Rosenfeld Review Podcast

We Need to Talk with Joshua Graves

Tough conversations can feel like real-life horror stories—but they don’t have to. In We Need to Talk: A Survival Guide for Tough Conversations, Joshua Graves offers a practical, psychologically grounded toolkit for navigating conflict with clarity and courage. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and his own lived experience, Graves explains why our brains react so strongly to tension and conflict—and what we can do about it. 
Lou and Joshua discuss workplace power dynamics, emotional triggers, and avoidance patterns, showing how even a moment of pause can shift the outcome. Joshua’s advice? Slow down. Breathe. Ask questions that begin with what or how instead of why. And remember, you're allowed to step away and come back—conflict doesn't need to be resolved in the heat of the moment. 
Whether you're facing pay disputes, boundary violations, or breakdowns in trust, Joshua’s goal isn’t to script your response but to equip you with flexible, self-aware tools you can adapt to your own voice.
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
Why Joshua Graves, an artist with a love for spooky aesthetics, is an unexpected but deeply thoughtful guide to conflict.
How his personal discomfort with confrontation led to years of research in psychology, neuroscience, and communication.
Why our brains interpret digital conflict—like emails or Slack messages—as real threats, and what that means for how we respond.
What it means to treat tough conversations like design problems, working within human constraints rather than against them.
How slowing down and asking the right questions can transform emotionally charged moments into opportunities for clarity and connection.
Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn’t work—and how Graves’ approach helps you develop your own voice in conflict.
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:12 - Meet Joshua Graves
2:45 - The background of Joshua’s book, We Need to Talk
7:30 - Helpful rabbit holes when researching and writing We Need to Talk
10:00 - Advice for tough conversations
16:23 - Why you should use the Rosenverse
18:38 - What to do when someone is out of control
22:07 - “Conversations” to have with yourself
25:20 - Joshua’s gift for the audience
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
We Need to Talk: A Survival Guide for Tough Conversations by Joshua Graves
Lost Horse Labs https://www.losthorse.design 
Rock band - Lord Huron https://www.lordhuron.com/#/ 
 
Quotes:
“I have this deep curiosity about the patterns that we find ourselves in, why we think the way we do, how we perceive things the way that we do.” 
“Understanding constraints helps you figure out what is outside your control or influence.” 
“Asking questions that start with ‘what’ and ‘how’ are immensely more helpful than asking ‘Why did you do that?’”
“At nearly no point are you obligated to stay in a hard, hot conversation. You can withdraw for a minute.”

Stop Wasting Research with Jake Burghardt

Most organizations don't suffer from a lack of research—they suffer from a failure to use it well. Jake Burghardt, author of Stop Wasting Research, joins Lou to explore why so many valuable insights are lost after the study ends—and what we can do about it. Burghardt argues that building a research repository is only the first step; real impact comes from treating research like a renewable resource that feeds decisions over time.
Drawing on his work with the ResearchOps community, Burghardt outlines three root causes of research waste: poor preparation, lack of motivation to use insights, and weak integration into decision-making processes. He introduces practical frameworks, like the concept of an “Insight Summary Hub,” that help organizations surface, prioritize, and apply past research effectively. Whether you're at a startup or a large enterprise, Burghardt emphasizes that moving from isolated studies to collective knowledge-sharing is critical to building true research wealth—and creating a culture where insights drive action.
 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
Why conducting great studies isn’t enough to ensure research impact.
The three root causes of research waste—and how to address them.
How to prepare research for long-term relevance, not just short-term use.
Why building an Insight Summary Hub creates more value than a simple report repository.
How researchers can shift from isolated study outputs to integrated knowledge ecosystems.
Why startups and large enterprises alike need to treat research as a living system, not a one-time event.
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:27 - Meet Jake Burghardt
1:16 - The motivation behind writing Stop Wasting Research
6:26 - Who is Jake’s book for?
10:01 - The root causes of research waste
15:01 - Why you should be using the Rosenverse
17:17 - A story from Lou about working with PayPal
20:31 - You’ve got research — now what? 
25:02 - Insight summary hub
27:19 - Dealing with the unknown unknowns
32:29 - Jake’s gift to listeners
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Stop Wasting Research: Maximize the Product Impact of Your Organization’s Customer Insights by Jake Burghardt https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/stop-wasting-research/ 
“Common Sense AI Integration” by Alexander Knoll https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-integration-condens/ 
 
Quotes:
“This is not just problems but opportunities for growth.” 
“Research is too often seen as an optional input rather than a driver.”
“There is no one tool to rule them all.” 
“Owner is the most important metadata.” 

Traction Heroes with Harry Max & Jorge Arango

What happens when two brilliant minds from the world of information architecture team up to create a podcast that’s part leadership playbook, part intellectual high-wire act? That’s exactly what Harry Max and Jorge Arango set out to explore with their new podcast, Traction Heroes. Lou Rosenfeld chats with two and learns how they envision their project and how their podcast differs from traditional interview formats.
Instead of scripted discussions, Traction Heroes features Harry and Jorge reading thought-provoking passages from books to each other—without prior preparation—sparking impromptu, insightful conversations. The goal? To decode complex ideas and turn them into actionable advice for leaders and decision-makers. The pair leverage their complementary strengths: Harry’s applied, results-driven approach, and Jorge’s deep, theoretical mindset. Together, they aim to help listeners gain traction in their careers and lives, all while keeping the dialogue engaging and accessible.
Launching in January 2025, the podcast avoids technical or siloed jargon, and focuses on practical tools for structuring decisions and creating meaningful outcomes. Available on major platforms and at TractionHeroes.com, the show promises a fresh take on leadership and decision-making. 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
The story behind Jorge and Harry’s collaboration and how Traction Heroes came to life
How their unique podcast format fosters unscripted, thought-provoking conversations
Why they’ve chosen to avoid technical or industry-specific jargon to reach a broader audience
What inspired their focus on leadership, decision-making, and practical insights
How they plan to make complex ideas accessible and actionable for listeners
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 - Meet Jorge and Harry
2:35 - Introducing Jorge and Harry’s podcast
6:20 - How this podcast will be different
11:03 - The broadness of information architecture
15:25 - 5 reasons to use the Rosenverse
18:18 - The format of the podcast
26:46 - Traction Heroes
28:38 - Gifts for listeners
  
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Duly Noted by Jorge Arango https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/duly-noted-extend-your-mind-through-connected-notes/?srsltid=AfmBOoqTYFFeCJk4mM_q1cRyAaSR0L8QYwRZL8ATzPzzBBqrdy8b8Kzk
Living in Information by Jorge Arango https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/living-in-information/
Managing Priorities by Harry Max https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/managing-priorities/
Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud https://www.drcloud.com/books/necessary-endings 
The 12-Month Immersion Course in Humanities by The Honest Broker, Ted Gioia https://www.honest-broker.com/p/a-12-month-immersive-course-in-humanities 
TractionHeroes.com 
 
Quotes:
“ I'm trying to live in that space of being very much alive as an artist. And yet I'm a professional and I'm trying to push that forward as well.”
“ How you categorize things has a tremendous impact on how you understand the world. If you think about that as kind of like the baseline, then the implications for strategic decision making are clear.”
“ For any number of years at a number of different companies, my title was "special staff" because they didn't know what to call me. I didn't know what to call me.”
“ I think we'll probably be talking about information architecture a lot. I suspect we'll never mention that term.”

Research as Knowledge Curation with Robin Beers

Why do so many organizations struggle to learn and evolve? Robin Beers, an organizational psychologist and founder of Ubuntu Culture Company, argues that businesses have been stuck in a transactional mindset—hoarding knowledge rather than embracing it as a dynamic, social process. In this conversation, she explains why researchers must shift from simply delivering insights to becoming knowledge curators, helping organizations not just understand their customers, but also reflect on their own strategies and structures.
Robin explores how organizations often present themselves based on internal hierarchies—rather than how customers actually engage with them—and how researchers can help bridge this gap. She also discusses the critical need for sense-making, the skills researchers should develop to navigate complex systems, and why UX research must expand beyond just improving digital products.
As a speaker at Advancing Research 2025, Robin will offer practical strategies for researchers to drive real change within their organizations.
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
How a transactional mindset and rigid knowledge management systems prevent companies from evolving and making smarter decisions
Why researchers must move beyond producing reports and instead act as catalysts for organizational learning and reflection
Why many companies structure their communication and services based on internal silos rather than customer needs—and how researchers can help fix this disconnect
Why the most critical challenges in delivering great experiences aren’t just about interfaces or technology, but about strategy, culture, and alignment within the organization
The key competencies researchers need, including critical thinking, sense-making, and the ability to navigate complex organizational systems
Practical advice on positioning yourself as a strategic consultant, influencing decision-making, and ensuring research findings lead to meaningful action
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 - Meet Robin
2:35 - Researchers are knowledge curators, and knowledge is social. 
6:01 - The problem of organizations being transactional with knowledge
9:35 - Research should prompt reflection, and what it looks like when it doesn’t
14:55 - Designing with AI 2025 - June 10 & 11
17:13 - What it means to be a curator of a multi-siloed environment and how researchers need to adapt
26:35 - On research repositories
31:36 - Robin’s gift for listeners
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Advancing Research 2025 – March 11-33 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research/2025/ 
Ubuntu Culture Companyhttps://www.ubuntuculturecompany.com/ 
Who Do We Choose to Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity by Margaret Wheatley https://www.amazon.com/Who-Choose-Second-Leadership-Restoring/dp/1523004738 
 
Quotes:
“ Researchers are going to need to take on a different role, a more powerful, holistic role as knowledge curators.”
“Knowledge becomes wisdom and learning through reflection.”
“You don’t own this research. The company owns the research.”
“ For years we've been trying to win in business by breaking things into smaller and smaller parts so that we can control them and manage complexity, but more and more the problems that we are faced with are so complex that we need to put the pieces back together and see holes.”

From Academia to UX with Katie Hansen

What happens when an academic researcher trades a university lab for the fast-paced world of tech? Katie Hansen, Senior UX Research Manager at Thumbtack, shares her journey from studying unconscious bias at Princeton to leading research at companies like Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook. She breaks down the challenges of transitioning from academia—where studies take years—to industry, where research needs to drive business decisions quickly.
Katie dives into the power of survey experiments, explaining how they can uncover deep psychological insights and help teams prioritize what to A/B test. She also discusses the value of meta-analysis and literature reviews, showing how researchers can tap into existing knowledge to save time and uncover patterns.
With two talks lined up at Advancing Research 2025, Katie will explore experimental research techniques and the impact of meta-analysis in UX. She also shares her favorite research tools, the importance of repositories, and why Hidden Brain is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by human behavior.
If you’re looking to level up your research game and future-proof your career, don’t miss this conversation!
 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
What to expect when transitioning from academic research to the business sector
How to Use Survey Experiments for Deep Insights
The power of existing research – both internal and external
Katie’s favorite tools for UX researchers
A strategy for future-proofing your research career
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 - Katie’s journey into research
3:53 - The challenges of transitioning from an academic to a business setting, and how research is conducted in an academic setting versus a large business
8:25 - Designing with AI 2025 - June 10 & 11
9:44 - About Advancing Research 2025
11:03 - An overview of Experimental Research TEchniques for Deep Psychology-Driven Insights
13:02 - Research and experiments in business
16:46 - AB testing and Qualtrics 
17:39 - An overview of Finding the Unknown in the Known: Harnessing Meta-Analysis and Literature Review
20:01 - What is meta-analysis, anyway?
22:47 - Katie’s gift for listeners
 
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Advancing Research 2025 - March 11-13 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research/2025/ 
Rosenverse discussion between Caroline Jarrett and Aaron Weigel https://rosenfeldmedia.com/sessions/have-fun-with-statistics/
Hidden Brain podcast https://hiddenbrain.org/ 
 
Quotes:
“ It's about being able to pursue questions that will have an impact on the business and the stakeholders around you versus ones that are just interesting to know.”
“ It's less about their questions and more about their goals and understanding what decisions they need to make, and then deriving the questions that need to be answered to inform those decisions.”

Destigmatizing Failure to Encourage Innovation with Dan Ward

Failure is often seen as something to avoid, but Dan Ward sees it as a gateway to innovation. Dan is a military technologist, author, USAF veteran, and innovation catalyst at MITRE Corporation, and he and Lou talk about the profound lessons failure can teach. Drawing from his book LIFT: Innovation Lessons From Flying Machines That ALMOST Worked and The People Who NEARLY Flew Them, Ward shares stories of pre-Wright brothers (more accurately pre-Wright siblings) aviation experiments that, despite ending in failure, laid the groundwork for modern flight. He explains how studying and learning from setbacks can drive innovation and problem-solving in any field.
Dan shares his innovation team's unique approach to failure: celebrating it with “failure cake.” This ritual helps his team process setbacks, learn from them, and destigmatize failure in a supportive environment. He also emphasizes the importance of storytelling, arguing that even the best ideas are meaningless if they can’t be communicated clearly. The conversation highlights how embracing failure and sharing its lessons are essential for growth, whether in aviation, design, or technology.
Mark your calendars! Lou announces that Dan will headline Rosenfeld Media’s first Failure Friday on February 7, 2025, where he’ll further discuss the failure cake practice. 
 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
How studying failure can accelerate innovation and prevent repeated mistakes.
Insights from Dan Ward’s book Lift, exploring the untold stories of aviation failures before the Wright brothers' success.
The value of storytelling in technology and why clear communication is essential for impactful ideas.
How establishing rituals around failure encourages an atmosphere of innovation
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 - Meet Dan Ward, an author and military technologist
3:19 - The stories of failed flights pre-Wright Siblings
8:56 - The scientific method vs alternative methods
12:36 - Failure stories make for good reading
16:04 - 5 reasons to use the Rosenverse
18:27 - The psychology behind speaking about failure
22:03 - Characteristics of a good failure story; and Failure Friday in the Rosenverse
24:13 - Failure cake
25:28 - Dan’s gift for the audience
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Fading the Spectrum https://www.instagram.com/fadingthespectrum/ 
LIFT: Innovation Lessons From Flying Machines That ALMOST Worked And The People Who NEARLY Flew Them by Dan Ward http://www.thedanward.com/lift/ 
TheDanWard.com https://www.thedanward.com/ 
 
Quotes:
“ The sooner you can face it, study it, name it, learn from it, the better off you'll be.”
“ If we're denying and ignoring our failures, guess what happens. We repeat them.”
“Studying failure is a great practice in any domain.”
“The best ideas in the world are worthless if you can’t express them clearly.”
“ It can be challenging to admit ignorance. It can be challenging to admit failure because that seems to undermine my credibility and my value as a professional in this field. But the good news is we do have an opportunity to flip that on its head without completely rewriting expert culture or getting rid of expert culture entirely.”
“A sign of a world-class professional is they admit when they are wrong.”
“Failure is when effort does not produce the desired result.”

A Designer Fighting Climate Change with Brandon Schauer

What keeps you up at night? For Brandon Schauer, it was climate change. In a stroke of genius, the former CEO of Adaptive Path decided to look for a role that would help him address his concerns about our planet. He ultimately transitioned to his current role as Senior Vice President of Climate Culture at Rare. 
Brandon has a big heart, and it can be felt in his conversation with Lou. They discuss his education and career path, highlighting his leadership role at Adaptive Path where the agency thrived by sharing knowledge and empowering new talent. As CEO, Brandon navigated business challenges and focused on building lasting client relationships and expanding the agency's impact. This experience eventually led to Adaptive Path's acquisition by Capital One, which marked a significant turning point in Brandon's career.
His transition to climate work was driven by a growing concern for the environment. After struggling to find a direct path connecting design and climate change, Brandon discovered a role at Rare, an organization focused on behavioral change to reduce U.S. carbon emissions. His team at Rare works to identify and promote lifestyle changes, such as how people eat, travel, and power their homes. 
Brandon also shares how his design background continues to influence his work at Rare, particularly in "behavior placement"—a method of subtly integrating eco-friendly choices into entertainment to normalize sustainable behaviors. He emphasizes the soft power designers hold, noting how they can integrate sustainability into their work, even if their roles aren’t explicitly focused on climate. By doing so, designers can influence corporate decisions and consumer behaviors, helping to create a shift toward more sustainable norms in everyday life.
 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
About Brandon’s career path
The ideas behind Adaptive Path that propelled its success
How Brandon transitioned his focus to climate change
How designers can help the planet without changing careers
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:21 - Introduction of Brandon
5:12 - Adaptive Path and how they attracted talent
10:09 - The founders of Adaptive Path receded, and the team became the focus
13:55 - Reflections on being the CEO
18:26 - 5 reasons to use the Rosenverse
21:04 - Brandon’s path to senior vice president of Climate Culture at Rare
27:09 - Using concepts from design to solve problems
29:59 - Designers impacting climate change 
34:50 - Dynamic norms
37:38 - Brandon’s gift for listeners
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Rare https://rare.org/ 
Follow Brandon on X https://twitter.com/brandonschauer 
Dr. Katherine Hayhoe on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katharinehayhoe/ 
 
Quotes:
“Where we'll really scale is through  community and we'll really scale through sharing our ideas.”
“We’re about creating great human experiences, and the more of those we create, the better it gets.”
“We don’t want to do the most projects. We just want to affect the most positive change we can.” 
“Designers may not have the most control over the product, but design is rendering intent.” 
“There's a lot of opportunity for designers to not just change jobs but think about how they include issues of climate, issues of carbon emissions, issues of sustainability into the work they do every day.”
“Little decisions by designers have soft power that can have a really big impact over time.”

Envisioning and Creating New York City’s Next Park with Rosa Chang

Imagine transforming a forgotten, dark space beneath one of New York’s most iconic landmarks into a vibrant community hub—this is the ambitious vision behind Gotham Park. Facilitating the vision and creation of the space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge is Lou’s guest, Rosa Chang. She shares her dream of transforming the neglected nine-acre area into a community-driven park. Initially underutilized and uninviting, the space is now being reimagined as a vibrant public hub for diverse groups to gather and connect.
Rosa discusses the process of bringing her idea to the public, emphasizing the importance of listening to the community and allowing the vision to evolve through conversations. Rather than adhering to a rigid design from the start, she facilitates discussions with local stakeholders to ensure the park meets the needs of the people it serves. She highlights the significance of respecting the space's history while meeting contemporary needs.
Their conversation also touches on Gotham Park's early successes, including the opening of the first acre and the push to revive iconic spaces like the Brooklyn Banks skate park. Rosa's approach has been one of connection and collaboration, bridging gaps between individuals and organizations to create a public space that fosters unity. Listen and be inspired!
 
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
The Vision Behind Gotham Park – To transform nine acres of neglected space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge into a vibrant, accessible public park for the community.
The Role of Community Engagement – Discover how Rosa involved local residents and stakeholders in shaping the park, ensuring it meets the needs and desires of the people it’s meant to serve.
Overcoming Bureaucratic Challenges – Hear about the obstacles Rosa faced in navigating New York City’s bureaucracy and how she’s used persistence and creativity to overcome them.
The Power of Public Spaces – Understand the importance of creating public spaces that are inclusive, open, and accessible to all, and how these spaces can foster connection and community.
The Importance of Adaptability – Rosa’s flexible approach to the project allows the vision to evolve based on feedback and the changing needs of the community.
Rosa’s Challenge to Listeners – step outside your comfort zone and connect with someone new, embodying the spirit of Gotham Park in everyday life.
 
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 - Meet Rosa
1:49 - The vision of Gotham Park
4:52 - Progress already made
7:59 - The vision 
10:55 - Rosa’s background
13:20 - Why you need the Rosenverse
15:34 - Visions past and present
19:58 - Conversation before renderings; the anchoring values
23:20 - More facilitator, less designer 
27:14 - Catching visions through history and renderings
31:41 - Rosa’s gift for listeners
 
Resources and Links from Today's Episode:
Gotham Park https://gothampark.org/ 
Rosa Chang New York Times article https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/nyregion/gotham-park-brooklyn-bridge-rosa-chang.html 
 
Quotes:
“Time matters. It’s critical.”
“These decisions aren’t made. They just happen. If people were focusing on them, they wouldn’t happen that way.” 
“A lot of times the decisions are made at such a high level.  that the impact on the local sort of granular level is not understood.”
“That's been the process for us – to shine a light on the problems but also present potential solutions so that we can break it down and just make that process easier.”
“I think part of the magic is not having that anchor but being open to the possibilities that you can't imagine.”
“The answer is not in any one person, but the answer is in all of them, the lives that are lived right here.”