Marcy Syms is a pioneering businesswoman and advocate for respect in leadership.

She's seen leadership fads come and go.

She was a CEO when people still thought "women shouldn't do that sort of thing"

And she's done something many folks have never had to endure - shuttering her family's business while making her key creditors whole - an act deeply in line with her core value of respect.

Marcy shares insights from her journey in the retail industry, her experiences with leadership dynamics and her advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment - something she hopes to see made part of the constitution while she's still around to enjoy it!

Why Respect?

🗝️Respect drives sustainable growth - respect for your team allows them to feel empowered to be the face of your business and to build the processes and systems that make growth sustainable.

🗝️Giving respect helps you get respect - starting first, leading the conversation with respect at the core helps get things done, especially in times of stress and turbulence.

🗝️Respect is outer behavior and inner work - to make it a core habit and your default behavior takes strategic reflection and personal growth.

Check out the full conversation 👇

🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

🍎 Apple: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielstillman-TCF-podcast

🌐more episodes at https://theconversationfactory.com/listen

And please subscribe on Spotify or iTunes!

Also! support the podcast with

a monthly contribution here: https://theconversationfactory.com/conversation-factory-insider

or a one-time donation here.: https://dastillman.gumroad.com/l/dscoffee

Don't have time to watch or listen to the full episode? To learn more about leading conversations more powerfully and beautifully, watch these short clips 👇

👀make respect a habit and start from within

https://youtu.be/tmURMgvcnIs

👀How to Respond to Disrespect with Dignity and Strategy

https://youtu.be/f21aAalKGLU

👀To Scale you need to Respect your team

https://youtube.com/shorts/HczFY9-ASFw

👀Leadership Balances Top Down Strategy and Bottom up Insights

https://youtube.com/shorts/57yWfiQtykw

👀Know your board as humans

https://youtu.be/eH5Mv95iunE

One Takeaway to not forget: Fight for the ERA! Marcy shares how she sees the ERA as the ultimate sign of respect and continues to fight for women's full inclusion in the constitution. Watch here: https://youtu.be/YAbEAqIVxzU

Key Links:

Marcy's book: Leading with the Respect

Marcy's website

Download free chapters from Good Talk and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Listen now 👇

🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

🍎 Apple: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

And please subscribe on Spotify or iTunes!

Also! support the podcast with

a monthly contribution here: https://theconversationfactory.com/conversation-factory-insider

or a one-time donation here: https://dastillman.gumroad.com/l/dscoffee

Full show notes: https://theconversationfactory.com/listen

SUMMARY

In this conversation, Adam Kahane discusses the complexities of transforming systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding systems thinking, collaboration, and the role of individual contributions. He shares insights from urban transformation examples, the significance of culture, and the necessity of engaging with systems responsibly. Kahane introduces seven habits for transforming systems, highlighting the importance of finding cracks as opportunities for change and the balance between closeness and distance in understanding systems.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Systems can't be transformed without understanding them.

Transformation requires many people to do many things.

You can't just change a system by force.

Look for what's unseen in a system.

Forget your perfect offering; there's a crack in everything.

Acting responsibly is crucial for transformation.

We all have bells we still can ring.

Engaging with the system is a collective activity.

You can make wiser decisions by understanding others.

Change how you think, change how you are.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Understanding Systems for Transformation

02:29 The Role of Collaboration in System Change

05:05 Insights from Global Examples

07:46 The Importance of Proximity in System Change

10:10 Cracks and Leverage Points in Systems

12:46 The Journey of Transformation in South Africa

24:31 The Journey of Collective Engagement

24:55 Radical Engagement: Understanding System Transformation

26:13 The Role of Outsiders vs. Insiders

27:41 Spotting Cracks: Micro Interactions in Systems

28:46 The Art of Persuasion vs. Convincing

30:29 Granular Habits for System Transformation

31:41 Relating in Three Dimensions

33:43 Understanding the Seven Habits

39:32 Acting Responsibly in Systems

43:21 Finding Light in the Cracks

LINKS

Learn more about Adam's work at www.reospartners.com , www.reospartners.com/adamkahane and find him on twitter/X at @adamkahane

Get free chapters of my book, Good Talk, and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Please support the podcast!

💌 subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

💌 iTunes: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

or with a monthly contribution here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-monthly

one-time donation here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-once

Check out the episode page for the full transcript and video highlights.

Episode page: https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/innovation-connection-and-conscious-leadership-with-othership-ceo-robbie-bent

AI Summary:

Introduction and Connection: Daniel Stillman introduces Robbie Bent, highlighting the connection through mutual acquaintance Robbie Hammond.

Inception of OtherShip: Robbie shares the story of starting with a backyard ice bath, fostering community connections without the influence of alcohol.

Innovative Experiences: Discussion on unique offerings at OtherShip, such as comedy nights and men's work sessions, blending wellness with entertainment.

Creativity and Experimentation: Robbie emphasizes the importance of allowing creativity to emerge through testing and iteration.

Challenges and Growth: Insights into the challenges faced in expanding OtherShip, including managing stress and maintaining personal well-being.

Community and Relationships: The role of community in personal and business growth, with Robbie working closely with his wife and friends.

Facilitating Conversations: The significance of open communication and addressing conflicts early in both personal and professional settings.

Future Aspirations: Robbie's excitement about expanding OtherShip and continuing to innovate in the wellness space.

Links

Othership - https://www.othership.us/

Follow Robbie Bent on Instagram | LinkedIn

IG: https://www.instagram.com/robbiebent/?hl=en

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiebent/

Get free chapters of my book, Good Talk, and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Please support the podcast!

💌 subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

💌 iTunes: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

or with a monthly contribution here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-monthly

one-time donation here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-once

Check out https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/the-founders-financial-compass-navigating-emotions-and-assumptions-with-fractional-cfo-lauren-pearl for the full transcript and video highlights.

Money! It can be an emotional topic. But, as my guest on today's podcast, fractional CFO Lauren Pearl says, it's emotional for everyone in different ways! In this episode, Lauren reveals her perspectives on how to approach these difficult conversations. Given how many leaders she's worked with, we also explore her thinking about effective leadership, intentional decision-making, and how it's crucial for founders to be endlessly unafraid to ask why. She makes an excellent point in the opening quote: we often listen to respond. And when we respond from that place we're missing a lot of crucial information. It's hard to do but it's so important to take the risk to slow down, to ask why and to be a little bit more vulnerable with what you don't know - it's that inner willingness to face your blind spots that separates the best from the rest.

We talk about the life experiences that taught her how to adapt her communication styles for diverse audiences, how she approaches talking with founders about triggering money topics, and we unpack some insights from her course on Business Modelling - how she helps founders turn their core understanding of their business into plain-English business math.

I particularly enjoyed Lauren's insights around reframing tough decisions not as losses but as opportunities. We unpacked how shutting down a "pet project" can be reframed not as a loss or a mistake but as a day one decision - ie, we made a choice and a decision one day with the information and the knowledge and insights that we had and today with different knowledge, different insights and different information we're making another decision. We linked this notion back to one of the key ideas in Annie Duke's classic "thinking in bets" - the idea of "resulting", or judging a decision based on its outcome. A good bet is one that a reasonable person with the amount of information we had would have made at that moment, not necessarily one that works out exactly as you'd hoped. And Lauren urges founders to start admiring business leaders who didn't just get lucky once…but ones who repeatedly make smart bets - and can explain why they made them.

Strap in! We also unpack some common financial misconceptions, discuss how to be a founder whose advisors can help them, and we unpack some interesting case studies in strategic decision making. Lauren's on-the-fly explanation of some key financial assumptions was dizzying in the best way possible.

Links

https://www.laurenpearlconsulting.com/

https://www.laurenpearlconsulting.com/newsletter

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke - A Visual Summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H49lFODYp7g

Video Highlights

Adapting your communication style on the fly - https://youtu.be/rWtSvkoMkiw

The Founder Finance Gap: Managing Emotions and Unearthing Assumptions - https://youtu.be/Dfc8r9BBtyY

Using Clear Language to define your Critical Business Math - https://youtu.be/l7oosTdqTLo

Admiring Founders who make good bets repeatedly - https://youtu.be/cuwZIjW01TU

Get free chapters of my book, Good Talk, and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Please support the podcast!

💌 subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

💌 iTunes: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

or with a monthly contribution here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-monthly

one-time donation here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-once

Check out the episode page for the full transcript and video highlights: https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/join-or-die-behind-the-scenes-of-creative-collaboration

Key Chapters 00:00 Growing Up Together: A Family Legacy 02:58 The Birth of a Documentary Idea 06:02 Navigating the Journey: Challenges and Growth 09:02 The Lens of Community: A New Perspective 12:01 Conflict and Collaboration: The Art of Working Together 14:54 The Long Haul: Commitment and Transformation 22:15 The Transformative Power of Art 24:13 Inner Growth Through Creative Confidence 26:32 Finding Hope in Community Engagement 29:56 The Long-Term Commitment to Projects 31:20 Community Screenings as a Tool for Connection 34:10 The Role of Community in Film Distribution 36:20 Best Practices for Effective Gatherings 45:34 Identifying Barriers to Community Engagement 48:15 Building Community Through Shared Activities 49:26 The Importance of Civic Engagement 54:52 Convenience vs. Community 01:00:22 Bridging Political Divides 01:05:38 Lessons from the Past for a Hopeful Future

Get free chapters of my book, Good Talk, and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Please support the podcast!

💌 subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

💌 iTunes: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

or with a monthly contribution here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-monthly

one-time donation here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-once

Check out the episode page for the full transcript and video highlights. https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/founder-led-sales-with-parallel-health-ceo-natalise-kalea-robinson

We break down:

• The Importance of Deep and Authentic Conversations and unpack how Natalise fosters honest and open conversations and has worked to build a company culture that reflects these values.

• Intentional Co-founder Relationship Building: We talk about how Natalise and her co-founder, Nathan Brown, approached building a strong relationship intentionally by having regular in-depth conversations and retreats together in some of their favorite spots. She shares some of her favorite questions to bring into these co-founder conversations.

• Founder-Led Sales and CEO as Science Translator: Both Natalise and her co-founder Nathan are actively involved in explaining their product to both investors and consumers. We talk about how she approaches adapting her message for different audiences, always striving to put the science ahead of marketing.

• Highlighting the Potential of Phage Therapy: We dive into some of the science behind phage therapy and its potential as a precise and sustainable alternative to antibiotics.

• The Value of Open Feedback and Continuous Evolution: Natalise encourages feedback from all levels within her company and believes that good ideas can come from anywhere. She also emphasizes the importance of ongoing communication and alignment between co-founders.

Key Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Depth of Conversations

03:01 The Ambivert Spectrum: Understanding Social Dynamics

06:06 Creating Safe Spaces for Honest Conversations

09:01 Feedback Culture: The Art of Positive Feedback

11:57 Building Authentic Relationships in Business

14:57 The Journey of Co-Founders: Nathan and Natalise

21:01 Navigating Vulnerability in Professional Relationships

24:17 Navigating Co-Founder Relationships

30:14 The Art of Communication in Business

37:45 Understanding Phage Technology and Its Impact

46:02 Building Strong Co-Founder Foundations

Links

https://www.parallelhealth.io/

Parallel Health on TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/20/parallel-health-takes-a-biotech-forward-approach-to-skincare-with-custom-phage-therapy/

Video Highlight Links

👀Giving Praise with powerful Specificity: https://youtube.com/shorts/5zwdVyJr_mc

👀Leaning into Difficult Cofounder Conversations: https://youtube.com/shorts/MjeDjSIUeDM

👀In Founder-Led Sales, the Marketing Serves the Science: https://youtube.com/shorts/fp6oKVhq-FQ

Master the art of conversations big and small - both inside yourself and in your teams and organization.

Get free chapters of my book, Good Talk: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk

Please support the podcast!

💌 Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW

💌 iTunes: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb

or with a monthly contribution here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-monthly

or make a one-time donation here: https://bit.ly/support-tcf-once

For the full transcript, video highlights, and more show links, check out the episode page here: https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/the-inner-work-of-leadership-with-carole-robin-phd

Every conversation - especially the hard ones - is an opportunity to learn more about yourself, to learn about another person and to learn about interpersonal dynamics - if you can set aside judgment and be open to curiosity. I'm SO excited to share this epic podcast conversation with the "queen of Touchy Feely" - Carole Robin, PhD. Carole taught the most popular elective at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Interpersonal Dynamics (mostly known affectionately as "Touchy Feely"!) for nearly 20 years and is co-author (with co-teacher David Bradford) of the excellent book Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues.

She has a vast reserve of wisdom to share. We discuss the importance of navigating vulnerability and intentional connection as an essential leadership skill and unpack some of her most powerful principles of effective communication. We also talk about Carole's conversations with her own personal AI, trained on all of her past writings and course notes…and how it helped her evolve how she tells her own story!

Building exceptional relationships is work that's done one conversation at a time. Carole's insights can help you unlock the potential in each conversation.

Key Moments

00:00 The Art of Greeting with Interpersonal Dynamics in mind

03:00 AI and Personal Narratives: The Evolution of Carole's Story in collaboration with her personal AI

06:01 Leadership Lessons: Emotions in Business

09:06 Vulnerability vs. Strength: The Leadership Paradox

12:04 Transparency in Leadership: The Balance of Sharing

14:58 Strategic Authenticity: Navigating Vulnerability

18:01 True and Kind: The Principles of Effective Communication

20:50 The Importance of Self-Care for Leaders

21:59 Navigating Emotions in Leadership

23:49 Vulnerability and Authenticity in Leadership

30:07 Self-Management and Emotional Discipline

32:59 Curiosity as Leadership superpower

37:57 The Work of Building Relationships

Download free chapters from Good Talk and master the art of conversations big and small

Please support the podcast by subscribing on Spotify or iTunes, making a monthly contribution here, or making a one-time donation here.

Check out the episode post for the full transcript and video highlights.

Dr. Anjan Chatterjee is a renowned professor and the founding Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. He's a leading expert on how our brains perceive beauty and art, and author of an engaging book on this topic: "The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art"

In this beautiful conversation, we explore:

• the intersection of beauty, conversation, and the human brain
• how our biological evolution has left us in a world that often feels disconnected from our innate ways of communicating
• the aesthetic qualities of conversations, the biases we hold toward beauty, and how cultural representations influence our perceptions
• the importance of awareness in mitigating biases
• how to embrace complex ideas, rather than simplify them

Links

Dr. Anjan Chatterjee and the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics (PCfN) online

PBS News Hour feature: 'Brains and Beauty' exhibit explores how the mind processes art and aesthetic experiences

The PCfN 2024 Year in Review

Dr. Anjan Chatterjee on Bluesky

The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art

If you want to change the game, changing the rules and incentives of the game is a powerful approach.

Few people who watch the news - or those folks who avoid watching the news! - would say the political system in the United States is going according to plan. The founding fathers, if they were alive today, would be aghast at the unbridgeable chasm that seems to have developed in our political culture, making dialogue, compromise and progress nearly impossible on some of our most pressing issues.

In fact, our founding fathers warned against the rise of what they called factions in their time, and what we today call political parties.

All of this is happening at a time when the majority of Americans agree that common-sense laws for guns, healthcare and other issues are badly needed. If you look at the numbers, we're closer together on more issues than you'd think. Research shows that our leaders are often much more polarized than we as a people are. Meanwhile, the US and local governments get less done, eroding our confidence in our democracy.

What can we do to change the game? Some people say "let's get rid of the electoral college!" but such large scale changes are hard. My guest today has a simple solution that starts at the local level to change the political conversation.

Nick Troiano is a civic entrepreneur based in Denver, Colorado, and is the Executive Director of Unite America –– a non-partisan organization that seeks to foster a more functional and representative government.

Nick has been a leader in the political reform movement over the last decade, beginning as a founding staff member of Americans Elect in 2010. Nick ran for Congress in Pennsylvania's 10th District in 2014 and drew national attention as both the youngest candidate that cycle and the most competitive independent U.S. House candidate in nearly two decades. He subsequently worked for Change.org to launch a mobile application to help voters cast informed ballots.

In 2016, Nick was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy. He earned a Master's degree in American Government from Georgetown University. He has spoken on the topics of political and fiscal reform to dozens of groups across the country, including along three national bus tours that collectively visited over 40 states. Nick is the author of The Primary Solution an *excellent* book that explains the challenge and a viable set of solutions to political division in America, and a producer on the 2024 film Majority Rules which lets you watch political change unfold in real-time.

I highly recommend watching Majority Rules - you can rent it on Youtube now! You will see partisan politicians learn to navigate a different political game as the rules are changed - and become more issues-focused instead of attacking personalities, and more inclusive than divisive. I also highly recommend supporting primary reform in your region - it's a non-partisan issue that can help us become less partisan!

Listen to the end where Nick and I discuss how he leads his organization and builds coalitions while living his leadership and political values.

Head over to theconversationfactory.com/listen for full episode transcripts, links, show notes and more key quotes and ideas. You can also head over there and become a monthly supporter of the show for as little as $8 a month. You'll get complimentary access to exclusive workshops and resources that I only share with this circle of facilitators and leaders.

Links

The Primary Solution

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Primary-Solution/Nick-Troiano/9781668028254

Majority Rules.

https://majorityrulesfilm.com/

David Mayhew's Book "Congress: The Electoral Connection"

Warning - this episode uses a specific curse word - a lot. And once we started using one, we started using more of them. So…if f-bombs, sprinkled like salt are not your cup of tea, this is a good episode to skip!

My guest today is Rebecca R Block, PhD, who is an expert in helping organizations build programs, services and products that equip young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to enter adulthood as thriving and adaptable lifelong learners. She has spent the last 14 years leading the design, improvement, and evaluation of educational programs and services to make them more impactful and learner-centered. She has built R&D departments from scratch and managed large and small teams responsible for creating, measuring, and improving learning experiences.

She also wrote a book with the word "Shit" in the title…or Shit, with an asterisk where the "I" goes, which actually makes her book a bit hard to google!

The book is titled "Can You Help Me Give a Sh*t? Unlocking Teen Motivation in School and Life," and she teamed up with Grace L Edwards, a current undergraduate student, to talk to young people across the country and gather their stories about what truly makes for engaging learning environments. In the process, she learned a lot about how motivation works for everyone, not just teens, and has taken those lessons learned into her work as a leader, parent, and educator.

In the opening quote Becca outlines the ABCs of Motivation. These ABCs are true for children and adults - we're basically the same species. And the work of luminaries such as Peter Senge and Amy Edmondson make it clear that great working environments are great learning environments - places where we can create and sustain positive feedback learning loops with ourselves and others. So it's essential for anyone leading or managing others (or themselves!) to understand how motivation really works.

We also talk about Becca's essential values when it comes to co-creation - that is, making a systems change along with the people in that system who will be affected by that change. Co-creation is not just a good idea… it leverages the truths about motivation that Becca shared in her opening quote. People are much more likely to want to participate in change that they've taken part in forming, rather than going along with something forced on them.

Two Levels of Systems Change

We also talk about the need to work on at least two levels when engaging in systems change:

Helping people, now

Helping make a bigger shift, over time.

Given that Becca knows how challenging it can be to transform a system as complex as education, she focuses her work in this book on helping people, now, to work to create change for themselves, within the current system. This perspective is helpful for anyone leading a team in a larger organization or anyone leading an organization within a larger industry they are hoping to transform.

Listen in for Becca's deeper breakdown of the ABC's of motivation, as well, summarized here!

The ABCs of Motivation

Ability Belonging Choices

Ability: In any situation where you want someone (or even yourself!) to have sustained motivation, you need the Ability to do (or learn how to do) the things you want to do. Indeed, whenever you find that someone isn't doing something you have asked them to do, it's important to ask - is this an issue of Will or Skill? In other words, can they do the thing? If they can't yet, do they have the confidence in their ability to learn the thing?

Belonging: Real relationships help us accomplish things. I show up for my Spanish lessons (partly) because I've paid for them, and partly because I'd feel bad for standing up my tutor, even though the classes are online. Ditto for my exercise classes. Real relationships create real motivation. In a recent episode, I spoke with Robbie Hammond, Co-founder of the High Line, who talked about how his relationship with his Co-Founder Josh David kept him going through a difficult decade of bringing their dream to reality - talk about Relationships = Motivation!

Choices: Having real choices means you have the autonomy to determine for yourself what you are going to do. "Liberty or Death" isn't much of a choice - although it is one many have taken. Becca suggests that dysfunctional workplaces create crappy or fake choices, and functional ones enable everyone to see how the work fits into their own personal why.

I connect these ideas to my recent interview with Ashley Goodall, author of "Nine Lies about Work" and most recently "The Problem with Change." Ashley says, "The ultimate job of leadership is not disruption and it is not to create change; it is to create a platform for human contribution, to create the conditions in which people can do the best work of their lives." This is what every human (and teenager!) actually really wants, if they can connect to the ABCs of motivation.

Head over to theconversationfactory.com/listen for full episode transcripts, links, show notes and more key quotes and ideas. You can also head over there and become a monthly supporter of the show for as little as $8 a month. You'll get complimentary access to exclusive workshops and resources that I only share with this circle of facilitators and leaders.

Links

Get the book here

BeccaBlock.com

Becca's podcast

CanYouHelpMeGiveA.com.

If you want to be on her podcast: fill out a form here!

Sometimes the bold goals we set out to achieve actually happen, and sometimes something even more amazing happens - something better than we can imagine.

Usually that happens because of the people we meet along the way, the conversations we have, the unexpected connections we make that open up new doors - in a word, Serendipity. I had always wondered about what amazing, powerful and sustained conversations led to the High Line Park in New York City becoming a reality.

Have you walked the High Line? Literally millions of people a year walk some of its 1.45 mile length, enjoying expansive views of the city and hundreds of local plantings, as well as amazing art installations. But it was slated for demolition and considered an eyesore and a relic, as long ago as the 1980s.

Built in 1933, it was at the time a revolutionary elevated train line that was colloquially called the Lifeline of New York City since it was regularly bringing millions of tons of meat, dairy and produce by rail, directly into the warehouses and factories of lower manhattan for preparation and distribution. The rail line wasn't just a lifeline because of the food it brought, it also moved the rail lines safely above the city's growing traffic - in the 1910s, hundreds of people were killed by the ground-level trains that ran in the middle of the bustling 10th avenue!

By the 1960s the line was growing obsolete due to the rise of trucking, and by the 1980s, it was a hulking relic of the past.

In 1999, Robbie Hammond, my guest for this conversation, co-founded the Friends of the High Line along with Joshua David. The two met at a local community board meeting where the High Line's future was being discussed. Rudy Guliani, NYC's mayor at the time, had signed an executive order for its demolition - many property owners wanted it gone so they could take back the land occupied by the tracks and build bigger buildings - a dream of greater square footage and increased rent rolls.

Currently Robbie is the President & Chief Strategy Officer for Therme Group US, where he is leading an initiative to bring large scale bathing facilities to the United States. He also currently serves on the boards for Little Island, Sauna Aid, Grounded Solutions Network, and the San Antonio Museum of Art.

When I was a little kid in NYC in the 80s, I looked up at the hulking tracks and thought "what the hell is that doing in the middle of the city?!" Many adults thought the same thing.

Robbie and Josh looked at the tracks and thought "we should really do something cool with that instead of tearing it down."

In 2009 the first section of the high line opened to the public. In 2019 and 2023 new sections were completed.

Against all odds, "two neighborhood nobodies" (as one writer described them!) created a coalition, learned to raise money and garner the favorable attention of local politicians, and persisted and succeeded. The park is maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line in partnership with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and is run on donations.

There are many amazing angles to the story of the Highline:

Maybe you DON'T need a coherent or complete Vision or Mission?!

Robbie makes it clear that they didn't even have a clear vision or strategic plan for some time…just the idea that the elevated line was worth saving and doing something with…they discovered what they wanted to create along the way. He actually credits the vagueness of the mission with creating a "big tent" that attracted more people to the organization.

From a conventional dream to something better than anyone could imagine

One surprising insight is that the property owners had a rather conventional dream - tear the elevated tracks down so they could build bigger. Turning the High Line into a park seemed like a low-value, impossible pipedream - sex workers and drug users congregated under the overpasses, after all! But the High Line's millions of visitors have transformed the value of the area far beyond the addition of a few extra square feet.

The High Line as a symbol for dreamers of impossible dreams

One of Robbie's greatest points of pride is that the High Line now stands as a symbol to many "crazy dreamers" who find inspiration in the story of outsiders persisting and accomplishing more than they ever dreamed possible. The High Line is now a global inspiration for cities to transform unused industrial zones into dynamic public spaces. But Robbie loves the personal stories of folks who come up to him at talks, who are working on all sorts of projects and who find inspiration in Robbie and Josh's "keep going against all odds" story.

The importance of Talking to People

Robbie talks about how he was always willing to pick up the phone and talk to anyone - the fearlessness of someone raised in sales. But the Friends of the High Line were also willing to host conversations with community groups and listen to them, and learn from them and communicate with them about why they were listening to their ideas and why, in some cases, they weren't going to. Open lines of consistent communication made the High Line possible.

The Alchemy of the Co-Founder Relationship

In this conversation, Robbie is bracingly reflective and shines a sometimes harsh light on himself. Here at the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Highline and the 25th anniversary of the start of the project, the founding of the Friends of the High Line, Robbie looks back and is refreshingly honest about his own challenges and shortcomings, as well as missed opportunities along the way to do things differently.

What was truly surprising to me in this conversation is that Robbie was so open about his challenges as a co-founder, and is so open-eyed about how essential this most intimate of relationships can be…and how much he and Josh were willing to invest (in time, energy and resources) in that relationship to keep it intact, functional and flourishing.

The Energy and Anxiety of Creation

Robbie suggests that it is common for creative people (which includes entrepreneurs, and anyone that starts anything) to have a drive to accomplish their dream - that is what keeps them going… but that there is often "an undercurrent of anxiety". Meditation helped Robbie reclaim a higher level of happiness as the High Line approached realization, but it took him years to undo the deep grooves anxiety etched in his psyche. It's a worthwhile lesson for anyone listening out there who's creating something, start taking care of yourself sooner rather than later.

You can follow Robbie on Instagram at thehighlineguy and stay in the loop on Therme's projects at https://www.thermegroup.com/.

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Links

https://www.thermegroup.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thehighlineguy

Therme post (2021)

Robbie's Book: The Highline:The Inside Story

https://www.thehighline.org/history/

Early documents from the highline: Reclaiming The High Line: A Project Of The Design Trust For Public Space With Friends Of The High Line (2002)

Talks:

Rail Yards Talks 2011

"High Line: The Inside Story of New York City's Park in the Sky" - Richard Hammond

https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_hammond_building_a_park_in_the_sky