Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Assistive Technology Conference of New England, put on by TechACCESS of Rhode Island. It was a great event that brought together professionals and companies that are trying to improve accessibility through technology for those with ranges of physical and intellectual challenges. Walking around, looking at the exhibits, and talking with people, I was continuously impressed by the innovation and dedication around me.

I would say it was “inspiring” but not in the way that one might usually think. The word “inspiring” can have a negative connotation in this world because it puts people with such challenges on a pedestal, as if their job is to be inspiring, or all they are is their disability, or makes people with these challenges a spectacle. Having a child who is intellectually and developmentally disabled, I totally get that argument.

When I say “inspiring”, I am referring to the people who are working and creating products in this space. It is inspiring for me to see professionals dedicate their work to improve and enhance the lives of others, no matter who that population is. That is very cool, and inspirational. No matter what job we are doing, we should be thinking of ways that we can improve the lives and experiences of others. That is what experience design and this podcast is all about: showcasing the work of those who are trying to apply their time, knowledge, and creativity to improving experiences and lives in ways large and small.

One of the things I need to do more of is highlight people who are working in the world of accessible technology. So stay tuned for that!

And my guest today on Experience by Design is doing the work to improve people’s lives as well in his own way. Like many guests on ExD, Chad Hufford of Veritas Wealth Management in Anchorage, Alaska is a behavioral scientist at heart, fascinated with what makes people act the way they do and what can be done to get them to make changes. He has applied this interest in the work he does as a financial planner.

He does this up in Alaska, focusing his efforts on those who are working in those uniquely blue-collar Alaskan jobs where high risk can come with good pay. His goal is to help them make the best decisions possible with what they earn, but also help to create cultural and behavioral change in his clients. Part of this is to get people to not just think, but to act. His new book “Forging Financial Freedom: Constructing Blue-Collar Millionaires with Seven Wealth Building Lessons Extracted from the Alaska Oilfield”, lays out his experiences and lessons from doing this work.

We talk about Chad’s fascination with fitness, and how that led him to be interested in medical school. Biochemistry taught him a lot about problem solving and complex interactions within systems. The same can be said for the financial world, where a lot is beyond your control. Despite that, you can control how you act and what your vision of your future is.

We also talk about unique aspects of Alaskan culture, overcoming complexity in financial decision making, how to build trust in financial planning, and making for better financial literacy and experiences. He emphasizes the importance of emotional connection and empathy in financial advising, and why friction is required to allow for thoughtful consideration. We explore how AI and technology can reduce friction in financial transactions but should not replace human empathy.

Chad Hufford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-hufford-066208100/

Forging Financial Freedom: https://www.forgingfinancialfreedom.com/single

Veritas Wealth Management: https://www.veritasalaska.com/

I am back from the FTT Fintech Festival, hosted by VC Innovations and taking place in London. I was hosting a panel on attracting the next generation of customers to mutuals, which are member-owned financial institutions offering different types of services and products. I was lucky enough to have a great group of panelists, and it was a great event over two days. To say that I learned a lot would be an understatement. The event was full of really engaging conversations and panels around a host of topics in the intersection of finance and technology. Since I’m not a finance professional, I wasn’t sure how I would integrate into the event and conversations with people there. Plus it was the British and Irish financial systems that were being discussed, which I know basically nothing about. However, despite these important and obvious differences between my knowledge and the knowledge of other attendees, there was enough in common to make conversations pretty easy.

The main thing we had in common was that we were all interested in creating experiences of all kinds. There were conversations around customer, user, employee, and digital experiences. There was also mention of frictionless financial experiences, security experiences, and experience-driven identity. It was pretty easy to find the common ground since everything was about experience research and design at some level. Those in industry were interested to hear what us in academia were doing around experience design teaching.

Another theme was the impact of artificial intelligence as an element of fintech. Amongst all the conversations of AI was the question of whether or not a “digital first” strategy makes sense for customers seeking financial services. It was clear that people in general, and some specific populations, want to experience the authentic touch of a human being in their interactions. This led to some discussion about what to do with the bank branch. If we are moving to a digital first strategy, then why have branches? At the same time, people want to have the convenience of digital.

What if we could have both? The warm touch of a human being at a branch along with the convenience of digital.

Enter my guest today on Experience by Design, Victor Cho. Victor has a long career of digital transformation and now is CEO of Emovid. Emovid’s product combines the authenticity of face-to-face conversations with the improved efficiency outcomes of AI through the use of video-based communication. Another element of his work is an emphasis on stakeholder capitalism, and businesses contributing to improving society.

We talk about his path to CEO success, and how his interest in his Commodore 64 started it. He describes how his business education and religious upbringing combined to prioritize social responsibility over personal gain.

We also talk about how we need to create authentic communication in a tech era. Victor shared updates on Emovid’s progress, including their platform launch and plans for a new generative AI imaging solution focused on maintaining authenticity in communications. He highlighted the importance of considering the broader impacts of technology and the need for ethical decision-making in its implementation.

This conversation would have been right at home at the FTT Fintech Festival, and it is a perfect time to share the conversation with you.

Vincent Cho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-cho-/

Emovid: https://www.emovid.com/

It is that time of year again when employees have to make a selection of their benefits package, which includes your healthcare plan. I just got the announcement from HR that the enrollment period is now for that uniquely American thing that we call “employer-based healthcare.” It is fascinating that a healthcare program that is unlike any other developed country is taken so for granted as “that’s just how it is” because that is how we have come to know it and we are used to it. For the most part, this is how people think healthcare is supposed to work.

But beyond that, what do we know about how it works or how it can or should work?

I’ve done some research in healthcare, primarily around the creation and use of medical records. While that might seem to be a trivial topic, let me assure you that everything in healthcare happens around the record. That’s because of how our billing systems works, how coding factors into it, how things like case mix indices and severity of illness indicators function, and all the other assorted features that rely on paper to make happen. When you see how healthcare in the United States actually functions, it can be pretty eye opening.

With the government shutdown, there has been more discussion of healthcare and how it is provided in a way that is accessible and affordable. In politics, healthcare is an evergreen topic in that it is always present and you can rely on it to stir strong reactions. Despite all the chatter, we still can use help in better understanding just what is happening and how we might think about possibilities related to it.

This is why we are lucky to have Kate Katz as my guest today on Experience by Design. Kate comes from the UK, where you might have heard they have a different healthcare system than in the United States. While in the UK, Kate worked with healthcare organization to help them improve the delivery of services. Kate now works with hospitals in the US to help them improve the delivery of their medical services. As a result, she is in a great position to help us understand healthcare experiences from a variety of angles and perspectives.

We talk about the challenges of implementing change in healthcare systems, and how it is not just about the rules and regulations, but about bringing people along for the changes. We discuss service-oriented versus profit-oriented approaches in healthcare, as well as efficiency and making use of existing resources matters in both.

Since everything seems to be about AI, we also explore AI implementation challenges in healthcare, and why hospitals are good at piloting but not terribly good at scaling. Part of this is because there are so many other elements tied into healthcare, leading to the need of a systems orientation when thinking about behavioral changes.

Finally we talk about visible versus invisible conditions and diagnoses. Kate shares her own story about how just because something is not visible doesn’t make it less impactful. Even though we may not see the factors impacting people, we need to be constantly aware and empathetic from a personal and organizational perspective. This extends not just to those who are being treated in healthcare, but those who are working in it as well.

Kate Katz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katekatz/

I went to a Catholic all-boys high school run by the Christian Brothers, a teaching order founded by St. John the Baptist De La Salle. I will give them credit for giving me great preparation for future academic success, and even maybe this podcast. So at the foundation of Experience by Design are the Christian Brothers.

But that wasn’t my first brush with Catholicism. I did a fair number of the sacraments growing up and into adulthood, a process which included learning about the tenets and history of such central figures like Jesus. One of the things I recall learning about was the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. I also preferred the Beatitudes to things like the Ten Commandments. In a way the Commandments can read like the rules of a HOA of all the things you can’t do. It is important to remember things like “Thou shall not kill” and not to “covet thy neighbor’s wife.” But I liked the Beatitudes because they gave props to people already doing good things.

A really good one is “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, I think we can all get behind that, especially at a time when there is so much conflict. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data global monitor organization states, “Recent levels of violence have been unprecedentedly high, with several ‘record-breaking’ months in the past year.” But this just doesn't mean armed conflict on the international stage. Things are tense all over with all kinds of conflict everyday.

Which is why we have Josh Gordon as a guest on Experience by Design. I’ve known Josh for a long time, but primarily in the capacity of a fellow runner and training partner. Josh also is a faculty member at the University of Oregon, a leader in the area of sports mediation, and the founder of the Sports Conflict Institute. In his career, Josh has done work with FIFA, Major League Baseball, Court of Arbitration for Sport, and others.

We talk about fairness and equity in sports, and why emphasizing the opportunities provided by sports are meaningful and should not be derailed. We explore how we can build inclusive cultures through sports. He takes us into his work at the collegiate level, and how setting expectations ahead of time can produce greater satisfaction and happiness with ensuing experiences. We also talk about the difference between ‘distress’ and ‘eustress’, and why a little bit of friction can be essential to growth.

Finally we explore how we can create equitable organizational cultures, and why the perception of fairness can be more important that the presence of outcome.

Sports Conflict Institute: https://sportsconflict.org

Josh Gordon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuagordon

Sports Conflict Institute TV: https://sportsconflict.org/sci-tv/

My first jobs were in restaurants washing dishes and busing tables. I would go on to do other jobs in restaurants, including cooking, waiting on tables, hosting on occasion. I think working in restaurants is a great first job because it teaches you to deal with people, and work in collaboration with different functions. So no matter what you do in a restaurant, it is a great experience to prepare for life.

While I for sure was ‘cooking,’ I wouldn’t call myself a “cook.” And definitely wouldn’t consider myself being a “chef.” I was just a person following instructions and performing it in a way that was consistent with expectations. I was told how to prepare something, and I followed those instructions. I know that not everyone can accomplish that, but I don’t consider it a great mark of distinction.

Being able to successfully combine ingredients in a way that is proscribed is another one of those life lessons that can be applied in a lot of areas. Including organizational leadership.

Organizations after all are just assemblies of ingredients. There are proscribed ways of putting these organizational ingredients together. Accountants go in the accounting department. Sales people in sales. Marketers in marketing. Etc. And these people sit in the same areas as each other, and they do the work that is related to their areas. And on it goes. That doesn’t take a lot of visionary ability. It typically is the way it goes in all organizations.

Now if you think of the ingredients right now in your kitchen, there are the staples that you typically rely on and use. You are comfortable with them and know how to deploy them. There are also those things that are seldom used, and you even forget you have. I’m thinking here of the spices I have that I forgot I have and never get included. There also is the stuff in the shelves and freezer that got buried, or maybe I got to use once. So lots of ingredients with no clear idea of what to do with them. There used to be a show with Chef Alton Brown where he would just go into someone’s house and make a meal with what was there. That’s talent.

On today’s episode, we welcome someone who knows about putting things together, something about how leaders use ingredients, and something about food. Dr. James Shin got his PhD from Penn State in Industrial Engineering, writing a dissertation that looks at (in part) simplicity versus complexity in the design process. Part of what he learned is that if we minimize the problems from the start, they can become more manageable, allowing us to make more progress.

Rather than go the academic route, he went into industry given his interest in applying knowledge to practical problems. Working in a global organization, he also learned how approaches used by different cultures may work in that particular culture, but may not work as well in other cultures and contexts. Another thing he learned from his global work is that middle management is typically overstressed and underappreciated no matter where in the world they are located.

We talk about his new book “The Leader’s Soul: 52 Reflections for Unlocking Your Inner Leader.” In it, he looks at his own upbringing in South Korea, moving to the US as part of his PhD completion, his journey through corporate America, and his return to Asia in capacities that included speaking at universities.

We also talk about his company Blue Koi, and how the koi fish symbolizes growth. However, as he shares, the best kind of sustainable growth occurs not necessarily through focusing on rapid achievement, but through pacing ourselves in our efforts and life. He also reflects on the importance of nuance, and how he had to break from the black and white thinking that can be more prominent in engineering and how humans need to be factored into design.

And there was some conversation about preparing food, and the importance of not just using the right ingredients, but using the ingredients you have in creative ways.

Blue Koi: https://www.bluekoiglobal.com/

James Shin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-j-shin/

"The Leader's Soul": https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Soul-James-Shin/dp/1963701534

One bit of news that caught my attention was the declining trust that the American public has in higher education over the last decade. In good news, Gallup found that trust did increase from 2024 to 2025. However, it is still markedly down from 2015. Not surprisingly, those levels of trust differ by political affiliation, as most things seem to different by political affiliation nowadays.

Another study by Pew states that young adults are increasingly questioning the value of a four-year college degree, especially when looking at the cost of it. This is coupled with smaller four-year liberal arts institutions because of declining enrollment. There are a number of factors for this, but a main one is whether such an education adequately prepares one for a successful future, or whether it is really necessary at all.

But if not higher education, then what? Where are 18 year olds supposed to go after they graduate high school?

It is true that skilled tradespeople are in demand and can lead to a career. In fact, there is an increase in the number of people entering trade school and vocational programs. That for sure is great news.

Another pathway for young adults is joining the military. Those numbers have been increasing as well, reversing a long-term trend of declining enlistments. However, less than 1% of Americans are on active duty. The current overall veteran population is only 7.4%. The larger question still remains of whether being in the military can adequately prepare a person for life and a career after serving?

My guest today on Experience by Design podcast thinks so. Lee Pepper has served in the military, and he also has worked in business. He sees a lot of connections between the two, which he wrote in his book “Never Outmatched: Military Strategies to Lead, Innovate, and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield,” which I will say I have read and is pretty great.

We talk about how innovation doesn’t mean throwing everything out, but new applications in current environments given emergent tools. He describes how he seeks to mentor soldiers who are struggling after the military to help them apply what they learned in the service to life outside of it. He translates how military speak can be translated into corporate speak to help increase those connections.

Lee also talks about how these lessons can be applicable to everyone looking to improve innovation, strategy, and leadership. He also relates his marketing work for a recovery and treatment facility, and what he learned from that environment and how lifetime relationships can help for long-term recovery.

Finally, he shares his experience about being a docent in an art museum, and how his wife’s art work relates to his own creativity, risk taking, and innovative inspiration.

Lee Pepper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leepepper/

Never Outmatch Book: https://www.neveroutmatched.com/

I don’t think I am alone in finding art very intimidating, but yet like all of us being I am inextricably drawn to it.

I had the chance to go to a concert last night with the band Queens of the Stone Age. I have seen them three times before, but never quite like this. For this tour, they were playing beautiful smaller venues, like the Boch Theater in Boston where I saw them. The tour was in support of their “Alive in the Catacombs” movie and album, which was recorded in the catacombs under Paris.

One of the things about this concert was the band’s request to get dressed up in your best attire for an experience unlike any other concert you’ve been to. And reading the reviews provided by attendees online, you can see that the concert produced such an effect. Like any good drama, the concert used a three-act structure put into parts that started very paired down into an orchestra of light, symphony, rock music, and drama. It was pretty remarkable, and as I watched it I couldn’t help but wonder about the creative and artistic minds that put this together. Not just the music, but all of it. Who are the minds that conceived it, and where does that come from? And as I sat there wishing I had taken more music lessons so I could produce such an experience for the world, I have to admit that I was both in awe and uplifted, and feeling diminished because of my lack of ability.

I’m sure if I would talk to the artists involved, and if you’re listening let me know, they would say that is not the point of artistic creation. It is not to make those non-creators feel insignificant, but rather to allow them to share in the potential of creation. We all have the potential for artistic expression and creation on whatever scale we can manage. What typically stands in our way is our own feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. Those feelings get magnified when our initial attempts don’t meet with our own expectations. We are truly our own worst critics, and that art critic can be pretty unforgiving.

To help us with finding our inner artist and creative voice is Laura Patac. Laura grew up in Romania as a very shy and introverted child. One outlet she found was poetry. But she didn’t see this as a legitimate professional outlet. Rather, she studied mathematics in university, which led to a career in Western Union, culminating in being the VP and Head of Global Retail Product. But she retained her passion for and practice of poetry and story-telling, which she has turned into her book “Stories with Purpose.”

I talk with Laura about the importance of the arts, and with the arts and story telling there is no right nor wrong. She talks about the connection between poetry and mathematics. Both provided her with structure, self-expression, and a way to connect not just with others but herself.

We talk about the prevalence of imposter syndrome in women, and the importance of resilience when managing corporate environments. We explore the ways that we measure success and impact, and how story telling can help us define both. More importantly we talk about how to connect narrative with purpose to create a positive impact. She describes how she helps her clients tell their story and identify their purpose so they can have that positive impact on organizations and more.

Finally, she talks about how in between birth and death is choice, and we need to choose the version of ourselves that we create and present to the world.

Laura G. Patac LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-g-patac/

Empower Quest: https://empower-quest.com/

Stories with Purpose Book: https://www.storiesholdpurpose.com/book

Stories with Purpose Workbook: https://www.storiesholdpurpose.com/workbook-optin

I used to have a Zen proverb a day calendar, the ones where each day you tear off a new sheet that has another saying that was meant to make you contemplate, get in touch, consider, explore, think. My years always started off well, but by about June I was just ripping pages off trying to catch up to the day I was supposed to be on. I honestly think I got more mileage out of my Dad Joke a Day calendar that ended up replacing the Zen one in an ensuing year. But then again maybe there is something Zen about Dad Jokes.

One Zen proverb that stuck with me was, “Our eyes were originally right but went wrong because of teachers.” I have to admit that one stung a bit. Speaking on behalf of all educators, we all want to think that we are positively contributing to how our students see the world. But do we? There is the danger of formal education introducing “fixed thinking” or singular ways of conceptualizing the world around us. Students are taught what we been taught and know. Problem is, what we know might only be one dimension of how to view things.

To bring in another saying, “If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.” Thinking of “hammer” instructs how the object is to be used. But if you have no idea what a hammer was, then you could envision many different uses for it. Sometimes not knowing is the key to progress.

Now it is true from a design perspective that the way a hammer is built can instruct on how it should be used. There is something that looks like a handle. The heavy end has a flat surface which can infer pounding. But creative and unconstrained thinking can see so many ways to use this object.

To throw in another saying, Ignorance is bliss, and from that we might also say paradigms can obscure. Thomas Kuhn in his book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” examines how established paradigms can stymie progress and advancing knowledge because they limit our ability to what is in front of us. Thus, part of the advancement of science and our understanding is shedding off what teachers have taught us to be true. Rather than just teaching paradigms and how things are, teachers need to do more teaching on how to retain a beginner’s mind and connect that with envision what is possible, and not just what is believed to be known.

Alan Gregerman is here on Experience by Design to talk about his new book coming out on October 14th “The Wisdom of Ignorance,” in which he examines what we can gain by letting go of what we think we know. Alan is trained as an Urban Geographer, as he was long interested in exploring cities of the world. While a student at Northwestern, he worked under the tutelage of John McKnight, one of the founders of the Assets-Based Community Development Institute, and I will add a person I also knew and took a workshop from on the ABCD approach. McKnight’s work continues to influence Alan, as well as me.

We talk about his work in helping companies be creative through exploring urban environments in undirected ways. He describes how new employees are a very valuable resource because of how they bring new eyes to organizations. He notes that half of all the companies on the Fortune 500 list 25 years ago don’t exist today, and how that is in part linked to their belief in old paradigms.

Alan emphasizes the importance of having teams of diverse perspectives and experiences in order to help see things differently. Also in keeping with assets-based community development, everyone has a gift that they can contribute.

Alan Gregerman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-gregerman-a33b236/

Alan Gregerman: https://alangregerman.com

The Wisdom of Ignorance: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Ignorance-Knowing-Innovation-Uncertain/dp/B0FJJSXVGV