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Going Deep with Aaron Watson

Aaron Watson is the CEO of Piper Creative. On this show, you'll hear thoughtful, focused conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and innovators. Guests include Nathan Chan, Kevin Kelly, Bill Peduto, Morgan Housel, Noah Kagan, Tucker Max, and Barry Ritholtz. This is the biggest business podcast in Pittsburgh.
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Now displaying: Page 18
Sep 1, 2016

Larry Gioia’s philosophy “Always Be Connecting the Dots” infects all of his relationships. In this episode, we discuss how to grow and connect a network with actionable tactics that he’d recommend to anyone.

 

Larry and Aaron’s Challenge; Join Connection University on Facebook to continue to learn and grow.

 

Connect with Larry

Twitter

LinkedIn

Aug 31, 2016

Ray Gastil is currently Director of City Planning for Pittsburgh. Previously, he was an urban designer in Seattle, where his work was focused on connecting innovative program and design concepts to the pragmatic challenges of making extraordinary projects and places, grounded in their communities.

 

Expertise includes comprehensive city and regional planning, with a focus on planning and urban design guidelines and arts, housing, and public realm incentive frameworks for campuses, mixed-use districts, arts districts, waterfront redevelopment and public spaces. His work has included strategic planning, division and team management, and designer selection including design competitions.

 

Ray’s Challenge; Recognize most  were decisions. Interactive map of Pittsburgh

 

Connect with Raymond

LinkedIn

Twitter

ray.gastil@pittsburghpa.gov


If you liked this interview, check out episode 125 with Dan Gilman where we discuss city politics and civic duty.

Aug 30, 2016

Found a gem that I wanted to share with you.

Aug 24, 2016

Radiant Hall founder Ryan Lammie was born in Pittsburgh and educated at the Pratt Institute in New York. In 2011 he was selected for the Yale / Norfolk Summer Residency in Connecticut and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Lammie’s sculptural work often assembled from found materials (discarded furniture, old radios, and the like), is driven by two tendencies in tension with one another: a skepticism of exchange value and a love of maximalism.  

 

As an entrepreneur, Lammie has built Radiant Hall into a nonprofit venture that supports over 50 Pittsburgh artists at four locations city-wide. He is also a creative consultant at the new Energy Innovation Center, overseeing design projects that support the EIC’s social and educational goals.

 

Ryan’s Challenge; Go out of your way to meet a new artist or reconnect with an artist you already know. Unpack their process.

 

Connect with Ryan

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 124 with Baron Batch where we discuss art, entrepreneurship, and the creative process.

Aug 22, 2016

James Andrew Miller is an award-winning journalist who has worked in politics, media, and entertainment in a career spanning more than 20 years.

 

In 1985, he wrote the bestselling book RUNNING IN PLACE: Inside the Senate. Later, he and co-author Tom Shales wrote LIVE FROM NEW YORK: an Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, which spent more than four months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named by Fortune as one of the top 75 “Smartest Books We Know.” In 2011, he co-authored with Shales, THOSE GUYS HAVE ALL THE FUN: Inside the World of ESPN, which was an instant No. 1 New York Times bestseller.

 

He newest book is Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency. Through interviews with more than five hundred industry movers and shakers --- a virtual Who’s Who of Hollywood that includes, for the first time, the entire current leadership of the notoriously secretive CAA as well as nearly three dozen top agents, many of CAA’s most aggressive competitors, and scores of major movie, television, music, and sports stars – Miller spins a tale with all the glamour, treachery and groping for power of the most lurid Hollywood blockbuster – except that this time, it’s all true.

 

Connect with Jim

Twitter

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 123 with Tucker Max where we discuss the secrets of a bestseller and why you should write a book.

Aug 17, 2016

Derrius Quarles makes things happen. Having grown up in a financially humble background and as an alumnus of foster care, his journey to becoming an award-winning entrepreneur and a globally recognized social change maker has been complex. His turning point came when as a high school student and he made the decision that he wanted to become the first in my family to go to college. Living in poverty at the time, scholarships were an invaluable resource to his pursuit of higher education. Before entering Morehouse College, he gained over one million dollars in scholarship awards.

 

He graduated disenchanted with the state of higher education access for low-income youth and those who have experienced foster care. The led him to become the Founder & CEO of Million Dollar Scholar, an ed-tech social venture that provides a high-impact low-cost scholarship and financial aid curriculum to decrease financial barriers to higher-ed.

 

He is now a sought-after speaker in the areas of scholarship education, youth/foster youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship. He is also the author of the education bestseller MillionDollarScholar: Winning The Scholarship Race.

 

Derrius’s Challenge; Try meditation. Even if it’s just 3 minutes.

 

Connect with Derrius

Twitter

LinkedIn

Personal Website

MDS Website


If you liked this interview, check out episode 114 with Dan Bull where we discuss giving inmates a second chance through entrepreneurship.

Aug 15, 2016

Dan Gilman is currently serving his first term as City Council member for the 8th Council District of Pittsburgh. Gilman has been very active in his first year on Council, having passed two pieces of legislation and a resolution aimed at reducing the discrimination and stigma pregnant women and nursing mothers continue to face. He has also been active in imploring the PA legislature to support the PA Women's Health Agenda.

 

The Councilman worked extensively with the Mayor’s office to implement smart technology that will vastly improve City services such as snow removal, paving, online permitting, and the 311 system. He also called for online auctioning of unused equipment—including vehicles—as a revenue generating measure for the City; an idea that the mayoral administration has started to pursue.

 

Gilman has received many awards and accolades for his hard work. He was selected as one of only twelve leaders nationwide to join The New DEAL, a national network committed to highlighting innovative ideas from state and local elected leaders. He has also been recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s “40 Under 40” by Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP, as well as one of Pittsburgh’s “50 Finest” by Whirl Magazine.

 

Dan’s Challenge; Don’t be passive. Take up a cause or mission and make something happen.

 

Connect with Dan

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 107 with Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto where we discuss politics, Pittsburgh, and leadership.

Aug 10, 2016

Baron Batch is a cultural icon, community builder, dot connector, conceptual multimedia artist, and entrepreneur based out of Homestead, PA. He rose to fame through his street art and currently serves as Creative Director of Studio AM.

 

Studio AM is a multifaceted creative collective that specializes in guerilla marketing, unique private events, and is a production facility for his “Angry Man Salsa”. He has an extensive background in public speaking is a graduate of Texas Tech.

 

Baron’s Challenge; Practice Stoicism.

 

Connect with Baron

Twitter

Instagram

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 114 with Dan Bull where we discuss giving inmates a second chance through entrepreneurship.

Aug 8, 2016

Tucker Max is an American author and public speaker. He chronicled his drinking and sexual encounters in the form of short stories on his website TuckerMax.com, which has received millions of visitors since Max launched it as the result of a bet in 2000.

 

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell was a New York Times #1 Bestseller and made the Bestseller List each year from 2006 to 2012. It has sold over one million copies worldwide, including 400,000 copies in 2009 alone. In 2010, he released a book titled Assholes Finish First, and in 2012 marked the literary releases of both Hilarity Ensues and Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers. He was a 2009 Time 100 finalist based on internet votes, although he did not make the magazine list

 

His new company, Book in a Box, is a service for helping busy experts transfer their wisdom into book format. The company interviews clients in a systematic way that properly structures their ideas. They then turn those words into a book. All clients need to do, as the author, is answer questions about what they already know. Everything else is handled by BIAB’s team of experienced publishing professionals.

 

Tucker’s Challenge; Ask yourself “Why” multiple times until you reach an irreducible answer.

 

Get a Free PDF of Tucker’s How-To-Guide

 

Connect with Tucker

Twitter

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 118 with Kevin Kelly where we discuss the inevitable technological trends shaping our future.

Aug 3, 2016

Kris Reid is the founder of Ardor SEO and Media Factory. He founded the company after losing his job as a software engineer, opening offices in Cambodia and the Philippines.

 

Ardor Media Factory is a multi-national backlink building company. They help businesses achieve success in their respective niches by offering a wide range of services including search engine optimization, search engine ranking, and link building. They also produce high-quality content for business websites through informative articles and free services such as keyword research and web analysis.

 

Kris’s Challenge; Do something that you are scared of. Step out of your comfort zone and do something that makes you nervous.

 

 

Connect with Kris 

kris@ardorseo.com

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 93 with Phil Laboon where we discuss entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and lifestyle design.

Aug 1, 2016

John Thornton is the CEO of Astrobotic, a company aspiring to be the logistics company for Space.

 

Astrobotic delivers lunar payload and services to government and commercial customers. The company’s first Moon mission will carry customer payloads, win the $20M Google Lunar XPRIZE, and explore a possible cave entrance on the surface of the Moon. Astrobotic has 17 prior and ongoing NASA contracts, strong partnerships, and world-leading staff and technology for the development of robotic landers.

 

John’s Challenge; Find the darkest place you can and look up at the stars.

 

Connect with John

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 27 with Henry Thorne where we discuss building a technology company and building businesses.

Jul 27, 2016

Robin Hanson is a professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. He is an expert on idea futures and markets, and he was involved in the creation of the Foresight Institute’s Foresight Exchange and DARPA's FutureMAP project. He invented market scoring rules used by prediction markets and has conducted research on signaling.

 

Hanson received a B.S. in physics from the University of California, Irvine in 1981, an M.S. in physics and an M.A. in Conceptual Foundations of Science from the University of Chicago in 1984, and a Ph.D. in social science from Caltech in 1997. Before getting his Ph.D. he researched artificial intelligence, Bayesian statistics, and hypertext publishing. In addition, he started the first internal corporate prediction market at Xanadu in 1990.

 

Robin’s Challenge; Pursue your interests and start new projects in your free time. Your life will be long. You’ll have lots of time to pursue a lot of odd projects.

 

Check out Robin’s Book; Age of Em: Work, Love and Life when Robots Rule the Earth

 

Connect with Robin

Twitter

Website

hanson@gmu.edu

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 118 with Kevin Kelly where we discuss the inevitable technological trends shaping our future.

Jul 25, 2016

Kevin Kelly is the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and a former editor/publisher of the Whole Earth Review. He has also been a writer, photographer, conservationist, and student of Asian and digital culture.

 

Kelly stepped down as executive editor of Wired in 1999; his current job title is Senior Maverick. Partially due to his reputation as Wired's editor, he is noted as a participant in and an observer of cyberculture.

 

His books include;

 

Kevin’s Challenge; Take $100 and invest it into someone that cannot pay you back directly. Learn to be full of gratitude. Try Kiva.

 

Acknowledgements

John Craig

Mike Dariano

Kiva

 

Connect with Kevin

Twitter

Facebook

Website


If you liked this interview, check out episode 109 where I rant about the current state of the internet.

Jul 20, 2016

Isaac Morehouse is an entrepreneur, thinker, and communicator dedicated to the relentless pursuit of freedom, and an advocate of self-directed learning and living. He is the founder and CEO of Praxis, an intensive nine-month program combining a paid apprenticeship at a startup with personal coaching, professional development projects, and interdisciplinary education leading directly to a full-time job offer for those who want more than college.

 

Isaac previously worked at the Institute for Humane Studies where he raised support, mentored students, and directed educational programs. Prior to IHS, Isaac was at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy where he created and directed Students for a Free Economy. He’s been involved in numerous businesses and nonprofit start-ups, and loves connecting people and helping them discover and realize their dreams.

 

Isaac writes, speaks, and teaches on entrepreneurship, economics, education, philosophy, freedom, communication skills, how to change the world and an assortment of other topics.  He is the author/co-author of six books; Better Off Free, The Future of School, Freedom Without Permission, Why Haven’t You Read This Book?, How to Get Any Job You Want, and Don’t Do Stuff You Hate.

 

Isaac’s Challenge; Try to write down a list of things you hate and find a way to remove one from your life.

 

Connect with Isaac

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 66 with Zak Slayback where we discuss Praxis, education, and entrepreneurship.

Jul 13, 2016

Dan Bull is the Founder of Zero Six Eight, an organization dedicated to developing entrepreneurs with ideas into companies that solve real problems in a socially responsible manner. 068 is one of the top resources in the city for employing ex-offenders and offering second chances.

 

Dan’s Challenge; Forgive.

 

Connect with Dan

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 2 with Michael Van Ness where we discuss 068 and Michael’s social work.

Jul 11, 2016

Todd is an author who helps creative people find their untapped potential. He is the author of The Creative's Curse, a book about the pains of being creative at every phase - Discover, Discipline, and Destiny. He is also the founder of Snap Swipe Post, a site which creates custom SnapChat geo-filters.

 

His goal in business is to create things people enjoy, whether that means a well-crafted document, a funny video, or just a simple acronym.

 

He loves his redhead, Chacos, and sweet potatoes.

 

We referenced his post The Answer is No

 

Todd’s Challenge; Work one Saturday. Don’t write off your spare time or believe that you don’t have the time.

 

Preview his book here http://toddbrison.com/godeep

 

Connect with Todd

Twitter

Anchor

Medium

 


If you liked this interview, check out episode 105 with Declan Wilson here we discuss how millennials can step up and attack their goals.

Jul 6, 2016

Kash Dhanda is an entrepreneur. He is currently the founder and CEO of Ezra Digital (his digital marketing agency), previous co-founder of Upside Sounds (a concert promotion company).

 

Kash is also an avid Virtual Reality enthusiast. We discuss a number of resources to learn more about VR including;

Google Cardboard

NYT VR app

Oculus subreddit

Twitch VR

Writers like Ben Thompson (Stratechery) and Benedict Evans

 

Needless to say, we both think it’s a big deal.

 

Kash is a tech lover, Pittsburgher, traveler, meditator, poker player, and probably a few other things. He is also a volunteer. He sits on the board of directors for the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, the advisory board for The Cultural Trust Jazz Festival, marketing committee for the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Host Committee for the Thrival Music and Innovation Festival.

 

Kash’s Challenge; Put 30 minutes on your calendar this Friday to plan your next week. Use time-blocking to set up all your meetings and objectives.

 

Connect with Kash

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 93 with Phil Laboon where we discuss digital marketing, SEO, and Pittsburgh.

Jun 30, 2016

A brief essay on the current state of the internet. Over the past two decades, global internet users have increased from 35 million people to an astounding 3 billion today.

 

More than three-quarters of all internet advertising revenue is split between Google and Facebook.

 

What’s next? Stay tuned to this podcast for interviews with Robin Hanson and Kevin Kelly.

Jun 29, 2016

Oren Klaff is the Managing Director of Intersection Capital and a #1 Bestselling Author for his book Pitch Anything. With over $400M in deals on his resume, Oren is well-qualified to cut through sales guru BS and give it to you straight.

 

His secret? Neuroeconomics. A single field of study that sorted out the different motivation and economic responses of the human mind and shows how the brain responds to pitches. Neuroeconomics combines neuroscience, economics, and psychology to study how people make decisions. It looks at the role of the brain when we evaluate decisions, categorize risks and rewards, and interact with each other.

 

In his book and this interview, Oren describes how to override the brain’s programming and close more deals.

 

Oren’s Challenge; In your next few meetings, don’t talk about weather, sports, or politics. It’s a waste of time and lowers your status.

 

If you are in sales, you need to get his book; Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal

 

Connect with Oren

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

FREE COURSE

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 71 with Bob Seawright where we discuss cognitive biases, finance writing and the red team/black team approach.

Jun 27, 2016

Bill Peduto was elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh in November 2013. Prior, he worked for 19 years on Pittsburgh City Council. A self-described “Reform Democrat”, Bill Peduto wrote the most comprehensive package of government reform legislation in Pittsburgh’s history.

 

During Pittsburgh’s ongoing financial crisis, Bill Peduto has been the consistent voice of fiscal discipline. Decades of financial mismanagement and antiquated policies have left Pittsburgh with the highest debt ratio and lowest pension funding in the nation. He helped to write a new budget, lobbied to get others on board and after a year of hard work he was able to lead the city into a new five-year plan. He wasn’t afraid to make the tough votes to secure Pittsburgh’s future.

 

Adding his own charity fund-raising activities, such as Executive Producer of a documentary about the Allegheny Observatory and the only politician who laces his skates as a member of Pittsburgh’s Celebrity Hockey Team and it is pretty easy to see — Bill Peduto is not your typical Mayor.

 

Connect with Bill

Twitter

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 83 with Kristi Woolsey where we discuss the future of work and how technology will change the workplace.

Jun 22, 2016

Declan is an author of the recently released “The Millennial Way: Step Up, Step Out, Step Forward”. Declan originally set out to write a book to debunk the misconceptions and stigma surrounding the Millennial generation.

 

After interviewing Millennials doing “awesome things” with their lives, Declan noticed a recurring pattern among all their personal journeys, including his own. The pattern of Stepping Up, Stepping Out, and Stepping Forward became what Declan calls The Millennial Way. It’s not a 3 step process to achieve your dreams, it’s not a self-­help book, it’s not a formula for success. Rather, it’s a beacon of self­-awareness and clarity to your journey.

 

Together with his wife Erica, Declan runs the blog Millennial Type. Besides working full-time and running this blog, Declan is an avid fan of bike riding, anything Pittsburgh, reading, listening to NPR, binge-watching Netflix with Erica, cuddling with their cats, playing with their son Henry, watching Ted Talks, finding awesome podcasts and cooking.

 

Declan’s Challenge; Step up. Recognize your dream isn’t as silly as you think and start building the skills you're going

 

Check Out Declan’s Book; The Millennial Way: Step Up, Step Out, Step Forward

 

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 46 with Taylor Pearson where we discuss the end of jobs and the future of entrepreneurship.

Jun 20, 2016

This is a story of evolution. Or maybe revolution is more accurate. Mike Vacanti left his cushy corporate gig to pursue a life of fitness entrepreneurship. For the last 12 years, he has been studying nutrition and training for fat loss and muscle gain and wants to pass this knowledge on to anyone who needs it.

 

He has trained hundreds of clients in the gym and thousands on the internet. He has helped a woman trim 150 pounds of body fat, countless men overcome bedroom issues, and teenagers use the barbell to find their way, He has also helped doctors and teachers and students and lawyers and hair stylists and entrepreneurs and millionaire hedge fund analysts lose fat, gain muscle and change their lives forever.

 

To learn more, grab a copy of his Beginner’s Fitness Guide or check out his clients’ Before and After Shots.

 

Mike’s Challenge; Challenge yourself to make a decision where there are uncertain outcomes. It’s easy to want safety and security.

 

Connect with Mike

Snapchat

Facebook

LinkedIn

Website

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 18 with Melissa Witmer where we discuss building an online fitness business and location independence.

Jun 13, 2016

Hassan Osman is a PMO Manager at Cisco and a Carnegie Mellon and Harvard University graduate. My main area of expertise is in leading large and complex technology programs – particularly in a virtual team environment.

 

At Cisco, he is responsible for leading and managing a team of 20+ project & program managers on delivering projects to Cisco's Enterprise clients in the eastern United States. Previously at Cisco, he was a Senior Program Manager, where he was responsible for scoping, negotiating, planning and executing multi-million dollar projects for their customers.

 

He has written two Amazon bestselling books and teaches an online course about virtual teams. He is obsessed with hacking productivity and lives in Boston with his wife & 2 daughters.

 

Hassan’s Challenge; Write something 5 days/week, 20 minutes per day to clarify your thought process and articulate your ideas.

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 83 with Kristi Woolsey where we discuss remote employment and the future of workplaces.

Jun 9, 2016

I’ve been doing this less than a year. So much is happening for me and this is just the beginning.

 

I want you to learn from my story and start aiming higher. I’ve got big things on my horizon, and I'm positive that you do, too.

 

Aaron’s Challenge; Reach out to @AntonioBrown84 and ask him to come on the show.

 

Connect with Aaron

Twitter

Snapchat

Jun 8, 2016

Brian helps enterprise technology companies utilize new technology such as Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud Computing to be more productive and become more involved in their communities as a social business. He hosts Twitter Hangouts #SbizHour & #CloudTalk & weekly Podcast Host: SMACtalk and iSocialTalks.

 

His passion for change and people is evident as in every keynote he delivers, covering a range of topics including employee advocacy, social selling, personal branding, and his personal social philosophy which is called #ShowUcare. He recently has been teaching people "digital storytelling with live streaming".

 

Brian was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa and the proud dad of 3 girls.

 

Brian’s Challenge; Wherever you primarily engage on social, create a video with your mobile device about what you do and why you do it.

 

Connect with Brian

Twitter

Snapchat

 

 

If you liked this interview, check out episode 88 with Sunny Lenarduzzi where we discuss social broadcasting and building an audience for video.

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