Radio Flyer, the Chicago-based company that makes those iconic red wagons that kids have pulled along sidewalks for generations, has survived through a crisis or two. After all, the company was founded over a hundred years ago in 1917, right before the 1918 flu pandemic ravaged the world. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when Covid struck in March, they’d be able to survive through resilience, an intentional culture, and a marathon mindset. CEO Robert Pasin sits down with Erica to discuss...
Dec 08, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 8
What do you do when you run a program that has hundreds of young adults spread across the world for an intentional gap year, and a global pandemic strikes? The only thing you can do: stage an emergency evacuation to bring every kid that’s abroad back home, ASAP. And that’s exactly what Abby Falik, Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, did back in March. And then she swiftly shifted how this organization—dedicated to re-imagining the transition into adulthood by facilitating a yearlong immersio...
Dec 01, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We all have the basic human needs of meaning, connection and purpose. While in the past, these needs were often met through religious institutions, the reality is we’re seeing less and less participation in organized religion. But those basic human needs built around community remain. Enter Angie Thurston and Casper ter Kuile, co-founders of the Sacred Design Lab, a “soul-centered research and development lab.” Angie and Casper work with various organizations to “develop products, programs, and ...
Nov 24, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
The Houston-based Black Sheep Agency is a creative and brand strategy firm that works with clients that are changing the world. That’s why founder and CEO, Aimée Woodall, feels it’s so important to celebrate tiny victories along the way. After all, changing the world means playing the long game. Especially when the pandemic has added so many obstacles. But it’s also added an opportunity for Aimée’s team to light the path for other companies attempting to navigate Covid times. Since the Black She...
Nov 17, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Thirty years ago when Bill Koenigsberg started his company, Horizon Media, the largest privately owned media agency in the world, most of his peers were trying to keep business matters separate from personal life. But Bill set out to create a culture that would attract people who would want to be personally invested in building something special with him. But since Bill had a 30-year head start, when everything shut down from Covid, his decades of building a people-focused culture helped them pi...
Nov 10, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 4
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re dealing with multiple crises at once, one of the most critical being a mental health crisis. That’s where organizations like Modern Health and Empower Work step in. This week two guests join the show—Founder and CEO of Modern Health, Alyson Friedensohn and Founder and Executive Director of Empower Work, Jaime-Alexis Fowler. Alyson shares how her company, Modern Health, offers comprehensive mental well-being support for companies like Lyft,...
Nov 03, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 3
How does a smart woman navigate being hired to the c-suite of a huge media company in the middle of a pandemic? She honors relationships, of course! VICE’s new Chief People Officer, Daisy Auger-Dominguez, joined the team in late spring in the midst of global chaos. But she was able to integrate successfully because of her commitment to investing in relationships. And people from her team all over the globe could feel it. From her Sunday write-ups that keep everyone on her team in the loop, to he...
Oct 27, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 2
What does professional development look like in 2020? For the team at Udemy, “ the leading global marketplace for learning and instruction ,” it’s all about learning. It’s their whole platform, after all. On the first episode of Season Two, Rituals Edition, Erica sits down with Udemy’s SVP of People, Places and Learning, Cara Allamano, and VP of Learning, Shelley Osborne, to talk about how crucial it is to keep learning, both personally and professionally, especially as we’re seeing an incredibl...
Oct 20, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
When the world as we know it came to a screeching halt in March 2020, what did we humans do? We did what we’ve always done—return to the rituals that keep us grounded, sane, and focused on what matters most. In this second season of Left to Our Own Devices: Rituals Edition , Erica Keswin checks in with leaders about how they pivoted during a global pandemic, continued with the rituals they’d always loved, and created new ones to help navigate these crazy times. Most of these rockstar guests of t...
Oct 13, 2020•2 min
As CEO of global non-profit, DoSomething, and a working mom doing it all from home, Aria Finger has found creative ways to keep her kids entertained with Frozen on repeat, her team in good spirits by pivoting to virtual rituals, and her relationships with her friends well-nurtured through intentional calls and Zooms. But even this superstar confesses to missing the old norms like business travel and walking meetings. So these days to keep everyone sane (including Aria herself!) she’s encouraged ...
Aug 25, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Please Subscribe, Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts You can also listen to the show on: Stitcher Overcast Google Spotify Quotes Alyson 2:59 - On recognizing the pandemic was still impacting her despite having certain advantages: “I remember sitting at my computer, and I felt so bad—I couldn’t complain to my team or my coworkers because I’m home, I’ve got a roof over my head, I have plenty of work to do, I have a job, I’m in good health, and I don’t have kids—like what could I possibly be complai...
Jul 28, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
When the world turns upside down but you’ve got to continue running a company from home while quarantined with your partner, four kids, and two dogs, what do you do? Adapt—while maintaining the rituals that keep you anchored and satisfied. That’s what Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO of Hint, a healthy, flavored beverage company, did to shift their services in the midst of the pandemic, even if it meant stocking the retail shelves with Hint water herself. Being the head of a health company, Kara kno...
Jul 21, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Please Subscribe, Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts You can also listen to the show on: Stitcher Overcast Google Spotify Resources: 10:14: “I get really excited and passionate and energized when I get to connect with people. I really believe that that serves as a way to build the most important building blocks for not just your personal life, but your professional life—which is trust. Trust is built on real, authentic relationships.” 21:23: on their Core Values Story: “The idea there was to ensu...
Jul 14, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Please Subscribe, Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts You can also listen to the show on: Stitcher Overcast Google Spotify Resources: 4:53 — On the discipline of getting 100 touches on the soccer ball everyday as a kid: “At a young age—I didn’t know then—but what it taught me was the things I could control. if I focused on the controllables, I would get better. And I would not focus on what other people around me were doing, how many touches they were getting, but I would focus on what I could do....
Jun 30, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 7
You might think being quarantined with your work partner AND your life partner could be challenging, but Heidi Zak and Dave Spector, married co-founders of intimate wear company, ThirdLove, have mastered this balancing act. Erica chats with Heidi and Dave about how they’re running their company and their family together during quarantine. You’ll hear all about their Wellness Wednesday initiative, getting silly with their teams on Doughnut Tuesday, and how quarantine finally encouraged consumers ...
Jun 23, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 6
If you’ve found yourself talking to your team while giving your kid a bath, this is the episode for you. How do you show up for the people in your life while not abandoning yourself? It’s not easy, and as author of The Likeability Trap and MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez tells us, “Finesse is hard to teach.” But we can all do it! Start by acknowledging loved ones in your life that may need a little extra TLC right now, and be sure to uplift invisible voices in the workplace. And—last but not least—...
Jun 16, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Join Erica as she sits down with this author, speaker, strategist, and Duke professor to hear about how to build professional relationships with genuine connection and service. Dorie also shows us what NOT to do by sharing a cringeworthy story of a time when she found herself in a rather un transparent situation. She’s also the master of working from home, having been in the #WFH crew since 2006, so her insight on this way of working, that we all now find ourselves in, is especially prescient. L...
Jun 09, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
You’ll hear Brian tell the story of how he recently produced a radio ad from his closet on his iPhone while hiding from his kids who were homeschooling in the next room, and how he’s holding shorter, more frequent board meetings to stay on top of the changing world of work. Brian shares how he honors relationships by tapping into the wisdom of those closest to him and by doing what’s best for all stakeholders. You’ll hear about how Mack Weldon is giving back to the community by donating clothes ...
May 26, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Erica and Randi discuss the rituals Randi’s (already) remote team uses to stay connected, and how they’re pivoting in COVID times. They also talk about her involvement in a new crowdfunding platform, PledgeCamp, and how it’s transparent, blockchain technology ensures that funders know exactly where their money is going. Randi’s one of those people who is so upbeat but real at the same time—she’ll leave you smiling and wanting to join her family’s bedtime dance parties. Please Subscribe, Rate and...
May 26, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Despite being a multi-hyphenate, Shiza has a deep focus on building an intentional, deliberate, “chosen” community. You’ll hear about how she creates gatherings and experiences that energize all involved. And you’ll hear about the vision behind her new venture, Our Place, which is an ethical, sustainable, mission-driven kitchenware line, rooted in the belief that when you bring people together around a home-cooked meal, you make the world smaller in the best way. Everything Shiza does is rooted ...
May 26, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2
What does it mean to be human, really human—in work, at home, and in life? How can we bring our whole selves to everything we do? Left to Our Own Devices is a podcast that explores how to bring our human to work and life. It all boils down to one simple thing: honoring relationships. And it’s not rocket science, but it does take intention. Each week, workplace strategist, speaker, and bestselling author, Erica Keswin interviews CEOs, founders, philanthropists, thought leaders, and people just li...
May 17, 2020•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1
