Life In Perpetual Beta

Disclaimer: Melissa edited this little bit of deliciousness. Had a professional done it, you could have called it epic. The music is by Sans Analog.

"I don’t think creativity is defined by simply creating, I think creativity is a complete package; intelligence, relevancy, and ability to execute deliverables on a variety of levels…"

I thought this interview was lost, I thought since we only got 7 minutes only at Seed Conference, we should wait to put up an interview with Carlos Segura until we had more time with him. When I found this tape though, I knew I had to put it up.  I found it right when I needed the message he was delivering most.

When he presented at Seed Conference, I was blown away with the care and impact the designs he put together had.  Whether it was the exciting novelty of a zipper pouch tag for a pair of jeans, or two unrelated Corbis images paired together so powerfully that when he showed them, my heart broke.  (I was happy to have the distraction of the camera during his presentation, it was good to have something to focus on other than the tender hidden spots in me laid open there in the front row for everyone to see.)  That was my introduction to Carlos.

Filming his interview, I didn’t think we could use much of it.  He went off into some crazy tangent about leadership that I just didn’t get at the time. After watching it again though I ask myself, "how did I miss this?"  I found this tape at just the right time, Did he just say that in order to be truly creative you have to become responsible to yourself? You have to lead yourself? You have to please yourself? Not to put too many words in his mouth, but did he just say that if you want to make it in the creative world you have to trust yourself and go with your integrity?  Did he tell me to stop complaining and do something about it?  I think he did.

"I’m always amazed that the people who are most likely to complain about their life, are usually the ones that aren’t doing anything about it"

Serendipitiously the same day I found this lost tape of Carlos, I got a call from life coach Dave Ellis, and was invited to a 3 day leadership training in Sonoma California.  This guy coaches social entrepreneurs, this guy coaches Nobel Prize Winners, this guy coaches heads of corporations… and he’s talking to me, inviting me. "Who am I leading?" I think, and then I remember this interview with Carlos, I remember this quote of his…

"Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean leading someone else… you need to find a place where you can lead yourself."

 

So I’ll be in Sonoma in October, rubbing elbows with really amazing people who are changing the world, all because this crazy Cuban didn’t really answer any of my interview questions.  He did something much more valuable than that.

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