The Skill Set

By Imagine a Place ProductionsBusiness Education Arts Self-Improvement Careers Design

The Skill Set episodes

March 21, 2023 Legacy-Keeping: The Skill of Preservation and Curation
I’m honored and proud to call Llisa Demetrios — grandaughter of influential designers Ray and Charles Eames — a friend and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to learn more about her upbringing and how having access to such iconic industry changemakers impacted her experience and shaped her unique skill set.
In this conversation, we discuss the skill of legacy-keeping as well the importance of “the finial” and keeping up the quality in our work.
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29 min
February 13, 2023 The Top Floor: A Skill Set Vignette
In this short episode, which I like to call a "slice of life," I share a very personal story from my childhood that shaped who I am today and informed both my dignity and my defiance.
The Skill Set is an Imagine a Place Production
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For more information on this episode, visit our webpage!
9 min
January 23, 2023 The Skill Set Studio: Bucket List
The Skill Set Studio: Bucket List
My producers Doug and Adriana join me for a special episode in which I share my learnings from a recent keynote speaker and dive deep into bucket lists and their connection to our skill sets.
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24 min
December 28, 2022 Storytelling: The Skill of Creativity, Self-Assuredness and Peacemaking
Storytelling: The Skill of Creativity, Self-Assuredness and Peacemaking
J.D. Netto is what I would describe as a multiplicity of beautiful things — he is a best-selling author, artist, entrepreneur and so much more. J.D. firmly believes that art releases us to our destinies and he has used this admirable ideal to connect with those who may feel like misfits or outsiders as well as to discover and become more comfortable with himself.
Through this conversation, J.D. and I discuss his life as a gay man and how it connects to his work as well as the importance of recognizing a person before recognizing their skillset.
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45 min
November 30, 2022 Tattoo Artistry: The Skill of Purpose, Precision, and Expression
Tattoo Artistry: The Skill of Purpose, Precision, and Expression
Steph Tamez is more than just a tattoo artist — they are an anthropologist, historian and expressionist using the art of tattooing to bring culture to skin and help people tell their story. Through this unique art form, Steph has earned a vulnerable sense of trust with their clients through a technique that is both marvelous and methodical.
In this episode, Steph and I discuss the meaning of tattoos in society and the skill of focusing on the journey rather than the destination.
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44 min
November 02, 2022 Connection: The Skill of Preparedness and Reading the Room
Connection: The Skill of Preparedness and Reading the Room

As Director of Strategic Sales for IIDA, Tracey Thomas’ career is built on connections—whether with customers or peers or even just her personal relationships, she uses her intentionality and acute emotional intelligence to make people comfortable without compromising herself. She has mastered the art of observing subtlety while also teaching others to take up space and stay curious.

Through my conversation with Tracey, we uncover the importance of nuance and the joy of living in the nonverbals of life.
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27 min
September 27, 2022 Courageous Resilience: The Skill of True Grit and the Art of Interpreting Need
Dr. Manny Hernandez and Dr. Colleen Mullen each seek to diagnose need and provide excellent healthcare, to their patients. As physicians and care providers—Colleen as veterinarian and Manny as a healthcare design consultant and ER physician—they both exercise an abiding sense of awareness of and relentless passion for meeting the physical and emotional needs of their patients. Through a warm and insightful conversation, we hear their perspectives on how curiosity, grit and seeking the “why” translates into their work with others.

In this month's episode, I explore the unique ability to see beyond who people (and animals) are to discover what they need.
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44 min
August 17, 2022 Igniting Passion: The Skill of Lifelong Learning and Intuition
In celebration of National Back To School Month, I host third grade teacher and summer-camp innovator, Juan Edgar Gonzalez Jr. With an almost-evangelical commitment to building lifelong learners, he shows us how authenticity and the practice of honoring others where they are could be the most important skills to develop as leaders and mentors.
In this episode, we discover the gift of enthusiasm and commitment to lifelong learning and investigate the skills needed to teach, mentor and nurture young learners.
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34 min
July 18, 2022 Mastering Mindfulness: The Skill of Focus and Being Present
A modern-day Hercules, air traffic controller, Navy veteran, and world record holder, Mike McCastle seems to exist at the convergence of concentration and clarity. Although incredibly authentic and down-to-earth, he demonstrates superhuman strength when it comes to his capacity to tune out the noise and keep all the balls in the air.
This month, I dive deep into Mike's strong sense of purpose that manifests in his demigod-like ability to focus on solving whatever challenges come his way.
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47 min
June 12, 2022 Calm Under Pressure: The Skill of Steady Hands and Stage Presence
At first glance, Dr. David Langer and Allison Asarch have very little in common—David is a neurosurgeon and Allison is an aspiring country music star. But through a thoughtful discussion about what skills are necessary to be successful in each of their careers, I uncovered a unique quality they share: an aura of calmness that makes them popular with both patients and fans alike.
In this month's episode, I explore what it takes to be confident and collected, even under the most intense circumstances.
The Skill Set is an Imagine a Place Production
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41 min