1K with Matt Olin: Elevating the creative class

Infectious enthusiasm for creativity abounds in this episode of 1K with Charlotte’s own Renaissance Man, Matt Olin. We’re not just blowing smoke. As a professional theater producer, the Broadway productions he had his hands in earned serious recognition at the Tony Awards (14 wins, 50 noms). He’s toured the country playing keyboard in a rock band. He does right-brained thinking for left-brained people, writing jingles, commercial scripts, and other creative copy. And for the past two and a half years, he’s hosted the monthly speaker series CreativeMornings/Charlotte.

His CreativeMornings role—one he volunteers for—is what first brought him on our radar. In this podcast, Matt tells us more about that role. If you couldn’t tell from his varied background, he’s a man overflowing with and driven by curiosity. It’s that curiosity that helps him and his team find compelling speakers, whether it’s a pizza-obsessed baker or a former inmate turned Washington Post journalist.

Other episode highlights include elevating the creative class in a city known for banking, Matt’s secret super power for spotting creative talent, how being an identical twin steeped him in the art of differentiation from an early age, and listening to binaural sounds to get the brain juices flowing.

1K is affiliated with the 100 Words Film Festival and powered by OrthoCarolina.

1K is hosted by Scott Galloway. Produced and edited by Jordan Snyder. Music composed by Jason Hausman. Recorded at Concentrix Music and Sound Design.