The Design Drop

The best creative careers start with a leap, usually before anyone has signed off on it.This episode follows Nicolai Czumaj-Bront’s path from designing furniture at his kitchen table after long days as a consultant in Chicago to building a twenty-year career at Haworth, where he is now a Senior Design Studio Manager. It all began with a prototype he funded himself.Nicolai and host Caroline Murphy talk about trusting your gut enough to take the risk, knowing just enough to have ideas without letting expertise stop you from acting, finding the ingredients every creative career needs (and the ones that take time to marinate), and carving out new roles instead of waiting to be handed one.This season of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Getting into the right room is only half the equation. This episode follows Jessica O. Matthews from inventing an energy-generating soccer ball at 19 to founding Uncharted and, now, Lived Labs, an AI-powered invention studio. Jessica and host Caroline Murphy talk about why proximity to success isn't the same as perspective, the value of living outside your industry, what to bring with you once you're in the room, and making invention more accessible.This episode was recorded live in the NeoCon Podcast Lounge.Season 1 of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You don't have to be everything at once. This episode follows Kay Sargent's four-decade career, from early CADD days to shaping the future of the workplace at HOK and authoring Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces. Kay and host Caroline Murphy talk about how careers evolve, deciding what deserves your energy right now, rethinking what balance looks like, and finding your rhythm in whatever season you're in.This season of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You don't have to be everything to everyone to build a career people respect. This episode follows Dan Mazzarini's path from design leadership roles at Ralph Lauren and Kramer Design Group to founding his own studio, Mazzarini, and the lessons he's learned about the business of design along the way. Dan and host Caroline Murphy talk about breaking the people-pleasing habit at work, being authentic without oversharing, balancing your twenties with a corporate career, and trusting your own point of view.This season of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s no single way to build a career that works for your life. This episode follows Kelly Cooper’s path through brands including Nike, Levi’s, Dickies, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Universal Music Group, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Kelly and host Caroline Murphy talk about dropping the corporate cheerleader act, building a personal brand, advocating for what you need, and finding your own version of success.This season of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s no blueprint for building a career in design, and Clare Sullivan certainly didn’t follow one. From earning her MFA at Parsons and starting out in residential design to building a content platform entirely her own, Clare’s career took shape at a moment when nobody really knew what was coming next. Clare and host Caroline Murphy talk about trusting your instincts before the path is obvious, redefining what it means to be a designer, taking feedback without taking it personally, and what happens when the career you’re building looks nothing like the one you originally planned.This season of The Design Drop is presented by Haworth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s a lot about building a career in design that nobody teaches you. On The Design Drop, Caroline Murphy talks with designers, creatives, and industry leaders about the mistakes, decisions, and lessons that shaped their careers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.