The Beautiful Thinkers Project

Carolyn Hadlock (Executive Creative Director, Young & Laramore) sits down with founders, leaders, creators, and visionaries across industries and disciplines to learn more about how they imagine and produce ideas, and explore what makes beautiful thinking.

Chris Davis, Chief Marketing Officer of New Balance, on forming authentic partnerships, calculated…

I’ve been familiar with the New Balance brand for quite a while. I’m not a runner or a sneakerhead, so my understanding doesn’t run deep…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jun 7

Julie Browning Bova, Product Designer and Founder of Julie Browning Bova Design, on story-centered…

Julie and I have known each other since before we knew we were meant to be professional designers. We both attended IU Bloomington and were…

Carolyn Hadlock

May 27

David Napolitano, founder of Breadico, on baking out of a garage, the perks of growing a business…

I scoured the country to find a bread maker who could explain why all of my friends and colleagues bought sourdough starters on Etsy last…

Carolyn Hadlock

May 20

Alessandro Manfredi, EVP, Dove at Unilever, on why brand purpose is good business, the need for…

When I saw Dove’s first film, “Evolution” in 2004, I was struck as much as a mother as I was as a marketer. Seeing research showing that…

Carolyn Hadlock

May 13

Justin Parnell, Senior Director of OREO at Mondelez International, on staying playful, building a…

One of my favorite things to do as ECD for the agency is judge North American Effies. I’ve always been a fan of the OREO brand, but it…

Carolyn Hadlock

Apr 27

Beautiful Thinker: Alex Matisse, founder of East Fork Pottery, on bringing old-school…

I first discovered East Fork Pottery when it was featured in the agency’s internally curated holiday gift guide last year. I was drawn to…

Carolyn Hadlock

Apr 20

Alan Lightman, author, physicist, and educator, on living a creative life, challenging science’s…

I first discovered Alan Lightman when I was given a copy of his book, Einstein’s Dreams as a Christmas gift nearly 20 years ago from a…

Carolyn Hadlock

Apr 13

John Merris, President and CEO of Solo Stove, on cultivating a solid company culture, radical…

They always say the best products are ones that solve a problem for a consumer. Solo Stove (founded Solo Stove in 2017) was already…

Carolyn Hadlock

Apr 7

Beautiful Thinker: Giovanni Emanuele Corazza, founder of the Marconi Institute for Creativity, on…

I first encountered Giovanni when I saw his TED talk on creativity and how to get out of the box. I was struck by how he talked about…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jan 8

Beautiful Thinkers: Emily Granger, harpist, and Luke Tierney, founder of Tier 1 Arts, on…

I met Luke last year during a course we both took together. I immediately gravitated to his quiet demeanor and his precision of thought…

Carolyn Hadlock

Dec 17, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Wes Rozen, founder of Camber Studio, on the dynamic meaning of “camber,”…

I’ve always been a huge fan of the talent that comes out of Cooper Union. Their interdisciplinary programs in architecture, art and…

Carolyn Hadlock

Dec 11, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Lindsay Adler, fashion photographer, on starting a business at 15, redefining…

Lindsay has been named one of the top 10 fashion photographers in the world. Her work is visceral yet soft. Each image draws you into a…

Carolyn Hadlock

Nov 27, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Mark Graham, Culinary Director at the Kellogg Company, on the role of ritual in…

As a Midwesterner, I’ve always been aware of Kellogg’s. They have a business school named after them in Chicago and most of my mornings as…

Carolyn Hadlock

Nov 12, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Joshua Ramus, Designer and Founding Principal at REX, on evaluating conventions…

Joshua’s work is beautiful thinking in action. His work and design processes are unlike any other architect I know. Perhaps it’s his…

Carolyn Hadlock

Nov 6, 2020

Adam Lisagor, founder of Sandwich, on representing digital concepts in physical space, embracing…

I’ve been a fan of Sandwich since it began in 2010. In fact, I’ve tried to hire them for a job in the past, but the stars haven’t…

Carolyn Hadlock

Oct 29, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Bill Neff, VP Consumer Marketing at YETI on expanding from the hook and bullet…

I’ve been a fan of the YETI brand since they launched in 2006. Their products are beautiful, durable—and expensive. They’re able to…

Carolyn Hadlock

Oct 22, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Katherine Gray, glass artist and mentor on Netflix’s Blown Away, on glass…

Beautiful Thinkers exist in all walks of life — science, business, culture and the arts. Whether you’re Pat Brown , the founder of…

Carolyn Hadlock

Aug 3, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Rebekah Moses, Head of Impact Strategy, Impossible Foods on the global becoming…

I interviewed Pat Brown, founder of Impossible Foods, at the end of last year. He started the company to solve an environmental problem…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jul 23, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Pete Johnson, Head of Creation, the LEGO Group on the importance of curating…

I first met Pete at the One Club’s Creative Leader’s Retreat over 5 years ago. At the time he was leading the creative group at…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jul 2, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Kat Vellos, author, activist and former UX designer at Slack, on forging…

I’ve been wanting to talk with a UX designer because they are the bridge between consumer behavior and communications. Their job is to…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jun 5, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Tom Herbst, former CMO for The North Face, on cultivating a sense of…

I met Tom when we judged North American Effies last year in New York. He’d just gotten off a plane from China. He spoke on a panel at…

Carolyn Hadlock

May 11, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Sophie Kelly, SVP, Whiskies, Diageo North America on redefining status, having…

Sophie came on my radar as I started looking for women leaders in the traditionally male-dominated category of spirits, specifically…

Carolyn Hadlock

Apr 17, 2020

Beautiful Thinker: Hugh Weber, Managing Editor and CCO of The Great Discontent on telling untold…

When I first discovered The Great Discontent six years ago it was a large, thick, perfect bound magazine. I had never seen anything like…

Carolyn Hadlock

Feb 27, 2020

Beautiful Thinkers Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio, founders of Brand New, on the benefits of…

When I found out Armin and Bryony of Under Consideration live Bloomington, Indiana, I had to drive out and meet them. I live just a couple…

Carolyn Hadlock

Jan 6, 2020

Beautiful Thinkers: Pat Brown, founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, on solving the world’s biggest…

From the moment I bit into my first Impossible Burger, I was hooked. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t meat. I’m no vegetarian, but I’ve been…

Carolyn Hadlock

Dec 12, 2019

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