I’m recording this episode a week early as I’m on vacation with my family up in Lake Placid, New York, a beautiful spot that we have been going to for close to 20 years. One of the nice things about going to a familiar place is all the constants that are there. Things like Mirror Lake, the Olympic Oval, the Ski Jump, the lovely High Peaks mountains. All of it is a nice reminder of past summers and current adventures. For some, this might all seem boring, but for me it is something that I know will be there, some kind of regulating force in a constantly changing world.

But there are changes as well. It always is interesting, and a little depressing, to see what stores have closed and what new ones have replaced them. Such is the way with entrepreneurship: there are successes and, well, not so successes. I always admire people who take the initiative to start something new, and can imagine the dreams that are bound up into these ventures. When I go back to Lake Placid, it is easy to mourn those businesses that are no longer there, and be hopeful for those who are.

Today’s episode of Experience by Design is about the long-running story of entrepreneurship, together with the new unfolding story of AI. Demetri Papazissis hails from Greece, which has a long history of entrepreneurship (especially with immigrants who have spread around the world). He continues that legacy with the company Superbo, which is an enterprise-wide AI agent company. Superbo uses what it describes as “Four capability layers that provide enterprise data semantics, AI agent governance, runtime compliance controls, and operational oversight” to provide solutions for clients.

This conversation is about more than Superbo. It also is about the spirit of entrepreneurship in Demetri’s life, especially focusing on agility and freedom in the entrepreneur’s journey. However, he describes his own experiences as an entrepreneur as 80% negative and 20% positive. This leads to a broader conversation about whether people are being encouraged to be entrepreneurs when that lifestyle may not be right for them.

We talk about the impact of AI in terms of work, the economy, and society. We discuss the challenges of strategic adoption of technology, seeing ways that companies fail to implement because they don’t have the strategy and support to succeed. He notes that successful AI implementation requires a partnership approach, involving not just technological guidance but also helping organizations address internal structural and relationship issues.

He also talks about how he is self-taught at piano, leading to admission to the Berklee College of Music here in Boston. Being there taught him the value of creativity and thinking outside of the proverbial box. Overall, it was a great chat about risk-taking, creativity, changing times, constant themes, and also Demetri’s great hair.

Demetri Papazissis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demetripapazissis/

Superbo Website: https://superbo.ai/

Superbo Big Idea: https://www.businessage.com/post/my-big-idea-enterprise-ai-superbo

Working from home over the summer, primarily working on the Un-WOW book but other things as well, I get to see what passes for daytime television today. It takes me back to my childhood a little when I would be at my grandparent’s home during the summer months where they would watch me. This was in the archaic before-times, when cable television didn’t exist. Although in Detroit we were living pretty large because we were able to get the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (or CBC) with our antenna. Even with this expanded option, my grandmother’s TV was always tuned to the daytime soap operas, including the long-running One Life to Live. The show ran for 21 seasons, from 1968 to 2013. Being young, I never quite captured what was going on, but it all seemed pretty dramatic.

It is an interesting concept to ponder having ‘one life to live.’ In a biological sense, that might be inarguable given that we are alive for a finite period of time. On the other hand, it is completely inaccurate. If you think about your own life, there are probably many different ‘lives’ that you have lived. We might even think of them as stages in our lives, where we end one thing only to begin another.

At some point, to quote The Talking Heads David Byrne, “And you may ask yourself, Well, how did I get here?” Beats me. Some parts of my life seem many lifetimes ago. I don’t even know who that person was. I can see glimpses of him, but that person isn’t here anymore. All that’s left is me right now, and even that is transitory.

So, many lives and many transitions in one’s life. In fact, we can say that life is about transformation and transition, changing and becoming. Much more than just one life to live.

My guest on Experience by Design today Danielle Bennett has, like all of us, undergone some transitions in her life. First was her stint in the Navy, working first on the surface fleet and in the air service, and then on submarines, where she learned valuable lessons in leadership and how small errors can lead to major consequences. Then there was the transition out of the Navy due to a medical discharge, meaning finding her place and purpose in civilian life. There also was the transition to being a franchise owner and entrepreneur, as well as consultant and coach. Additionally, there was her gender transition to becoming a woman, making the decision to become Danielle.

We talk about lessons learned from the Navy, especially in the Silent Service, such as when a lack of coffee filters required immediate action. She also talks about how coaching girls softball and coaching business leaders can be very similar in that they both require helping guide people get the most out of themselves. Danielle uses the mantra of “Chin up, chest out” to promote pride in facing transitions with resilience. Danielle also shares how she works with clients to improve organizational systems, especially in the aerospace and defense industries.

Finally, Danielle talks about her book “Leadership Voltage: Capturing Lightning with Triadic Balance,” where she emphasizes “Growth is everything” and leaders need to empower (rather than manage). She also shares her business academy DS7 Precision, offering 12-14 weeks intensive coaching programs.

LEARN MORE:

Danielle Bennett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellejoleighbennett/

Danielle Bennett Website: https://www.daniellejoleighbennett.com/

Radiant Legacy Collective: https://www.radiantlegacycollective.com/

DS7 Precision: https://ds7precision.com/

“Leadership Voltage”: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Voltage-Capturing-Lightning-Triadic/dp/B0GVNBYGHF/

As I have been going through this book writing journey, one of the most interesting parts has been the focus on storytelling. In academic writing, there tends to be more of a focus on a kind of sanitized relating of “facts” in a very disimpassioned way. Also, there is the verbose tendency to describe things, using many words to explain simple things. If words equaled money, academics would be the richest people in the world. But more words doesn’t equal greater understanding and better storytelling. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. It is not how much we say, but how we say it. What makes for a good storyteller is that they know how to say it.

Being able to tell a story shouldn’t be that hard since it is a part of our human experience and existence. Afterall, this is how people have shared information for a long time. So why is it so hard to write that way? Why are we so often insecure in terms of telling stories and communicating with others in that form? It is true that being a good storytelling is an art, but it is also science. There are elements that we can break down as part of storytelling. And today, there is more dazzling technology to assist in immersing people in the stories being told. However, at its core, it is still about telling a story that captures the attention and imagination of the audience, to bring others into the space that is being described.

I’m very pleased to have today on Experience by Design podcast Charles Melcher, master storyteller, creator, and founder of Melcher Press as well as the Future of StoryTelling, a live event that focused on new developments at the intersection of storytelling and technology. Finally, there is the book “The Future of Storytelling” which is a visually engaging and wonderfully creative exploration on emerging directions of telling stories and engaging audiences.

With all of that experience, he clearly has a lot to say and share about storytelling. We talk about his early journey at Yale, where he studied literary criticism. He talks about his exploration of Robert Frank’s photography, capturing experiences and telling stories through images. The examination of Frank would go on to exert a significant influence on how Charles thought about images and stories.

We discuss the balance between artistic expression and commercial appeal in publishing, sharing his experiences in high-end art books and commercially viable projects. Charles also talks about trying to balance technological wonder with intimacy, sharing examples of where he tried to combine intimate moments but in a large-scale production. Part of this is engaging the audience, preferring the term “Actians” which captures the active role of audiences in modern storytelling.

Finally, we talk about worldbuilding and immersive storytelling, creating the potential for surface entertainment and deeper narrative engagement, allowing audience members to customize their experience based on the level they choose to engage with the immersive environment (much like literary criticism). He shares how this is part of his most recent project, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opens this July 4th weekend in Medora, North Dakota. As he describes, the library aims to help visitors embody Roosevelt’s values and experiences.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States this weekend, it is a great time to explore telling complex stories that enrich, educate, entertain, and immerse.

Charles Melcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesmelcher/

Melcher Media: https://melcher.com/

The Future of Storytelling event: https://futureofstorytelling.org/

“The Future of Storytelling” book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648293832

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library: https://www.trlibrary.com/