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PODCAST

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected

Tracey Halvorsen

Hosted by Tracey HalvorsenWhat does it take to move beyond what’s comfortable and build something that actually matters?Escape Velocity is a podcast about the courage to grow, the creativity to reimagine, and the clarity it takes to lead through change. Hosted by Tracey Halvorsen, each episode delves into the real stories behind reinvention, leadership, and transformation, both personal and professional.Through honest, human conversations with founders, creatives, strategists, and change-makers, we

arts design

All Episodes

74:18

Second Harvest - Purpose, Creativity, and the Power...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/11/18

Tracey is joined by Second Harvest’s Richard Banfield and Devon Warwick-McDonald for a candid conversation about what happens when the map of your life dissolves beneath your feet. From personal loss to career upheaval to the quiet ache of disconnection so many feel today, the trio travels through the terrain that leads people to seek change, and why traditional self-help rarely offers real transformation.Richard and Devon share how their retreats intentionally remove certainty, routine, and the old

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38:58

Screens, Stocks, and Spoiling Your Kids (According to...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/11/15

Tracey sits down with her 11-year-old son Fin for a wildly entertaining ride through the Gen Alpha brain. From the iPhone 17 to Apple Watches, YouTube, day trading, and the mysterious power of MrBeast, Fin breaks down modern life with the confidence of a tiny philosopher–economist. This episode mixes tech, culture, parenting, and branding in a way only a parent–kid conversation can. It’s funny, honest, and surprisingly insightful.

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68:57

Creative Thought in Action: Reimagining Skidmore's...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/11/03

How do you make creativity a strategic tool—not a luxury—when resources are limited and expectations are high? In this conversation, Skidmore College’s VP for Communications and Marketing, Elizabeth Stauderman, joins to unpack how she brought the school’s motto, Creative Thought Matters, to life through a full web and brand transformation. We explore why mission must drive strategy, how beauty can ease change, and why liberal-arts thinkers are built for the AI era. Insightful, pragmatic, and deeply

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81:02

Sarah Patterson - Tango with the Numbers: How...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/10/08

In this episode of Escape Velocity, I talk with Sarah Patterson, a Fractional CFO who somehow makes the numbers feel human. Sarah works with creative agencies and consulting firms to bring clarity, confidence, and calm to the financial side of things—the part most of us would rather avoid.We get into what really happens when you stop treating your financials like a necessary evil and start seeing them as a creative tool. We talk about trust, mindset, and how money mirrors the stories we tell

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64:33

Build the Stage: Mallory Willsea on Media, AI, and...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/09/18

What does it take to break free from the gravitational pull of “business as usual” in higher ed marketing? In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Mallory Willsea—B2B media consultant, AI strategist, and award-winning host of Higher Ed Pulse.Mallory shares how she built and scaled media brands like Higher Ed Live and Enrollify, why she believes leaders should stop waiting for permission and start building their own stage, and what it really takes to adopt AI without

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67:22

Christina Melito - Designing for Tension: Creative...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/09/08

What does it really mean to lead creative work in a world being reshaped by AI, complexity, and constant change?In this episode, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Christina Melito, Creative Director at Fifteen4, for an honest, funny, and deeply insightful conversation about what creative leadership actually requires today — from managing stakeholders in regulated industries to operationalizing AI tools without losing your soul.They explore how tension can be a design tool, why client work is often a

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58:12

Traci Barrett - Navigating the Journey

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/06/27

In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen is joined by Traci Barrett—founder of Navigate the Journey, executive coach, former HGTV founding team member, and author of What If There’s More?. Together, they explore what it means to lead with clarity, navigate burnout, and make brave choices in business and life. From surviving betrayal and recalibrating after setbacks to building teams rooted in honesty and shared values, Traci shares deep wisdom on fear, identity, hope, and finding

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59:28

Brigid Lawler - Rethinking Enrollment in an Age of...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/06/23

In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Brigid Lawler, a seasoned enrollment strategist with decades of experience navigating the shifting landscape of higher education. From small liberal arts colleges to state institutions, Brigid shares candid insights on what’s broken in traditional recruitment, how schools can tap into their true identity, and why the admissions funnel might need to be flipped on its head.Together, they unpack the myth of one-size-fits-all marketing,

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38:09

Real Talk with Gen Z: What Today's Students Actually...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/06/05

In this episode, Tracey sits down with her 17-year-old niece Romy, a rising senior deep in the college search process. From TikTok dorm tours to admissions anxiety, Romy offers a refreshingly honest Gen Z perspective on what matters (and what doesn’t) when evaluating colleges. If you work in higher ed—or just want to understand how this generation thinks—you’ll want to hear this.

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36:05

Pete Mackey on Why Listening Is the Real Strategy—and...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/05/12

In this episode of Escape Velocity, I’m joined by someone I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with on some of the most meaningful projects of my career—Pete Mackey.Pete is the founder of Mackey Strategies, where he helps colleges, universities, and nonprofits find their voice, sharpen their story, and face the future with clarity and confidence. With more than 30 years of experience leading communications for institutions like Amherst College, Bucknell University, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation,

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69:46

Richard Banfield - The Art of Being Human

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/04/15

In this deeply personal and philosophical conversation, Tracey Halvorsen is joined by Richard Banfield—artist, writer, former CEO, widower, parent, and all-around human compass—for a wide-ranging discussion about identity, agency, grief, creativity, and what it means to truly be present in our lives.From confronting midlife reinvention and letting go of society’s need to label and define, to embracing vulnerability and the healing power of art, Richard offers an honest and expansive take on what it

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80:31

Tracy Gosson - Stage Four and Forward

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/04/01

Before she was a stage 4 ovarian cancer survivor, Tracy Gosson was already a force.As the founding executive director of Live Baltimore, Tracy helped rebrand city living and sparked a movement to bring people back into Baltimore neighborhoods. She later launched Sagesse, Inc., a boutique consultancy that’s helped cities and developers across the country reimagine how place, story, and investment intersect.Then, in 2019, everything stopped. Tracy was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer—and

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62:03

Carl Smith, The Bureau - Burnout, AI, and Bullsh*t:...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/03/27

Carl Smith is more than a leader—he’s a community builder, a mentor, and, as I call him, the “daddy of digital agencies.” In this episode, we dig into everything from the evolution of agency life to the promise and peril of AI, the value (and curse) of ego, and why trust and human connection matter more than ever. Carl shares candid stories from his time running an agency, building the Bureau of Digital, and navigating complex relationships in creative teams. It’s funny, heartfelt, and packed with

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56:25

Ashley Budd, Author of Mailed It! 💌 | Senior...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/03/06

In this episode of Escape Velocity, host Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Ashley Budd, higher education marketing expert and co-author of Mailed It!, to discuss how email remains one of the most powerful communication tools—when done right.Ashley shares insights from her book, offering practical strategies and “hacks” for making email more effective in an era of overwhelming digital noise. From the importance of clear subject lines to the role of authenticity, empathy, and logic in building trust,

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33:15

Escape Velocity with Fin - What it's Like to Be a Gen...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/02/21

In this special episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with her 10-year-old bonus kid, Fin, to dive deep into what it means to be part of Gen Alpha. From rapid-fire fun questions to an in-depth breakdown of Gen Alpha slang, Fin offers an unfiltered, hilarious, and surprisingly insightful take on his generation.With plenty of laughs, wild tangents, and deep Gen Alpha wisdom, this episode is an entertaining ride into the mind of a 10-year-old who knows what’s up.

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74:26

Escape Velocity with Elizabeth Bawol, Creative...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/02/18

In this episode of Escape Velocity, I sit down with Elizabeth Bawol, Creative Director at Wide Eye, for a deep dive into the high-stakes world of political branding. We explore her experience leading creative efforts for the Harris campaign, her previous work with Planned Parenthood, and the challenges of branding within the constraints of political strategy and high-profile personalities.Elizabeth shares candid insights into:• The intensity of working on a political campaign: from sleepless nights

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58:37

Escape Velocity with Nancy Lyons, CEO at Clockwork

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/02/07

Tracey is joined by Nancy Lyons, CEO and co-founder of Clockwork, a digital transformation consultancy, and author of Work Like a Boss: A Kick-in-the-Pants Guide to Finding (and Using) Your Power at Work.Nancy is known for her bold leadership style, no-BS approach to business, and commitment to transforming workplace culture. She and Tracey dive into the future of work, the power of personal agency, leadership failures, and why trusting teams is essential for innovation. They also unpack the

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59:52

Escape Velocity with Miles Kemp, CEO / Design...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/02/06

Tracey Halvorsen welcomes Miles Kemp, CEO and design innovator at Variate. With a background in architecture and experience leading digital transformation for brands like Marriott, Carnival, and Macy’s, Miles brings a unique perspective on the evolving relationship between technology, design, and human experience.The conversation explores:• Bridging Architecture and UX: How Miles transitioned from architecture to digital experience design, and how architectural thinking influences his work today.•

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60:29

Escape Velocity with Chris Gilbert, Creative Developer

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/01/31

In this episode, Tracey sits down with Chris Gilbert, a senior creative developer with over a decade of experience in building performant, interactive, and accessible websites and applications. Chris is a deep thinker on the evolution of AI in software development, the future of web design, and the shifting role of agencies in an AI-driven landscape.They discuss how AI-powered development tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Windsurf are fundamentally changing how developers work, why custom GPTs

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53:29

Escape Velocity with Kara Redman, Founder and Lead...

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected ·

2025/01/28

In this episode, Tracey speaks with Kara Redman, founder and lead strategist of Backroom, about the evolution of brand strategy, the power of personal branding, and why showing up authentically in public spaces (especially on LinkedIn) is both a risk and a powerful tool. Kara shares insights on how her personal brand has brought unexpected opportunities, her experiences in scaling and re-scaling Backroom, and the importance of building relationships over transactions in business.They discuss AI’s

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24 results

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