What does it mean to do “the bold thing” when the easy thing is to stay the same?

In this episode, host Rachel Paul sits down with Brooks E. Scott, executive coach and founder of Merging Path Coaching, and Lana Marks, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology. Together, they explore what it means to lead with empathy, embrace personal growth, and take courageous action in both work and life.

Brooks’ path to leadership coaching is anything but ordinary. He’s taught fifth graders, served as a New Jersey State Trooper, led executive protection for Meta’s CEO and COO, and managed safety operations for a global cybersecurity company. Today, as the founder of Merging Path Coaching, he draws on all those experiences to help leaders communicate more effectively and lead with empathy. His CreativeMornings San Francisco talk on the theme BLOSSOM inspired this conversation.

Lana Marks is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, interested in many forms of healing, including trauma work, self-compassion, mindfulness practices, and fighting burnout in her field. She attended Brooks’ CreativeMornings talk and brings a psychological lens to the conversation.

What if every moment (past, present, and future) exists all at once? And what can that teach us about creativity and design?

In this episode, Rachel Paul sits down with Vicki Tan, a product designer at Pinterest and author of "Ask This Book A Question," and Stephanie Cheng, a product advisor and career coach at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Together, they explore how our environments, tools, and personal journeys shape the way we create and connect.

Vicki shares insights from her CreativeMornings San Francisco talk on the theme NOMAD, where she introduced the block universe theory, the concept that all moments exist simultaneously in four-dimensional spacetime, and how it can transform the way we approach design and innovation. Stephanie joins the conversation as an audience member from Vicki’s talk, adding a unique third perspective as they reflect on the challenges and possibilities of modern creativity and design.

This episode explores:

• The surprising ways our physical environments influence creativity and personal growth
• How to reclaim creative agency in a world of constant digital distractions
• Vicki’s book, Ask This Book a Question, and how it teaches better decision-making through cognitive bias
• The tension between business goals and human connection in tech product design
• Practical practices for staying grounded in the present while imagining future possibilities

This episode explores all the ways mentorship shows up in life, not just in the traditional “mentor–mentee” dynamic, but in the everyday exchanges, micro-moments, and unexpected connections that help us grow.

I’m joined by the amazing Lorée Terry, last month’s CreativeMornings SF speaker, and Maddie Wilson, who attended CreativeMornings for the very first time in July.