Story In A Bottle Podcast

As Creative Director of one of the world’s most well-known and respected news organizations, BBC News, Ulrik Hogrebe definitely has his tasks set out for him. This is true especially when you consider the ever evolving landscape of how news is created, disseminated, and consumed on a daily basis. It’s a position which he found seemingly naturally, by way of many years of education and experience: from brand strategy at E-Types and post-graduate studies at both the Copenhagen Business School and Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, he is compelled by a desire to be a part of the “making of things.”

Luckily for us, his background also includes a stint as a bartender; so, over hand-crafted old fashioneds, he filled us in on how his experience has been about raising the bar from a culture of “good enough” to meaningful interactions, knowing when to push pride aside and ask for help, and that the best way to get into something is to just get your hands dirty. His story is a reminder to us that the best way to learn and grow, both for a product and as a person, is by not getting bogged down by formality and tools and to continue to experiment and take risks. 

For more from him, see: @ulle69.

Direct download: SIAB_UHogrebe_v3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:23am EDT

When Lauren Leto, at age 22, started a blog listing random text messages from her boyfriend and friends, she had no dream or idea that it would immediately turn into the massive success that Texts From Last Night became, and cast a spotlight on her that she never expected or wanted. As a law student at Wayne State with a passion for writing (and actual dreams of becoming the next John Grisham) she didn’t even have ambitions for tech.

 

However, over glasses of Ridge Geyserville, we learn how this unexpected twist allowed her to rise to the occasion and inspired the next steps of her journey in New York City. Once there, she saw the rise and fall of a company, Bnter, took a short stop as a Hacker-in-Residence at Betaworks, and set the foundations for her forthcoming new endeavor, Listen, all while maintaining a healthy distance from being the “Texts From Last Night girl.” Lauren's path is filled with a lot of hats, some accidental successes, and some hard learned lessons (oh, and a podcast of her own) - a true founder’s story.

For more from her, check out @laurenleto and Judging a Book By it’s Lover.

Direct download: SIAB_LLeto_v6.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:14am EDT

As the founder and CEO-turned-Chairman of Sailthru, Neil Capel has spent many of his days helping brands personalize every interaction they have with consumers. In fact, thinking about these meaningful interactions is something he and his family have been doing in real life for generations as greengrocers in England. Sailthru, however, was his way of offering them at exponential scale while solving the growing complications brands faced as digital evolution was distancing them from their customers.

Ironically, by starting a company to help solve these problems for others, he was presented with a new set of worries: learning the ins, outs and pure mistakes of raising money, the art of using improv in sales meetings, the importance of work-life integration, and ultimately how to truly evolve a company from startup to a fully-functioning corporation.

AND, just before this episode was set to launch, we learned that Neil was experiencing a new set of obstacles; as a follow up discussion, he shared with us his most recent undertaking in replacing himself within the company as he transitioned from CEO to Chairman, making his life all the better.

For more from him, check out @neiljcapel and Sailthru.

Direct download: SIAB_NCapel_v4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:15am EDT

Aubrey Sabala is a leading marketer in tech, with many major brands who credit part of their success to her time there: Facebook, AOL, Digg, and currently, Google, to name a few. In fact, @Aubs, as she's known to her over 28 thousand Twitter followers, has followed a path over the past 15 years that traces the journey of the internet itself.

 

But in our conversation over Heitz Cellars cabernet sauvignon, we learn that that’s just scratching the surface. In fact, she cites her love of spreadsheets and the parallels she draws to scientific processes she learned while majoring in Biology and Genetics that have lead her to become the success she is today. And it’s her desire to continue to find unique opportunities for brands to provide exclusive access to the masses which will further her successes in the future.


For more from her, see her website: aubreysabala.com

Direct download: SIAB_ASabala_v4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:53am EDT

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