606 - Shop Talk with Billy Baumann

It's time to countdown the top seventeen posts from the Book Of Baumann and glean any wisdom we can from it. Mark sits down with The Godfather Of AID and gives him a chance to relive the moments that inspired some of the best status updates any cool kid could imagine. Pineapple Pizza, outsiders as Art Directors, and the through line of empathy guide today's Shop Talk through uncharted psychological territory. Billy has been on a path of rediscovery that has shifted so many aspects of his life and while we have gotten one small piece of them almost every Friday, his Facebook posts are a completely different outlet where he dreams of being in young men's bodies and judges the inside of microwaves. How does this all tie into design? What doesn't?!? You can't bang the drum just yet but this Shop Talk will certainly get you in the mood to do it.

Talking Points

• True and False with Mark about The Real Mark Brickey. 
• Outsiders who outsource because they have no clue about how to be an entrepreneur, insiders who know how to design packaged products, and the distribution skills that pay the bills. 
• Friendships, Shit Town, and the Pineapple Pizza Challenge. 
• Are you a tracer?
• Keeping your finger on the pulse of design trends and finding the permission to dream. 
• Unintentional mentors that can lead your baby steps to running a business. 
• Do we have lower standards for the highest position in our country?
• Frustration with faux art directors and their unwarranted sense of accomplishment. 
• The world changing effects of forgiveness. 
• Incongruous ideas and thoughts and providing health care to America. 
• Empathy issues.
• Microwaves, show houses, and the yardstick of society. 
• Rediscovering life and letting go of what doesn't make you happy. 

Need some more Shop Talk? Let's get nostalgic with Mark and Billy as they touch on similar themes of empathy, hard work, and inspiration that every creatives needs in their professional careers.

Go back to a not so distant past with The Cobra and OKpants as they usher some news that has Mark and many other level headed Americans in shock. This wasn't the start of the political talk... but it was a high point for it.

If you need to see a career built off empathy, passion, and leaving the world a better place then look no further than William Stout. With a history of work that focuses on our planet it's no wonder he is an activist to admire.