Stephen Gillett is the co-founder and  former CEO at Chronicle—an Alphabet company born out of X, The Moonshot Factory—and is an executive advisor to the CEO at Google. As one of the youngest CIOs of a Fortune 500 company in history, he was responsible for leading the technological transformation of Starbucks under Howard Schultz. Stephen’s previous positions included CIO at Corbis, working directly with Bill Gates; President at Best Buy; and COO at Symantec. As an avid lifelong gamer, Wired also recognized him as an innovative Guild Master in World of Warcraft. Stephen lives in Silicon Valley with his high school sweetheart and their eight children. 

 

In today’s episode, Stephen joins the podcast to talk about the role gaming plays in his household, and how it’s helped his family develop deeper connections.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

 

• Getting kids involved in business 
• How to create a 17 year old story 
• The logistics of 8 kids 
• The greatest gift he could give his kids 
• Why his kids need to be 8 years old to play video games 
• How epic gaming experiences help explain the important aspects of life 
• The power of connecting with your kids through their favorite games 
• “Before you get furious, get curious” 
• Why reviewing digital usage stats with your kids can help them correct usage time themselves 
• Disney Circle Service 
• Keeping online gaming safe 
• Why tablets are bad babysitters 

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Stephen Gillet | Follow on Twitter
• From Simi Valley To Silicon Valley: A Story of Hard Work, Serendipity, and Questing by Stephen Gillett
• One Last Talk by Philip McKernan

 

PEOPLE MENTIONED

• Philip McKernan

 

QUOTES

“It’s very hard to be selfish in a family of 8.” - Stephen Gillett

 

“Before you get furious, get curious.” - Stephen Gillett

JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD

Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood.

 

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