The Why Intercept

Sumedhaa Kothari

Insofar as learning is parabolic, join us as we ~solve for why~ so many unexpected things have happened while building a business at the intersection of art, business, sustainability and fashion.

10 Episodes

010: Why Can Too Much Passion Be a Bad Thing? (Part 2)
9/1/2023
23:32
Why can chasing one's passion become nefarious? And how can we get it back into better balance? Through the experience of shutting down when receiving support, and investigating what it means to assess one's self esteem we came to more deeply investigate the following topics: The Dualistic Nature of Passion, Self-Esteem vs. Self-Worth Vs. Self-Confidence etc, ADHD in Women and so much more. Full list of references for each episode can be found here: ⁠bit.ly/3qhZVNX⁠ Transcripts can be found on Substack: ⁠bit.ly/3N8axYH⁠ Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / ⁠@brohama⁠ If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: Instagram: ⁠@thewhyintercept⁠ // ⁠@by.sume⁠⁠ Website: ⁠www.bysume.com⁠ Youtube: ⁠⁠@bysume⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠@by.sume⁠
009: Why Is Being A Great Creative Unrelated To Creating Great Things? (Part 1)
8/15/2023
15:05
*Why is creativity both the most and least important thing we can do with our lives? Why do we stand to benefit from consistently wanting to be bad at the talents we work so hard to perfect? Such as, in this case, sewing, designing and creating? Through the experience of happening across a life changing text, we found the answers in this episode before realizing which questions needed asking. In this episode we explore: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, creativity as frosting, Atomic Habits, what it means to be a tortured artist and so much more. (In Part 2 we will explore: The Dual Nature of Passion, self-worth, neuro-divergence and more. Make sure to hit follow in order to not miss when Part 2 comes out!) *[caption video for this episode] Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / ⁠@brohama⁠ Full list of references for each episode can be found here: bit.ly/3qhZVNX Transcripts can be found on Substack: bit.ly/3N8axYH If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: Instagram: @thewhyintercept & @by.sume⁠ Website: www.bysume.com Youtube: ⁠@bysume⁠ TikTok: @by.sume
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008: Why Do We Make Ourselves So Busy?
7/28/2023
22:09
Why are we always out of time? How does the culture we live in influence our scarcity of time? And what are other ways of viewing how to use it?! Through the experience of applying more effort & yielding poorer results while designing a piece for a runway show, we explore why we live in an age where time behaves paradoxically to how we typically best describe using it. In this episode we explore: Absolute Time, Subjective Time, Temporal Perspective, Linear / Cyclical Nature of Time and much more. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ Website: www.bysume.com TikTok: @by.sume Youtube: @bysume Full list of references for each episode can be found here by 6/29: bit.ly/3qhZVNX Transcripts can be found on Substack: bit.ly/3N8axYH
007: Why is Storytelling so Hard on Social Media?
7/9/2023
19:50
Through the experience of struggling to share the stories behind each sustainable creation on social media in a meaningful way, I decided to try and figure out what makes it so difficult by breaking it down piece by piece. Why do stories matter? How do we appreciate them? And what can we do to be an artful storyteller? In this episode we explore concepts such as: The Pragmatic Theory of Truth, telling stories as a brand, the death of storytelling, and so much more. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ Website: www.bysume.com TikTok: @by.sume Youtube: @bysume Full list of references for each episode can be found here: bit.ly/3qhZVNX Transcripts can be found on Substack: bit.ly/3N8axYH
006: Why Do Statistics Fail to Emotionally Move Us?
6/24/2023
17:27
Through the experience of prepping sustainability statistics for an interview with The Sustainability Champions podcast, it became top of mind how unemotional the hard hitting statistics felt when researching them. In this episode we explore why it is difficult to perceive of large numbers, how numbers are encoded in the brain, and how we might fail to appreciate the true dimensions of orders of magnitude. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: - Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ - Website: bysume.com - TikTok: @by.sume - Youtube: @bysume Transcripts can be found on Substack here on 6/25: bit.ly/3N8axYH Full list of references for each episode can be found here on 6/25: bit.ly/3qhZVNX
005: [STORY] Why Might Selling Cars Change How You Think About Google and Fashion?
6/15/2023
24:23
Through the experience of selling cars, I learned many valuable lessons, one of which completely changed how I thought about my work at Google Cloud. The lesson I learned was one I had to re-learn yet again in this chapter of my life, as I attempt to create a more affordable access point for sustainable fashion. Hope this shocking story inspires agency in your own life & pursuits! Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: - Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ - Website: bysume.com - TikTok: @by.sume - Youtube: @bysume
004: Why Do Some People Become Trendsetters?
6/7/2023
21:32
What does it take to have your unique-ness catch fire? Why might you want to have this happen, or not want to have this happen? And why are the opportunities for self-expression only increasing in today's day & age? This week we explore how even though some of us like to be unique, there is a select few that manage to bring the rest of the world along with them. We discuss topics such as: High Desire for Control, Minority Influence Theory, Reactance Theory, Normative vs Conforming Behaviors and so much more. s/o Brooks Hamilton / @brohama for the theme music Transcripts can be found on Substack here on 6/7: bit.ly/3N8axYH Full list of references for each episode can be found here on 6/7: bit.ly/3qhZVNX If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: - Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ - Twitter: @thewhyintercept - Website: www.bysume.com - TikTok: @by.sume - Youtube: @bysume
003: Why Do We Copy Other People's Style?
5/31/2023
21:39
Why do we copy other people's style? And under what conditions is it advantageous to stand out? In this episode we discuss: Mimetic Desire, Conformity and Counterconformity, the Need for Uniqueness Measurement, the role of influencers, Deviance Regulation Theory and so much more. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: - Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ - Website: bysume.com - TikTok: @by.sume - Youtube: @bysume Few References (pls reference full list here): Need for Uniqueness (NFU) [TED Talk] How Your Clothes Impact Your Life: Re-examining Our Relationship to Fashion [TED Talk] The philosophy behind fashion Optimal Distinctiveness Theory [Youtube] Drew Joiner: Trendy vs Stylish | What is Unique Style? Optimal distinctiveness theory (Wikipedia)
002: Why Should We Rethink the Title "Fashion Designer"?
5/24/2023
19:31
Through the experience of seeing a fellow designer shift their entire life course away from the industry as a whole, we explore where this title can go right for people in the industry and where it can go wrong. In this episode we explore the following concepts: Fashion as an Industry, Legitimization of Fashion as an Art Form, Art Vs. Design, and close with a personal story as to why these questions matter. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: - Instagram: @thewhyintercept, @by.sume⁠ - Website: bysume.com - TikTok: @by.sume - Youtube: @bysume Recommended reading: In Defense of Fashion as a True Art Form This is Why I Hate "Fashion" (Dan Trepanier, Stylist) Art vs Design The truth about Art vs. Design [Book] Fashion as Communication By Malcolm Barnard (Plato Text) [Study] The Emotional Wardrobe (Sensory clothing) What Are the 7 Different Forms of Art? Other: [Study] Who Leads the Clothing Fashion: Style, Color, or Texture? A Computational Study [Research Paper] Class-based emotions and the allure of fashion consumption [Study] Art seen from outside: Non-artistic legitimation within the field of fashion design [Research Paper] A general theory of artistic legitimation: How art worlds are like social movements [Disc Forum] What is the difference between a designer and an artist? What is the Difference between a Designer and an Artist? From NYC to Place Vendôme: Daniel Roseberry on Reviving Schiaparelli’s Playful Spirit Why I hate fashion (funny) Artist vs. Designer: What's the Difference? Is fashion a true art form? The difference between an Artist, Designer, Creative, and Maker. [Research Paper] Artworks versus designs [Research Paper] Art versus Design: The Debate 1760-1860 What are the 7 Forms of Art? A Complete Overview Quilt art - Wikipedia [Research Report] Why contemporary fine art artists are starving in Latvia? [Research Report] Artist Salary Now! [Research Report] Business model innovation – state of the art and future challenges for the field [Book] The Value of Arts for Business By Giovanni Schiuma [Research Report] Marketing fine art on the Internet: issues and ideas [Disc Forum] What do you love, or hate about fashion? The culture business: management strategies for the arts-related business. Types of Art – A Brief Exploration of the Different Kinds of Art What Is the Purpose of Music? The Creativity Of Upcycling: Design Solution for the Planet
001: Why Do We Pay the Wrong Price for Things?
5/16/2023
21:44
Through the experience of having a handmade upcycled piece sell for 9x what it was offered to the world at (where it sat unclaimed), we explore why price is so confusing. In this episode, we explore the following concepts: Value Based Pricing, Cost Based Pricing, Corporate Trust, The Endowment Effect, Cognitive Dissonance, Price Anchoring. Theme music by Brooks Hamilton / @brohama References: Admissions by Henry Marsh Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely School of Life: Why We Hate Cheap Prices Anchoring Bias: Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. science, 185(4157), 1124-1131. Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, Ep: Cognitive Dissonance with Carol Tavris (BS 175) If you learned something you loved or have thoughts for improvement please do not hesitate to reach out in the following places: Instagram: ⁠@by.sume⁠ Website: ⁠bysume.com⁠ TikTok: ⁠@by.sume⁠ Youtube: ⁠@bysume

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The Why Intercept

Sumedhaa Kothari

10 Episodes

010: Why Can Too Much Passion Be a Bad Thing? (Part 2)

009: Why Is Being A Great Creative Unrelated To Creating Great Things? (Part 1)

008: Why Do We Make Ourselves So Busy?

007: Why is Storytelling so Hard on Social Media?

006: Why Do Statistics Fail to Emotionally Move Us?

005: [STORY] Why Might Selling Cars Change How You Think About Google and Fashion?

004: Why Do Some People Become Trendsetters?

003: Why Do We Copy Other People's Style?

002: Why Should We Rethink the Title "Fashion Designer"?

001: Why Do We Pay the Wrong Price for Things?