Sunday, May 7th, 2023
What I learned this week | Lone Geniuses
Hey team,
More audio this week 🎙️. We started a podcast at Huddle.
I’m excited to introduce Lone Geniuses, an audio show that uncovers the work and lives of the people behind the products and brands you love. It’s an outlet for creatives and builders to tell their stories, and the stories so far have been nothing but remarkable.
On the show, we debunk the lone genius myth. Creativity only happens inside a community. This is a show about making things together.
Members of Huddle came up with the name, including Andrew Stotzko of the Make Things that Matter podcast, Emily Grubman, who worked at Red Antler and now runs a naming consultancy, and Lori White, who helped create the brand at Huddle and elsewhere.
Our first guest is Daniel Batten. Dan is currently Creative Director at Hims & Hers. Before that, he helped create and incubate consumer startups as part of the Gin Lane and Pattern Brands teams: companies like Sweetgreen, Harry’s, Stadium Goods, Quip, Haus, and more.
This episode is for anyone wanting to know what it’s like to take a casual passion and make it big simply by following your gut.
Mike
🔖 My feed this week
Lone Geniuses: Following Your Creative Intuition with Dan Batten
Dan’s path to creating brands for some of the fastest-growing companies was paved by trusting his creative intuition. He started his career as an amateur photographer. His tinkering with photos and videos led to an interest in motion graphics design, eventually landing him a job at Gin Lane. One of his first-ever design projects won an award.
During the episode, we talk about Dan’s life, how he got his start, and how he unlocks space for creativity. My favorite part of the conversation is when Dan talks about using anxiety as a tool. Enjoy.
Listen to episode 1 on Spotify below. Catch it everywhere else here.
🎼 What I learned this week
Stop explaining your moves and move.
I’ve recorded three episodes of Lone Geniuses so far. Movement is the common thread amongst all three guests in turning passion into work.
I’ve always loved audio and grew up in a family of musicians. My relatives on both sides of the family are music teachers, composers, and artists. The Saloio Family Band played the gazebo in my hometown, marched in parades, sang in church, and got together once a week to play classical music.
Growing up, I never really embraced it. I dabbled in the saxophone and drums, know a little guitar, and started taking piano lessons last month. My natural curiosity, however, has forever been production. I’ve always seen myself as the one putting the pieces together rather than being any one piece myself. Unsurprisingly, I build teams for a living.
Three years ago, I took up music production as a hobby. A small win—I produced everything you’ll listen to on Lone Geniuses: including the short opening track 🎶. I didn’t know we’d ever do a podcast at Huddle when I started learning Ableton. Huddle wasn’t even born yet.
Having this new creative outlet has been rewarding and fun. I’m glad I started. We never know what outcomes are on the other side of our moves. So why spend so much time debating them, anyway?
Thanks
, Nigell Barlis, Rion Harmon, and Stephanie Golik