unproductive by daydreamers Daydreamers

Katina and Dupi, Daydreamers' co-founders and your hosts of this podcast, wrap up Season 1 with a deep conversation about what it really means to be "unproductive". They reflect on the themes, similarities, and differences across all of their guests in Season 1  - as well as share some never-before-heard conversations and observations. Katina and Dupi also give a preview for what Season 2 will be about, and how we can all find creativity more often in our everyday. 

Have ideas, comments or guest recommendations for Season 2? Email us at hello@daydreamerspace.com and follow us at @daydreamerspace to stay in the know.

As always, this podcast is sponsored by: Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Check out what we’re about at daydreamerspace.com.

Dominique Crenn is a human-being, first and always. And, even though she has created a life that is speckled with achievements - from becoming the first (and only) woman to earn three Michelin Stars for her first restaurant, Atelier Crenn, to being named the Best Chef in the World by the James Beard Foundation - she has continued to stay guided by her curiosity instead.

From a young age, Dominique bent the rules for good; growing up as an adopted child in France, she was given the freedom to tap into her creativity. And, that creativity drove her seemingly risky decisions: move across the world to San Francisco, convince a world-renowned chef to work with you (without any formal culinary training might we add), and open an 18-course restaurant with poetry instead of menus. 

But, through it all Dominique hasn’t let the rules or awards or growth sway her away from her personal mission: help people reconnect to their roots, become more conscious of their choices, and treat our planet (and each other) with kindness. This chat is for anyone who feels like they have a burning passion within them to change the world - and is ready to bend the rules a little bit to do so.

Some stuff we also cover:


How Dominique’s childhood in Brittany, France impacted her view of the world - and connection to local food, nature + farmers

Dominique’s definition of creativity, and how she uses her memories to inspire creativity in others

Exactly where Dominique looks for creative inspiration (and hint: it’s not at the farmer’s market)

How Dominique hires people for her team - and it has nothing to do with what’s listed on their resume

The thought process behind incorporating poetry into each of the 18 courses at her 3 Michelin Star restaurant, Atelier Crenn

Dominique’s vision for a sustainable future that requires every single human to make conscious choices


Resources you might want to check out:


Dominique’s Instagram: @dominiquecrenn

Dominique’s Book: Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters

Atelier Crenn’s Website: Atelier Crenn


As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Check out what we’re about at daydreamerspace.com.

Benjamin Witte is a creative entrepreneur, and founder of Recess, the CBD-infused sparkling water brand whose mission is much bigger than selling drinks; it’s to help people feel more calm, cool and collected. You might know them from their Instagram feed, which has a cult-like following and rocketed to success only two years after launch.

But, our chat with Ben isn’t just about taking Recess from a tiny idea to a full-fledged company with no prior knowledge of the CBD or CPG industries (although we do dive into some behind-the-scenes strategy around their creative marketing decisions). We’ll dissect Ben’s childhood and early career - when he knew he was a creative entrepreneur at heart, but was constantly being told he was “unmanageable” - and exactly what he did about it.

This conversation is for any budding entrepreneur, or human, really, who feels like they never necessarily “fit in” any of their normal jobs, but didn’t know what path to take. Ben shows us how being an outsider could be your greatest superpower.

Some stuff we also cover:


What Ben’s early career in San Francisco’s startup scene taught him about starting a company - and why no one knows what they’re doing

Ben’s “wrong turns” in his career, and how they led him to test out a bunch of different business ideas before starting Recess

How Recess was built on a brand and a mission that’s much bigger than selling one product - and why it’s important to think big as an entrepreneur

What creativity means to Ben, and how he applies this risk-taking mindset to Recess’ marketing strategy, his hiring decisions and growth plan for years to come

Why being an outsider to any industry can be your superpower - and how to think about starting a company that aligns with your mission


Resources you might want to check out:


Recess’ Instagram: @takearecess

Website: Takearecess.com


As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. We just launched our first product. Take a peek + get on the waitlist to snag your own at: daydreamerspace.com.

Liz Plank is a perspective shifter - she has spent her entire career (and life!) dedicated to asking the difficult-but-curious questions that shift the narrative of both big societal belief systems - and personal ones. Liz is also an award-winning journalist, former Executive Producer of several critically acclaimed shows on Vox Media, and author of her latest book For The Love Of Men: A New Vision For Mindful Masculinity.

In our chat with Liz, we learn about her creative process of asking the right questions from the inside out. Liz walks us through many examples of her own narrative shifting - like, how she navigated “sticking out” in her Master’s Program at Oxford, and turning that unique storytelling ability into her greatest creative gift (and in turn, a successful career in media).

We not only discuss Liz’s personal journey - but her behavioral research that informed the outcomes in her book, For The Love Of Men. around gender roles and societal beliefs of what we’re allowed to do. We specifically share the impact that gender roles can have on our ability to be creative - and what we can do to tap into our humanness instead.

This conversation is for anyone who is ready to break some barriers, shift conversations - in their own head or their communities - and tap into their creativity no matter what you’re “supposed” to be doing.

Some stuff we also cover:


How Liz navigated the negative feedback in her institutional studies - and was able to stay true to herself

What Liz does to prepare for sharing her most vulnerable, authentic self as a media personality - and how she stays sane when people don’t agree.

The most fascinating social experiment of our time (Quarantine) and why we have the power to learn from it

What it’s like to write a book - how Liz’s own experience felt like therapy

The difference between masculine and feminine energy, especially as it relates to creativity

Why men are pushed away from creative endeavors from a young age - and how we can shift that paradigm


Resources you might want to check out:


Book: For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity

Social media: @feministabulous

Website: lizplank.com



As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

Justin Bettman is a prolific photographer who still approaches life and work with a punk-rock view. Even though Justin has worked with some of the most well-known celebrities and brands in the world (think: everyone from Daniel Radcliff to Spotify), he is constantly living by the motto: do first, ask questions later.

But, Justin didn’t seamlessly move from There to Here, as you’ll hear in our chat today. Like many of our guests so far, Justin continues to push his own boundaries and definition of creativity - whether it was during his first job at Ogilvy, the top-tier advertising agency - where he started in a rotational business program and somehow figured out his way to become an in-house photographer, or when he started #SetinTheStreet - a now-viral, international art project that simply started as a way to have fun with photography without having access to a fancy set or props.

This conversation is for anyone who feels like they have a creative spark within them, but feels too constrained by what they “should” be doing (like Elle Luna explained last episode). For our photography buffs - Justin shares the exact ways he prepares and thinks about a photoshoot. And for the rest of us, he dives deep into something extremely important: the mindset he’s cultivated to help him get from There to Here -without letting money, resources or excuses hold him back.

Some stuff we also cover:


Justin’s exact process of experimenting with photography - both as a craft and a business - starting in high school

The step-by-step approach Justin took to move from a business role to becoming in-house photography at Ogilvy

How Justin created #SetInTheStreet - a viral, international art project - from idea phase to working with the NYC Times Square Art Alliance

Why you don’t need a huge budget or professional equipment to  get started on any creative project

Exactly how Justin prepares and completes post-production for his large-scale photoshoots

How to keep experimenting with your craft and keep a beginner’s mind


Resources you might want to check out:


Social media: @justinbettman

Website: justinbettman.com


As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

Craig Hatkoff is a disrupter at heart. His accolades span many arenas - Craig is a prolific real estate investor, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, best-selling children’s book author, philanthropist, expert on innovation - and the list could go on. But most importantly, Craig has been able to craft a life filled with creativity, passion and storytelling by collecting as many “dots” of experiences as he could - and connecting them looking backwards.

We especially love this conversation with Craig, because he not only shares stories of his own deeply interesting life experiences, but also tactical tools we all can use to develop our own life bucket list. He walks us through how to disrupt the status quo both within big institutions - like investment banking and film festivals - and spaces that don’t even exist yet, like writing children’s books about dealing with trauma and loss. Each step of the way, Craig has managed to fit in without losing his ability to stand out.

Join us for an energizing conversation about disrupting the status quo from within, not being afraid to experiment, and the real reason why you need to collect as many “dots” as possible (hint: it even has its own mathematical equation!).

Some stuff we also cover:


Exactly how Craig went from being a real estate investor for twenty years to writing a children’s book (and why no one tells you how to get published)

The inspiration behind the Tribeca Film Festival and why it’s not like every other fancy festival in the world

How to organize your free time in order to develop as many creative ideas as possible

Why it’s extremely important for your brain to do stuff that’s not related to your “core competency” (i.e. that book club isn’t a waste of time)


Resources you might want to check out:


Social media: @craighatkoff

Website: tribecafilmfestival.com


As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.