The Futur with Chris Do

Phyllis Williams-Strawder is a certified brand strategist, life and business coach, and psychology marketing specialist who is known as the Ghetto Country Brandmother®. She has a passion for guiding people and helping them become brand leaders. Phyllis began her career in the food industry. She started by delivering lunches from her dining room table to eventually owning two restaurants and a cate...

Kevin Finn is a TEDx speaker, advisor, internationally recognized branding designer, and author who works with individuals and groups dedicated to creating a positive impact at scale. With 30 years of international experience, Kevin emphasizes that not every business is a brand, and that businesses become brands only when society says so. As an advisor, Kevin challenges his clients' assumptions ob...

In Part Two of our discussion on when to quit and when to push through, we hear stories from listeners about perseverance and strategic quitting. Joining us again are Nidhi Tewari and Stefan Bucher, who both remind us that joy is an important factor in deciding whether to stay the course or not. If there’s one thing you take away from this conversation, it’s that sacrificing your personal well-bei...

Acclaimed NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Winners never quit and quitters never win." It's a motivating and catchy sentiment, but famed marketer Seth Godin begs to differ. In his book, The Dip, he argues that quitting can be the best strategy. In this two-part episode, Chris is joined by therapist Nidhi Tewari and designer Stefan Bucher to discuss knowing when to quit and when to persevere. L...

Paco de Leon is the author and illustrator of Finance for the People, a practical guide to helping you navigate your financial life, no matter your situation. They also run a bookkeeping agency for creative professionals called Hell Yeah Bookkeeping. This episode focuses on helping creative professionals feel more confident about their finances. From applying value-based pricing to taking proactiv...

In Part 1 of this series, we established that boredom is the precursor to creativity. It provides important moments of stillness that allow one's mind to wander. Or as Deepak Chopra puts it, to “dream, imagine, and reflect.” But is that what boredom really is? And why do we associate it with laziness? In Part 2 of this series, we try to make sense of why boredom has such a bad reputation, or if it...

There is no shortage of work to do when you run your own business. However, just because you are busy does not mean that what you are doing is productive; hence the term “busywork”. In this two-part episode, Chris coaches Mo Ismail on how to better spend his time as a business owner. He provides management tips and shares frameworks for hiring, training, and creating time for yourself to think. To...

Jacob Cass is a designer, strategist, and the founder of branding agency, JustCreative. In this podcast episode we talk with him about how to use affiliate marketing and SEO to build a successful online business. Jacob emphasizes the value of search over social media, and how having a blog that uses affiliate marketing and attracts inbound clients can be a key part of building a business. He also...

Simon Ong is a personal development entrepreneur, coach, and public speaker. He is also the author of Energize, a book that will introduce you to the art and science of energy management. In this podcast episode, Simon and Chris talk about the role energy plays in our lives. Case in point: you can be ruthlessly efficient with your time, but without enough energy, your returns will be diminished. S...

In part two of this series, we are joined again by Nidhi Tewari and Mo Ismail to continue our conversation about the role emotion plays in decision making. As a therapist, Nidhi points out the importance of processing and allowing yourself to feel strong emotions. Chris counters with the argument that emotions cloud the data, especially in business. Science then enters the chat to remind us that m...

This two-part podcast episode features Chris Do, Nidhi Tewari, and Mo Ismail discussing the merits of whether to make decisions with your mind, your heart, or a little of both. In part one, Chris shares how he processes his feelings, how they affect his decisions, and why leading with rational thought is the best path forward. Chris also explains his own scale of karmic equity and shares stories a...

Lucy Werner wears many hats: public relations (PR) expert, business owner, author, coach, and mother. She is the founder of The Wern, a PR agency and design shop for startups, entrepreneurs, and independent brands. In her own words, she is a "nobody that helps people become somebody." This podcast episode is all about PR: what it is, what it isn't, and how to successfully use PR for your business...

People love YouTube for a variety of reasons, but it's most popular use: search engine. Unsure how to cut that mango? Here are twelve videos that will teach you. But how do you become that coveted top search result? The best of the best mango-cutting videos, so to speak. The not-so-secret key to success on YouTube is understanding how it works. In this episode, Chris is joined by Tom Ross, CEO and...

When you run a business, you earn the right to make any decision you want with it. You also accept the responsibility and outcome—good, bad, or otherwise. The choice is truly yours. But how do you know if you are making the right decision? Welcome to part one of our conversation about decision making in business. In this two part series, Chris Do talks with Mo Ismail and Nidhi Tewari about how to...

Dakota Robertson is a professional ghostwriter. Businesses and influencers hire him to write tweets that go viral and amass an audience. And he is damn good at it. In this podcast episode, Dakota shares how he went from working as an electrician to becoming this invisible, content-writing hero for his clients. His ghostwriting business is so successful that he is turning down all new and potential...

What is the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence? And how do they affect who we are and what we believe we are capable of? In this candid conversation, Chris Do answers question from members of The Futur Pro Group. They tackle topics like supply and demand in the service industry, intrinsic beliefs versus extrinsic beliefs, and how to manage your self-talk. If you struggle with confi...

In this special episode, Chris Do fields business questions and offers answers live and in real-time. Questions like: how do I raise my rates without losing clients, how do you measure creative impact, and what is the best way to price your service work? Chris is joined by several Futur Pro Group members including Drigo Tasca, Nidhi Tewari, and Anneli Hansson who also weigh in. If you run a creati...

Adapt or die is the classic business mantra. To survive and thrive you must remain nimble and ready to pivot. To jump the curve, so to speak. If you could start your business all over again, what would you do differently? In this episode, The Futur CEO Chris Do and brand strategist Anneli Hansson discuss what the future holds for creative service businesses. How will technology like Ai and blockch...

Sarabeth Berk is a TEDx speaker and professional identity researcher. She is reshaping how we think about the workforce by shifting and expanding our definition of professional identity. What does that mean exactly? It means that you should not be limited to either/or titles (e.g. specialists vs. generalist). And that there is a third option: hybrid. But does that help or hurt your marketing effor...

Do you have to suffer to build character? We get philosophical in part two of our conversation with Baronfig founder and author Joey Cofone. He and Chris continue their discussion about The Laws of Creativity and delve into the role failure—and sometimes delusion—plays in the story of success. We like how Joey explains the concept of creativity: like a musical instrument, creativity is a practical...

Joey Cofone is the Founder and CEO of Baronfig, an award-winning designer and entrepreneur, and the newly minted author of The Laws of Creativity. If you have listened to our podcast long enough then you may have heard Joey’s voice before. Way back in episode 57. We are pleased to welcome him back to the show to share what he’s been working on for a long time: defining the laws of creativity. In p...

Criticism is easily given, but rarely appreciated. At some point we have all had to critique someone else’s work or be critiqued by a client, manager, or teacher. The experience can be emotionally rattling. In part four of our design thinking talk, Eric Moore and Chris Do discuss ways to improve how you give and receive critique. A key component of constructive criticism is having a shared criteri...

Now that we understand what design thinking is, it is time we learn how to use it. In part two of our design thinking discussion, app designer Deanna joins Eric and Chris to walk us through her practical application of the framework. We start by explaining the four phases of the design thinking process and follow Deanna’s story and design process for context. We also discuss how making empathy map...

Eric Moore is a communication strategist and champion of design thinking. In this episode, he and Chris debate an eyebrow-raising talk from Natasha Jen called Design Thinking Is Bullsh*t. For context, Natasha Jen is an acclaimed designer and partner at the renowned design studio, Pentagram. In her talk, Natasha criticizes the concept of design thinking, ultimately calling it B.S. But is that true?...

The word authentic gets thrown around a lot, especially when describing brands. But what is an “authentic” brand? And why do some brands garner loyal customers while others do not? In this episode, Anneli and Chris discuss the traits of what they refer to as magnetic brands. That is, brands that customers prefer over others and that have true fans. If you are interested in branding, brand strategy...