Daring Creativity

Johanna Augustin is the CEO of Pond Design, one of Stockholm's leading packaging design studios, with over 20 years of experience shaping how we experience everyday products. But her journey to becoming a packaging design innovator began in the most unexpected place: Stockholm School of Economics.
This conversation examines what occurs when you dare to follow your creative soul rather than the conventional path. Johanna explains how she left microeconomics and stock markets at 21, found her calling at the crossroads of strategy and creativity, and established a practice that is helping major brands shape the future of sustainable packaging.
Johanna reveals how great design emerges at the intersection of data and passion, of business rigour and creative rebellion.
This is a masterclass in discovering your place in the world, trusting your instincts rather than spreadsheets, and recognising that small details—the tactile feel of a box, the surprise copy inside a lid—can genuinely brighten someone's day.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
The creative soul knows: At 21, studying economics, Johanna asked herself "is this life?" and trusted that feeling enough to pivot toward creativity, even without knowing exactly where it would lead
Passion beats data: When choosing between someone who says "this is best because I say so" versus someone with all the data, Johanna chooses passion and confidence every time—that's where true innovation lives
The intersection is your superpower: Johanna found her space at the crossroads of strategy, growth, and creativity—not being a designer herself became her unique advantage in leading design teams
Generation Alpha changes everything: Young people doing unboxing rituals, reading romantic copy on packaging, caring deeply about sustainability—they're not just consumers, they're co-creators of the future
Sustainability requires proactivity: The worst scenario is reactive compliance with regulations that creates solutions everyone hates; brands need to dare to be proactive and push boundaries before they're forced to
The loop must close: Creating sustainable packaging isn't just about production—it's about understanding the entire journey from source to bin and back again, with equal complexity on both ends
Small details create joy: Packaging isn't shallow—it's about making someone's breakfast happier, adding surprise and delight to everyday moments, creating tactile experiences that matter
AI amplifies creativity: Rather than being threatened by AI, embrace it as a tool for execution; like Adobe revolutionised design before, AI enables more creativity, more experimentation, more boundary-pushing
Categories can bloom: When micro-breweries challenged traditional beer design language, the entire category blossomed; the same revolution is happening in beauty, spirits, and food—design innovation drives product innovation
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com | [email protected]
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)

November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few standout moments from this week's guest interview with David Newman ~ 
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com | [email protected]
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)

November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Sales expert and author David Newman reveals how to transform your business through market eminence – the art of becoming so distinctively positioned that hiring anyone else becomes risky, dangerous, and dumb. Drawing from his journey of making every mistake possible in his early years to building a thriving consultancy, David shares why being a better person matters more than being a better salesperson, how treating prospects like clients changes everything, and why the conventional wisdom of casting wide nets actually keeps you stuck in mediocrity.
David introduces the concept of building an electromagnetic fence around your business that pulls in ideal clients while repelling nightmare prospects, explains why how-to content is dead in the age of AI, and outlines the three types of human-centered content that actually matter: teaching people how to think strategically, revealing harsh truths your industry won't acknowledge, and helping clients prepare for what's coming next. 
He challenges creatives and consultants to stop apologizing for their perspectives, embrace being polarizing and contrarian, and recognize that wasting zero time trying to please everyone is the fastest path to meaningful success and impact.
Key Takeaways
The secret to sales success isn't becoming a better salesperson – it's becoming a better person who listens with empathy, kindness, and genuine curiosity about prospects' real problems
Treat prospects like clients before they're hired by delivering the same care, attention, and strategic thinking in initial conversations that you'd provide in your first post-contract meeting
Market eminence combines three elements: visibility (being seen), credibility (being trusted for getting people on a deep level), and brand preference (making alternatives feel risky)
AI has killed how-to content forever – focus instead on three human advantages: teaching how to think strategically, revealing what to believe and not believe, and future-casting what's coming next
Being contrarian isn't a marketing gimmick – it's uncovering beliefs you already hold, harsh truths clients desperately need acknowledged, and strong viewpoints that resonate with ideal clients while making competitors uncomfortable
Build an electromagnetic fence around your business that attracts best-fit prospects, talent, and partners while actively repelling nightmare clients, bad hires, and misaligned relationships
Stop wasting time trying to be everything to everyone doing mediocre work for mediocre fees – jump immediately into the deep end of distinctive positioning and authentic differentiation
Polarization is productive when it turns the wrong people off and the right people on – embrace making some people uncomfortable because they're not your people anyway
The three contrarian questions: What conventional wisdom do you secretly think is wrong? What harsh industry truth needs acknowledging? What strong viewpoint do you hold that competitors fear?
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com | [email protected]
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)

November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few stand out moments from this week's guest interview with Jessie McGuire ~ 
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com | [email protected]
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)

November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Jessie McGuire is a designer, educator, and managing partner at Thought Matter, a design studio exploring civic imagination and creative participation. In this powerful conversation, Jessie shares her journey from being adopted from El Salvador to becoming a voice for designers who don't fit traditional molds. She discusses teaching entrepreneurship at Pratt Institute, where she transforms creative students into confident public speakers who can talk about money and value. 
Jessie reveals how Thought Matter redesigned the US Constitution to make democracy more accessible, and why she believes designers must use their seat at the table to design the world they want to live in—not just the next unicorn startup. 
This is a conversation about belonging, asking better questions, getting off the benches, and building creative economies that generate more for communities rather than extracting from them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Designer as a title you grow into – It took Jessie into her forties to confidently introduce herself as a designer, realizing it's about designing conditions for creativity, not just moving pixels
The rice and beans moment – Sometimes our assumptions about identity prevent us from truly understanding who someone is; we must ask questions and wait to hear the answers
Teaching is public speaking about money – Jessie's entrepreneurship class at Pratt focuses on getting creative students comfortable discussing funding, salary, and value without whispering
Civic imagination over commercialization – After working on mass consumer brands, Jessie found her purpose in helping people participate in the world around them through design
Redesigning democracy – Thought Matter's US Constitution redesign project showed how design can make civic participation more accessible by simply improving typography and presentation
Get off the benches – If you haven't seen yourself in the mainstream narrative, you must step up and change it—fear cannot override the opportunity to create change
Community over scale – We don't need more Amazon-sized businesses; we need creative practices that care for communities, support families, and deliver intrinsic value
Designers have the power now – Design has moved beyond asking for a seat at the table; designers have literally designed the world we live in
Creative economies beyond extraction – The future requires moving from extractive business models to generative ones that create more for more people
Use your hot takes locally – Instead of rage-baiting on LinkedIn about logos, take that creative energy and redesign something in your community that actually helps people
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
daringcreativity.com | [email protected]
Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFc
Free audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobook
Book bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.uk

Lux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)

November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)