Slow Stories

By Rachel SchwartzmannSociety & Culture Arts Books Personal Journals

Slow Stories episodes

June 12, 2019 Michael Ventura
Michael Ventura, the Founder and CEO of Sub Rosa—a brand strategy and design practice that believes deeper understanding creates better solutions—understands the importance of conscious business. Enter Applied Empathy, a methodology developed by Michael and his team that arms professionals with the tools and framework they need to harness and lead with empathy in the modern workplace. In this episode, Michael spoke about the development of this practice and content’s role in how we can all become more empathetic storytellers both online and offline. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Veronica Souza of Vero Branding.
29 min
June 03, 2019 Alisha Ramos
Alisha Ramos has risen to prominence as the Founder and CEO of Girls’ Night In—a newsletter and event series championing the ever-pressing self-care movement that is changing the way modern women approach (and make space for) wellness today. The weekly newsletter has become a digital oasis for over 150k women who’d rather stay in tonight. Furthermore, the brand’s candid and approachable voice has also provided Alisha with a platform to share her voice as a female founder who is establishing transparency and honest conversations around what it takes to build a brand today. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Erin Allweiss of No. 29 Communications.
31 min
May 15, 2019 Carolyn Witte
Carolyn Witte is the co-founder and CEO of Tia—a next-generation women's healthcare company that is modernizing (and humanizing) the healthcare experience for women everywhere. Initially known for its acclaimed mobile app, Tia has been able to bridge the gap between connection and personalization to create a digital resource for women looking for real-time guidance while navigating the increasingly complex medical landscape. As of 2019, Carolyn and her team have taken that mission one step further with the introduction of Tia's first women's clinic and community space in New York City. Discover Rachel Schwartzmann's full interview with Carolyn, which features the story of the company and what question Carolyn hopes women ask one another more during their visit at Tia. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Matisse Bustos-Hawkes of Otro Lado Communications.
25 min
May 01, 2019 Kathryn Duryea, Founder of Year & Day
Kathryn Duryea of Year & Day has created a modern homewares brand that is quickly becoming known for its tightly edited selection of elegant ceramics, flatware, and other essentials for the discerning lifestyle consumer. And with top pillars like sustainability, connection, and quality design at the forefront of the brand’s mission, Kathryn is making it that much easier to set a table you love. In this episode, Kathryn discussed how her past professional experiences at heritage brands like Tiffany & Co. helped guide her in developing Year & Day along with the importance of slow content, and the steps she believes one should take to build an enduring brand. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Michelle Toney of Morrow Soft Goods.
30 min
April 18, 2019 Larissa May
Larissa May's social media project turned nonprofit organization, #HALFTHESTORY, is equipping the next generation with the knowledge and tools to use social media to connect and share the stories we don't often feel able to tell. With a growing global community under her belt, Larissa is now setting her sights on working with larger institutions to ensure necessary change happens online in our increasingly complex social and political climate. Enjoy Rachel Schwartzmann's full interview with Larissa, who shared her thoughts on how slow storytelling is the foundation of her work as an entrepreneur and social consultant for brands like Otherland and Kin Euphorics. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Grace Wong of Jewels & Aces.
28 min
April 03, 2019 Grace Bonney
When we think about thoughtful online storytelling, no one does it quite like Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge. As a true leader in the digital space, Grace's 15-year journey has left an indelible imprint on how we self-publish and build viable businesses in the digital age. Outside of Design*Sponge's namesake website, Grace has built a creative empire that spans beyond the confines of the web to include two books, a magazine, and a podcast. But over time, Grace has seen the landscape evolve, and she's grappled with how to maintain that balance of conscious publishing in a time that demands fast (and fleeting) content. When Grace announced that 2019 would be Design*Sponge's final year, her honesty resonated with us. In this episode, she addressed the realities that come with championing slow content in specific industries, and the importance of using content and online tools to build honest and lasting connections. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Ellie Eckert of City Brewed and Written Coffee.
43 min
March 20, 2019 Brandy Pham — ”We don’t need more of more.”
From jewelry design to content creation, Brandy Pham's elevated eye for design and passion for storytelling have both played an immense role in the success of her career. The culmination of her creative passions ultimately led to the inception of PLANOLY, the premier visual management and planning tool for modern marketers.
With a growing suite of products, PLANOLY has quickly risen to prominence as an industry-leading resource for its 2m+ community of businesses and content creators. In this interview, Brandy shared more about balancing parenthood and PLANOLY and the importance of leading with passion and empathy. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Jeanette Getrost.
25 min
December 19, 2018 Fran Hauser — ”When we slow down, we can be kinder to ourselves.”
The business world is changing for the better thanks to visionaries like Fran Hauser. The long-time media executive has seen the storytelling landscape evolve drastically throughout her career and in her roles at iconic digital media businesses, including Time Inc. and AOL. But as she transitioned into investing and advising mostly women-led startups, while taking into account her past experiences at work, Fran identified a singular problem that most modern professional women face: How do you own your niceness in the workplace? Enter her new book, The Myth of the Nice Girl.
In this interview, Fran spoke about her writing experience and process, the importance of building sustainable connections, and why slowing down our relationship to content ultimately makes us nicer all around. The episode also opens with a story contributed by Isadora Sales.
32 min
November 19, 2018 Aishwarya Iyer
Aishwarya Iyer of Brightland—a modern olive oil company based in Los Angeles, California—is transforming the way we think about food. Despite being a first-time founder, Aishwarya is already making big strides in the slow food industry by raising the standards in production, as well as leading the charge in having transparent conversations regarding where the food we consume is coming from in the first place. In this interview, Aishwarya shared her thoughts on how slow content has been an intrinsic part of Brightland and what legacy she hopes to leave behind as a slow and sustainably-minded entrepreneur. The episode also opens with a story contributed by Jordan Soderholm of ABLE.
30 min
November 05, 2018 Jaclyn Johnson
Jaclyn Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Create & Cultivate and the author of WorkParty, has been a longtime champion on women entrepreneurs. In 2016, she invited our founder Rachel Schwartzmann to speak at their conference in Dallas and has graciously continued to support us since then. In this interview, we caught up with Jaclyn, who spoke more about the slow content movement, how she’s seen the marketing space evolve, and the importance of creating content (and businesses) with value. The episode also opens with a story contributed by Robin Reetz of Club Monaco.
30 min