Matthew Waldman is a New York based artist and designer most prominently known for creating NOOKA Inc. a lab dedicated to exploring universal communication via form, language and fashion.
My Definition Of Success | I have a fairly traditional view of success, one based on esteem and stature in one’s field or based on one’s work being validated financially. In this sense, and in the context of living in NYC, my success is elusive.
I Am Driven By | The promise of a more utopian world, one without geopolitical borders, without racism and hate is the goal that drives me to do all that i do.
My Highlights | Seeing former students and people I have mentored go on to do great things or work for great organizations and companies is incredibly fulfilling and validating. Having my work in the Greenwich museum collection as well as the Japanese industrial design association permanent collection were both high points to me.
The Difference Between good And Great | People who are good at what they do produce work that meets expectations. People who are great at what they do exceeds expectations or create new experiences and reactions.
A Key Talent | PERSEVERANCE and PASSION! You must believe in what you are doing enough to be your own advocate, to motivate yourself and to quite simply, get things done no matter what the obstacle or delay. This is not to say one should be insane to the point of obsession, but seeing a detour as a new road to learn more will help in growth while pursuing a dream.
Principles I Live By | learn from everyone and everything. You must respect everyone you meet and be open to learning from them. You can learn a lot from bad people – One learns how not to behave for example. So try everything, eat new foods, listen to strange experimental music, go to art shows, do not dismiss people and experiences – learn from everything and you’ll never be bored.
Dealing With Doubt | If you don’t have self doubt, how can you improve?
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | I recommend reading these 3 books:
1. Outliers, stories of success by Malcolm Gladwell.
2. Hyperspace by Michio Kaku.
3. Teach us to overcome our madness by kenzaburooe.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | I would like to have the resources to work on a synthetic world language to accomplish what Esperanto failed to do, unify the planet in a productive monoculture that cooperates for the health and advancement of the planet. Of course, I tell this story and share this message subliminally via my design projects, and there are many of those yet to be realized/produced.
The Meaning Of Life | The meaning of life is to appreciate and strive for oneness with the universe. This should translate to a respect for everything animate and inanimate, to view everything with intelligence.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | Many years ago when i was in my late 20s, i was given this advice from my friend Michael: “misery is easy, happiness is hard work” this is a very Buddhist concept often misinterpreted but it has an immense practical application. You see, if one wakes up in a bad mood, that mood will remain all on its own. in order to return to a happy state, one must actually decide to do things that make you happy – it requires some work, like reminding yourself that bicycle riding makes you happy and then going out for a ride. So if one takes adult responsibility for their life, they must also take responsibility to create one’s happiness. This advice has helped me out of more depressions than any psychologist I’ve seen!
Lance Brown author of “The Driver of Change” is a living testament to his “Creating Opportunities” philosophy and presentations. Growing up in Mitchells Plain, a Cape Town suburb where dreams rarely stretch beyond one’s street corner, Lance dared to reach for the stars. From a small seed of a basic job as a delivery driver […]
Mark is a South African writer and director. He graduated with Honours in Dramatic Art from the University of the Witwatersrand. After completing his studies, he taught himself screenwriting and film appreciation before traveling to Los Angeles, where he worked as a script reader for several production companies.Since then, Mark has worked as a freelance […]
When it comes to building a luxury beauty brand and a world-class range of products, I think Tammy Frazer got a genetic head-start on the rest of us. Her late Grandfather was the great Graham Wulff who founded and built up, with his partner, Oil of Olay, before selling it globally to Richardson Vicks (now […]
Swaady Martin, is an Ivorian entrepreneur, prides herself as a custodian of Africa’s rich culture and history. And she preserves it with style. After an eventful, high-flying 11-year career at GE, where she held leadership positions in several divisions across the world (including acting as the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa of GE Transportation and acting-CEO […]
Shashi Naidoo is a South African actress, television presenter and model best known for co-hosting the e.tv magazine show 20Something. She also co-hosted the nation-wide MTV VJ search. She has been a part of various South African soapies, and has partaken in a plethora of TV commercials. She is also the sole owner of model […]
Over the years, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle has applied her effervescent personality for the benefit of many. As a talk show host in South Africa’s The Felicia Show (1995 – 2004) and more recently, on The Africa Channel in the US on Conversations with Felicia, Felicia focuses on interviewing (mainly) South Africans to build the democracy in […]
Fred Roed is the Founder and CEO of Heavy Chef Pty Ltd, which is a community platform for entrepreneurs. The name ‘Heavy Chef’ comes from the saying never trust a skinny chef and aims to celebrate the ‘people that eat their own food’. Heavy Chef is a learning platform for entrepreneurs, offering regular learning experiences […]
Vusi is a professional speaker and businessman. He is not only rated as Africa’s No 1 public speaker, but also of the worlds greatest. Vusi is known as ‘The Rockstar of Public Speaking and has spoken in 4 of the 7 continents and to over 350 000 people each year. He was described by Nelson […]
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