wants To Know,” has had over 500 shows starting in Mumbai and playing from Sydney to San Francisco to Singapore to sold out houses across 30 cities. His show is the only Indian stand-up comedy show after Russel Peters’ to sell out The Comedy Store in London and Gotham Comedy Club in New York in record time. In 2017, he was one of 10 Indian comedians picked by Amazon Prime Video to have his comedy special “Alive At 40” broadcast to 30 countries worldwide. His work has been featured on The BBC, Time Magazine, CNN, NDTV, and other global media. He’s the screenwriter of 3 well known Bollywood films and the author of 4 bestselling novels, including a nonfiction book on the Bollywood movie, The Disco Dancer.

His standup performance of “Empire,” is part of the permanent collection at Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Anuvab’s Podcast – https://open.spotify.com/episode/424wQ08vaztlEgSjiu3s7T?si=TQBQffO4QjGCWQehJHnNbw

Anubab’s Site – https://anuvabpal.com/

Disco Dancer – https://amz.run/4Glq

The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour – https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dave-hill-goodtime-hour/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Josh Krakauer

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Josh Krakauer. Josh is the CEO of Sculpt, a B2B social media marketing agency. Sculpt launched in 2012 with a mission to connect clients with their human customers more humanly. Josh has developed social media strategies and awareness campaigns that have launched three best-selling books, humanized publicly-traded corporations, accelerated early-stage startups, and convinced tech workers to move to Iowa. He is obsessed with connecting people passionate about their ideas. Josh sits on the advisory board of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and was named one of the CBJ’s 40 under 40 (at 25).

While Josh now works remote from Washington, DC, but will still convince you Iowa City is the best city on earth. We explore Josh’s journey as an entrepreneur and community connector. I appreciated Josh’s thoughtfulness and perspective on how he has shaped Sculpt.

It was an honor having Josh join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Josh

Josh Krakauer is the CEO of Sculpt, a B2B social media marketing agency. Sculpt launched in 2012 with a mission to connect clients with their human customers more humanly. Today, Sculpt uses that philosophy to help B2B marketers reach their customers, inspire their advocates, and close more deals.

Josh has developed social media strategies and awareness campaigns that have launched 3 best-selling books, humanized publicly-traded corporations, accelerated early-stage startups, and convinced tech workers to move to Iowa.

Josh is obsessed with connecting people passionate about their ideas. Josh sits on the advisory board of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and was named one of the CBJ’s 40 under 40 (at 25).

Josh works remote from Washington, DC, but will still convince you Iowa City is the best city on earth.

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Erin Becker

“Make sure you have something to say.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Erin Becker. Erin is a writer, communications consultant, and storytelling expert. She founded and runs Becks Communications, a consultancy that helps clients in a range of industries in the US and Latin America use storytelling and effective communications principles to move people, sell products, and make change. She also runs a newsletter, The Storytelling Weekly, where she shares storytelling tips and analyzes culture high and low to help her readers learn how to tell great stories and achieve their strategic goals. She holds her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She writes criticism, essays, poetry, and fiction, and has been published in outlets like Lambda Literary, Barrelhouse Reviews, Interstellar Flight Press, and more. Erin also heads up communications for digital literacy nonprofit Write Away.

We explore Erin’s journey as a writer and entrepreneur; what it’s like to live abroad and struggling to accurately express yourself in another language and culture; and how writing can help us clarify our own ideas. I liked Erin’s advice to “think about the content before you think about the vehicle.” I enjoyed Erin’s perspectives on writing and storytelling.

It was an honor having Erin join me on the show. I thank her for sharing her time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Erin

Erin Becker is a writer, communications consultant, and storytelling expert. She founded and runs Becks Communications, a consultancy that helps clients in a range of industries in the US and Latin America use storytelling and effective communications principles to move people, sell products, and make change. She also runs a newsletter, The Storytelling Weekly, where she shares storytelling tips and analyzes culture high and low to help her readers learn how to tell great stories and achieve their strategic goals. She holds her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She writes criticism, essays, poetry, and fiction, and has been published in outlets like Lambda Literary, Barrelhouse Reviews, Interstellar Flight Press, Make Lit + Luz, and more. Erin also heads up communications for digital literacy nonprofit Write Away. You can subscribe to Erin’s newsletter, get in touch about her communications consulting, schedule a storytelling workshop, and find out more about her writing at erinbecker.me.

Credits

Episode produce by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Dave Gould

“Feeding friends and community.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with David Gould. Dave is a modern-day embodiment of the Iowa Idea. He is a self-described accidental academic. David is a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Public Policy

Center. Previously, Dave served The University of Iowa as an administrator at the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent, the Associate Director of Professional Student Development in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences,

Lecturer in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, and the first

Obermann Center Public Scholar. He worked with Zappos CEO Tony

Hsieh’s Downtown Project in its effort to transform Las Vegas into the “most community-focused large city in the world.” In addition to his work in higher ed, Dave has produced a number of documentary films and creative community events.

We explore Dave’s journey as an artist, student, and creative that brought him to Iowa City. We dig into the power of connecting people and ideas. For those that follow the podcast closely – first, thank you!; second, Dave’s name has come up in interviews with Andy Stoll, Jesse Elliott, and Mark Nolte. So, it seemed appropriate to go to the source. I really appreciate Mark introducing me to Dave.

During the pandemic, Dave has brought his powerful Life Design course as a free, online experience for alumni and friends. The last session will be broadcast live on Wednesday, January 27 with special guest, Dan Learner of NYU. If you have the chance, check out the final installment.

It was an honor having Dave join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Dave

David Gould is a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Public Policy

Center. Previously, Mr. Gould served the University of Iowa as an administrator at the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent, the Associate Director of Professional Student Development in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences,

Lecturer in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, and the first

Obermann Center Public Scholar. Mr. Gould also worked with Zappos CEO Tony

Hsieh’s Downtown Project in its effort to transform Las Vegas into the “most community-focused large city in the world.”

For over a decade, the focus of Mr. Gould’s work has revolved around reimagining higher education, and in turn, he has created a number of distinctive university courses concentrated on issues of meaning and community engagement. These courses have garnered considerable media attention and professional recognition.

From 2010 – 2020, graduating seniors at the University of Iowa have recognized Mr.

Gould as one of the top faculty and staff members “who has had a positive effect on

their life.” Mr. Gould was awarded the 2020 Honors Teaching Award and the 2019 David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service to The University of Iowa. Mr. Gould is also a sought-after public speaker whose presentations include the commencement address for the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Educating 21st Century Adolescent Learners (keynote, Tokyo, Japan), Luther College Convocation, Next Gen. Summit (keynote), TEDx Iowa City, and TEDxUNI.

Mr. Gould directed the documentary Two Sides of the Moon (Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, UNSPOKEN Human Rights

Film Festival, FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, among others.) He also produced The Checker King (HBO2), and Freestyle: The Victories of Dan Gable

(HBO Signature). Currently, Mr. Gould is producing the feature film Gable.

Credits

Episode produce by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Tim Carty

“Actively choose where you live.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Tim Carty. Tim has lived in Iowa City since 2009 and has lived in Iowa most of his life. He is a passionate advocate for local development and entrepreneurship. Tim has served as an ambassador for the Iowa City Area Business Partnership and has recently co-founded a new talent attraction agency called RoleCall. RoleCall works with cities and economic developers to strengthen and build successful talent attraction strategies.

We explore Tim’s journey from New Jersey to Iowa and the roles, managers, and mentors that have helped him along the way. We dig into what it’s like to launch two businesses in the time of the pandemic, as well as why it’s important to be intentional about improving the communities where you want to live.

It was an honor having Tim join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Tim

Tim has lived in Iowa City since 2019 and worked in local economic development with the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce (Now IC Area Business Partnership) and ICR Iowa for the last several years. Tim, along with his business partner has recently launched a new talent attraction agency called RoleCall, where they work with cities and economic developers to strengthen and build successful talent attraction strategies.

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Aaron Proietti

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, Aaron Proietti returns as we try to make sense of 2020 from an innovation perspective. Aaron is the author of Today’s Innovator. He is an innovation expert with seventeen years of experience innovating in complex organizations. Through his company “Today’s Innovator” and his writing, Aaron’s mission is to connect and empower the innovators found within each of us.

Aaron and I talk about 2020 and how we’re making sense of it. We discuss disruption, the winners and losers of the year, as well as historic parallels to the 1920s. We dig deep into sensemaking, wayfinding, and crisis innovation, and close with what lessons we might take away from a crazy year.

It was great having Aaron back on the podcast. I thank him for his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode and wish you the best in 2021.

About Aaron

Aaron Proietti is an innovation expert with seventeen-plus years of experience innovating in complex organizations. Most recently, at Transamerica, a multinational Fortune 500 insurance company, Aaron built and led the company’s Insights & Innovation department consisting of six centers of excellence designed to fuel innovation. As Chief Innovation Officer he led a division- wide effort to transform the culture of 6,000 employees to a culture of innovation, collaboration, and trust. As Chief Customer Advocate he merged the company’s customer-centric service strategy with its forward-looking innovation strategy. And as the Head of Marketing Innovation he built and staffed a cutting-edge Research & Development team tasked with building customer experiences of the future and integrating them back into Transamerica’s core business.

After getting his Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Georgia Tech, Aaron got his career started as a Data Analyst at Capital One, one of the nation’s largest banks — a role that for sure would be called a Data Scientist today. It is there that he gained his first exposure to innovation as part of a team that developed new products and processes that contributed over $50 million per year. Aaron later worked as a Product Owner in Capital One’s “Invention Factory,” as well as several other roles that would shape his career as an innovator. It is at Capital One where Aaron learned the value a strong corporate culture has in driving innovation. He left Capital One in 2007 to gain experience in the startup environment, working to develop a new way of packaging and selling life insurance.

In 2016, at the age of forty, Aaron stepped away from the corporate grind to decompress and reevaluate his career trajectory. He recently founded Today’s Innovator, a coaching and training company working to “connect and empower innovators.” Aaron is the author of the book Today’s Innovator (Motivational Press, 2019). He speaks at conferences and events on topics related to technology trends, innovation leadership, innovation strategy, and culture change. Aaron has also been a regular writing contributor at Future Shapers, InnovationLeader.com and Insurance Thought Leadership.

Today’s Innovator Website

Today’s Innovator Book

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/)

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Jorge Arango

 “We need to resist the siren call of the extreme.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Jorge Arango. Jorge is an information architect, author, and educator. He helps design products and services that bring business goals and user needs into alignment. Jorge is the author of Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places (released in 2018) and co-author of Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond. He’s a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at global design conferences. In addition to his design consulting practice, Jorge also writes a blog, hosts a podcast, and teaches systems design in the graduate interaction design program at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

We explore Jorge’s journey from an architect of buildings to an information architect and a designer of digital systems and applications. We discuss the need for responsible design and why it’s important to be suspicious of extremes, especially in the context of social media.

It was an honor having Jorge join me on the show. I thank him for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Jorge

Jorge Arango

Information Architect, Author, and Educator

Jorge Arango helps design products and services that bring business goals and user needs into alignment. Over the past twenty-five years, he has architected digital experiences and “made the complex clear” for organizations ranging from non-profits to Fortune-500 corporations. Jorge’s areas of expertise include strategic design direction, conceptual modeling, and navigation design.

Jorge is the author of Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places (Two Waves Books, 2018) and co-author of Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond (O’Reilly Media, 2015). He’s also a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at global design conferences. In addition to his design consulting practice, Jorge also writes a blog, hosts a podcast, and teaches systems design in the graduate interaction design program at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

Links

Jorge’s site: https://jarango.com

Jorge’s Podcast: https://theinformed.life

Jorge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarango

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/)

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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The Iowa Idea: Jesse Elliott 

You can’t always get what you want.

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Jesse Elliott. Jesse is the Director of Creative Ecosystems for CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange), is a lifelong champion of collaborative social entrepreneurship, the power of multimedia and storytelling, and inclusive arts and artist resourcing.  He is the founder and songwriter of two rock and roll bands, who released six albums and performed live 1,200 times in a decade, from SXSW and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and your favorite local dive. A proud graduate of the University of Iowa, Elliott penned books and speeches with economist Richard Florida, helped research and author music strategies for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado, and served Bohemian Foundation as the founding Director of The Music District.

We talk about his work with economist Richard Florida; the building of creative collaborations and creative ecosystems, and the simple power of collaboration that can be fueled by as little as cheap pizza and cold beer. We dig into the early days of the James Gang collaboration, as well as Jesse’s work on Denver’s music strategies, as well as the State of Colorado’s music strategy. We briefly touch on Jack Kerouac’s affinity for Iowa and how he may have mistaken Des Moines for Iowa City.

I encourage you to check out Jesse’s Tedx talk, linked in the episode description, as he talks about music ecosystems and the remixing of community.

It was an honor having Jesse join me on the show. I appreciate how Jesse credits and shares the positive influence that mentors have had on his journey. I Jesse for sharing his time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Jesse

Jesse Elliott, Director of Creative Ecosystems for CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange), is a lifelong champion of collaborative social entrepreneurship, the power of multimedia and storytelling, and inclusive arts and artist resourcing.  He is the founder and songwriter of two rock and roll bands, who released six albums and performed live 1,200 times in a decade, from SXSW and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and your favorite local dive. A proud graduate of the University of Iowa, Elliott penned books and speeches with economist Richard Florida, helped research and author music strategies for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado, and served Bohemian Foundation as the founding Director of The Music District.  He’s a complete amateur at everything from old Schwinns and experimental cooking to eastern philosophies and evolutionary neuroscience, living on Beaver Lake in Rogers, AR, with his kayak Ozzie, his bike Trailzz, and various maps of the earth and sky hung on everything that’s not a window.

https://www.themusicdistrict.org/

http://www.cachecreate.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7RwANj9z-c

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/making-a-music-city-home-innovating-music-podcast/

Credits

Episode produce by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/)

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).