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Ep 139 Career: The Hard Truth About Creativity’s Role in Business Today (and Yesterday) sdgates
Ep 138 Creativity: The Era of Creatives and Copycats: AI’s Impact on Design sdgates

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The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast about creativity, leadership, and making ideas happen.

Hosted by global design leader and CRZY founder Stephen Gates, each episode delivers honest insights, practical advice, and powerful stories from a career spent building world-class teams, brands, and experiences. Named a Webby Honoree and #1 design podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and more — this show helps you grow your career, lead with purpose, and own your crazy.

2020 Webby Awards Honoree for Best Technology podcast

Inside Design’s #1 favorite design podcast

Springboard’s #1 must-listen UX design podcast

How Design Live #1 design leadership podcast

Mobile App Daily Best Design Podcast to Boost Your Creativity

WPKLIK 10 Best Design Podcasts That Inspire

Spotify’s Top 5% most globally shared podcast

Spotify’s Top 5% most followed podcast

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About Stephen Gates

Stephen Gates is a renowned designer and leader with a career spanning over two decades as a global design leader, building world-class organizations that integrate research, data, and behavioral science with human-centered design methods to drive a long-term vision and near-term business impact. He is currently the founder of CRZY, which is an independent strategy and design studio.

He previously worked at InVision, Citi, Starwood Hotels, WW, and McCann Erickson, creating award-winning global advertising campaigns, multiple Fortune 100 brands, and innovative digital experiences. That body of work has received over 150 international awards, and Apple has featured his work in 10 keynotes, 4 TV commercials, the Human Interface Guidelines, and more.

3 EPISODE SERIES

Learn Design Thinking

Forget the workshops and sticky notes — this is design thinking from inside the machine. After two years learning it directly from the team who built it, here’s what actually works, what’s broken, and how to make it yours.

3 EPISODE SERIES

Understand and harness the power of Design

Design isn’t decoration — it’s a force multiplier. This series breaks down how design drives clarity, shifts behavior, and delivers business impact when it’s done right — and ruthlessly strategic.

Episode 20

Insights from Chef Thomas Keller on creativity and culture

Episode 18

7 rules for running a better brainstorm

Episode 15

Insights from Ferran Adria, the world’s greatest chef

EPISODE 63

The good and evil of data, research, and brainstorming

Discover how data, research, and brainstorming can become powerful allies when applied correctly, and learn the pitfalls that can stifle creativity if they’re misused.

EPISODE 105

How to negotiate salary and job offers

The seven essential rules for conducting successful brainstorming sessions that inspire innovation and drive results.

TESTIMONIALS

Rated 5 stars in over 160 countries

The show is rated 5 stars by listeners in over 160 countries and every global iTunes store, including the United States, Canada, England, Australia, France, Germany, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, India, and more. It has been the #1 Design Podcast and consistently appears in the iTunes What’s Hot list in multiple countries.

“I cannot emphasize enough the impact it’s made on myself personally and professionally. I’ve turned many on to it technically NOT in the creative field… – my beau in the Oil industry as a consultant/engineer that cleans refineries, a PR colleague is now glued to the episodes about personal branding as she starts her own consultancy, my sister a lab technician in a hospital is starting to see herself differently after the “Success is a Choice” episode. I could go on…

“Brilliant, Human-centered & ( Dare I Say ) Life-changing Podcast When it comes to creativity, innovation and design, I’m the outsider. Always wanting to dance and play in this world, except I lacked the raw talent, education and vocabulary. I’ve rediscovered my crazy. Every episode gives me the courage to tap into my creativity as a professional and human. Truly, life-changing.”

“I’ve been in a creative rut these past few weeks and this podcast has been a beacon of light for me. Stephen’s point of view is brutally realistic but still comes off as inspiring. I am constantly sharing his ideas with coworkers and peers.”

“It’s as if Stephen has been looking over our shoulders and taking notes. He speaks to the heart and soul of creativity, his advice and insight is like having a mentor on podcast speed dial.”

“An almost mandatory podcast for anyone trying to better understand what it means to become a great leader (and not only the creative type!). Wonderful, clear, sharp and abolutely right.”