Daring Forever (Find your Extraordinary)

Latest Episodes:

Dare to let your work be rough around the edges - Ryan Luse Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Ryan Luse is a motion designer and art director who has spent 25 years mountain biking and 15 years creating at the intersection of graphic design, motion, and art direction.

After being let go from a four-year position, Ryan chose stillness over security—a decision that led him through depression, meditation, coaching and ultimately a complete creative transformation.

Now creating concert visuals, Ryan shares how pushing past comfort zones on the bike mirrors pushing creative boundaries, how intuition trumps logic, and why the most uncomfortable moments often lead to the most authentic work. This conversation explores truth-seeking, scarcity as clarity, and the courage to contribute to culture rather than just commerce.

Key Takeaways:

The comfort zone principle – Whether mountain biking or creating, growth happens just past your comfort zone. If you're always comfortable, you're not learning much and might even get bored
Stillness as strategy – When faced with crisis, Ryan chose not to distract himself with more work but to dedicate time to stillness, meditation, and figuring out his authentic path
Intuition vs validation – Rational intelligence seeks external validation and checks boxes. Intuition lives in the present moment and often completely defies logic—but it's where the truth lives
Meditation reveals truth – The goal isn't to reach a mindless state, but to observe thoughts without attaching reactions. Random revelations that pop up during meditation are often where the most authentic insights emerge
Scarcity creates clarity – Going through a year-long period of financial scarcity kept Ryan in an alert state that, when balanced with self-care, provided remarkable clarity about his path
Creative therapy matters – Working with coach Ben Tallen provided the creative-specific support that traditional therapy couldn't offer, helping Ryan discover he was both "rambunctious and personable"
The leap of faith moment – When intuition overrides rational thinking and something in you knows you have to do it anyway, even if it feels dangerous and uncertain—that's growth
Authenticity over template – Rather than picking a Squarespace template, Ryan is creating stylized handwriting and hand-done lettering for his website because it feels authentic, even if it's unconventional for a motion designer
From corporate to culture – Transitioning from tech/corporate work to music industry visuals allowed Ryan to turn up his weirdness instead of taming it back, creating work that amplifies energy and contributes to culture
Process as discovery – Whether creating a website or working on a project, the process itself helps you discover what something is and what you authentically want to say

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

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"Growth comes through creative relevance" (Johanna Augustin bonus episode) Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with Johanna Augustin ~

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

Dare to trust your creative soul - Johanna Augustin Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Johanna Augustin is the CEO of Pond Design, one of Stockholm's leading packaging design studios, with over 20 years of experience shaping how we experience everyday products. But her journey to becoming a packaging design innovator began in the most unexpected place: Stockholm School of Economics.

This conversation examines what occurs when you dare to follow your creative soul rather than the conventional path. Johanna explains how she left microeconomics and stock markets at 21, found her calling at the crossroads of strategy and creativity, and established a practice that is helping major brands shape the future of sustainable packaging.

Johanna reveals how great design emerges at the intersection of data and passion, of business rigour and creative rebellion.

This is a masterclass in discovering your place in the world, trusting your instincts rather than spreadsheets, and recognising that small details—the tactile feel of a box, the surprise copy inside a lid—can genuinely brighten someone's day.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The creative soul knows: At 21, studying economics, Johanna asked herself "is this life?" and trusted that feeling enough to pivot toward creativity, even without knowing exactly where it would lead
Passion beats data: When choosing between someone who says "this is best because I say so" versus someone with all the data, Johanna chooses passion and confidence every time—that's where true innovation lives
The intersection is your superpower: Johanna found her space at the crossroads of strategy, growth, and creativity—not being a designer herself became her unique advantage in leading design teams
Generation Alpha changes everything: Young people doing unboxing rituals, reading romantic copy on packaging, caring deeply about sustainability—they're not just consumers, they're co-creators of the future
Sustainability requires proactivity: The worst scenario is reactive compliance with regulations that creates solutions everyone hates; brands need to dare to be proactive and push boundaries before they're forced to
The loop must close: Creating sustainable packaging isn't just about production—it's about understanding the entire journey from source to bin and back again, with equal complexity on both ends
Small details create joy: Packaging isn't shallow—it's about making someone's breakfast happier, adding surprise and delight to everyday moments, creating tactile experiences that matter
AI amplifies creativity: Rather than being threatened by AI, embrace it as a tool for execution; like Adobe revolutionised design before, AI enables more creativity, more experimentation, more boundary-pushing
Categories can bloom: When micro-breweries challenged traditional beer design language, the entire category blossomed; the same revolution is happening in beauty, spirits, and food—design innovation drives product innovation

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

"People can feel the difference between faking it and speaking radical truths." (David Newman bonus episode) Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with David Newman ~

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

Dare to become a category of one - David Newman Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

Sales expert and author David Newman reveals how to transform your business through market eminence – the art of becoming so distinctively positioned that hiring anyone else becomes risky, dangerous, and dumb. Drawing from his journey of making every mistake possible in his early years to building a thriving consultancy, David shares why being a better person matters more than being a better salesperson, how treating prospects like clients changes everything, and why the conventional wisdom of casting wide nets actually keeps you stuck in mediocrity.

David introduces the concept of building an electromagnetic fence around your business that pulls in ideal clients while repelling nightmare prospects, explains why how-to content is dead in the age of AI, and outlines the three types of human-centered content that actually matter: teaching people how to think strategically, revealing harsh truths your industry won't acknowledge, and helping clients prepare for what's coming next.

He challenges creatives and consultants to stop apologizing for their perspectives, embrace being polarizing and contrarian, and recognize that wasting zero time trying to please everyone is the fastest path to meaningful success and impact.

Key Takeaways

The secret to sales success isn't becoming a better salesperson – it's becoming a better person who listens with empathy, kindness, and genuine curiosity about prospects' real problems
Treat prospects like clients before they're hired by delivering the same care, attention, and strategic thinking in initial conversations that you'd provide in your first post-contract meeting
Market eminence combines three elements: visibility (being seen), credibility (being trusted for getting people on a deep level), and brand preference (making alternatives feel risky)
AI has killed how-to content forever – focus instead on three human advantages: teaching how to think strategically, revealing what to believe and not believe, and future-casting what's coming next
Being contrarian isn't a marketing gimmick – it's uncovering beliefs you already hold, harsh truths clients desperately need acknowledged, and strong viewpoints that resonate with ideal clients while making competitors uncomfortable
Build an electromagnetic fence around your business that attracts best-fit prospects, talent, and partners while actively repelling nightmare clients, bad hires, and misaligned relationships
Stop wasting time trying to be everything to everyone doing mediocre work for mediocre fees – jump immediately into the deep end of distinctive positioning and authentic differentiation
Polarization is productive when it turns the wrong people off and the right people on – embrace making some people uncomfortable because they're not your people anyway
The three contrarian questions: What conventional wisdom do you secretly think is wrong? What harsh industry truth needs acknowledging? What strong viewpoint do you hold that competitors fear?

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

"More creatives have to get off the benches" (Jessie McGuire bonus episode) Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

A short bonus episode showcasing a few stand out moments from this week's guest interview with Jessie McGuire ~

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

Dare to use your voice where it counts - Jessie McGuire Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Jessie McGuire is a designer, educator, and managing partner at Thought Matter, a design studio exploring civic imagination and creative participation. In this powerful conversation, Jessie shares her journey from being adopted from El Salvador to becoming a voice for designers who don't fit traditional molds. She discusses teaching entrepreneurship at Pratt Institute, where she transforms creative students into confident public speakers who can talk about money and value.

Jessie reveals how Thought Matter redesigned the US Constitution to make democracy more accessible, and why she believes designers must use their seat at the table to design the world they want to live in—not just the next unicorn startup.

This is a conversation about belonging, asking better questions, getting off the benches, and building creative economies that generate more for communities rather than extracting from them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Designer as a title you grow into – It took Jessie into her forties to confidently introduce herself as a designer, realizing it's about designing conditions for creativity, not just moving pixels
The rice and beans moment – Sometimes our assumptions about identity prevent us from truly understanding who someone is; we must ask questions and wait to hear the answers
Teaching is public speaking about money – Jessie's entrepreneurship class at Pratt focuses on getting creative students comfortable discussing funding, salary, and value without whispering
Civic imagination over commercialization – After working on mass consumer brands, Jessie found her purpose in helping people participate in the world around them through design
Redesigning democracy – Thought Matter's US Constitution redesign project showed how design can make civic participation more accessible by simply improving typography and presentation
Get off the benches – If you haven't seen yourself in the mainstream narrative, you must step up and change it—fear cannot override the opportunity to create change
Community over scale – We don't need more Amazon-sized businesses; we need creative practices that care for communities, support families, and deliver intrinsic value
Designers have the power now – Design has moved beyond asking for a seat at the table; designers have literally designed the world we live in
Creative economies beyond extraction – The future requires moving from extractive business models to generative ones that create more for more people
Use your hot takes locally – Instead of rage-baiting on LinkedIn about logos, take that creative energy and redesign something in your community that actually helps people

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

"Things that take no effort are hard to value" (Robert Hodgin bonus episode) Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

A short bonus episode showcasing a few stand out moments from this week's guest interview with Robert Hodgin ~

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com

Dare to question excellence - Robert Hodgin Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Robert Hodgin is an artist and head of research and development at Rare Volume, a design and tech company specialising in large-scale installations that blend technology with artistry.

His journey began at a science and math boarding school in North Carolina, where he quickly realized his heart belonged to art rather than physics. After attending RISD, Robert discovered a unique space where his dual interests could coexist by visualizing data in artistic ways. His work combines cutting-edge technology with human-scale aesthetics, creating immersive experiences for venues.

Robert shares candid insights about the challenges of client work, the importance of staying true to creative vision, and why following the flock of birds sometimes requires more courage than jumping out of a plane. He reminds us that even at the highest levels of creative practice, the struggle for artistic integrity remains universal

Key takeaways

Find your intersection: Robert thrives at the crossroads of art and science, proving that seemingly opposite interests can create unique opportunities for innovation and creative expression
Question traditional paths: Despite parental expectations and aptitude in science and math, Robert chose art, demonstrating that conventional career paths aren't always the right answer
Human-scale technology: When working with cutting-edge tech, Robert prioritizes creating experiences that feel human and accessible rather than overwhelming or intimidating
Data can be beautiful: There's tremendous opportunity to present data in art-forward ways rather than just functional graphs, opening new creative territories for visual storytelling
Creative integrity is challenging: Even successful artists working on prestigious projects face clients who say they want artistic freedom but ultimately impose their own vision
Vulnerability creates connection: Speaking authentically about failures, fears, and challenges resonates more deeply with audiences than polished perfection ever could
Not every project is a win: Robert acknowledges that some client projects get "butchered" and you have to accept that sometimes you take the money and move on
Embrace failure as learning: Dropping out of astrophysics twice became part of Robert's story rather than a source of shame, showing how setbacks shape our eventual path
Scale matters: Robert's most satisfying projects like the Samsung three-story video wall and Barcelona installation demonstrate how working at impressive scales can amplify creative impact
Stay curious about tools: Robert's approach to technology is playful exploration, testing what feels human about new tools rather than chasing trends for their own sake

Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic

daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com