I caught up with Emily Best, the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark and also Film Forward, which is an experiential learning platform designed to activate the full potential of today's dynamic and diverse workforce by replacing boring corporate training videos with a cinematic learning experience built around award-winning short films from around the world. I've seen this program, it is so cool, and she's going to tell us about it.

One of the things I love about this business, and I guess about life, is getting to see how people's careers develop and how they grow and evolve. I interviewed Emily a few years ago about Seed&Spark and her origin story and all things crowdfunding on Catch a Break Season 2, Episode 203: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-203-crowdfunding/id1457637810?i=1000472155727

But today, I initially reached out to Emily to talk about her newer venture, Film Forward, and the important work she's doing there.

Our conversation expanded to include her thoughts about managing a company with a dispersed and remote workforce and how COVID changed everything, about intentionally creating culture in a company in those circumstances, how humbling it is to do this work authentically, and trying to shift the American culture to prioritize human dignity above individual achievement.

Emily continues to be an incredibly thoughtful visionary, and I was inspired by this conversation.

https://linktr.ee/julieharrisoliver

0:00:00 Introduction and Update on Julie's Accident

0:02:16 Introduction and Overview of Seed&Spark

0:05:30 Relocating to Atlanta and Remote Work Dynamics

0:09:09 The Benefits of Working from Home and Accessibility Accommodations

0:10:38 The Challenges of Remote Work and Communication Overload

0:14:39 Remote Work and Talent Attraction

0:17:34 Balancing Conflict and Innovation in a Heartfelt Workplace

0:20:06 Accountability and Managing Triggers in Remote Work

0:21:46 Importance of Acknowledging Our Protected Class Status

0:23:11 Prioritizing Mental Health and Well-being in the Workplace

0:24:53 Shifting the dynamic of work quality and attention in boardrooms

0:27:30 Working alone vs. working with a room full of people

0:30:41 Prioritizing in-person gatherings for remote teams

0:31:56 Identifying the challenge of delivering films to diverse audiences

0:35:23 Scaling practice from individuals to teams and creating organizational accountability

0:37:53 Conversations about accountability and the cost of masking in the workplace

0:41:53 The lack of human dignity as a foundational value in American culture

0:46:37 Personal Relationships and the Political Landscape

0:49:23 Interacting with Neighbors Holding Conflicting Beliefs

0:55:46 Struggling to Articulate the New Paradigm