Author: Stacey Mason

Improv advice in translation

Most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice about one discipline — with just a bit of translation — has meaning in other disciplines. This translation process allows for…

Building the right culture

I wonder how many people can say that they’ve ever had their dream job. For me, it’s happened twice — the work I do now and the last role I…

Sitting in the tension

We talk about tension like it’s a bad thing. Maybe it’s just about stretching. Stretching and being able to hold differing points of view at the same time. Leading and…

15 phrases

Words have meaning; we should choose them carefully. I overheard someone say that years ago, and it struck a chord with me — and not just because I love language….

Full STEAM ahead

We are inundated with data. So the first business question we typically ask is a hard science question: What am I looking at here? And to answer that question requires…

There’s an improv exercise I love called Fortunately/Unfortunately. A handful of people stand in a circle and move a storyline forward by adding information as players alternate between fortunately and…

Understanding how you’re wired

While no personality assessment can perfectly analyze all the behaviors that make you uniquely you, that’s still no reason to shy away from these insightful tools. In fact, I would…

15 things learned since my 20s

Of all the twists and turns our lives take as we conquer careers and grow into the true leaders that we were meant to become, nothing is as powerful as…

Improv advice in translation

I have found that most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice pertaining to one discipline — with just a bit of translation — has meaning in other disciplines….

Giving up control

The craft of improvisation is built on a few core foundational principles. First and the most widely known is the law of agreement, typically referred to as “yes, and.” Basically…

The art of effective communication

The number of words in the English language is 1,057,379.6. This is the estimate by the Global Language Monitor as of January 2020. While 1 million words is a generally…

15 books on my nightstand

Reading is not only my first love but also my true love. I’m happiest with a book in my hand. It’s where I return time and time again to dream,…

The other AI

More than a decade ago a pivotal book by author Daniel Pink (“A Whole New Mind”) suggested that forces in the world economy would shift society from left-brain thinking to…

Maps and globes

I’m a big fan of Seth Godin’s work. Seth is an author, entrepreneur, and most of all, a teacher. His one-liner bio simply reads “30 years of projects.” He’s written…

Put your whole self in

I recently attended a weeklong improv intensive class offered through TheatreSquared in Fayetteville taught by Jordan Haynes. First of all, Jordan is brilliant. He’s a gifted improviser who will absolutely…

The 15 people you need on speed dial

What I know for sure is that getting through life takes a village. Humans weren’t meant to go it alone. The road is long and the tests are hard. We…

Where the magic happens

I am a big fan of the sciences. I’m an even bigger fan of the arts. And I’m fanatic about the intersection of the two because that’s where the magic…

Replace judgment with curiosity

Replace judgment with curiosity. I don’t know if these words found me or if I found them, but they have transformed my life, my work and my understanding of humanness….

15 lessons

I believe life has a way of turning out the way it is supposed to. “What is” is what’s supposed to be, otherwise it wouldn’t be. I never put myself…

Recapturing arts is vital in a STEM-focused world

We are inundated with data. So the first business question we typically ask is a hard science question: “What am I looking at here?” And to answer that question requires…