Alison Rand has shaped some of the most respected design cultures in tech—from Frog and Hot Studio to SAP—before turning her focus to the intersection of design, humanity, and midlife. Her new book, Finding Sense and Purpose in Design Leadership (MIT Press), explores how personal history, emotion, and cultural systems shape the way we build and lead. She’s also the co-founder of 40|50, a platform and community that brings women together through story, health, and shared experience.

In this episode, Olivia and Alison discuss the invisible systems behind good design and what happens when those systems fail. They examine how leaders can rebuild culture from the inside out and how women can reclaim power in spaces that were never designed for them.

Key Topics

• The evolution of design from visual polish to organizational transformation
  
  
• How to listen, lead, and identify the “signal amid the noise”
  
  
• Why women in midlife need new models of community and belonging
  
  
• The danger of “culture fit” and what inclusion really requires
  
  
• Lessons from Alison’s book on organic intelligence and lived experience
  
  
• How nature and somatic practice inform her work and creativity
  
  

It’s a deeply human conversation about leadership, identity, and finding purpose beyond performance. Alison’s clarity and warmth cut through the noise, offering a grounded view of what it means to build something iconic—without losing yourself in the process.

In this powerful conversation, Olivia sits down with Olympian and coach Mechelle Freeman—three-time Olympic gold medalist and founder of MF 100—to unpack the mindset, faith, and systems that have defined her journey from athlete to visionary leader. Mechelle shares how she turned moments of setback into full-circle triumphs, from dropping the baton in Beijing to leading Team USA’s women’s relays to gold in Tokyo and Paris.

Listeners will hear how Mechelle applies her 100% intensity philosophy not only to sport but to parenting, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. She opens up about faith, family, grief, resilience, and what it means to “keep moving” when the path ahead isn’t certain.

In This Episode

• How Mechelle transformed Olympic heartbreak into coaching redemption.
• The story behind MF 100 and its philosophy of living at full intensity.
• Her FAST framework: Focus, Action, Systems, and Trust.
• How to feed your faith and starve your distractions.
• Building world-class teams—on the track and in business.
• Parenting with purpose and instilling high-performance values in your kids.
• The power of doing it afraid, and why progress means moving even when you’re tired.
• What it takes to go from athlete to architect of legacy.

Key Quotes

Mechelle Freeman is an Olympic gold medalist turned national team coach who led Team USA’s women’s relays to record-breaking victories. Today, she’s the founder of MF 100, a human performance brand built on faith, focus, and 100% commitment. Her upcoming book and programs help athletes, entrepreneurs, and high performers build resilience, discipline, and purpose-driven success.

Thank you for listening to Building Iconic. If today’s conversation with Olympian Mechelle Freeman inspired you, share the episode with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Special thanks to Wayfare Recording for their work on this episode.

Follow us for more conversations with leaders, creators, and visionaries who are building what lasts.

In this episode of Building Iconic, Olivia sits down with Josh Lowman, founder and CEO of Gold Front, a San Francisco–based category design studio behind some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands.

Josh shares how he turned fear into action—launching Gold Front in his forties after years of hesitation—and why the agency’s hybrid approach to strategy and creativity has made it one of the most respected in the tech world.

This conversation explores the tension between ambition and authenticity, the discipline behind creative success, and the evolving role of AI in the agency landscape.

You’ll hear:

• How Josh overcame fear and finally started his company
• The sneaky strategy that helped him transition from freelance to founder
• How category design differs from traditional branding
• Why “love and money” are the two forces every entrepreneur must balance
• How AI is transforming creative work—and how to stay ahead of it
• The mindset that turns transparency into a competitive advantage

Josh also reveals the pivotal books that shaped his business thinking: Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns and The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.

Key Quotes:

• “You’re going to die someday. Not starting your dream because you’re afraid of what people will think is a ridiculous reason.”
• “Positioning isn’t about being better—it’s about being different.”
• “The agencies that will win in the AI era are the ones that move fluidly between human and artificial intelligence.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
• Gold Front – Category Design Studio

Connect with Josh Lowman:
Follow Josh on LinkedIn for insights on category design, creativity, and leadership.

Connect with Olivia & Building Iconic:

Follow Olivia on LinkedIn and stay tuned for more candid conversations with founders, creatives, and industry builders shaping what’s next.

Olivia sits down with Ahana, founder and CEO of Clear, a YC-backed beauty tech company that tells you which skincare products actually do something instead of just draining your wallet. Ahana went from physics student to accidental entrepreneur after years of acne, useless prescriptions, and too many doctors who didn’t talk to each other. Armed with spreadsheets, photos of her own face, and a healthy disregard for industry nonsense, she built Clear to track products like a science experiment and crowdsource real results.

They talk about raising money when investors think “skincare app” is a cute hobby, why she refuses to hire a giant team, and how running a startup can wreck your health if you let it. Ahana is refreshingly honest about the grind, the late-night YC pitches, and the reality of building a company with just two full-time humans and a lot of stubborn focus.

Key Takeaways

• Data beats marketing: Clear uses real user results to recommend products, not influencer hype.
• Talk to users first: Ahana did months of interviews before writing a single line of code.
• Small team, big output: Two people, plenty of discipline, no excuses.
• Health isn’t optional: Burnout is real, and founders don’t get an HR department to save them.
• Transparency matters: Inside the app and inside the company, clarity wins.