The Futur with Chris Do

Latest Episodes:

191 - How Chatbots and Messenger Automation Work — with Natasha Takahashi Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

In 2017 Natasha Takahashi completed her first semester at the prestigious (and quite expensive) college, University of Southern California.

She'd spent many nights writing essays and working tirelessly to attain any scholarship she could find to pay her tuition. But Natasha had a scary epiphany halfway into her second semester: This is not for me.

Frustrated and unhappy with her USC experience, she decided to drop out. She even wrote a letter to her parents expressing her gratitude and reasoning.

Five years later, Natasha sounds more than happy with her decision. She's started two businesses and is well on her way to achieving the goals outlined in the letter to her parents.

In this episode, we discuss Natasha's business focus: messenger automation.

Whether you were aware of it, you've probably encountered (and talked with) a chatbot. But have you ever thought about how messaging automation might help you and your business?

If you get overwhelmed with DMs or want to learn more about how chatbots work and the benefits that come with them, then give this episode a listen.

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190 - Life in the Metaverse — with Lisa Andrews May 25, 2022

Show notes

Just when you thought you had the internet figured out, new waves of technology approach. With them come a torrent of unfamiliar terms: non-fungible tokens, web3, DAOs, the Metaverse.

Are they real, hype, or are they keys to solving the world's biggest problems?

In this episode, we host investor and futurist Lisa Andrews. She's fascinated by this new technology and sees an opportunity in it to create a positive impact on humanity.

As Lisa puts it, we are living in the phigital world. That is to say, a hybrid of the physical and digital world. Think about the life you lead online and the one you lead offline. They're not the same but are closely related.

The Metaverse is where those two worlds start to converge. And therein lies a new opportunity for innovation, creativity, and of course, business.

If you think you've missed this new wave of technology, think again. There is plenty more to learn and discover.

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189 - Making time for yourself — with Chris Franklin May 18, 2022

Show notes

Chris Franklin is a filmmaker, photographer, and budding YouTuber helping clients, and fellow creatives meet their goals.

He's also a Futur Pro Group member, which is where he met and connected with Chris Do.

In this friendly conversation, Chris shares his career path and how he went from studying pre-med biology to now running a thriving video production business.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't a straight line from point A to point B. It took Chris time and inward reflection to understand who he is and what drives his motivations. And that kind of introspection is never easy.

If you're interested in video production or are unsure about your path forward, this conversation might help you.

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Better Help - https://betterhelp.com/futur

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188 - How to tell better stories — with Kindra Hall May 11, 2022

Show notes

Kindra Hall is a storyteller, acclaimed keynote speaker, and bestselling author of Stories that Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business. She's here to remind you how important storytelling is, especially for your business.

We all recognize the need for connection, now more than ever. And telling stories is an excellent way to connect with people, but being a great storyteller is not easy.

Like most important things, great storytelling requires strategy and effort. It's more than simply reporting information. You've got to feel it.

By feel, we mean you have to care and communicate emotion in your story. That doesn't mean sharing your deepest, darkest, most private pieces of yourself. It could be fundamental, like feeling frustrated, nervous, or curious.

In this episode, Kindra offers tips on what makes for good storytelling and how you can practice telling them. According to her, there are four critical components to storytelling, and you can start using them right now.

Whether you give weekly presentations or are working on your very first, Kindra's advice for telling better stories can only help.

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187 - How to tell your story — with Chris Do May 04, 2022

Show notes

Storytelling is one of the fundamental ways humans connect. It’s how we learn, exchange ideas, and entertain ourselves. At its core, storytelling is communication.

This episode comes from a live Twitter Space talk Chris Do, and Anneli Hansson hosted. The topic: how to tell your own story.

The conversation opens with how powerful good storytelling is. A well-crafted story is relatable and will draw you in, making the storyteller themselves inherently more interesting.

Storytelling plays a crucial role in the world of branding and marketing. How you present yourself, your business, and your work tell a story. Often, that story looks and sounds like many other people’s stories, which makes it challenging for you to stand out in a crowded market space.

The good news is that everyone has a unique story to tell. And by sharing it, you create a unique space for yourself. The challenge is learning how to be your true self and not the idealized version of you.

To quote Emma Coates’ 22 Story Rules, “You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.”

If you struggle with standing out or think that your story isn’t interesting, this episode is for you. Chris shares several valuable tips and methods for finding and telling your own stories.

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BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur

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186 - How Brand Strategy Works — with Mika Saulitis Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Mika Saulitis is the Director of Creative Strategy at branding and design studio, Trollbäck+Company. But what does a Director of Brand Strategy do exactly?

As Mika puts it, there are two core components: strategy and creativity.

Strategy involves strategic thinking, writing positioning statements, and determining the brand’s voice—the invisible traits of a brand. Creativity arrives in more tangible forms, like campaigns, videos, concepts, and copywriting.

In this episode, Mika shares how he navigated the design industry and transitioned from fetching lunch orders to facilitating high-profile strategy sessions.

Mika and Chris delve into how brand strategy works. The process, the pitfalls, and why the last thing a client wants is a “yes” person.

If you work in or are curious about brand strategy, what it is, or how it works, then give this episode a listen. Mika is generous with what he’s learned and how he learned it. Maybe his story can help you.

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Athletic Greens - https://athleticgreens.com/futur

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185 - You don’t need to be an expert — with Graham Cochrane Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Graham Cochrane is an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and business coach whose mission is to help other people start their own businesses.

You might be thinking, “Great. Another online business guru telling me to sign up for their seminar while they pose in front of a rented Lamborghini.”

But you would be wrong.

In 2009, right after the financial collapse, Graham was laid off. He and his wife had recently purchased a house and just had their first baby. Not a great place to be.

After struggling to find work and being unable to make enough through freelance work, Graham saw an opportunity, and a side project was born.

Graham had unintentionally founded The Recording Revolution, the world’s largest online audio recording and music production resource.

Years later, that little side project evolved into a seven-figure business with over twenty-thousand customers.

The magic formula? Serve others.

In this episode, Graham shares how spending his time and effort serving others has served him well. He and Chris talk about non-traditional ways to earn a living being creative, how to build a community, and why you don’t need to be an expert to teach.

Graham was also generous enough to share the nuts and bolts of his business model and its financials. His first year in business, he earned $5,000, but by the end of his second, he was at $65,000, all from selling courses based on his experience.

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BetterHelp - https://betterhelp.com/futur

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184 - Taking Risks — with Jason Fried Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

Jason Fried is the founder and CEO of Basecamp. Once a web design firm (and operating under the name 37Signals), Basecamp unintentionally pivoted into building software with their namesake product. They also created the email app HEY, a fresh take on an old idea.

As you can imagine, Jason is no stranger to change. In this episode, he shares how Basecamp accidentally came to be and the struggles they’ve encountered along the way. Like working remotely, building new products, and taking calculated risks that from the outside might look crazy.

Change is inevitable, but it’s rarely easy, especially for a company where people are the driving force. Shifts in direction profoundly affect company culture, and how you manage that change can make or break your business.

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183 - What makes something valuable? — with Ron Baker Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Ron Baker is a writer, speaker, educator, and recovering CPA. He is the author of seven best-selling books, most of which cover economic topics—specifically, value and pricing.

Throughout history, value has always tied itself to labor. These many work hours cost this many dollars, also known as billable hours.

The counter to this method is value-based pricing. This thing costs this many dollars because it is valuable to you.

So, which is correct? Which is fair?

In this episode, Ron and Chris dive deep into value, pricing, and the relationship between the two. Ron shares some great stories that clearly illustrate why value is determined by the utility it provides the consumer.

They also discuss the concept of subscription-based pricing and why that model may find its way into everything from cars to creative services.

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182 - Learning Together — with Wes Kao Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Wes Kao is co-founder of Maven, a platform that helps creators build cohort-based courses. Before that, she co-founded the altMBA with acclaimed author and marketer Seth Godin.

If you’re not yet familiar with them, cohort-based courses (CBCs) are a not-so-new way of learning with a group of other people. They take the best parts of traditional classroom education and blend them with online classes to create a rich learning experience.

In this episode, Wes shares why CBCs are the best way to learn and why it’s crucial you always test (and validate) your course idea. Having a substantial social following doesn’t guarantee a courses’ success.

If you have an idea for a course, give this episode a listen before moving forward. And be sure to check out Wes’s free course accelerator.

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Grin.co - https://grin.co

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