Creative Conversation headed to Lagos, Nigeria for Social Media Week where host Kc Ifeanyi interviewed R&B and Nollywood star Banky W. live on stage. In the conversation, Banky W. details his storied career, including starting his own record label, starring in Nigeria’s highest grossing film of all time, his battle with cancer, and stepping into the political arena to try and galvanize Nigeria’s younger generation disillusioned by politics as usual. Banky W. may not be a name most Western audiences are familiar with, but listening to this episode will definitely make you a fan of his work and activism.

Creative Conversation

Creative Conversation Live in Lagos, Nigeria, with Nollywood star Banky W.

On this episode, our host Chris Denson talks to Helen Vaid, Global Chief Customer Officer at Pizza Hut, about collaboration and how to build the right internal team of stakeholders for fast ideation and faster action. Then he dives into how new businesses can best foster that collaboration inside a large organization with Ari Libarikian, global leader of Leap by McKinsey.

The First Step: How Pizza Hut cooks up collaboration to keep innovating

Since her time on season 10 of Drag Race and winning All-Stars 4, Drag Queen Monet X Change has appeared in national ad campaigns, released a visual album, and got her own talk show—and that's barley her first act. Listen her to Monet explain how she learned to embrace her blackness for drag, why she's making music and not drag music, and how she’s able to block out criticism on social media and that nagging beast of perfection to focus on her craft.

The creative power of blackness and drag, according to Monet X Change

Digging into Reginald Hudlin's résumé is like the most inspiring rabbit hole you could possibly tumble down. Most people know Hudlin as the director of such classic '90s films as House Party and Boomerang. But his career spans wide across the creative, development, and executive corners of the entertainment industry, where he's even dipped his toe into comic creation. In this episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Conversation, Hudlin explains how creative risk-taking not only led to personal breakthroughs but shaped black culture and pop culture at large. Listen to the latest episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Play, or Stitcher.

A creativity masterclass, with Reginald Hudlin

Nate Berkus' life has always been surrounded by "decorative turmoil", so it's no surprise that he has grown into the superstar interior designer he is today. In this episode of Creative Conversation, Berkus travels through his storied career going from being "a terrible assistant," to his big break on The Oprah Winfrey Show, to his own failed show ("…worst job of my life."), and how he's expanding his brand in design and even in Hollywood. Listen to the latest episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Play, or Stitcher.

How Nate Berkus stays inspired in a constantly evolving industry

Marques Brownlee has been called "the best technology reviewer on the planet" (by a former VP at Google, no less) and his 10 million YouTube subscribers would probably agree. So how does one go from reviewing a remote for an HP Pavilion laptop in his living room to becoming one of the most powerful voices in tech? In this episode of Creative Conversation, Brownlee breaks down what he sees as true innovation and creativity in the tech industry and what the gadgets and devices of yesteryear can teach us about the future. Listen to the latest episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Play, or Stitcher.

How Marques Brownlee uses technology to express his creativity

Noah Baumbach has been making films for 25 years, but none has caught fire quite like his latest. Marriage Story has been racking up awards nominations in advance of the big ones—the Oscars, where, at the very least, costars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are likely to be nominated. In this episode of Creative Conversation, Baumbach dives into the creative choices he made to frame Marriage Story as a film about love, how he barrels through writer's block, why he never yells "Action!" on set, cowriting the upcoming Barbie film—and, of course, Adam Driver's singing. Listen to the latest episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Play, or Stitcher.

How Noah Baumbach made a film about love, through a story about divorce

The First Step is a custom podcast from Fast Co. Works in partnership with McKinsey and Company. On this episode, Chris dives into how to take an idea and put it in action with Jesse Dorogusker, Hardware Lead at Square. Then he talks to Ralf Dreischmeier, global leader of Leap by McKinsey. Whether you are starting a new digital business at your company or just starting a new task at work, the gap between thought and action can often seem cavernous. Often we find ourselves paralyzed, unable to act. In the case of starting a new digital business, taking action is essential to maintaining success and growing your company. Leap by McKinsey was designed to help companies take that first step and launch new digital businesses.

The First Step: How Square conquers fear to bring new ideas to life

Lots of people work in creative industries, but very few have been able to take their art and pivot to build something more impactful than the art itself. That's exactly what Piera Gelardi did when she started Refinery29, a digital media company that in many ways, has helped to shape a more inclusive and interactive modern media landscape. In this episode, Piera speaks about how she made that pivot from artist to business-leader, why she loves improv exercises, and the reasoning behind developing Refinery29's iconic immersive experience 29Rooms.  Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How Piera Geraldi gives her audience permission to be creative

Carrie Coon got an unconventionally late start in film and TV at 33, after having long since established herself on the stage. But she's more than made up for lost time with unconventional roles. Her performances as Nora Durst in The Leftovers, Vera Walker in The Sinner, and as Elizabeth in The Keeping Hours have solidified Coon as Hollywood's bona-fide spooky mother. In this episode of Creative Conversation, Coon explains how she's reframing the archetype of mom characters, why being a good student can be bad for creativity, and what the physical side of creativity taught her (and what it can teach you). Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How actress Carrie Coon uses fear to fuel her creativity

Most people consider themselves lucky to be able to craft a career path within one creative industry. Mo Rocca, acclaimed humorist, journalist, and actor has successfully been able to leave his mark on a few of those paths – even though he believes that we will all be forgotten eventually. He sits down with us at the Fast Company Innovation Festival for this live episode of Creative Conversation to talk about his creative journey that touches on multiple creative outlets. Listen to him dish on why you should lean into your weird interests, why humor and sadness sometimes go hand in hand, and his favorite historical figures highlighted in his new book “Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving”.  Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

LIVE! with Mo Rocca at the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2019

It’s no surprise that improvisation is seen as a kind of holy grail for creativity. Whether it’s comedians or musicians, the act of creating something novel and interesting out of next to nothing is, indeed, quite remarkable. But what exactly is going on inside an improvising brain? And, most importantly, how can everyday people tap into that kind of creativity? Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is your brain on improvisation

When you hit that afternoon slump at your desk, maybe it’s not an issue of getting another cup of coffee—maybe you need to change your environment. Some of the most frustrating roadblocks to creativity can stem from being in a static environment. Whether you’re at the office or working remotely, being in the same old space for hours at a stretch can drain you of your creative juices. On this episode, we explore why your surroundings play such a crucial role in your creative process, the folly of chasing Silicon Valley-esque playgrounds, and how to make small changes to your environment for a big boost in creativity. Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How to Boost Your Creativity by Changing Your Environment

Creative geniuses make creativity look easy. But in reality, it’s uncomfortable to dive into uncharted territory to build or think of something new. Words like “innovation” and “disruption” get tossed around all the time, but uncertainty often keeps us from reaching that creative breakthrough. In this episode, creativity expert Dr. Ron Beghetto how we can navigate that uncertainty and turn it into a valuable part of the creative process. Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How uncertainty can make us more creative

We all know brainstorming is an essential part of the creative process, but what do you do when your mind is too foggy to welcome the storm? Brain fog, brain farts, mental fatigue...call it what you will, it can be a major roadblock to creativity. But is there a way to use that hazy state of mind to your creative advantage? On this episode of Creative Conversation, KC Ifeanyi unpacks exactly what brain fog is and why you shouldn't be in such a rush to clear your mind. Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is the best time to brainstorm

Fast Company culture maven KC Ifeanyi gets icons from art and business to break down the secrets of their success and their tricks for overcoming creative deserts.

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Creative Conversation

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