📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

After working with hundreds of founders, executives, and leaders, I have started to notice something that comes up again and again in my coaching sessions. People rarely come to me saying, “I need to understand myself.”

They come with a business problem.

I have a problem with my team.

I want to raise money.

I need to grow my revenues.

I want to feel more grounded. I feel stressed.

I don’t know what to do with my company.

And of course, those problems matter. Vision and strategy matters. Product-market fit matters. The business fundamentals matter.

But very often, they are not the real problem. They are the symptom.

From the first few sessions, we usually start moving beyond what is happening on the surface of the business and into a much deeper question: what is actually preventing you from doing what you already know you need to do?

What is preventing you from having the difficult conversation, making the decision, letting go, taking the risk, or looking honestly at ‘Why’ you built this company in the first place?

Because when we create enough space, confidentiality, and safety, something very human tends to appear underneath the business story: the unexamined truth.

And after working with over hundreds of leaders, I keep seeing the same themes.

What Are You Really Looking For Through Your Business?

The first is the need to feel safe.

Many people build businesses because they believe that having their own company will finally give them the security they couldn’t find elsewhere. They want enough money in the bank so they don’t have to worry anymore. They want financial freedom. They want to be in control of their own future.

They want to work with conditions that don’t make them feel controlled, sick or burnt out.

And I understand this deeply. But there is an interesting contradiction here: building your own business is one of the least predictable ways to create safety.

You don’t know where the next revenues will come from. You don’t know whether the market will change. You don’t know whether your company will survive.

And yet, I see people leave corporate (or being forced to) because they didn’t feel safe there, believing that entrepreneurship will finally make them feel safe.

The difficult realisation is that if you don’t feel safe internally, changing the external environment will not solve the problem. You can leave the company. You can build your own business. You can eventually make more money.

You may have millions in the bank. And the nervous system can still be asking, “But what if it all disappears? is it enough?”

There is no external place where you can permanently install yourself into safety. At some point, the work becomes learning how to create a sense of safety from within.

The second theme I see is the need to feel seen.

Some people build because they need to express something. They are creatives, builders, artists, entrepreneurs. They want to create something that represents who they are. They want to make an impact. But what’s behind, they want to be recognised.

Again, there is nothing wrong with that. We all have a fundamental human need to matter.

But what happens when there is no end to the need to be seen?

You reach a million followers, and you want two million.

You raise ten million, and the next milestone becomes twenty.

You receive thousands of likes on LinkedIn, and somehow you still don’t feel recognised.

Because being seen externally doesn’t necessarily create the feeling of being worthy internally.

And this is where we often return to the same place: safety. When I feel seen, I feel that I matter. When I matter, I feel worthy.

When I feel worthy, I feel that I belong. And when I belong, I feel safe.

The third theme is connection and belonging.

Building a company can give you a community. It can give you a social identity. There is a particular status attached to saying, “I’m a founder,” or “I’m a CEO.” You belong to a certain club.

At a networking event, you don’t introduce yourself as “I’m just Sophie.” You have a title. You have a company. You have a story. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying that.

But again, the question is: what are you actually trying to receive from the business?

Are you building because you have something meaningful to contribute?

Or because the business gives you something you are trying to find within yourself?

The Uncomfortable Question

This is where coaching becomes interesting.

When someone feels safe enough to really look at the deeper why, we can ask a question that is sometimes very uncomfortable:

If you already felt safe, worthy, and loved, would you still be chasing this?

Would you still need this particular title? Would you still need the exit?

Would you still need the millions? Would you still need everyone to know your name?

If the answer is yes. That’s beautiful. Because you are building from choice.

But most of the time, the answer is no. And that is where the real work begins.

Because if the business is compensating for something that feels empty inside, there is no amount of business success that will permanently fill that space.

You may make more money. You may build a bigger company. You may become more recognised. But the emptiness remains.

And this is not a judgment.

I have been there too.

When Fear Becomes the Culture

What concerns me is what happens when these individual patterns become organisational patterns.

If a founder is building from fear, that fear doesn’t stay inside the founder. It becomes part of the company. The pressure to grow becomes part of the culture. The obsession with market share becomes part of the culture.

The fear of failure becomes part of the culture. And suddenly everyone in the organisation is operating from the same underlying insecurity.

This is something I see particularly strongly in tech and games right now.

When I speak to people in the industry, I don’t hear anymore “I love my job. I feel creative. I feel passionate about what I’m building.”

More often, I hear, “It’s okay. I don’t know how long I’ll stay. I’m just doing my job. I don’t know what comes next.”

There is a lot of fear. Fear of losing your job. Fear of not finding another one. Fear of being left behind by AI. Fear of what happens when fifteen years of experience in an industry suddenly no longer guarantees you a place in it.

And when an entire industry enters that state, I think it is worth asking what the collective psyche of that industry looks like.

What are we creating when everyone is operating from fear?

Who can think creatively when they are primarily trying to protect themselves?

Who can create meaningful value when everyone is trying to survive?

Who Are You Without the Title?

There is another question I find increasingly important for leaders today: Who are you when you are no longer your job?

We have created such strong identities around our professional roles that losing a job can feel like losing ourselves.

“I’ve been in tech for fifteen years.”

“I’m a CEO.”

“I’m a founder.”

“This is what I do.”

But what happens when that role disappears? What happens when the company is sold, when the business fails, when you retire, when the industry changes, or when AI transforms the work you spent twenty years mastering?

These are not only career questions. They are identity questions.

And I believe we are entering a period where many people will have to answer them.

Awareness Comes Before Change

So where do we go from here?

For me, it always starts with self-awareness.

Do you actually know why you are doing what you are doing? Why did you build this company?

Why are you still in this job? Why is this particular milestone so important to you?

Are you choosing this life consciously, or are you following a survival program that has been running for years?

There is nothing wrong with being in survival mode when survival is genuinely what is required. The question is whether it is still necessary, or whether it has simply become your default.

Because once we become aware of the pattern, we have a choice.

And that brings us to the second step: decision.

Who do you want to be? How do you want to spend your time? What do you want to give your energy to?

What kind of life do you actually want to build?

This is where many leaders become stuck.

They know. They know they are self-sabotaging. They know they are not in the right place. They know something needs to change.

And still, they don’t move.

Why Knowing Isn’t Enough

The reason is often fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing control. Fear of making the wrong decision. Fear of leaving something you’ve invested years into.

We can spend months creating spreadsheets, comparing pros and cons, building elaborate plans and trying to calculate the perfect moment to move. But sometimes there is no perfect moment. There is simply a moment when you decide.

And that decision is not always a cognitive process. Sometimes it is a movement. A willingness to step out of the familiar and create enough momentum to move into something new.

That can happen through coaching, a mastermind, a community, accountability, or simply creating a container where you are no longer able to stay in the same place indefinitely.

Because the status quo is incredibly comfortable, even when it is making you miserable.

The Slow Death of Staying the Same

This is something I have become increasingly aware of in myself. I would rather feel fully alive and experience the full range of emotions that come with being alive than live in a state of neutrality.

Because when we stay in the comfort zone for too long, something slowly disappears. Not necessarily your physical life, but your sense of aliveness.

You stop feeling excited. You stop feeling curious. You are not necessarily stressed either. You’re just... neutral.

And I don’t believe that is what most of us are here for.

I would rather experience fear, grief, anger, shame, uncertainty and all the uncomfortable emotions that come with taking risks, if that also means experiencing the depth of joy, connection and aliveness on the other side.

That is a choice each of us has to make.

What Will You Do Once You Know?

So my invitation this week is not to immediately change your business. It is simply to become honest with yourself.

Where are you in your journey? Do you know why you are doing what you are doing?

Are you taking responsibility for the life you are creating, or have you given your power away to the market, the economy, your company, your boss, your investors, or your circumstances?

And perhaps the most important question:

What will you do once you know?

Because awareness without responsibility can become another form of avoidance. But awareness followed by a conscious decision is where transformation begins.

This is also where my own work is evolving. I am increasingly exploring what happens beyond the mind, and the intelligence that becomes available when we slow down enough to listen to the body, the heart and intuition.

We are entering a world where AI will process more and more information for us. I don’t believe our future as humans is to compete with machines by trying to process even more information. Our opportunity is to develop the capacities that make us human: presence, wisdom, intuition, connection and consciousness.

And perhaps the future of leadership is not about becoming better at controlling the world around us.

Perhaps it is about becoming more conscious of what is happening within us.

That is where the real work begins.

If you are ready to take action, join this Free Masterclass later today:

Join the FREE Masterclass “Beyond The Mind: The Science Of Plant Medicines”

📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

In last week’s episode, I explored the idea of survival patterns and asked a simple question:

Who are you when you’re no longer trying to survive?

As I reflected on that conversation, I realised there is another question that naturally follows.

Who are you beneath the Mask you’ve been wearing for so long?

Because surviving is only one part of the story.

The other part is the identity we create in order to survive.

I believe every one of us wears a mask. It is part of being human. It is how we learn to live in society, how we navigate relationships, and how we adapt to the world around us.

The problem is not that we wear masks.

The problem is that, over time, we begin to mistake them for who we really are.

Our authentic self slowly disappears beneath the personality we have carefully constructed to feel safe, accepted and loved.

Very early in life, we begin receiving messages about who we should be. Sometimes they are explicit.

A parent tells us we are too shy, too loud, too emotional or too sensitive.

A teacher tells us we are not trying hard enough. Children at school make fun of our appearance or the way we speak. Sometimes the messages are never spoken, yet they are deeply felt. We realise that expressing anger is not welcome. Crying is seen as weakness. Being different risks rejection.

As children, we don’t have the capacity to analyse these experiences. We simply adapt.

Looking back, it is remarkable how intelligent this adaptation is. At that age, our nervous system has one priority above all else: survival.

We need to feel safe. We need to belong. We need to be loved. If being ourselves threatens those fundamental needs, we naturally become someone else.

That is how the mask is born.

The mask isn’t fake. It isn’t manipulative. It is one of the most intelligent strategies our nervous system could create with the resources it had at the time.

The challenge comes later, when the strategy that once protected us continues running our lives long after the danger has disappeared.

This is something I observe often in leadership.

Many leaders believe they are simply expressing their personality, when in reality they are expressing a survival strategy.

The leader who always has to know the answer may be wearing the mask of the expert because knowledge once created safety.

The leader who avoids conflict at all costs may be wearing the mask of the nice person because harmony once protected them from rejection.

The entrepreneur who rejects every form of authority may be wearing the mask of the rebel because resistance once felt safer than trust.

The woman who insists she needs no one may be wearing the mask of independence because vulnerability once led to disappointment.

These masks often bring success. They help us build careers, companies and reputations. They help us belong to a particular tribe or professional culture.

But success does not necessarily mean authenticity.

Eventually, many people arrive at a point where they have followed every step they believed they were supposed to follow. They have built the company. They have earned the recognition. They have become financially independent.

And yet something still feels missing.

It is often because the mask achieved everything.

But the person beneath it was never invited into the room.

As I reflected on my own journey, I recognised several masks that shaped the way I moved through life.

One of the strongest was the rebel.

Growing up, I inherited a deep mistrust of authority. My father had lived through war, displacement and political oppression. Distrusting authority had once been a survival strategy. Without realising it, I adopted that same relationship to power.

As an adult, I questioned managers almost instinctively. I challenged institutions. I resisted teachers. Even healthy forms of authority felt threatening because my nervous system had learned that authority meant danger.

For a long time, I believed this made me free.

Only later did I realise I was still reacting to a reality that no longer existed.

The rebel had protected me.

But she was also limiting my capacity to collaborate, trust and grow.

Another mask I carried was over-independence.

For many years, I believed strength meant not needing anyone. If I could build my career, my company and my life on my own, then nobody could hurt me.

Looking back, I can see that independence wasn’t really the goal.

Protection was.

The deeper wound wasn’t about achievement.

It was about trust.

Healing that part of myself changed not only my personal relationships but also the way I see leadership today. When I first created women’s circles, there was an energy of protection. Women needed a place where they could reconnect with themselves in safety. I still believe deeply in those spaces.

But something has shifted in me.

Today, my vision is no longer about creating separation between men and women.

It is about facilitating enough healing that we no longer need separation in order to feel safe. The work is not to remain inside the mask forever. The work is to become whole enough that we can relate to one another without needing it.

That, for me, is the real invitation behind this episode.

Not to reject the masks we wear.

Not to judge them.

But to become aware of them.

Every mask once served a purpose.

Every mask protected something precious.

The question is simply whether it is still protecting you today, or whether it has become the very thing preventing you from living as your authentic self?

This is also why my work has evolved beyond conversation alone. Awareness is essential, but awareness is only the first step. These identities were not created through logic; they were created through experience. They live in the nervous system, in the body, in memories that often formed long before we had the words to describe them.

My personal journey has taken me into somatic work and, eventually, into the respectful exploration of sacred plant medicines. Not because they replace therapy or coaching, but because they sometimes allow us to reach the place where these identities were first created, making it possible not simply to understand them but to work at the root of the blockage.

As you finish reading, I invite you to pause for a moment.

What mask has served you for most of your life?

What part of yourself has it protected?

And if, deep down, you already knew you were safe... Who would you be without it?

Perhaps conscious leadership is not about becoming someone better.

Perhaps it is about having the courage to slowly remove the identities we no longer need, until the person leading is no longer the mask, but the human being beneath it.

FREE Masterclass “Beyond The Mind: The Science Of Plant Medicines”

📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

Over the past few years, I have been studying human behaviour through leadership, psychology, trauma, somatic work and, more recently, consciousness.

One question has become increasingly present in my own journey and in the work I do with founders and executives:

Who are you when you’re no longer trying to survive?

At first, it sounds like a strange question. Most of us would probably answer that we are not surviving. We have a home, a career, a salary, food on the table.

We are safe.

And yet, when I look at the world around me, I see something very different.

We live in a time where fear has become part of our daily environment. Every day we are exposed to news about wars, economic uncertainty, layoffs, political instability and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Even if none of these events affect us directly, they slowly reinforce a collective belief that the world is becoming less safe.

For leaders, founders and entrepreneurs, that feeling is amplified.

The question is no longer simply, “How do I build a successful company?”

It quietly becomes, “How do I make sure I’ll be okay?”

Many businesses today are not built from purpose or creativity.

They are built from survival.

And that changes everything.

When Survival Becomes Your Leadership Strategy

One of the patterns I observe most often in coaching is that people believe they are making strategic decisions, when in reality they are making protective decisions.

The business becomes the place where they seek safety.

Success becomes proof that they are enough.

Recognition becomes reassurance that they matter.

Money becomes certainty.

None of those things are inherently wrong. They are deeply human. But when they become the unconscious reason behind everything we build, fear quietly starts leading our decisions.

Instead of asking, “What would create the greatest value?”, we begin asking, “What will make me feel safe?”

Instead of creating from our purpose, we create from our survival.

The difficult part is that most of us don’t realise we’re doing it.

Knowing the Pattern Doesn’t Always Change It

Many of the leaders I work with have already spent years doing inner work.

They’ve been to therapy.

They’ve worked with coaches.

They’ve read countless books.

They understand exactly why they react the way they do.

And still, they find themselves repeating the same behaviours.

They continue overworking.

They continue betraying themselves.

They continue staying in relationships or businesses that no longer serve them.

It is now that they don’t know better.

But understanding is different from transformation.

For many years, I believed that if I understood the source of my patterns, they would naturally disappear.

Eventually I realised that the mind had taken me as far as it could.

The answer wasn’t only in understanding the story.

The answer was hidden somewhere else.

The Body Remembers What the Mind Has Shut Down

This is what led me toward somatic work and the study of the nervous system.

One insight completely changed the way I understand personal transformation.

The body remembers.

When we experience something overwhelming as children, our body adapts in order to survive. Sometimes it contracts. Sometimes it freezes. Sometimes it learns not to express emotions. Sometimes it becomes hyper-vigilant.

These adaptations are incredibly intelligent.

They helped us survive when we were five years old.

The challenge is that many of us continue living with the same adaptations decades later.

The situations have changed.

We have changed.

But our nervous system often hasn’t.

That is why we can intellectually know that we are safe while our body continues reacting as if danger were still present.

A growing body of research in trauma and somatic healing points in this direction. Authors such as Gabor Maté, Bessel van der Kolk and Stephen Porges have all contributed to our understanding that healing is not only about changing thoughts. It is also about helping the nervous system experience safety again.

My Own Survival Story

Looking back, I understand where many of my own survival patterns came from.

My parents left Vietnam after the war. Survival wasn’t simply part of their past; it shaped the way they experienced the world. Safety could disappear overnight. Stability could not be taken for granted.

Without anyone consciously intending it, those beliefs were passed on to me.

I learned very early that achievement created safety.

That working harder meant being worthy.

That success meant I would be okay.

Even after leaving my corporate career and building my own business, I noticed the same program running inside me.

I had enough savings to live comfortably for years.

Nothing in my external reality suggested that I was unsafe.

And yet my nervous system kept repeating the same message:

“It’s not enough.”

“Keep pushing.”

“You never know.”

The circumstances had changed.

The survival pattern had not.

Beyond the Mind, The Next Human Evolution

That was the beginning of another chapter of my journey.

I started exploring movement, somatic practices and eventually travelled to Colombia to sit with Yagé for the first time.

I wasn’t looking for another technique.

I wasn’t looking for another framework.

I was looking for something beyond the mind.

During that journey, I experienced something I had never been able to access through thinking alone.

I could feel, in my body, layers of fear that didn’t seem to belong only to me. They belonged to my family history, to generations that had lived through war, displacement and uncertainty.

For the first time, survival was no longer an idea I understood intellectually.

It became something I could feel.

And because I could finally feel it, I could begin releasing it.

That experience changed the direction of my work.

It showed me that there are dimensions of healing the mind cannot reach on its own.

Who Are You When You Stop Surviving?

One of the biggest fears leaders have is that if they stop being driven by fear, they will lose their ambition.

I had that fear too.

What I discovered was the opposite.

When survival is no longer driving your life, you don’t stop creating.

You don’t stop building.

You don’t stop performing.

You simply stop performing to prove that you deserve to exist.

Your work becomes lighter.

More aligned.

More joyful.

You create because it is an expression of who you are, not because you are trying to outrun an old wound.

That, for me, is what conscious leadership is truly about.

Not becoming someone different.

But removing everything that fear has built around who you already are.

Reflection Questions

As you reflect on your own journey, I invite you to sit with these questions.

Where in your life are you still operating from survival rather than choice?

What part of your identity was once necessary to protect you, but no longer serves you today?

If your nervous system truly knew that you were safe, what decision would you make differently?

And perhaps the deepest question of all:

Who are you when you’re no longer trying to survive?

Closing Thoughts

Survival is one of the most intelligent adaptations our body has ever created.

The question is not whether it protected us.

The question is whether it is still protecting us from a danger that no longer exists.

Because there comes a moment in life when surviving is no longer enough.

There comes a moment when the work shifts from building a life that feels safe to building a life that feels true.

And perhaps that is where real leadership begins.

If you are ready to go a level deeper, I am inviting you to this workshop on August 11th to explore who you are without your survival patterns

FREE Masterclass “Beyond The Mind: The Science Of Plant Medicines”

📅 Date: August 11

🕒 Time: 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

We began with the need for certainty, which often becomes the need for control.

We explored the need for variety and how it can create instability.

We looked at significance, our desire to be seen and recognized, and at love and connection, where over-giving and people-pleasing often emerge.

Finally, we reflected on the need for growth and how the pursuit of constant evolution can become exhausting when it never allows space for integration.

Today, I want to close this series with the sixth and final need:

The need for contribution.

In many ways, I see this as the most mature of the six human needs.

But it is also the easiest one to confuse with the others.

What Is the Need for Contribution?

The need for contribution is the desire to create meaningful impact beyond yourself.

It is the desire to give back.

To leave something better than you found it.

To use your skills, experience, and life for something larger than your own success.

Many people describe contribution as the highest expression of purpose.

Yet there is an important question we rarely ask ourselves:

From which place are we contributing?

Because contribution can easily become another disguise for an unmet human need.

Are you contributing because you need recognition?

Then perhaps significance is still driving your actions.

Are you contributing because helping others allows you to belong?

Perhaps the need for love and connection is underneath.

Are you contributing because it helps you learn and evolve?

Perhaps growth is still leading the way.

Contribution itself is not enough.

The intention behind it matters.

When Giving Is Another Way of Receiving

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that many of us give because, unconsciously, we hope to receive something in return.

Recognition.

Validation.

Love.

Belonging.

Security.

There is nothing wrong with these needs, they are deeply human.

The invitation is simply to become aware of them.

Healthy contribution begins when the act of giving is complete in itself.

When giving is already fulfilling.

When nothing needs to come back for the contribution to have meaning.

That, for me, is where contribution becomes truly free.

The Shadow of Contribution

Like every human need, contribution also has its shadow.

One of the most common expressions I see—particularly in women leaders—is over-giving.

Helping everyone.

Always being available.

Giving expertise away for free.

Putting others first.

Feeling guilty for receiving.

The intention is beautiful.

But over time, it becomes unsustainable.

Because contribution without receiving eventually creates depletion.

Everything in nature exists in relationship.

Breathing in. Breathing out.

Giving. Receiving.

Neither can exist without the other.

One question worth reflecting on is:

How comfortable are you receiving?

Can you receive money without guilt?

Can you receive appreciation without minimizing it? Say ‘Thank you’.

Can you receive support without feeling indebted?

Many people who love to contribute discover that receiving is actually much harder than giving.

And yet both are necessary.

My Own Shift

When I look back on my own career, I can clearly see how this need evolved over time.

For many years, I worked in the gaming industry.

I loved the creativity.

I loved the innovation.

I loved building teams and creating products that reached millions of people.

I also received a great deal in return.

Meaningful work.

Recognition.

Financial security.

Growth.

But eventually, a deeper question emerged.

What am I contributing to?

The games we created generated engagement, screen time, and significant revenue.

From a business perspective, they were successful.

But I also knew who some of our players were.

I knew stories of people spending thousands of euros in games.

People whose behavior resembled addiction more than entertainment.

And I had to ask myself:

Is this the impact I want to have?

That question changed everything.

It wasn’t a judgment of the industry.

It was an honest reflection on my own values.

I realized that my deepest need was no longer growth.

Or recognition.

Or achievement.

It had become contribution.

That realization eventually led me toward coaching.

Toward conscious leadership.

Toward creating spaces where leaders examine not only what they build, but the impact they create on the people around them.

When Contribution Becomes a Different Question

At some point in life, many people reach a quiet transition.

They’ve achieved.

They’ve grown.

They’ve accumulated experience.

And the question changes.

Instead of asking:

“How can I become more successful?”

They begin asking:

“What do I want to leave behind?”

Contribution is no longer about building something bigger.

It becomes about building something meaningful.

For me, that has become the work.

Helping leaders move from fear to love.

From leading through control, ego, and survival...

To leading from awareness, integrity, and the heart.

That doesn’t happen through strategy alone.

It requires inner work.

Because the quality of what we contribute will always reflect the quality of the place we are contributing from.

Looking Back at the Six Human Needs

As we close this series, I invite you to reflect on all six human needs.

* Where do you seek certainty and control?

* Where do you constantly chase novelty?

* Where do you need recognition?

* Where do you sacrifice yourself to maintain connection?

* Where do you push yourself to keep growing?

* And finally…

How do all of these needs shape the way you contribute to the world?

Every need is valid.

Every need has a shadow.

The goal is never to eliminate these needs.

The goal is to become aware of them.

Because awareness is where freedom begins.

Reflection Questions

Take some time to journal with these questions:

* Which of the six human needs drives most of your decisions today?

* When you contribute, what are you hoping to receive in return?

* How comfortable are you with receiving?

* What impact are you truly creating through your work?

* If recognition, money, and status disappeared, would you still choose the same path?

Closing Reflection

For me, contribution is not about saving the world.

It is about bringing more consciousness into it.

Helping people move from fear to love.

From unconscious patterns to awareness.

From reacting to choosing.

If this series has taught us anything, it is that our shadows are not something to eliminate.

They are invitations.

Invitations to understand ourselves more deeply.

Because once we understand what has been driving us, we finally become free to choose a different way of leading, living, and contributing.

And perhaps that is the greatest contribution any of us can make.

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I am opening the registration for a unique event on Sept 4-7, a medicinal retreat in Europe for conscious leaders ready to go to the next level.

We are curating a selected group of 12.

Book a discovery call for more information.

Today, we’re looking at the fifth human need:

Growth.

For me, this has been one of the strongest drivers throughout my life.

Growth has shaped how I learn, how I lead, how I build businesses, and how I relate to challenges.

It has also been one of my biggest teachers.

Because like every human need, growth is beautiful.

And like every human need, it also has a shadow.

What Is the Need for Growth?

The need for growth is the desire to learn, evolve, and become more.

People with this need often love challenges.

They enjoy learning new skills.

They seek transformation.

They are energized by difficult situations because every challenge becomes an opportunity to grow.

If this is your dominant need, you probably recognize yourself here:

* You love learning.

* You constantly seek new perspectives.

* You are rarely intimidated by difficult problems.

* You often feel excited by change rather than discouraged by it.

Growth becomes a way of life.

There is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, growth is part of nature.

Everything alive is constantly evolving 🌱.

The question is not whether you should grow.

The question is how you grow.

When Growth Becomes a Survival Strategy

Looking back, I can see that my need for growth didn’t begin as a conscious choice.

It began as survival.

Growing up in a family of immigrants, I inherited a simple belief:

If we don’t grow, we won’t survive.

We came to France with very little.

Everything had to be rebuilt.

A new life.

A new future.

A new generation.

Growth wasn’t simply encouraged.

It became associated with safety.

Without realizing it, I carried that belief into every part of my life.

At school, in my career, in my leadership, in business, and personal development…

If I wasn’t growing, I felt like something was wrong.

And even today, I can still feel that pattern if I don’t pay attention.

The Shadow of Constant Growth

The shadow isn’t growth itself.

The shadow is never allowing yourself to stop.

Always learning.

Always improving.

Always achieving.

At first, this looks admirable.

But eventually it becomes exhausting.

I’ve experienced this personally.

There were periods where I was so focused on growth that everything else became secondary:

Relationships.

Rest.

Integration.

Presence.

Even joy.

Growth became another thing to optimize.

Instead of allowing experiences to settle, I was already looking for the next course, the next project, the next transformation.

Ironically, I wasn’t integrating any of it.

Hypergrowth Isn’t Always Healthy

I also see this pattern in founders and leadership teams.

Many organizations celebrate hypergrowth.

Grow faster.

Scale bigger.

Raise more.

Expand quicker.

But organizations have nervous systems too.

People need time to adapt.

Teams need time to integrate change.

Culture needs time to mature.

When leaders push growth faster than people can absorb it, exhaustion follows.

Not because growth is bad.

But because sustainable growth requires rhythm.

Just like breathing.

Expansion.

Then integration.

Movement.

Then rest.

More Learning Doesn’t Always Mean More Growth

One pattern I recognize in myself is the tendency to consume too much information.

Four courses at once, several books, multiple trainings…

Always learning.

The result?

I knew many things.

But I hadn’t embodied them.

Real growth isn’t measured by how much information we collect.

It is measured by what we integrate.

Sometimes learning one thing deeply creates more transformation than learning ten things superficially.

Depth often matters more than volume.

What Happens When You Stop?

A useful question to ask yourself is:

What happens inside you when you stop growing?

When you don’t read another book.

When you don’t sign up for another course.

When you don’t work on yourself for a day.

Can you simply rest?

Or does anxiety appear?

Many people discover that stopping feels surprisingly uncomfortable.

Not because they enjoy constant movement.

But because their nervous system has associated movement with safety.

Growth has become the way they regulate themselves.

The Leadership Practice: Integration

The practice isn’t to stop growing.

The practice is to pace your growth.

Growth also happens through: rest, reflection, repetition, integration…

Silence.

Sometimes doing nothing is part of growing.

Sometimes the deepest transformation happens when we stop adding something new and begin living what we already know.

This is particularly important in leadership.

Because leaders who never pause often create organizations that never pause.

The pace of the leader becomes the pace of the culture.

Practices for Balancing the Need for Growth

If you recognize this pattern, here are a few practices to explore.

🔵 Practice One: Integrate Before You Add

Before starting another book, another course, or another project, ask yourself:

Have I fully integrated what I already know?

🔵 Practice Two: Schedule Rest as Part of Growth

Treat rest as a discipline rather than a reward.

Integration is part of learning.

Not separate from it.

🔵 Practice Three: Observe Your Anxiety

Spend a few moments doing nothing.

Notice what happens.

If anxiety appears, stay curious.

Ask yourself:

What am I afraid will happen if I stop?

🔵 Practice Four: Choose Depth Over Volume

Rather than constantly seeking something new, spend more time mastering one thing.

Depth creates wisdom.

Volume creates information.

They are not the same.

💡Reflection Questions

Take a few moments to reflect:

* Is growth one of your strongest human needs?

* Do you associate slowing down with falling behind?

* What belief makes rest feel uncomfortable?

* Are you integrating your learning—or simply collecting more of it?

* What would sustainable growth look like for you?

Closing Reflection

Growth is one of the most beautiful expressions of being human.

We are meant to evolve.

The invitation is not to grow less.

It is to grow more consciously.

Because growth without integration becomes exhaustion.

Growth with awareness becomes wisdom.

And sometimes the greatest sign of growth is not how fast you move forward.

It is knowing when to pause.

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We are curating a selected group of 12.

Book a discovery call for more information.

Today, we’re looking at the fourth human need:

Love and connection.

At first glance, this need seems harmless.

Who doesn’t want love?

Who doesn’t want meaningful relationships, belonging, and connection?

The challenge is not the need itself.

The challenge is what happens when our need for connection becomes stronger than our willingness to be truthful.

What Is the Need for Love and Connection?

The need for love and connection is the desire to feel close to others.

To belong.

To be included.

To feel connected to family, partners, colleagues, teams, and communities.

People with a strong need for connection often thrive in collaborative environments.

They enjoy working with teams.

They build deep relationships and bring people together.

They care deeply about harmony.

These are beautiful qualities.

But like every human need, this one has a shadow.

And the shadow often appears in leadership.

When Connection Becomes Dependency

The shadow side of love and connection is not love.

It is dependency, over-giving.

It is people-pleasing.

It is sacrificing your truth to preserve harmony.

The fear underneath is simple:

If I disrupt the connection, I may lose it.

This fear shows up everywhere.

A leader keeps an underperforming team member because they don’t want to hurt their feelings.

A founder avoids difficult conversations with a business partner because they want to stay friends.

A coach overextends themselves to keep clients happy.

A person remains in an unhealthy relationship because leaving feels more painful than staying.

In all these situations, connection becomes more important than authenticity.

And eventually, that comes at a cost.

The Hidden Cost of Keeping the Peace

Many leaders don’t recognize themselves as people-pleasers.

The behavior often looks different at senior levels.

It may appear as:

* Avoiding difficult conversations

* Delaying necessary decisions

* Keeping partnerships that are no longer aligned

* Over-accommodating others

* Struggling to set boundaries

* Carrying emotional burdens that aren’t theirs

From the outside, it can look like kindness.

Inside, it often feels like exhaustion.

Because maintaining harmony requires energy.

And when harmony is maintained at the expense of truth, the cost is usually paid by the person carrying the burden: You.

Where Does This Pattern Come From?

For me, this pattern has roots in my upbringing.

Growing up in an Asian family, I learned very early that harmony mattered.

The harmony of the group mattered.

Keeping peace within the family was associated with safety.

Breaking harmony felt dangerous.

Being excluded felt unsafe.

Of course, as children, these adaptations make sense.

Belonging has always been tied to survival.

Our nervous system still carries traces of that evolutionary reality.

The challenge is that many of us continue operating from those old assumptions long after the original circumstances have passed.

We act as if disagreement will lead to abandonment.

As if honesty and boundaries will destroy connection.

But is that actually true?

The Leadership Practice: Boundaries

The practice is not to love less.

The practice is to love differently.

To learn that connection does not require self-sacrifice.

To learn that boundaries do not destroy relationships.

In fact, healthy boundaries often strengthen them.

A question worth exploring is:

Can you feel connected without giving everything away?

Can you maintain a relationship while saying no?

Can you disagree without withdrawing?

Many people discover something surprising:

The relationship survives.

And sometimes it becomes stronger.

Because authentic connection requires truth.

Not performance.

What Happens When Love Isn’t Reciprocated?

This is another place where people struggle.

Some people naturally give love very freely.

They are generous, open-hearted and supportive.

But not everyone knows how to receive love.

And not everyone expresses it in the same way.

When love isn’t returned in the way we expect, we often make it personal.

We assume:

“They don’t appreciate me = They don’t love me.”

But reality is often more nuanced.

People simply express love differently.

The Five Languages of Love

One framework that has been helpful for understanding this is the concept of the Five Love Languages (Resource)

People tend to express and receive love through different channels:

* Acts of Service

* Quality Time

* Gifts

* Physical Touch

* Words of Affirmation

Problems arise when we expect others to love us in our preferred language.

For example:

You may need words of affirmation.

Your partner may express love through acts of service.

You may need quality time.

Your colleague may show appreciation through practical support.

The love is present, but the language is different.

Recognizing this can soften resentment and create more understanding in both leadership and personal relationships.

The Deeper Practice

Ultimately, the practice is not about getting more love from others.

It is about cultivating enough love within yourself that connection becomes a choice rather than a necessity.

Can you feel worthy even when someone disagrees with you?

Can you stay connected to yourself when a relationship changes?

Can you remain open-hearted without abandoning your boundaries?

These are the questions that transform the need for connection from a dependency into inter-dependency.

A Personal Reflection

This need has been very present throughout my life.

But what has changed is how I relate to it.

I’ve learned that sometimes love requires difficult conversations.

Sometimes it requires saying no.

Sometimes it requires risking disappointment.

And paradoxically, those moments often deepen connection rather than destroy it.

Because authentic relationships are not built on agreement.

They are built on truth.

Reflection Questions

Take a moment to reflect:

* Where are you sacrificing your truth to preserve harmony?

* What relationship are you afraid to challenge?

* Where are you over-giving in the hope of receiving connection?

* What would happen if you trusted that real connection could survive disagreement?

Closing Reflection

The need for love and connection is one of our most beautiful human needs.

It reminds us that we are not meant to navigate life alone.

The invitation is not to need less connection.

The invitation is to create healthier connection.

Connection rooted in truth, supported by boundaries.

Connection that allows both closeness and individuality.

Because real love does not require you to abandon yourself in order to belong 💛

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Today, we’re looking at the third human need: significance.

This one feels particularly personal to me.

As I’ve transitioned from leadership roles in tech and gaming into coaching and conscious leadership, I’ve had to confront my own relationship with significance. Not just professionally, but at a much deeper level.

Because significance is one of the most celebrated needs in modern leadership.

And one of the least examined.

What Is the Need for Significance?

The need for significance is the need to feel important.

To be seen.

To be recognized.

To be valued.

To know that we matter.

There is nothing wrong with this need. It is deeply human.

The challenge begins when our sense of significance depends entirely on external validation.

When we need the title.

The promotion.

The company.

The audience.

The visibility.

The achievement. The exit.

To feel worthy.

At that point, significance stops being a healthy need and becomes a shadow.

Where Does It Come From?

For many people, the need for significance is rooted in earlier experiences of feeling unseen.

Perhaps your voice wasn’t heard.

Perhaps your opinions didn’t matter.

Perhaps you only received attention when you performed, achieved, or succeeded.

That was certainly true for me.

Growing up, I often felt invisible unless I achieved something.

Recognition came through performance.

Achievement became the place where I felt valued. Where I felt loved, where I felt safe.

So I learned to achieve.

I pursued promotions.

Leadership positions.

Recognition.

Success.

I became a founder, a CEO, a leader.

And it felt good.

Because every achievement temporarily filled the space where significance was missing.

The problem is that external significance is never enough.

There is always another milestone.

Another title. Another level to reach.

An endless hunger for ambition.

How Significance Shapes Leadership

This pattern shows up frequently in founders and executives.

The company needs to be bigger.

The revenue needs to be higher.

The fundraising round needs to be larger.

The impact needs to be more visible.

When you ask why these goals matter so much, the answer is often revealing.

Only then will I be successful.

Only then will I be respected.

Only then will I matter.

Only then will I be “enough”.

This is where significance becomes dangerous.

Not because ambition is wrong.

But because the business becomes a vehicle for proving personal worth.

When leaders operate from this place, organizations often become centered around the ego needs of the founder rather than the needs of the people they serve.

Everything starts to revolve around image, status, and perception.

What looks impressive.

What gets attention.

What creates recognition — and we have seen a lot of that in the tech and gaming industry over the past years.

And somewhere in the process, authenticity gets lost.

The Hidden Cost of External Validation

I know this pattern well.

Earlier in my career, visibility gave me power.

It gave me influence.

It gave me opportunities.

But it also consumed me.

Because when significance is built externally, you become dependent on external feedback to maintain your sense of self.

The applause becomes necessary.

The recognition becomes necessary.

The visibility becomes necessary.

And eventually, you stop asking:

“Am I fulfilled?”

And start asking:

“Am I seen?”

These are very different questions.

The Real Work

The real work is learning to feel significant without needing to be significant.

Stay with that for a moment.

Learning to feel significant without needing to be seen.

Without needing recognition.

Without needing validation.

Without needing the room to acknowledge your value.

This is where internal significance begins.

The question becomes:

Can you appreciate your own accomplishments even if nobody else knows about them?

Can you complete something meaningful without sharing it publicly?

Can you find satisfaction in the work itself?

Can your own witness be enough?

This is not about hiding.

It is not about becoming invisible.

It is about loosening the attachment between your worth and other people’s recognition.

A Personal Shift

This has been one of the deepest practices in my own transformation.

As I moved into coaching and conscious leadership, I realized I could no longer lead from the same need for visibility that had driven parts of my earlier career.

I had to shift from being the expert to becoming the guide.

From being recognized to being useful.

From seeking significance externally to cultivating it internally.

It is still a practice.

But it has created far more peace than any title ever did.

Practices for Balancing the Need for Significance

If this pattern resonates with you, here are a few simple practices:

✅ Accomplish Something Without Sharing It

Do something meaningful that nobody else needs to know about.

Notice what arises.

Do you still feel proud of it?

✅ Attend Without Being the Center of Attention

Go to an event without trying to be noticed.

Practice listening instead of performing.

Observe what happens internally.

✅ Focus on Craft Rather Than Recognition

Shift attention from how your work is perceived to the quality of the work itself.

Can the process become more rewarding than the outcome?

✅ Ask Yourself ‘Why’

When you want more visibility, more success, or more recognition, pause.

Ask: What am I hoping this achievement will give me?

The answer is often deeper than the goal itself.

💡Reflection Questions

Take a few moments with these questions:

* Where does your sense of significance come from today?

* Do you only feel valuable when you are achieving?

* What would happen if nobody witnessed your success?

* Can you appreciate your work without external validation?

* Who are you when the titles, achievements, and recognition are removed?

Closing Reflection

The need for significance is not the problem.

It is one of our most natural human needs.

The invitation is simply to examine it.

Because when significance is unconscious, it drives us.

When significance becomes conscious, it teaches us.

And sometimes the greatest achievement is not becoming more important.

It is realizing that you were already enough before anyone noticed.

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Welcome to a new episode of Spark of Awareness, continuing the series on the six human needs.

If you missed the previous episode, I encourage you to connect with it. Each of these needs carries both a constructive expression and a shadow expression. In leadership, these shadows inevitably appear to varying degrees, and when they remain unconscious, they can hinder growth, decision-making, and long-term impact.

Today, we explore the second human need: variety and uncertainty.

This need reflects the desire for change, novelty, stimulation, unpredictability, adventure, risk, and new experiences. It is the drive toward what is unknown and evolving.

If you recognize this in yourself, it is worth examining honestly.

The Need for Variety in Leadership

Personally, this need has been very present in my own life.

I have often been drawn to new projects, new experiences, and new environments that create a sense of renewed energy. Repetition, long cycles, and sustained commitment have at times felt difficult.

At its extreme, this pattern can lead to restlessness and a constant search for change. Without awareness, it can manifest in premature exits from teams, companies, or relationships — not necessarily because something is wrong, but because internal energy is pushing toward novelty.

In hindsight, I can see moments where I was not responding to external reality, but to an internal need for change. Instead of understanding what was happening within me, I expressed it through external disruption.

This pattern influences how things begin and end — projects, commitments, and relationships.

The Shadow of Constant Change

In leadership, this need can become highly destabilizing.

For example, in executives or founders, it may appear as constant shifts in direction — an ongoing pursuit of what feels new, exciting, or stimulating. However, what feels energizing for the individual is not always what a business requires.

Organizations often need stability, consistency, and sustained execution. When leadership is driven primarily by novelty, it can create confusion and lack of grounding within teams.

A key challenge is distinguishing between:

* Necessary evolution

* And personal preference for change

Without this distinction, decision-making becomes reactive rather than strategic.

Restlessness and the Creation of Chaos

This need can also express itself through intensity.

When there is no clear channel for novelty or stimulation, it may manifest as unnecessary complexity, conflict, or even chaos. Situations become more complicated than they need to be, not because of external conditions, but because internal energy seeks movement.

In some cases, this creates artificial urgency — a sense that something must be fixed, solved, or disrupted in order to feel alive.

In business environments, this can be particularly damaging, especially where discipline, clarity, and consistency are required.

Instability and Lack of Commitment

When the need for variety dominates, it often leads to instability.

There can be a resistance to planning, structure, or long-term commitment. This pattern is also visible in broader society, where commitment in work, relationships, and long-term projects is increasingly fragile.

In a leadership context, this becomes a barrier to mastery. Growth requires repetition, patience, and sustained focus. Without that, execution becomes fragmented.

Another shadow expression is addiction to novelty: constantly starting new things while rarely completing them.

This leads to scattered energy and unfinished potential.

The Cost of Unchanneled Energy

At the core, this is not a lack of energy — it is often the opposite. Too much energy.

Many people with this pattern have significant internal energy, creativity, and drive. The challenge is not generating energy, but directing it.

When it is not consciously channeled, it tends to fragment:

* too many projects

* constant restarting

* unresolved commitments

* loss of continuity

Instead of creating value, the energy disperses.

The key question becomes: how do you channel energy into creation rather than disruption?

Awareness and Rechanneling Energy

The first step is awareness: recognizing the pattern without judgment.

Personally, I noticed a tendency to start many projects but struggle to sustain them. Over time, I learned that consistency itself is a discipline — not a limitation of creativity.

The practice is not to suppress this energy, but to contain and redirect it.

When restlessness arises, the first step is not immediate action. It is observation. Sitting with the energy without reacting to it.

Often, nothing needs to be done immediately. The body may feel agitated, but the system stabilizes when the impulse is not instantly acted upon.

Once the intensity settles, the energy can be redirected into something constructive:

* writing

* reflecting

* creating

* consolidating vision

* refining direction

The goal is not to eliminate movement, but to transform it into intentional creation.

Separating Expression from Responsibility

One important practice has been learning where expression belongs.

Creative exploration, experimentation, and self-expression are valuable — but they are not always appropriate in every context.

For example, in coaching or leadership environments, the role is not self-expression, but service. The focus is on the needs of others, not internal impulses.

This separation is essential.

Without it, personal energy can unconsciously influence spaces that require neutrality, clarity, and presence.

The same applies to leadership in organizations: personal excitement should not override what the system actually needs.

A useful question becomes:Is this decision serving the business, or serving my own need for stimulation?

If it is the latter, it may belong elsewhere.

Channeling Energy Outside of Work

When personal expression is needed, it is important to give it a proper outlet outside professional responsibilities.

This may include creative practices, movement, or environments where expression is held safely and does not impact others’ work or expectations.

This separation allows leadership spaces to remain stable, while personal energy still has room to flow.

Both needs can coexist — but they must be held in the right contexts.

Closing Practice: Working with Restless Energy

To close, I invite a simple meditation practice centered on this theme.

Sit comfortably and bring attention to your breath.

Observe your internal state without attempting to change it.

Notice where energy is present in the body:

* the chest

* the belly

* the mind

* the breath

Simply observe.

As you continue breathing, notice how the energy shifts. In many cases, it begins to regulate on its own.

Some areas soften. Some tension releases. A sense of grounding emerges naturally.

This practice does not require effort — only awareness.

When restlessness appears in daily life, return to this observation. Sit with it before acting.

Then, if needed, journal:

* What is this energy asking for?

* Where does it want to go?

* How can it be directed constructively?

Over time, this builds the ability to transform raw energy into intentional creation.

Closing Reflection

The need for variety is not a problem.

In its healthy form, it brings creativity, innovation, and movement. In its shadow form, it creates instability, fragmentation, and unnecessary disruption.

The work is not to remove this energy, but to learn how to channel it.

Next week, we continue with the third human need: significance — the need for recognition and being seen 🥇.

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

🌿 Next ORIN Women’s Retreat on Sept 11-16 (Portugal) 🌿

I’ve been away for a few weeks, integrating everything that happened over the past months. Many positive changes took place, but integration takes time. Sometimes, making priorities means letting go and accepting that we do not always have control — a theme I’ll explore throughout this series.

In this series, I’m diving into the six human needs and their shadow expressions in leadership.

The framework of the six human needs appears across several psychology and coaching work. You may know it through Tony Robbins’ work, but there are many models exploring human motivation and behavior: self-determination theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and others.

I’m always interested in examining how humans function through different lenses. What I find valuable about the six human needs model is its ability to reveal our patterns and shadows.

The purpose of this reflection is cultivating self-awareness. Self-awareness allows us to become more conscious of what we do, how we think, and ultimately, how we act.

The six human needs are:

* Certainty

* Variety / Uncertainty

* Significance

* Love and Connection

* Growth

* Contribution

Each episode in this series explores one of these needs through the lens of leadership and self-awareness. Today, I’m focusing on the first: the need for certainty.

The Need for Certainty as the Need for Control

The need for certainty is highly present in business and leadership.

If I had to translate certainty into practical leadership behavior, I would call it the need for control.

When the need for certainty becomes dominant, it often turns into an excessive focus on control. In organizations, this pattern appears frequently.

We try to control outcomes. We seek certainty around success. We want guarantees that we will meet our targets, grow, survive, or secure the future.

This creates pressure — pressure from leadership to control markets, despite the reality that markets cannot be controlled.

It shows up as controlling employees, peers, or outcomes. It can manifest as manipulation, increased dependency on systems or people, and a loss of sovereignty.

The need for certainty itself is not wrong. All human needs are valid.

The problem emerges when a need becomes unexamined and overextended. At that point, it turns into a shadow — a blocker to growth, personal development, and consciousness.

The Shadow Side of Certainty

The shadow of certainty is an excessive attachment to control, safety, and predictability.

We want every action we take today to guarantee future success. We want certainty that effort will produce the desired outcome.

Unfortunately, reality does not work that way.

Effort increases probability, but it does not guarantee results — especially in business.

Startup success rates alone remind us of this reality.

This overinvestment in certainty often extends to teams and relationships. Leaders may try to control employees to ensure they stay forever. Similar patterns appear in personal relationships: controlling someone to prevent them from leaving, or to obtain something from them.

But controlling the market, outcomes, or other people is ultimately an illusion.

People do what they want to do. They often act according to their own motivations, not according to our expectations.

Recognizing this is an important reminder: much of what we try to control is beyond our control.

The Reinforcing Cycle of Control

The need for certainty easily becomes a reinforcing loop.

When control fails, we often respond by trying to create stronger mechanisms of control: more contracts, more legal protections, more planning, tighter agreements, reduced freedom.

The question becomes:

Do you notice yourself forcing guarantees in order to feel in control?

The path forward is not stronger control.

It is learning to release control.

It is surrender.

Learning to Surrender

I speak from personal experience here.

The need for certainty was deeply present in my earlier life. Certainty represented safety. I wanted assurance that no one would harm me, that there would be financial runway, that my salary would keep me safe.

Working in the games industry taught me otherwise.

It has been an incredible journey, but also one filled with uncertainty.

Teams closed. People left. Expected numbers did not materialize. I left companies I had not planned to leave.

Over time, I learned — often the hard way — that there is very little I truly control.

Practicing Not Knowing

If you recognize yourself clinging to certainty, especially when it prevents growth, the practice is simple, though not easy:

Practice not knowing.

What does it feel like, in your body, to let go of control little by little?

For me, releasing control created anxiety and stress. It became a gradual practice: letting go a little more, then a little more again.

What can you release and discover that nothing catastrophic happens when you stop controlling?

At minimum, your body often feels different — less contracted, less tense, less exhausted.

Because certainty and control create physical contraction. They create tension, fatigue, and when sustained long enough, chronic symptoms.

What Can You Actually Control?

This brings me back to stoicism.

Stoic practice reminds us that we control very little outside ourselves.

What we can influence are our thoughts, our perceptions, and the actions that arise from them.

How do you interpret events?

How do you speak to yourself?

Negative self-talk tends to generate actions that reinforce negative beliefs. A different interpretation creates different possibilities for action.

Your perception of a situation is something you can work with.

Acceptance as a Leadership Practice

Another practice for those heavily attached to control is acceptance.

Acceptance of what is.

When someone does not do what you want, when reality unfolds differently than expected — can you sit with it?

Can you be with your frustration?

This has been an important practice in my own life.

Because my pattern was certainty, much of my work involved becoming familiar with anxiety, uncertainty, and not knowing.

Learning that it is safe not to know.

Because trying to know everything is largely an illusion.

It rarely changes the outcome.

What changes is your internal state: you feel clearer, calmer, and more grounded in your body.

Closing Reflection

To summarize:

Everyone has a need for certainty.

In its shadow form, certainty becomes an excessive need for control and predictability.

The invitation is to practice not knowing. To move forward without guaranteed outcomes. To discover what happens when you continue walking your path without certainty.

A few years ago, I did not know I would become a coach.

I did not try to force the answer.

I focused on learning, improving my craft, listening to the market, understanding what people needed, and following the current of life.

Today, I’m in the right place.

But arriving here required surrender.

So the question I leave with you is:

How can you surrender a little more to not having control?

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

🌿 Next ORIN Women’s Retreat on Sept 11-16 (Portugal) 🌿

🌿Content note: this conversation includes brief references to plant medicine.🙏 Thank you to Ludovic Bodin for introducing Sam and Sophie.This episode explores:• Joy as a daily practice• Women’s leadership, sisterhood and returning to yourself• Healing, safety and going deeper than the mind• Business as a responsibility, not only a vehicle for achievement• Bridging the physical business world with the more invisible world• Love in leadership, emotional self-mastery and conscious founders• Human Design, Enneagram, plant medicine and tools that help us understand ourselves• Vulnerability, multidimensionality and being more fully yourself in publicIn 2024, Sophie made a complete transition to dedicate herself to bringing greater consciousness into leadership and business, restoring integrity, vitality and balance to the world.Conversation references:• Natural Genius podcast • Ludovic Bodin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludovicbodin• Human Design: https://www.mybodygraph.com/• Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

🌿 Next ORIN Retreat + Medicine on Sept 11-16 (Portugal) 🌿

We explore the signals that reveal shadows in leadership, offer options to practice self-awareness, and provide actionable insights to guide you toward mastering yourself, and ultimately, your endeavors.Conscious leadership begins from within. The path to self-mastery is not through external validation but through internal reflection and understanding. By engaging in deep inner work, you are invited to peel back layers that are not inherently ours and connect to our true selves.

What are the signals of shadows in your leadership?🔸 Emotional Fluctuations: If your emotional state is heavily influenced by the performance of your business, it may indicate over-identification or attachment to external outcomes. Reflect on whether your self-worth is entangled with the success of your business.🔸 Self-Sabotage Behaviors: Recognizing patterns where you might intentionally or unintentionally undermine your progress can signal underlying beliefs or fears that need addressing.🔸 Lack of Center / Integrity anchor: Feeling ungrounded and swayed by external validations may suggest a need for a more profound self-connection. What are the parts that any successful entrepreneur should master?🔹Boundary Mastery: Reflect on what is genuinely yours versus what has been externally influenced. Journal daily on the origins of your beliefs and whether they serve your true self.🔹Energy Mastery: Observe your energy levels and what activities or thoughts either deplete or replenish them. Create a routine that prioritizes regenerative practices.🔹Self-Talk: Monitor your inner dialogue. How you think, how you talk to yourself, shapes your reality and actions. Are you caught in negative thoughts spirals where you sabotage yourself?🔹 Self-Knowledge: Be your own historian. Understanding your background will reveal why certain patterns persist and highlight what truly resonates with you. So you can make decision with speed and sharp clarity.Mastering the inner self equates to mastering the outer world.

Self-awareness, when practiced diligently, serves as the foundation for effective leadership. By confronting shadows, refining self-talk, and embracing our energy, you can move closer to a more aligned and purposeful existence.

Your business is just the mirror of you.

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Next Monday, I am teaching the 3 mindset shifts required 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 6-𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, in a 90-min FREE masterclass:🗓️ Monday May 4, Online, 18:00 CET / 9:00 PST / 12:00 EST

️For women who are ready to build a business with purpose, with a new playbook. Limited to 15 spots.

Setting boundaries is a recurring theme in Sophie Vo’s coaching sessions, reflecting a widespread challenge many leaders face. While the concept of boundaries is broadly understood, the application is often lacking.

A boundary, in its simplest form, is a clear “yes-no” delineation, a determination of what we allow into our lives and what we keep out. Healthy boundaries are crucial to defining our relationships, shaping our professional life, and managing our energyThis episode focuses on boundaries as the foundation of self-mastery: a clear yes/no that determines what comes into your life and what doesn’t: shaping relationships, money, work, time, energy, thoughts, and space. Sophie explores how default yeses leak energy and put you on other people’s agendas, and why practicing “no” can mean disappointment, lost invitations, or changing connections (sharing her own boundaries around alcohol and certain networking environments).

The episode invites listeners to curate inputs—news, conversations, environments—and offers a 28-day practice: write boundaries across life areas, track where they’re honored or broken, and iterate daily. 01:39 Why Boundaries Matter03:35 Yes No Clarity05:26 The Cost of Saying No07:51 Energy Relationship Space11:16 My Boundary Rules14:09 28-Day Boundary Practice: Start Now15:30 Closing Meditation18:55 Wrap Up and Next Series on the 6 Human Needs

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Welcome to a Spark of Awareness, a weekly 15-minute reflection for leaders to reclaim inner authority in a world shaped by algorithms and constant stimulation.

Sophie Vo closes her series on emotions in leadership by naming what’s often missing in business settings: love, expressed as the courage of the heart. We mean by that self-love, and compassion, not boundaryless attachment.

Sophie explains that when love isn’t given space, fear, mistrust, and control take over, and leadership becomes rigid and less human. Through the example of a key team member leaving, she contrasts ego-driven reactions (betrayal, blame, guilt) with a compassionate approach that centers the other person’s needs, keeps the situation factual, and protects the leader’s nervous system from rumination. She shares how choosing compassion in her own departures and client work freed energy for what’s next.

A daily practice is offered at the end of the episode, to cultivate love from within with morning meditation, gratitude, prayer, movement, or music. Follow this practice for 28 days to bring your human-centered leadership to the next level.01:39 Emotions Series Recap02:55 Why Love Matters04:02 Defining Healthy Love05:32 Compassion When People Leave07:54 Protect Your Nervous System09:11 Personal Lessons and Letting Go11:48 Daily Rituals to Cultivate Love14:26 28-Day Love Leadership Activation15:32 Heart Centered Meditation18:42 Next Series Human Needs

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Recording from Coppet on the Switzerland–France border while finishing training in energetic healing and family system constellation, Sophie Vo reflects on a two-and-a-half-year transformation from gaming executive (Head of Studio at Voodoo, GM at PlayStation) to leadership and transformative Coach.

After two abrupt corporate cutbacks and dismissals, Sophie took a break to pursue self-mastery and sat with plant medicine (Yagé) in Colombia, which deepened her understanding of human nature, distraction, and the roots of conflict, which helped her reconnect with her Vietnamese ancestral and shamanic roots.

Returning recently to sit again with the medicine in the jungle, she feels she has closed a chapter of recalibrating career and relationships, leaving games to prioritize nature and connection. With the space cleared, Sophie is now expanding a bigger, scarier decade-long vision: building a sanctuary in nature for healing, education, and community. She explains plant medicine as a way to face truth, release stuck emotions, and integrate change through ongoing group support, and previews upcoming episodes on emotions (love) and human needs.01:00 Self Mastery Focus02:54 Career Peak to Wake Up Call05:01 Life breakthrough Plant Medicine Retreat06:45 Colombia Insights and Roots10:09 Closing An Old Chapter11:19 Dreaming a Nature Sanctuary13:11 Why Plant Medicine17:05 Integration and Sisterhood19:42 Building the Nature Temple Vision

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In this episode on fear, as the most dominant emotion at work and the polar opposite of love, Sophie Vo explores how fear is amplified by news, media, and marketing and how unexamined fear drives high-stakes decisions, damages teams and products, and fuels stress and burnout.

Sophie distinguishes fear from intuition: fear is urgent, immediate, and often felt as bodily contraction (chest, lungs, belly), while intuition is quieter and still present over time. She shares personal examples of fear around scaling her coaching business and pursuing a long-term vision to build a nature-based school of consciousness, emphasizing breaking “big monster” fears into first steps.

We close this episode with coaching practices of fear-setting journaling (map, prevent/mitigate, test what’s true) and closes with a grounding breath meditation, previewing a next episode on love.01:39 Why Fear Runs Work04:54 Fear Versus Intuition06:21 Feel Fear in Body07:48 Fear as Growth Compass08:40 Scaling Vision Example10:44 Nature School Vision12:00 Fear Setting Practice13:00 Closing Meditation15:38 Next Episode Love16:26 Final Reflection Invite

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In this episode on suppressed emotions at work, Sophie Vo focuses on Sadness as the process of something that used to be and is no more, an inevitable companion to transformation, endings, and rebirth in teams, projects, and leadership identities.

Unprocessed grief creates organizational inconsistency, broken trust, cultural erosion, and a backlog of sadness that can turn into anger and toxic behavior in team cultures.

Sophie shares her own grieving in shifting from tech executive work to deeper transformative and somatic leadership spaces, including letting go of misaligned clients and identities, tolerating the void that follows, and making space for what is aligned.

Practices include noticing sadness in the body (heart contraction), tracing what’s being released, allowing tears, asking what must be closed, and creating gratitude-based closing rituals such as burning paper, starting a new journal page, followed by a short heart-centered breathing meditation.

01:39 Why Sadness Matters at Work02:46 Defining Sadness and Loss03:44 Workplace Change and Grief05:03 When Grief Turns Toxic06:34 Personal Grieving Story11:16 Making Space for the New12:19 Somatic Signs and Awareness13:34 Inner Child and Abandonment15:00 Reflection Questions and Letting Go16:11 Rituals for Closure and Gratitude18:33 Closing Meditation and Farewell

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In men it often appears as burying wrongdoing, blaming others, and over-justifying harmful actions. Sophie traces shame to an unconscious belief of being unlovable and unsafe, shares her own shame around immigration, difference, and womanhood, and offers repair through self-forgiveness, compassionate self-talk, and clean apology:

“I am sorry.”

without justification.

We close each episode with grounding meditation and will tackle next week’s emotion: sadness.02:10 What Shame Looks Like03:02 Women and Self Shame04:22 Men and Hidden Shame05:37 Root Beliefs and Fear06:28 Shame Breaks Trust08:48 My Personal Shame Story10:14 Repair Through Forgiveness13:26 Apology That Heals15:52 Resources and Practices16:50 Grounding and Closing

Additional Resources:

* Non-Violent Communication Framework (by Marshall Rosenberg)

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We begin a special series on emotions in leadership—often discouraged publicly yet present in private—because self-awareness supports integrity, nervous system regulation, and healthier workplaces.

This episode focuses on Anger, commonly labeled as negative or violent, and reframes it as life force and a boundary-setting compass.

Suppressed anger can surface as passive-aggression, conflict, burnout, or chronic tension and symptoms, and may be passed through transgenerational patterns. Sophie shares her own experience of suppressing anger in a disciplined Vietnamese upbringing and learning to release it somatically.

She offers practical steps to let anger move through you: locate anger in the body, acknowledge the boundary crossed, release safely (movement, gym, screaming), then assert boundaries calmly.01:39 Why Emotions Matter at Work03:03 The Emotion Spectrum Series04:18 Anger Misunderstood05:28 Suppressed Anger at Work06:39 How Emotions Live in Body07:17 Anger as Boundary Signal08:36 Personal Anger Story11:01 Release Then Assert Boundaries12:29 Anger Bucket and Blowups13:30 Four Step Anger Practice14:45 Resources and Regulation15:24 Guided Body Check In17:03 Closing and Next Episode

💡Additional Resources:

* When The Body Says No (by Gabor Maté)

* Heal Your Trauma & Finally Break Free (by Gabor Maté)

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Judgment.Self-criticism.The quiet inner voice telling us we are not enough.

But what if the practice isn’t to fight those parts…

What if the practice is to meet them with love?

In this live session from the ORIN Fire Gathering, Sophie Vo shares a simple yet powerful mirror practice: learning to speak to ourselves with compassion instead of judgment.

A small shift — but one that can change how we relate to every part of who we are.

Try the practice:“I love every part of myself.I accept them.I integrate them.I forgive myself.”

Notice where resistance appears.

Because often, the part of us we try to hide the most…is the part asking to be loved.

✍️ Journaling prompts:

* Which parts of myself feel hardest to love right now?

* Where do I still hold shame?

* What would acceptance look like in my thoughts, words, and actions today?

* What might integration mean for this part of me?

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She shares how she sees low energy as a core challenge in her coaching clients, often showing up as feeling frozen, overthinking, and lacking movement, and connects this to the idea of leading from an “empty cup.”

Sophie frames energy in a grounded way: the felt presence someone carries that creates warmth, trust, inspiration, and momentum. She invites listeners to assess their “cup” of energy each morning and redesign routines to support it—especially the night before (going to bed earlier, reducing late screens, using blue-light glasses after 8pm).

She emphasizes protecting the first part of the day from emails/messages and creating a non-negotiable morning ritual tailored to what energizes you (silence, breakfast, movement, meditation, reading). Sophie shares her own 30-minute routine: music, singing, tea, lemon and coconut oil, connecting with her cat Lio, light movement/dancing, and a short grounding meditation before starting work.

She also highlights that energy is shaped by exchanges with others, encouraging listeners to check how they feel after meetings—energized or drained—and to adjust boundaries, frequency, and timing of interactions (especially triggering conversations).

She cautions against relying on stimulants like excessive caffeine or drugs to sustain performance, suggesting instead a restructuring of days and weeks around what nurtures energy. Finally, she explains how her business is built on energy through consistency, discipline, clarity, warmth, and regulated presence—allowing her to convert clients without overselling.

The episode ends with a short guided grounding meditation focused on breathing, body sensation, and gentle movement to integrate the topic.00:00 Energy Is the New Currency (Not Money or Time)01:12 What “Energy” Really Means: Presence, Trust & Vibe01:54 Why Most People Get Stuck: Empty Cup, Self‑Sabotage & Frozen Action03:06 Morning Energy Audit: How You Wake Up Sets the Whole Day03:55 Build a Non‑Negotiable Routine: Sleep, Screens & Starting Right05:21 My 30‑Minute Morning Ritual (Music, Movement, Meditation)07:41 Social Energy: Who Drains You vs. Who Fuels You09:29 Protect Your Energy with Boundaries & Strategic Scheduling10:21 Stop Relying on Stimulants—Restructure Your Week Around What Nourishes You11:46 How My Business Runs on Energy: Calm Presence Over Hustle13:50 Grounding Meditation to Integrate the Episode17:02 Closing: Keep Working on Your Energy Flow

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Sophie describes masculine leadership as structure, boundaries, control (and when imbalanced, dominance, aggression, and competition) and feminine leadership as flow, intuition, and emotional attunement—qualities she says are often missing at workplaces. She notes many women leaders have learned to lead through masculine models, which can be exhausting and can hide feminine power, while in business operations many women lean too far into unstructured feminine flow when building a business requires masculine structure, method, discipline, and strong boundaries.

This podcast reflection invites both women and men to develop missing parts of their polarity: women reconnecting to feminine presence without shame or stereotypes, and men cultivating empathy, listening, and emotional presence rather than outsourcing emotional labor to women.

Sophie shares her personal journey of being raised in a performance-driven, competitive, controlling environment, feeling uncomfortable in women’s spaces, and later reconnecting to her feminine side to lead and build her work from authenticity, truth, and soul alignment rather than performance.

The episode closes with reflection prompts to identify where listeners are overdeveloped (masculine force/control or feminine lack of structure), suggestions to rebalance through learning structure or practicing softness and imperfection, and a short grounding meditation focused on breath, sensory awareness, and a held inhale.

00:00 Welcome to A Spark of Awareness (Why inner authority matters)02:44 Feminine & Masculine in leadership: Why this theme triggers us05:02 Redefining the feminine leadership: Presence, authenticity, and trust07:15 The reversal for women: Masculine presence, feminine business ops09:22 My personal journey: From performance to feminine reconnection11:23 Practical reflection: Diagnose your polarity + rebalance practices13:06 Guided grounding meditation (breath + senses)15:05 Closing: Next retreats, integration prompt, and how to connect

Recommended Books on Feminine Leadership 🌹

* Women who run with the wolves (by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estés)

* Muse: The Magnetism of Women Who Stop Abandoning Themselves (by Dr Amanda Hanson)

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

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She outlines its three roles: rescuer, victim, and persecutor, and explains how these roles manifest in various relationship dynamics including business, co-founding partners, client relationships, and romantic partnerships.

Sophie emphasizes the importance of recognizing which role one is playing to break free from the cycle of conflict. She shares personal experiences and techniques for how to stop the drama, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, self-compassion, and personal responsibility.

The episode also provides actionable steps for regulating oneself and moving from being in a reactive mode to a more proactive, creator mindset.

00:44 Understanding the Drama Triangle Roles

07:01 Real-Life Examples of the Drama Triangle

07:06 Personal Journey and Insights

10:26 Breaking Free from the Drama Triangle

13:11 Practical Steps to Avoid Drama

14:56 Grounding and Closing Meditation

Other resources:

* Triangle of Karpman: READ

* Book Attached (by Amir Levine, Rachel S. F. Heller)

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

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We revisit the previous patterns like shutting down intuition, people-pleasing, leading from fear, and having an empty cup. Sophie shares her personal story of growing up in an immigrant family where she had to take on responsibilities at a young age. This pattern, born from early experiences of mistrust and betrayal, impacts professional and personal life. She suggests examining the origins of this distrust and encourages small experiments towards trusting others to break this self-sabotage cycle.

Trust cannot develop by thinking alone; it has to be practiced. The episode concludes with grounding meditation and journaling exercises to help listeners reflect and reprogram behaviors to stop sabotaging themselves.

Extra resources recommended:

* It Didn’t Start With You (by Marc Wolynn)

* Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents (Lindsy Gibson)

* Life is a Game. You don’t like your life? Rewrite it: READ HERE

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness.

In this episode, Sophie Vo Vo discusses the fourth self-sabotage pattern for leaders: having an 'empty cup,' and being depleted of energy.

Many leaders operate in survival mode without realizing it, manifesting through signs like excessive fatigue, skipping breaks, poor sleep quality, and using free time for rest only, due to exhaustion. And then repeat the cycle.

Burnout is around the corner…

The role of a leader's energy is critical in the overall performance of their team and business. Sophie shares her personal experience of reprioritizing all daily tasks to focus on high-impact activities only and introduces an 'energy audit' coaching exercise to help leaders identify what drains and replenishes their energy, and rearrange their habits to optimize for energy, rather than time.

Additional resources:

* Energy in, Energy out Self-assessment: Download Here

* Atomic Habits (by James Clear)

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness.

In this weekly reflection of ‘A Spark of Awareness,’ Sophie Vo presents the third self-sabotage pattern in leadership: fear-based decision-making.

Drawing from her own experience and the hundreds of founders she has worked with, Sophie outlines how fear influences leaders’ decisions, leading to detrimental outcomes for teams and organizations, and eventually business growth.

You will get actionable insights on recognizing fear-driven behaviors, differentiating rational and irrational fears, and how to bring them to light so they have less power over you.

This reflection is a reminder of the importance of making decisions from a place of integrity rather than fear, advocating for conscious leadership.

Listeners are encouraged to slow down, connect with their bodies, and reflect on their fears to lead more effectively.

Reflection points:

* Recognizing Fear in Decision Making

* Evolutionary Perspective on Fear And Why Most Of Our Fears Are Not Real

* Good vs. Bad Fears

* Managing Fear: Techniques and Coaching Exercises

* Transgenerational Fears and Their Origins

* Closing Meditation and Reflection

Extra resources recommended:

* Fear Settings Journaling (by Tim Ferriss):

* It Didn’t Start With You (by Marc Wollyn)

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness..

Sophie Vo, explores how people pleasing manifests in various behaviors such as avoiding conflicts, difficult conversations, struggling to say no, or over-explaining your boundaries.

Through personal anecdotes, she highlights the cultural and psychological origins of people pleasing and its detrimental effects on both personal and professional relationships.

Sophie offers actionable advice on how to recognize these patterns and practice setting boundaries by delaying responses and learning to say no.

Leaders are encouraged to practice these skills and reflect on their experiences, with more on self-sabotage patterns promised in future episodes.Extra resources recommended:

* Boundaries (by Henry Cloud)

* Boundary Boss (by Terry Cole)

* Attached (by Amir Levine), to understand more the origins of your people pleasing patterns.

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness.

In a world saturated with technology and external validation, it's easy to lose touch with our inner authority and self-mastery. This first episode highlights the #1 self-sabotage pattern: ignoring intuition.

Many leaders today operate solely from the mind which is 20% of their full potential, by disregarding the body's inherent wisdom. The episode offers practical steps to reconnect with intuition through creative practices and daily self-awareness exercises.

Every episode closes with a short guided meditation designed to help listeners connect with their breath and bodies, creating space for intuitive feelings to surface.

Additional resources:

* The Pathless Path

* The Creative Act: A Way Of Being (by Rick Rubin)

Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness.

I am evolving The Rise and Play Podcast. Time has come.

Over the past four years, your support, feedback, and presence have meant very much to me and through this work, we’ve explored the leadership lessons of more than 150 founders, CEOs and leaders in the gaming industry, and the podcast reflected the journey.

I was living myself as a gaming executive and leader, learning alongside my peers, and now I am evolving, and so is this podcast. Last year, if you have followed my journey, I fully crossed a threshold in my own life and identity, and I stepped away from the role and the structure of gaming leadership and into my full path as an entrepreneur and conscious leadership guide where I support leaders as we cross their own threshold from confinement, old scripts, duty identity into self-mastery, freedom, and truth.

From this work. I have also founded ORIN, a sisterhood of conscious women leaders who are crossing the threshold and are doing this in group and in beautiful awareness. And I also now accompany many CEOs and leaders in one-on-one through that deep transformation. So the podcast will now become a reflection of this path and of the evolution I am witnessing in the leaders I work with.

To reflect this transition, the podcast is shifting into a new format.

And let me be clear here. I wanna respect your time and mine and offer something that is meaningful, grounded, and truly valuable of this time. There’s already so much content competing for our attention. And I don’t wanna add more noise, distraction, or information to consumer.

And instead, this podcast will become a practice, a weekly discipline.

A pause, a moment to step back, reconnect, and ask yourself the right questions. The same questions I work , with the founders and leaders I coach. And each episode will be between 10 and 15 minutes, what I call a “human prompt”, where I share what is alive in my work with leaders, the patterns I’m observing, because they are repeating over and over again across hundreds of leaders I’ve worked with.

In the end, it is about being human and its human patterns, and you will get the wisdom that emerges from real journey of transformation. Maybe you are in yourself and need support, so this content will not be preplanned. And it’s definitely not an AI prompt.

It is a human to human conversation and drawn from everything that I’m learning with my clients and with my own experience as an entrepreneur.

It’s an invitation to cross your own bridge. From a legacy expectation, maybe a legacy of company or your story to more agency and your inner freedom and truth. And the first series I will open next week is about self-sabotage, patterns in leadership. The patterns I’ve identified across more than 200 leaders I’ve worked with.

It’s so funny because they appear again and again, and I thought it is time that I actually reveal them because it’s going to make my work easier as we can start from the same basis, and you can also benefit from them without having to go through this yourself, which will help develop your self-awareness, which is the first step of transformation.

So the first pattern. We will explore in my first episode is a disconnection from intuition because many leaders are externalizing the wisdom, living primarily in the intellectual mind and losing more and more of a connection to their inner voice. I hear every week. I would say even every day, people who are outsourcing the authority to chat GPT, they can’t even think for themselves.

They don’t even know how to listen to themselves. And they’re, I would say, letting that muscle die by outsourcing it more and more to a machine or to others. And when intuition is discarded, distrusted businesses and the leaders as one with in them become flat. And we see businesses that are built from trends comparison.

Imitation instead of authenticity. Conviction, something that is true and original. And this is what is going to emerge in an era where everything is mostly likely produced by an ai.

And in this era, people will not seek for more information, but they will seek for what is real. They’ll seek truth. So in each episode, I will share concrete experiences from my work with clients from my own journey and other reflections and practices you can use to transform your patterns at your own pace into self-mastery.

The main thing I’m asking from you is discipline. You don’t need more knowledge. You need commitment and discipline, and that’s the work I do in my coaching.

This is my invitation.

So if you feel you’re standing at the edge of a threshold, something needs to change. You are entering a new chapter of your life, asking yourself whether the way you are living, leading, and spending your time still true to you.

The space is for you and you are not alone. If you here to continue to consume content, , without accountability, this podcast is evolving to a place that, it’s not going to be aligned.

It is for leaders who are willing to do the work. This is my 15-minute coaching practice for free if you really wanna do the work, but maybe are not in a place yet to work with a coach.

So I’m very excited to introduce this new evolution, this next chapter of this podcast.

This is: A Spark of Awareness.

I look forward to being with you there.

See you next week.

Sophie

Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly reflection.

These themes have resonated particularly for women leaders navigating the complexities of authenticity and growth.

Changing: The Paradoxes of Growth

In our discussion, we delved into the paradoxical nature of personal growth. Many leaders express a desire to rise and transform while simultaneously fearing what that transformation might entail. The fear of “becoming someone you do not want to be” often mirrors a deeper apprehension of losing integral parts of oneself in the pursuit of growth.

Identify When You Are Sabotaging Yourself

Change starts with awareness.

Recognizing where you feel stuck or conflicted—such as the fear of becoming your own Villain—can unveil deeper self-limiting beliefs. Trust that acknowledging these feelings is the first step toward overcoming them.

Recalibrate Relationships: In and Out

As you grow, you may need to reassess your relationships, including the one you have with yourself. Growth often requires reevaluation and sometimes letting go of connections that no longer serve your true self.

This requires courage, and is part of the process of change.

Practice Daily Self-Awareness

True self-awareness involves daily practices of introspection. Writing down and honoring your boundaries can guard your authenticity and prevent self-abandonment.

3 Signs You Are Not Aligned

Leadership isn’t merely about external success; it’s about fulfilling your role while staying true to yourself.

When shadows loom in leadership, signals manifest physically and emotionally, disrupting our well-being. Watch out for these:

* Physical Symptoms: Stress or burnout symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, and physical exhaustion suggest misalignment in your path and priorities.

* Emotional Up and Downs: Feelings of loneliness or disconnection, even when surrounded by people, are strong indicators that introspective work is needed.

* Constant Misalignments: Recurring conflicts or dissatisfaction in professional and personal settings often highlight deep-seated issues begging for resolution.

✍️ Coaching Tools

For leaders seeking to address these shadows, fostering a conscious, self-aware mindset is crucial. Here are some practical options:

* Daily Journaling: Spend time each day reflecting on your thoughts and feelings. Focus on areas that are out of alignment and use journaling to explore their roots.

* Boundary Setting: Identify what is yours, what is not yours? Establish boundaries that protect your time and energy. Practice saying no.

* Weekly Calibration: Regularly pause to assess your emotional state and recent interactions. Are they nourishing or depleting? Consciously decide who and what fills your environment. Change it.

* Journey with a group: Join communities or circles where you can share experiences and gain diverse perspectives. These spaces offer opportunities for learning, healing, and collective growth.

Don’t be afraid to explore those uncomfortable questions:

“What am I afraid of losing in the process of becoming who I truly want to be?”

“When did I last ignore my instincts, and what was the outcome?”

“What relationships in my life truly support my growth, and which ones do I maintain out of fear?”

Remember that personal growth is not linear.

On December 20th, I’ll host online a free masterclass to go deeper on the themes to realign your life and purpose, overcoming the fears of becoming You.

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In this new episode, Sophie Vo Vo and Marko Kecmann, business partner in games for 11 years, explore the essence of this evolution, uncovering key insights and practical steps leaders can take to embark on their own inner work journey.

Leadership Coaching Wisdom

The Power of Letting Go

A recurring theme in leadership evolution is recognizing the need to let go of control. Leaders often try to micromanage and dictate every aspect of their team’s operations. However, true leadership lies in empowering others and trusting them to bring their skills to fruition.

Instead of dictating terms, embrace the idea that leadership means guiding, influencing, and inspiring others to achieve common goals.

Active Listening

One of the most undervalued yet crucial skills in leadership is active listening. It involves listening not to respond, but to truly understand and empathize with others’ perspectives. Practicing active listening opens up channels for deeper communication, enabling leaders to connect with their teams on a more authentic level.

Be a Life Student

Leadership is not about having all the answers, but about constantly learning and growing. Adopting a mindset of continual education and curiosity allows leaders to remain adaptable and open to new ideas.

As Sophie mentioned, even at the age of 50 or 60, remain a student to effectively lead evolving teams.

3 Signs You Have Shadows in Your Leadership

#1 Defensiveness to Feedback

If you find yourself defending every critique instead of embracing it, it might signal underlying shadows. Such reactions often stem from insecurity or an inflated ego, masking deeper issues that require attention.

#2 A Constant Need for Control

Over-managing and a reluctance to delegate can be indicators of internal shadows driven by fear of failure or losing authority. Observe if this need springs from an authentic place or is clouded by past experiences and perceptions.

#3 Avoidance of Vulnerability

An unwillingness to show vulnerability can prevent authentic connections with your team. Shadows often manifest in maintaining a façade of perfection or invulnerability, hindering growth and mutual trust.

Where Can You Start To Practice Self-Awareness?

Journaling and Reflection

Set aside time for regular journaling to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Writing can illuminate patterns and provide clarity on personal challenges and areas for growth.

Seek Feedback and Coaching

Invite feedback from peers and consider engaging with a coach to gain external perspectives and guidance. A coach can help identify blind spots and support you in navigating personal and professional challenges.

Mindfulness and Somatic Practices

Engage in mindfulness exercises and somatic practices to become attuned to your inner experiences. Techniques such as meditation, breathwork, or guided visualization can aid in reducing stress and promoting emotional regulation.

Join Leadership Circles or Retreats

Participating in leadership-focused workshops or retreats offers a supportive environment to explore self-awareness. Engaging with others who are on a similar journey fosters learning and peer support.

Conclusion

Leadership is no longer about wielding power over others; it is about fostering a space where everyone feels empowered to contribute their best. Embracing inner work through self-awareness, vulnerability, and continuous learning is vital for modern leaders.

By acknowledging and releasing the shadows that hinder our potential, we pave the way for a more compassionate and connected leadership landscape.

Join Sophie and Marko in embracing this revolution in leadership—a journey that starts from within 💛✨

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Joined by co-host Maria Gillies, they discuss the challenges and emotional experiences involved in letting go, including professional setbacks and personal growth. The conversation dives deep into overcoming shame, embracing vulnerability, and the importance of reconnecting with the body through various somatic practices.

The episode concludes with practical advice on facing the storms of life head-on, maintaining integrity, and seeking communal support during transformative times.

Sophie’s Key Highlights

The Cycle of Death and Rebirth: Make It A Ritual

Sophie observes that as the seasons change, “the summer is gone,” inviting us to introspect and recognize what needs to be released. She speaks about how approaching winter serves as a perfect metaphor for retreating inward and examining what we need to let go of.

She encourages redefining our relationship with endings by embracing them as opportunities for new beginnings. Sophie explains, “Our cells are dying every day. We are in a permanent cycle of death and life.”

The Body Always Knows

Reflecting on her most difficult moments in her career, Sophie mentions feeling “frozen” in moments of realization, acknowledging that her body was responding to situations that required change. She states, “I knew deep down that no job should make you feel this way,” highlighting the body’s role in signaling the need for transformation.

“I knew deep down that no job should ever make me feel this way,”

Why Leaders Don’t Do the Inner Work?

Sophie underlines that leaders often avoid confronting failure due to shame and guilt, projecting these feelings onto others instead. She asserts that recognizing and sitting with these emotions is crucial, saying, “It takes courage to face it, to listen to it, and also act on it.”

The Moment When “You Know”

Sophie shares how she realized it was time to leave a company when asked to make decisions that conflicted with her integrity. She describes a pivotal moment:

“I promised to myself. Never again.”

Sophie talks about letting go of certain friendships and relationships that are no longer aligned, taking different paths. “Some friendship died unfortunately, but they had to as part of constant recalibration and realignment.”

She discusses the evolution of her work with ORIN, expressing a newfound openness to leading retreats for men after initially focusing on women. “I didn’t choose to do it, but listened to the signals I received and followed my intuition”.

A dozen of conscious men already stepped forward with ORIN, to dive deeper in their journey of self-inquiry and redefine what a modern man and leader should be. To walk the talk.

How Do You Know When To Let Go?

Reading The Signals to Let Go

The journey of letting go begins with recognizing the signals. Life often whispers to us before it shouts. For Sophie, the signals were often visceral—a body shock here, a deep feeling of paralysis there.

These were signs that something wasn’t aligned in her life. Emotional cues, such as a persistent sense of unease or dissatisfaction, are also indicative. Listening to our bodies and emotions is crucial in identifying when to let go.

Taking A Step Back, Retreat

Once the signals are acknowledged, the next step is evaluation. This involves reflecting on whether the current path aligns with our true selves.

Sophie shares the importance of contemplative practices like journaling. Spending time alone, in nature, retreats, can offer clarity. It’s also beneficial to engage in conversations with trusted individuals who can provide objective perspectives (i.e. mastermind, coaching, therapy, sharing circles).

Practices for Grieving and Moving On

Letting go is as much about embracing new beginnings as it is about grieving past endings. Sophie emphasizes the importance of rituals in this transition.

Writing letters of forgiveness, burning them to symbolize closure, and creating a safe space to process emotions like grief and pain are integral practices. The goal is to acknowledge emotions without being consumed by them.

✍️ Coaching and Journaling Practices

* Mindful Reflection: Set aside time regularly to reflect on your life’s alignment. Use mindfulness practices to connect with your inner self.

* Body Awareness: Engage in activities that reconnect you with your body, such as dancing, yoga, or meditation. These practices help in recognizing physical signals of discontent.

* Community Support: Surround yourself with a community that understands the value of growth and transformation like circles and mastermind. Engage in conversations that challenge and inspire.

* Rituals of Release: Develop personal rituals to denote the end of cycles. Whether through writing, art, or nature retreats, find ways to symbolize closure and welcome new beginnings.

Conclusion

Letting go is an art, a continuous journey of self-assessment and courageous decisions. It requires us to challenge our comfort zones, embrace discomfort, and trust in the natural cycles of life.

As Sophie and Maria beautifully illustrates, when we let go, we create space for abundance and opportunities to enter our lives. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey; support, guidance, and collective wisdom are just a reach away.

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"It wasn’t luck — it was luck with a lot of homework. Ten years of work led to that one call from Andreessen. But the real lesson is: you can build a company without losing yourself in the process. And if you feel you are — choose yourself first."

From building side projects that went viral, to receiving that life-changing call from Andreessen Horowitz, to stepping away from her own company at the height of its momentum, Ioana shares the raw truths behind the glossy founder narrative.

💡 Key Learnings

* Founding ≠ Career LadderBecoming a founder is not the next rung up from being an executive. It’s a fundamentally different path that demands resilience, risk tolerance, and constant rejection management.

* The Co-Founder FactorHaving a co-founder is not just about skills but also psychological support and surviving the rollercoaster.

* Resilience in FundraisingExpect 20–30 rejections for every yes. Fundraising is harder than dating apps, and persistence matters more than early luck.

* Choosing Yourself Over BurnoutIoana describes reaching anhedonia (a flat emotional state linked to depression). Her decision to step back after fundraising was about survival, not weakness. And the company continued without her.

* Boundaries Create SustainabilityHigh performers often put identity and well-being aside to succeed. Ioana highlights the importance of setting boundaries early to avoid collapse later.

* The Power of Support CirclesPrograms like ORIN, and networks of executives who share openly, can provide validation, reflection, and perspective that family or friends may not fully grasp.

* Diversity Lifts EveryoneMixed teams across gender, race, and background, create healthier, more empathetic, and higher-performing environments for all, not just underrepresented groups.

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Claire shares her perspective on navigating layoffs, redefining success beyond corporate life, and creating ventures that address real gaps in the market—from gaming communities to women-led festivals and Femtech initiatives. The discussion is deeply personal, exploring how life experiences, including moments of trauma, can shape one’s courage to live authentically and take risks.

Listeners will come away with powerful reminders about trust, self-belief, and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people who empower you to build the life you truly want.

“Unemployment is not an end—it’s an opportunity to evolve.”

Leadership Learnings

💡 Leading With Courage

* Facing mortality builds clarity: A near-death experience pushed Claire to live boldly, take risks, and reject fear of failure.

* Employment ≠ identity: Layoffs, while painful, can be reframed as opportunities for reinvention and growth.

* Corporate limits: Promotions and career ladders often cap personal growth. Entrepreneurship opens new paths, but also requires resilience.

💡 Entrepreneurship & Solopreneurship

* Gap spotting as strategy: Every venture Claire started—from communities to femtech—began with identifying unmet needs.

* Solo founder ≠ working alone: Building partnerships and communities is essential, even without co-founders.

* Bootstrapping > dependency: Funding freedom can matter more than chasing investors and exits.

💡 Building Communities

* Authenticity is power: Claire’s success stems from being unapologetically herself, even in male-dominated spaces.

* Community > scale: True connection and diversity create lasting impact, not vanity metrics.

* Support networks matter: Behind every strong leader is a circle of peers, mentors, and allies.

💡 Life & Business Alignment

* Design life around values: Entrepreneurship is not just about money, but about crafting a lifestyle aligned with authenticity, ethics, and joy.

* Emotions are a GPS: Feelings are a guide, not a weakness, when making business and life decisions.

* Equality requires awareness: Recognizing historical and structural inequities is key to building more inclusive futures.

Resources & Links

* 📕 Rise and Play – Coaching, workshops, and resources for conscious leadership

* 🔗 Follow Claire Rozain on LinkedIn

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Dani shares her journey from early gaming passion to launching Yang Yang Mobile with her husband in the Philippines, building a reputation for high-quality visual novels like The Letter, and developing their latest title, High Time.

From risky leaps of faith to strategic pivots, Danni discusses the balance between creative vision and business realities, the challenges of working with your life partner, and how to grow a team without losing the joy of making games.

She also opens up about her unconventional daily schedule , the role of her support system, and how she handles founder guilt while raising three children.

Key Learnings

Starting Before 30 & Bootstrapping

* Danni and her husband started their studio shortly after she gave birth, believing it was better to “fail early” than wait until later in life.

* Bootstrapped the business using life savings, layoff packages, and small family loans—no investors, to keep creative freedom.

Finding Success By Pivoting To What You Love

* Initially aimed for hyper-casual mobile games but shifted to visual novels after realizing mobile required heavy UA spending.

* Created The Letter and used Kickstarter to secure funding, leveraging her own passion and understanding of the VN audience.

Indie Studios Success: Standing Out in a Niche

* Elevated the standard for indie visual novels: full English voice acting, animated backgrounds, branching storylines that impact the journey—not just the ending.

* Added minigames and interactivity to make titles more engaging for streamers and viewers.

Sustainable Growth vs Scale

* Grew from a 7-person team to around 20—deliberately staying small to balance creative work and manageable leadership.

* Avoided scaling too fast after seeing the strain of expansion.

Balancing Family & Business

* Relies on family and trusted help for childcare and household management.

* Embraces a night-owl schedule with split work blocks to balance deep focus time, family moments, and personal space.

Top Quality Is The Best Marketing

* Focus on making a “really darn good game” so fans and streamers want to share it.

* Built a small but loyal fanbase who amplify launches and sustain visibility.

Links & Resources

* Yang Yang Mobile Website

* Wishlist High Time on Steam: Steam Page Link

* Rise and Play Leadership coaching

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Maria shares her unique journey from working in the fishing industry to becoming a leader in mobile free-to-play games. With openness and depth, she discusses the personal and professional transformations she's undergone through the Rise and Play coaching program ORIN, including moving back to Portugal, rediscovering joy, and reshaping her leadership style.

"I didn't want to be on the hamster wheel anymore—I just wanted to make great games with great people."

Sophie and Maria explore themes of alignment, creative leadership, feminine power in tech, and the importance of building humane studios and communities.

💡 Key Learnings & Takeaways

* Purposeful Career Planning: Maria’s entry into games wasn’t accidental—it was a deliberate, 10-year plan that involved leveraging transferable skills and continuously learning outside of work.

* The Cost of Success: Chasing career milestones can cause disconnection from one's values. Realigning with personal principles often requires pausing, reflecting, and sometimes rewriting the “playbook.”

* Creating Joyful Workspaces: A creative industry like gaming thrives when workplaces are safe, joyful, and aligned. Maria emphasizes that fun is essential not only in the games we create but in how we make them.

* Leadership Rooted in Humanity: Rather than copying leadership styles, Maria champions being guided by your morals and heart. Vulnerability and reflection are essential to lead well.

* The Power of Coaching & Community: Through the ORIN mastermind, Maria found clarity, balance, and deep friendships. Investing in personal growth led to professional transformation—and vice versa.

* Remote Work and Returning Home: Maria’s move back to Portugal wasn’t just geographic—it represented a personal full circle, reclaiming joy, language, and creative inspiration.

🌐 Resources & Mentions

* PlaytestCloud — Podcast sponsor and a powerful player research tool for game developers.

* Rise and Play — Leadership coaching, resources, and the ORIN mastermind program.

* Pixion Games — Studio behind Fableborn, where Maria leads product and creative direction.

🙌 Connect with Us

* Maria Gillies: LinkedIn

* Sophie Vo: LinkedIn | riseandplay.io

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Luna shares her extraordinary journey from an aspiring filmmaker to game writer, designer, and eventually co-founder of Altitude Games. She opens up about the challenges of burnout, the unexpected leap into entrepreneurship, and how she helped shape the Filipino game development industry from the ground up.

Luna also discusses the evolving role of women in games, the importance of mentorship and inclusivity, and the emotional transitions that come with founding, scaling, and eventually selling a studio.

"I didn't want to be an entrepreneur — I just wanted to design games with friends."

In her recent chapter, Luna explores life beyond her long-time leadership role thanks to coaching and attending ORIN program, embracing teaching, mentoring, and new creative opportunities, all while rediscovering her true self.

Sophie and Luna reflect on the power of community, coaching, and the courage it takes to continually reinvent oneself.

Key Topics Discussed:

* Luna’s unexpected start in gaming from filmmaking to game writing

* Laumching the first Filipino game development company, Anino Games

* The birth of the Philippines game industry and the "Anino alumni" phenomenon

* Shifting from creative IPs to work-for-hire to survive as a studio

* The emotional rollercoaster of founding and exiting Altitude Games

* Lessons on leadership, culture, and team care during acquisitions

* The rise of women in games in the Philippines and Asia

* Luna’s transition to teaching, mentoring, and designing her next chapter

* The importance of coaching, mentorship, and asking for help

* Embracing freedom and self-discovery after leaving a long-held identity

Learn more about ORIN women leadership program

Connect with Luna on Linkedin

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This is a masterclass in resilience, creativity, and navigating the business side of game development.

🎮 Key Highlights

* Founding 2K Games & Legendary IPsSusan talks about co-founding 2K Games, the origin stories behind signing Bioshock and Borderlands, and the importance of trusting instincts over rigid P&L analysis.

* The Role of IntuitionShe emphasizes how gut instinct, developed over years of experience, led to taking big risks that paid off — like acquiring the Civilization IP and signing Bioshock when no one else would.

* Tiny Rebel Games Journey (first venture)Suzanne reflects on building Tiny Rebel with her husband, starting as a lifestyle business and evolving into a venture-backed studio, including their work on Doctor Who and AR projects like Wallace & Gromit.

* Scaling Challenges & Lessons LearnedCandid lessons about growing too fast after raising a $7M seed round, and how scaling quickly can undermine agility and creative freedom.

* New Lessons: The Power of Small Teams & Indie SpiritHer renewed belief in small, senior, highly aligned teams — what she describes as a "rock band" model — and how it fosters creativity and faster iteration.

* Personal Resilience & Founding 10Six GamesAfter closing Tiny Rebel, Susan shares the emotional and practical challenges of transitioning, grieving, and finding the energy to build again with 10-6 Games.

* Working with a Life PartnerHonest reflections on co-founding multiple companies with her husband, the unique dynamics of mixing work and family life, and how they divide creative and business roles.

* New Ventures & Generative AIInsights into how Suzanne is now leveraging generative AI and building a new roguelike game experience with 10-6 Games.

💡Leadership Insights

✅ Trust your instincts, even when the data says otherwise.Original IP often requires leaps of faith

✅ Validate early and often.

✅ Small, senior teams can stay agile, avoid heavy process overhead, and iterate faster.

✅ Scaling too fast can be a trap.Hiring quickly to match a large funding round can lead to misalignment and risk when market conditions change.

✅ Leadership means making hard calls.As a founder, you must be willing to take responsibility for big decisions, even when unsure.

✅ Founding with a partner requires strong boundaries and deep trust.

📣 1 spot lef for our next ORIN cohort

You and a highly-curated mastermind of 9 exceptional women will be guided by our team through a 6-month coaching journey of inner growth, healing, regenerative energy, group empowerment and transformation.

Are you ready for ORIN? We have 1 spot left.

Contact sophie@riseandplay.io for inquiry.

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, Sophie Vo sits down with Kanessa Muluneh, an Ethiopian-born serial entrepreneur, Web3 educator, and the creator of Rise of Fearless — Africa’s first blockchain-enabled mobile battle royale game. From humble beginnings as a refugee in the Netherlands to raising $10M in under 10 days through social media, Kanessa shares her transformative leadership journey, her mission to reframe Africa’s global image, and how she leveraged storytelling, blockchain, and gaming to empower African youth.

💡 Key Learnings:

* Selling a Startup at 22: Though she earned a medical degree, Kanessa discovered her true path in solving real-world problems through business—starting with a telehealth platform she sold for €1M at age 22.

* Serial Entrepreneurial Growth: Kanessa went on to build and exit multiple ventures. Her approach: identify a big problem, validate a solution, test with real users, and execute relentlessly.

* Building in Africa Means Building With Africa: Kanessa’s strategic use of TikTok helped her circumvent traditional gatekeeping by generating visibility and credibility with the public—and eventually, investors.

* NFTs and Blockchain in Action: By launching an NFT collection and accepting crypto, Kanessa created a groundbreaking way for Ethiopians in rural areas to transact online, bypassing broken financial systems.

* Rise of Fearless – A New Gaming Paradigm:

* A mobile battle royale game inspired by African history (notably, the Battle of Adwa).

* Designed to instill pride, knowledge, and a new narrative of African strength and unity.

* Built for mobile to maximize access, and powered by blockchain to enable ownership and decentralized engagement.

* The Big Africa Gaming Vision: Kanessa plans to build a platform for other African creators to launch games. She sees this as the starting point of a movement beyond just a company.

🔗 Resources & Links:

* 🎮 Rise of Fearless Game Website

* 💌 Connect with Kanessa

📣 Calling Women Leaders Ready For Transformation

You have ticked all the career boxes, you’ve achieved the power and status you’ve wanted and still… you feel something is missing. Are you sure you want to continue the next 20 years of your life this way: exhausted, unfulfilled, uninspired.

You are not alone. But you’ve never found the right way to solve it.

You and a highly-curated mastermind of 9 exceptional women will be guided by our team through a 6-month coaching journey of inner growth, healing, regenerative energy, group empowerment and transformation.

Are you ready for ORIN? We have 3 spots left.

Contact sophie@riseandplay.io for inquiry.

From early days navigating creative chaos, to leading major game launches, to founding a studio and eventually pivoting to coaching, Zoë opens up about what it takes to truly lead in times of complexity, change, and uncertainty.

“People want to be led by someone real — not someone who pretends to have it all figured out.”

Together, Sophie and Zoë explore the evolution of leadership, the human cost of performance culture, and the emotional labor of building and sustaining creative teams.

Whether you’re an executive, a founder, or just navigating your next career step, this conversation offers insights, hope, and a call for more compassionate leadership.

💡 Leadership Takeaways:

* Factions and Blame Culture: Teams often fall into “us vs. them” mentalities under pressure. Zoë identifies this as a persistent leadership issue that undermines collaboration and ownership.

* The Mask of Performance: Leaders often hide struggles behind a facade of control. True leadership requires vulnerability — being able to say “I’m struggling, and I need help.”

* Coaching as a Lifeline: Coaching isn't just for top executives. It helps untangle the mental and emotional knots of leadership and offers a mirror for self-awareness and growth.

* Authentic Leadership: The path to sustainable leadership lies in being true to your values — not performing a version of leadership based on outdated norms or external expectations.

* Studio Founder Lessons: Zoë shares her own learning from Timbre Games, where even with the best intentions, she didn’t always create the safety she aimed for. A humbling reminder that even founders need reflection and repair.

* Career Transition & Midlife Shift at 50: Zoë candidly discusses her transition into coaching at age 50, managing menopause, and redefining success on her own terms with her new venture, Lumina Leadership.

* Emotional Wellbeing at Work: Fast-paced industries like gaming often neglect the emotional realities of workers. This episode underscores the importance of integrating heart and body into professional life.

Zoë Curnoe is the founder of Lumina Leadership and now supports leaders through coaching and consulting, with a mission to make the industry more human, inclusive, and resilient. Connect with Zoë.

This episode is brought to you by PlaytestCloud — your partner in delivering fast, reliable, and actionable player research.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

📣 Calling Women Leaders Ready For Transformation

You have ticked all the career boxes, you’ve achieved the power and status you’ve wanted and still… you feel something is missing. Are you sure you want to continue the next 20 years of your life this way: exhausted, unfulfilled, uninspired.

You are not alone. But you’ve never found the right way to solve it.

We make that time and space for you, with a powerful sisterhood.

You and a highly-curated mastermind of 9 exceptional women will be guided by our team through a 6-month coaching journey of inner growth, healing, regenerative energy, group empowerment and transformation.

Are you ready for ORIN? Find out by answering our preliminary self-reflection questionnaire. We will reach out soon. We have 2 spots left.

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this special episode focused on community building, host Sophie Vo sits down with Julianne Becker, co-founder of Coconat — a workation retreat and co-living space in Brandenburg, Germany. Far from a typical tech leader, Julianne shares her remarkable journey from NGO work in Vietnam to launching an award-winning rural innovation hub that fosters creativity, collaboration, and community for creative and game founders.

In this episode, we cover:

* The realities of transitioning careers into entrepreneurship

* The challenges of building a coliving space and thriving ecosystem from scratch

* Insights on funding, bootstrapping, and grassroots marketing

* How to create meaningful community integration in rural areas

* Balancing family life while building a values-led business

* The power of diverse, inclusive residencies, especially the acclaimed Rabbit Indie Game Residency (application deadline: June 15). Rabbit Residency is a standout initiative offering indie game developers a month-long retreat to collaborate, innovate, and connect globally — with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

* Exciting developments, including Coconat's new role as a Brandenburg Startup Accelerator to support game devs, mobility innovators, and more through funded residencies.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in creative leadership, rural innovation, the future of work, or indie game development.

💡 Key Takeaways:

* Start before you're ready: Juliane emphasized the importance of talking about your idea early, even before it's fully developed, to shape it through feedback and co-creation.

* Community-first entrepreneurship: Coconat was built not only for digital nomads but also with and for the local community — from hosting local events to supporting regional development initiatives.

* Bootstrapped & bold: Juliane and her partner self-funded the venture through loans and creative incentives (like early volunteer vouchers), showcasing that you don’t need VC money to start strong.

* Resilience over perfection: From internet infrastructure setbacks to bureaucratic hurdles, they adapted constantly without losing sight of their values.

* Integrating work and family: Coconut was literally built alongside Juliane’s children — a real-world case of family-integrated entrepreneurship.

🔗 Resources & Links:

* 🐇 Apply for The Rabbit Indie Game Residency (Deadline: June 15th, 2025): https://coconat-space.com/the-rabbit-games-residency-2025-call-for-applications/

* 🏡 Learn more about Coconat: https://coconat-space.com/

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode Tiffany Keller welcomes Julia Zhan, CPO of Series Entertainment, and Burcu Hakguder, the CRO of Layer AI who celebrates their recent close of their seed round for over $6M. Burcu Hakguder started Layer after half a decade at Unity Technologies spearheading new business development initiatives that contributed to the company’s successful IPO. Today Layer AI is embraced by top studios like Zynga, SciPlay, Huuuge Games, and over 200 others to revolutionize game production powered by inferences across many models optimized for 2D, 3D assets and video generation.

Julia Zhan is Chief Platform Officer at Series Entertainment, a company revolutionizing game creation through generative stories & worlds after raising over $35M and acquiring Pixelberry and Netflix as a distribution partner. Previously, she managed League of Legends production and operations for China and helped pioneer Valorant at Riot Games. After that, Julia led the game vertical & developer success at Snap, empowering 3P developers to build hyper-social gaming experiences.

We break down the AI x Games market today from the founder perspective- how they successfully raised and delivered on investor and customer expectations despite taking very different sides of the AI platform and gaming market. Julia and Burcu share their methodology for finding their “unique selling position” in the market and how that has shaped their advice to game makers looking to integrate AI tools.

We discuss a bit of 4D chess on the future of gaming AI platforms and how both large and small companies will need to adapt to remain competitive. For every studio facing a build vs buy question with AI, Julia and Burcu break down how game makers can draw from their USP to define their next steps in harnessing AI. Expect some spicy while incredibly thoughtful takes that reveal how many ways there are to succeed as a game studio armed with the right AI workflows.

Try Layer AI today to 5x your game content creation productivity

Play Series Entertainment’s new game, Single’s Inferno, on Netflix Games today to see what Rho, their AI engine, and their acquisition Pixelberry can do together

🇪🇸 Barcelona. June 2 — Not your Princess, Just my Own Hero: Innovating for Women in Mobile Gaming

Join us for an inspiring afternoon celebrating the impact and innovation of women in mobile gaming. Speakers are from Gamehouse, Scopely, Rise & Play, Funcraft, Appsflyer & Appcharge!

​Stick around — the evening wraps up with a lively party to continue the conversation and connections.Welcome - Claire Rozain, Founder Rzain Society

Subina shares her journey of rebuilding her life as a single mother, finding meaning in synchronicities like Eleven Eleven, and challenging the transactional nature of traditional recruitment.

We cover in this episode:

* 🌱 The power of starting from where you are — no grand plan needed

* 🧭 Leading with intuition, alignment, and authenticity in a tech-driven world

* 💼 Why recruitment is not just about jobs, but about identity, dreams, and human connection

* 💡 The myth of work-life balance and how to intentionally design a fulfilling life

* 🤖 How AI is shifting leadership and recruitment — and why emotional intelligence is the future

Whether you're navigating a career pivot, launching a purpose-led business, or rethinking leadership in the age of AI, this episode will give you the courage to trust your gut and just start.

💡 Leadership Takeaways:

* Breakdowns can lead to breakthroughs — especially when aligned with purpose.

* Recruitment isn’t about transactions; it’s about transformation.

* Emotional intelligence and human connection are rising in value in an AI-heavy future.

* Real leadership starts with self-trust and the courage to be visible.

* Building a life that aligns with your values is not only possible — it’s necessary.

Eleven Eleven is a global recruitment firm trusted by 40+ gaming and tech studios. With over 15 years of experience, Subina is redefining recruitment through intuition, bringing humanity back to hiring. Learn more here: https://eleven-eleven.io/

7 factors of success for game studios

Download the full report, share with your team: DOWNLOAD REPORT

Grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

In this episode, Sophie Vo welcomes Jen MacLean, former Xbox executive and now founder of Dragon Snack Games. Jen shares her personal and professional journey—from leaving a corporate role to founding her own studio—with deep reflections on purpose, family, and alignment. They dive into building a value-driven studio, the importance of intentional team culture, early-stage prototyping, and engaging a player community early in development.

Jen discusses Dragon Snack's mission to create collaborative, player-driven experiences for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, while emphasizing the power of belonging and connection through games. A conversation packed with wisdom for founders, leaders, and anyone seeking to build meaningful, human-centered companies.

Topics Discussed:

* Why Jen left a high-powered job at Xbox to start her own studio.

* The personal wake-up call: how family conversations revealed deeper misalignments.

* Asking two critical questions: What’s the worst that can happen? and What’s holding you back?

* Building Dragon Snack Games with intention: starting with values and principles, not just product ideas.

* The importance of co-founder alignment, clear roles, and trust from the beginning.

* Why Dragon Snack targets Gen Z/Alpha and focuses on social, collaborative game experiences: "We’re building a neighborhood, not a metaverse."

* Early prototyping and the belief in bringing players into the process far earlier than traditional models.

* Fundraising challenges and staying true to the company’s vision and community-first approach.

* Designing for emotional needs: belonging, validation, and impact through gameplay.

* The future of Dragon Snack Games and how listeners can follow or get involved.

Resources Mentioned:

* Book: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (discussed around digital validation and Gen Z behaviors)

* Learn more on Dragon Snack Games : dragonsnacksgames.com

💫 WOMEN LEADERSHIP CIRCLE: LEADING WITH YOUR INTUITION

I am hosting a free intimate online circle for women leaders who are interested in learning more about ORIN and the magical spaces I create: a space where you don’t have to perform, to feel safe in a group, to ‘be’, and discover who you are beneath the mask when you give yourself permission to.

What are the 7 key differences of successful studios leveraging player insights?

Insight #4 Successful studios nailed their player profiles

Insight #7 Successful studios playtest their competitor’s games… 💡

Download the full insights and share with your game teams: DOWNLOAD REPORT

If you are not doing Player Research yet, you are taking risks every day shooting in the dark. Act now and grab your FREE TRIAL with our partner PlaytestCloud: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this new episode, host Sophie Vo Vo speaks with Kimber Dall, SVP of People at SciPlay, a global mobile games leader.

With a decade of experience scaling the company from 100 to over 1,000 employees across five countries (Israel, Ukraine, US, India…), Kimber shares hard-won wisdom about building culture, navigating global and geo-political crises, and supporting people-first leadership at scale.

We cover in this episode:

* Evolving a startup into a global company of 1,000+ employees while preserving its heart

* The non-negotiable in performance management—and how to scale them

* Hiring leaders who live your values, not just talk them

* Supporting employees during geo-political conflicts—with empathy and action

* Preventing burnout in 24/7 live games with practical tools and transparency

* Managing across generations—and why Gen Z requires new leadership muscle

Whether you're a founder, people leader, or game industry veteran, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you scale culture, invest in your people, and lead from the heart with clarity and structure.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo Vo and Odile Limpach cover entrepreneurship in the gaming industry. Odile shares her journey from being a managing director at Ubisoft to co-founding SpielFabrique, a video game catalyst company. She discusses how after 16 years in the gaming industry, particularly at Ubisoft where she helped grow the company from 500 to over 10,000 employees, she decided to start her own venture. Odile emphasizes the importance of having financial stability, a strong network, and the right personality to handle uncertainty when starting a business.

The discussion delves into SpielFabrique evolution over 10 years, growing to a team of seven people and running several programs including EVA (European Video Games Accelerator) which receives around 100 applications from 15 European countries annually. Odile highlights their expansion into Africa and cross-industry initiatives involving books, cinema, and music in gaming.

A significant portion focuses on the challenges faced by indie game developers, particularly the balance between creativity and business acumen. Odile stresses the importance of early business planning and understanding one's purpose in starting a game company.

Learn more about SpielFrabique’s programs for indie developers: https://spielfabrique.eu/Thunderfox/

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive updates and support our work.

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo welcomes Brett Nowak, founder and CEO of Liquid and Grit, a leading product research and consultancy firm specializing in mobile gaming. Brett shares his entrepreneurial journey, leadership philosophies, and insights on building a sustainable, independent business. He discusses his motivations for bootstrapping his company, the importance of autonomy, and how he built a unique company culture by questioning traditional business norms.

What we cover in this episode:

💡Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs:

* Identify what you want from your business (e.g., financial independence, control, creative freedom).

* Choose a business model that aligns with your risk tolerance and long-term goals.

* Validate your ideas by selling early and iterating based on feedback.

* Avoid traditional constraints—design a business that works for your strengths and lifestyle.

💰 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital:

* Brett prioritized full ownership and control over his company, choosing not to raise external funding.

* By keeping initial costs low and maintaining a day job, he was able to test and validate his business before going full-time.

📈 The Role of Discipline and Long-Term Vision:

* Running a business successfully requires long-term commitment, persistence, and a willingness to push through discomfort.

* Brett’s structured approach ensured steady growth without external dependencies.

👥 Building a Non-Traditional Work Culture:

* Liquid and Grit operates remotely with minimal meetings and a strong emphasis on autonomy and efficiency.

* The hiring process is unconventional—focusing on skills-based assessments rather than traditional interviews.

* The company structure reduces bureaucracy, allowing employees to focus on delivering high-quality work.

💛 Mental Health and Work-Life Integration:

* Brett emphasizes the importance of balancing business growth with personal well-being.

* Having a psychiatrist for professional and personal guidance has been one of his most impactful decisions.

More Resources:

* Liquid and Grit

* Connect with Brett Novak

* Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (Recommended Book on Entrepreneurship)

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this new episode host Sophie Vo sits down with Sigurlína (Lína) Ingvarsdóttir, a veteran of the gaming industry and founding partner at Behold Ventures. Lína shares her incredible journey from working on AAA franchises like Star Wars Battlefront and FIFA to transitioning into venture capital and founding Behold VC.

She discusses the importance of resilience in game development, the evolving investment landscape in gaming, and what she looks for when funding early-stage game studios.

This episode covers insights for game developers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to learn more about the intersection of creativity, business, and investment in games.

Resilience and Passion Still Matter in Gaming Startups:

* Investors are drawn to teams that demonstrate long-term commitment, adaptability, and passion, even when facing challenges like funding difficulties.

The Role of Intuition vs. Data in Investments:

* While investment decisions often involve commercial potential and market trends, a strong emotional connection to a project can also drive successful funding.

The Nordic Region’s Game Development Strength:

* The Nordic region continues to be a powerhouse for game innovation, producing both AAA and indie successes. Behold Ventures focuses on early-stage investments in this space.

The Journey Transitioning from Game Operator to Investor:

* Lina’s transition from game development to venture capital was fueled by her strategic mindset, experience in production, and desire to shape the industry’s future.

💡 The Future of Gaming Investments:

* Behold Ventures prioritizes multiplayer, social, and community-driven games over single-player experiences. They are cautious with VR and Web3 but remain open to groundbreaking innovations.

VCs as Partners, Not Just Funders:

* Founders should seek investors who bring more than just capital—mentorship, industry knowledge, and long-term support are key.

Resources & Links:

* Learn more about Behold Ventures:

https://behold.vc/

* Connect with Lína Ingvarsdóttir on Linkedin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with fellow conscious leaders in the gaming industry!

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, co-host Nina Kim interviews Alicia Fortier, lead game designer at SpryFox. Alicia discusses the differences between AAA and indie game development, the importance of having mentors, and fostering a supportive work environment. She emphasizes self-belief, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the crucial role of leaders in nurturing team dynamics.

Alicia provides valuable advice on maintaining a sustainable career, finding motivation, and how understanding oneself can guide professional growth, whether you are growing to a leadership position or keep growing your leadership skills.

02:42 Meet Alicia Fortier: Lead Game Designer03:24 Early Signs and University Days06:57 AAA vs Indie: Team Dynamics10:21 Mentorship and Personal Growth13:35 Advocating for a Healthy Work Environment18:50 Navigating Feedback and Community Support26:34 The Importance of Mentorship and Advocacy42:56 Finding Motivation and Leadership Values47:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL for our listeners here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

In this episode, host Sophie Vo is joined by Bibbi Wikman, Head of Brand and Business at Aurora Punks and Founder of PlayCap, the first angel network for women in the gaming industry. Together, they dive into Bibbi's leadership journey, her motivations for creating PlayCap, and the unique opportunities the network provides to elevate women in the games industry as investors and game changers.

What we cover in this episode:

* The Journey to PlayCap: Bibbi shares her inspiration behind PlayCap, the challenges of launching a women-centered investment network, and the powerful response it received from industry leaders.

* Why PlayCap Matters: Exploring the gaps PlayCap fills in the investment ecosystem, from creating a safe space for women to learn about investments to fostering a power network of experienced professionals.

* Playcap Today: Insights into the network's rapid growth, the diversity of its members, and its collaborative approach to investments.

* Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration: The importance of PlayCap's active knowledge-sharing sessions and its impact on both new and seasoned investors.

* Future of PlayCap: Sneak peeks into the exciting possibilities for expanding Playcap’s influence in the industry.

How PlayCap differs from traditional angel syndicates:

* Investment is about more than capital; it’s about knowledge, collaboration, and fostering diversity.

* PlayCap empowers women to confidently enter the investment space with support and resources tailored to their needs.

* The gaming industry benefits from diverse voices in investment and on the cap table, shaping a more inclusive and dynamic future.

Join the Movement 🔥: Interested in joining PlayCap or submitting your new venture or studio for investment? Visit PlayCap's website to apply or learn more.

See why 80% of the top-grossing game studios rely on the Player Insights Platform™ to ensure a game's success (before it's even released).

We are proud to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in 2025 and offer a FREE TRIAL here: https://start.playtestcloud.com/rise

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Allan provides an intimate look at the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial venture, discussing the challenges of raising funds as an indie and innovative IP studio, the importance of diverse cultural representation in gaming, and the emotional toll of shutting down his company.

We delve into the difficulties and learnings from innovating with a niche and culturally rich IP, and the broader implications for underrepresented founders in the gaming industry.

The episode also highlights the essential role of mentors, the inevitability of failure as a part of growth, and the ongoing quest to bridge cultural stories with modern technology.

Closing a studio marks the end of a business, but it doesn’t have to signify the end of the movement to bring more cultural representation into games. There is a growing demand among the gaming audience to discover such content and stories. If you’d like to explore this further, get in touch with Allan.

01:40 Meet Allan Cudicio: From Berlin to Ghana

02:01 The Birth of Twin Drums and Wagadu Chronicles

03:42 Challenges and Learnings as an Entrepreneur

12:46 The Importance of Representation in Gaming

21:44 Building and Scaling a Remote Team

24:38 Testing and Early Feedback

25:08 Navigating Market Changes and Innovation Challenges

27:17 Financial Struggles and Fundraising Hurdles

28:32 The Emotional Toll of Shutting Down

30:06 Reflecting on the Entrepreneurial Journey

34:18 Embracing Failure and Looking Forward

39:13 Cultural Heritage and Future Aspirations

43:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs

We are thrilled to be working with PlaytestCloud as our key partner in expanding Rise and Play’s impact in 2025! Greetings from Berlin from Sophie and Dana 👋 🇩🇪

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

At Superbloom, Emily is driving a new wave of gaming experiences that blend creativity, connection, and inclusivity to redefine entertainment for women.

Since coming on the podcast as one of our first guests two years ago, her mission as a first time founder uncovered some surprising revelations about motherhood mixing with executive management. She doles out lessons in leadership on the startup rollercoaster, straight from the startup playbook no one teaches you.

Emily divulges her secret to remaining authentic in how she designs games for women, by women. Her studio is majority femme staffed, more than doubling the average for the industry despite not screening for women, just those equipped to best serve the female gaming market.

Her go to market strategy approaches from a different angle, bridging the gap between digital and real world designer goods. While Roblox have changed the gaming landscape with their Shopify integration and creator economy, it remains tough for standalone mobile games to venture into white labelling or merchandise big ticket items such as furniture. Leveraging well known brands within your investors' network is fair game however, as she conveys the value of the Chainsmokers' collaboration to her launch of Venue.

Download Venue today and put your home decor skills to the test at: https://www.venuegame.co/

Get your 2025 guide to hybrid monetization strategy born from new research done by Tiffany with AdInMo in the Hybrid Monetization 2024 Trends Report and with Appsflyer in the 2024 State of App Monetization Report!

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

We are thrilled to announce PlaytestCloud as our key partner in expanding Rise and Play’s impact in 2025! Stay tuned for future events and insights ✨

Nicola shares insights on the challenges of raising pre-seed funding, the importance of adapting your pitch to your audience, and the significance of innovation in the fashion gaming space. She emphasizes the need for more female founders in the industry and encourages women to be brave and execute their ideas. Throughout the conversation, Nicola discusses the integration of fashion and gaming, the evolving market, and VIZTA DGTL ambitions for the future with Kutur Runway, the NextGen Fashion game.

01:38 Introducing Nicola Vizon and Vizta Digital

03:06 Nicola's Journey in the Gaming Industry

05:42 The Inspiration Behind Fashion Games Leading To Kutur Runway

16:47 Founding Vizta Digital and Overcoming Market Challenges

24:17 Innovating in the Fashion Gaming Space

26:30 Fundraising State and Future Plans

40:24 Encouraging More Female Founders To Break Entrepreneurial Barriers

42:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Learn more about Kutur Runway and join their BETA list here: https://www.kuturrunway.com/

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Ludovic also reflects on his personal motivations evolving from seeking entrepreneurial success (i.e. becoming a billionaire) to prioritizing freedom, impact, and supporting the rise of women in leadership roles. This intimate conversation offers insights into the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the importance of aligning with one's values, and a vision for a more inclusive and community-focused business world, instead of profit-focused.

To learn more, order the book Atomic Scaling: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Scaling-Small-Create-Growth/dp/1544544995

01:36 Meet Ludovic Bodin: Serial Entrepreneur and Investor

03:15 Ludovic's Early Entrepreneurial Journey

06:54 Venturing Abroad and New Beginnings

09:28 The Shift to Gaming and Building CMUNE

15:42 Investment Journey and New Goals

17:40 Redefining Success and Freedom

19:46 The Concept of Atomic Scaling

21:05 Writing the Book: Atomic Scaling

22:38 Entrepreneurial Struggles and Advice

23:28 Implementing the Supercell Model

24:47 COVID-19 and Investment Strategies

25:34 Writing Atomic Scaling

27:52 Publishing Journey and Book Launch

30:02 Key Concepts from Atomic Scaling

33:13 Navigating Business with Atomic Scaling

42:32 Empowering Women in Entrepreneurship

46:54 Final Thoughts and Future Vision

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Whatever type of retreat resonates with you, the conversation emphasizes the necessity of taking intentional breaks to reconnect with oneself, manage stress, and foster personal growth. Accessible recommendations are provided for those new to the concept, including yoga, meditation, and breathwork.

Tune in this special episode, which will broaden your perspectives on self-care and take a step back with retreats.

01:21 Personal Experiences with Retreats

04:01 The Impact of Retreats on Personal and Professional Life

07:49 Defining and Understanding Retreats

09:35 Triggers and Motivations for Intense Retreats

16:55 The Process and Benefits of Medicinal Retreats

29:36 Accessible Practices for Everyday Life

30:21 Introduction to Self-Reflection Techniques

30:45 Exploring Physical Activities for Stress Relief

31:20 The Power of Ecstatic Dance

32:21 Diverse Spiritual Practices

35:05 Personal Meditation Practices

35:58 The Importance of Retreats

41:24 Challenges in the Gaming Industry

49:35 The Value of Self-Awareness

55:59 Conclusion and Future Plans

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Steve emphasises the importance of self-awareness for leaders and the opportunities for self-transformation through retreats and personal inner work. We delve into the significance of creating psychological safety, balancing control with autonomy, and aligning personal and organisational values to find a deeper purpose in leadership.

01:46 Steve Cuss’s Journey Over the Past Year

04:05 Challenges and Insights in Leadership Training

09:34 The Evolution of Leadership in the Gaming Industry

10:51 The Concept of Liberated Leadership

15:12 Personal Growth and Authenticity in Leadership

26:45 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership

27:40 The Importance of Deliberate Pauses

29:09 Creating Psychological Safety

30:10 The Need for Feedback in Leadership

31:39 Integrating Values and Purpose

38:22 Challenges in Leadership and Gender Differences

43:20 The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence

48:21 Practical Steps for Leaders

This conversation is a follow-up to a discussion we had with Steve a year ago, introducing the concept of Liberated Leadership, and its genesis. You can listen to that episode here:

You can buy the book “Liberated Leadership” here: https://amzn.eu/d/6lHxbAW

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe to receive new posts and support our work.

Interested in exploring a music partnership? Reach out to Eric here: https://calendly.com/erictanhk/call-with-eric

01:34 Introducing Eric Tan: A Music and Gaming Executive

03:55 Eric's Journey into Music and Gaming

05:38 The Evolution of Music in Games

07:41 Music Marketing Strategies in Gaming

10:38 Challenges and Opportunities in Music Partnerships

20:04 Reflecting on Fifth Journey Limited

24:21 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward

31:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

01:41 Meet the Guest: Amy Graves

02:34 Amy's Journey from Film to Games

08:06 Challenges and Learnings in Leadership

15:05 Adapting Leadership Styles

28:41 The Importance of Feedback

39:58 Values and Future Aspirations

43:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

In this episode, Sophie welcomes Maria Chyrvona, the CEO of DevGAMM, to discuss the evolution of the gaming conference since its inception in Ukraine in 2008. They dive into the personal and professional experiences that shaped DevGAMM, including navigating the challenges of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.

Maria shares insights into the organization of events, their business model, and the unique values that make DevGAMM's events feel like a community and personalized experience. Don’t miss out on the upcoming DevGAMM Lisbon event on November 14-15, notable speakers including John Romero, and an exciting indie developer contest with cash prizes of $100,000!

For more info, check the DevGAMM Awards 2024 info and how to submit your game.

00:37 Guest Introduction: Maria from DevGAMM

01:49 The Origins of DevGAMM

07:59 Challenges and Resilience During the War In Ukraine

17:26 Business Model and Event Organization

24:42 Creating a Unique And Personalized Event Experience

37:28 Upcoming DevGAMM Lisbon Event in November and Indie Game Awards Prize. Get event tickets 15% off with the promo code: devgamm15

44:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

⭐️ Exclusive partnership promotion: Get DevGAMM tickets 15% off with the promo code: devgamm15 ⭐️

Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Some even ask: What is the ROI of coaching?

In this special coaching episode, host Sophie Vo sits down with Hannah Mattil, the Senior Team Lead for Research Operations at PlaytestCloud. They reflect on Hannah’s personal and professional growth over six months of leadership coaching.

Hannah shares her journey from initial skepticism about coaching to the valuable lessons and self-awareness she gained. They discuss the importance of self-reflection, receiving and acting on feedback, and setting clear goals. Hannah emphasizes how the coaching experience has helped her develop confidence, composure, and a deeper understanding of her strengths and weaknesses.

This episode is a testament to the transformative power of coaching and its impact on leadership and personal development. Sophie Vo openly shares her unique approach and process to coaching, with her 16 years of leadership in games.

For people considering coaching, this episode will highlight what to expect, and when is the right time to invest in yourself.

Coaching is a process that needs full readiness from the coachee for the most optimal outcome.

01:37 Special Episode: Hannah's Leadership Journey

03:33 Hannah's Background and Entry into Gaming

05:08 The Coaching Journey Begins

10:33 Overcoming Challenges and Building Confidence

13:01 Reflecting on the Coaching Experience

26:34 Applying Coaching Lessons in Real Life

29:49 Final Thoughts and Advice on Coaching

35:30 Conclusion and Call to Action

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

In this new episode, we sit down with Charlotte Gailledreau, a French game studio founder, narrative RPG enthusiast, and ex-Game Lead at the Oh Bi Bi and Gumi studios. Charlotte shares the story of founding her game studio, Sunny Lab, in 2022 alongside her associate Hugo Sahuquet.

They discuss their journey from mobile to console & PC gaming, the significance of storytelling in their projects, and the trials of fundraising and team building.

Charlotte opens up about the emotional and practical challenges of being a first-time CEO, emphasizing resilience, community support, and the importance of maintaining a balanced life. The episode is a heartfelt exploration of the unspoken difficulties in the gaming industry in 2024 and offers valuable insights into the personal and professional aspects of leading a game studio.

Be sure to check the upcoming launch of their new game The Witch’s Bakery 🥐 on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunnylabgames/witch-bakery-paris-2d-adventure-rpg

01:45 Charlotte Gailledreau’s decade as a product leader in gaming

02:47 Charlotte's Background and Sunny Lab

04:16 Building Sunny Lab: Challenges and Wins

20:43 The 2024 Rollercoaster Of the Fundraising Journey

34:13 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

38:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🙋🏻‍♀️ Need A Coach? Book a call with me and let’s figure it out together!

📆 🇩🇪 Don’t miss out on our networking event with Kolibri in Berlin on Sept 5th

Space is limited: Save your spot HERE!

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

In this episode of Rise and Play, guest host Shelby Moledina returns.  Shelby is a Game Director and Film Director with 30+ titles shipped, and 20+ years of experience at large and small companies (WB Games, DeNA, Double Loop Games, and more).  This week, she speaks with Ayla Derrick, the founder of Cave Bear Games, an all-volunteer studio that went unexpectedly viral earlier this year.

Ayla, a newcomer to the game industry with a background in education, shares how and why she started Cave Bear Games in 2024, which has been a historically apocalyptic year in the games industry.  Ayla discusses how she harnessed CBG's viral success to build the studio, and to spread the wealth far beyond CBG by creating a strong volunteer and junior game dev community.  We cover essential topics such as the importance of trusting your instincts to find your own way to solve problems, networking with genuine passion, and fostering a positive studio culture.   

Ayla and Cave Bear's journey make it clear that there's real power in taking fate into your own hands.

02:19 Starting an All-Volunteer Studio, for Junior Devs

20:25 Growing the Team AND a Dev Community...at the Same Time

33:04 Using a Newcomer's POV to Tackle Business Challenges in Novel Ways

37:36 The Importance of Communication, Genuine Outreach, and Passion

47:22 Like PB&J: ADHD and Game Development

54:18 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Sophie discusses her experiences in establishing key projects like Rise and Play, her role as CEO and co-founder of Kylan, a new game studio in Vietnam, and transitioning from corporate structures to startup environments. She highlights the importance of leadership, pitching, fundraising, and above all alignment within co-founder teams.

Shelby and Sophie discuss the challenges and learnings from their entrepreneurial ventures (Shelby was the co-founder of the studio Double Loop Games which closed in 2023), underscoring the significance of personal growth, connections, and embracing changes in the pursuit of their missions. Sophie also introduces her upcoming project, Olivya, aimed at innovating at the intersection of coaching, technology, and games.

01:30 Special Co-host: Shelby Moledina

02:26 The Birth of the Podcast Rise and Play

04:30 Navigating Leadership and Consciousness In Business

08:19 Fundraising and Building a New Studio in 2024 (Kylan)

14:07 Personal Growth and Overcoming Fears

16:11 Lessons from the Co-Founders Journey

25:37 Discovering Sophie’s ‘Why’ out of games

33:09 Continuing the leadership journey with Olivya

💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

In this episode of Rise and Play, new cohost Tiffany Keller joins the podcast. Tiffany has spent the past decade in product management across several billion dollars plus earning franchises at three of Gaming’s top five acquisitions and the most downloaded games of the decade. She sits down with Joanne Lacey, COO and Board Director at Adinmo, a privacy-first in-game monetization platform working with free-to-play mobile game publishers and developers.They dive into her path to the executive suite in multiple ad ecosystem roles that span Board Director of the trade body shaping GDPR for mobile, senior roles in multiple start-ups that have gone on to be acquired by larger companies and a Board Trustee for a cancer charity. Jo shares her leadership philosophy as a “Defender” to foster team cohesion in remote working, even during instability such as the Ukraine conflict. Jo shares how Adinmo is shaping the evolving relationship between the gaming and advertising industries- highlighting the importance of understanding the intersection of player behavior and brand values to create valuable ad experiences in games.

For those experiencing layoffs or wanting a change, Jo advises how your career could branch out into adjacent game ecosystem roles.

Take their survey now for a chance to win Gamesforum tickets: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RGKZDK3

02:46 Introducing Joanne and Adinmo

07:21 Jo's Career Journey

17:58 Leadership and Company Culture

22:04 Navigating the Gaming and Advertising Ecosystem

26:15 Product Market Fit and Industry Trends

34:31 Career Insights and Opportunities

37:51 Conclusion- Take their market research survey now!

💡 Get more leadership resources on:

https://www.riseandplay.io/

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

01:27 Meet Crystin Cox

02:18 Crystin's Journey into Gaming

05:10 Early Leadership Challenges

07:19 Management Training and Growth

13:52 Cultural Influences in Leadership

20:46 Joining Xbox Game Studios

30:29 The Art of LiveOps Podcast

35:32 Future Goals and Balance

Check Crystin's excellent podcast on Live Ops: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CWGHYnXqsXeivngmKqENq

💡 You will find more leadership resources on https://www.riseandplay.io/

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Charlotte shares the context of bootstrapping the company in 2020 until they raised 2M€ in 2022. She also discusses the challenges of raising seed/Series A funding through VCs in 2024, despite having healthy financial results. She explains her strategic process focusing on evergreen games and the multiple iterations that led their team to find their 'hit' title in 2023: Word Search Puzzle Challenge, and how they keep scaling the game in 2024.

This episode is an open-hearted testimonial about the ups and downs of being a game entrepreneur, reminding all founders that whatever you are going through this year, you are not alone. We do the best with what we have and can control, and try to survive the wave(s) 🌊

01:55 Meet Charlotte Lavergne: From Gameloft to Supercosi Games

03:58 Charlotte's Early Career and Transition to Gaming

09:55 Founding Supercosi: The Journey Begins

14:19 Building the Team and Early Prototypes

20:14 Fundraising and Scaling Up

29:14 Challenges and Learnings in 2024

34:43 Final Thoughts and Reflections

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Congratulations to Studio Camelia for closing their Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studiocamelia/seed-a-vibrant-tribute-to-jrpg-classics

Follow their JRPG Alzara: https://studio-camelia.com/

02:28 Meet Emma Delage: CEO of Studio Camellia

03:46 Emma's Journey Before Studio Camellia

05:36 The Birth of Studio Camelia and JRPG Passion

09:50 Building the Team and Early Challenges

13:47 Funding the Dream: From Surveys to Investors

19:33 Kickstarter Success and Community Support

29:18 Values and Vision: Creating a Unique Studio Culture

32:31 Reflections and Future Aspirations

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

We interview Melissa Cash, co-founder and CEO of PokPok, a company creating educational and engaging digital content for children. They discuss the challenges and strategies of developing non-addictive, educational content for young children, focusing on the importance of designing tools that integrate seamlessly with a parent’s daily life.

Melissa shares insights into her entrepreneurial journey, balancing professional and personal life, and highlights the critical role of networking as a CEO. We also touch on PokPok’s unique approach to early childhood education and the importance of community and collaboration in achieving success.

Pok Pok, raised $3 million in seed funding in 2022. The company was founded in 2019 after it spun out of Snowman, the small studio behind award-winning iOS games Alto’s Adventure, Alto’s Odyssey, Skate City and others.

Pok Pok is a great example of how games can be taken beyond the gaming industry to consumer and educational apps. Learn more about Pok Pok: https://playpokpok.com/

03:02 Melissa's Journey to Pok Pok

12:08 Building the Product

16:09 Marketing and Business Model

19:15 Challenges and Parental Concerns

23:20 Balancing Toddler Activities and Screen Time

24:03 The Healthy Screen Time Debate

24:40 Understanding Pok Pok's Unique Value

26:15 Challenges and Differentiation in the Market

30:36 Team Composition and Educational Approach

33:18 Reflections on Entrepreneurship

39:02 Balancing Family and Business

41:34 Future Plans and Excitement

43:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Olya shares her process, trial and error of finding the right co-founder, the early stages of customer discovery, and the importance of building a committed and complementary co-founder team. Olya also talks about the products Sanlo offers, including web shops and capital financing for gaming companies, and emphasizes the importance of financial health and sustainable monetization, as vital components of a game business.

More on Sanlo.io: https://www.sanlo.io/

01:33 CEO Olya Caliujnaia's Journey: From Product Leader to Gaming Entrepreneur

02:12 The Entrepreneurial Path: Olya's Journey to Founding Sanlo.io

09:41 The Co-Founder Search: Lessons Learned and Finding the Right Match

12:40 Customer Discovery and Product Development Insights, Pivoting to PMF

18:01 Building a Team and Overcoming Challenges in the Gaming Startup World

24:36 SanloToday: Products, Vision, and the Future

29:08 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode hosted by Clair Rozain, Sophie shares what she wishes she had known before fundraising and how she would approach it a second time with all she has learned: start by bootstrapping instead of relying solely on VC/fundraising, have a founding team who can build the product, and be critical about your business like an investor.

A hard self-reflection question: If you had to invest your own money in your business, would you do it? If the answer is no, then how can you expect other investors to invest in you too? What do you need to change or pivot to make it investable for yourself?

This episode will provide insights on mistakes to avoid before fundraising with VCs.

00:19 Launching a New Game Company: Insights and Challenges

01:16 Deep Dive into Pitching and Fundraising in 2024

10:06 Understanding the Venture Capital Landscape

22:32 Empowering Women in Gaming and Entrepreneurship

27:41 Reflecting on the Pitching Experience and Looking Ahead

30:21 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

• Julia Palatovska, Dorian Games, $19M raised.


• Aurora Klæboe Berg, Megacool and Medal TV, $60M raised.


• Ioana Hreninciuc, Runware (PicFinder), $3M raised.

Host, Sophie Vo alongside founders Julia Palatovska, Aurora Klæboe Berg, and Ioanna Hreninciuc, share their firsthand experiences and lessons learned from fundraising with VCs, including the importance of iteration on the pitch, building a strong team of co-founders, and the journey from concept to securing investments, as a major responsibility of a CEO role.

We cover the different fundraising rounds, the impact of investors' feedback, and strategies for creating a compelling pitch. Additionally, the episode covers the dynamics of working with co-founders, the realities versus expectations of fundraising, and practical advice for other founders navigating their fundraising efforts in 2024 and beyond.

01:37 The Realities of VC Fundraising: Stories from the Front Lines

07:32 Hope vs. Reality: The Fundraising Experience

21:38 Navigating Feedback and holding Vision in Fundraising

30:10 FOMO, Fundraising Matchmaking

38:05 Advice for Future Fundraisers in 2024

Episode available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Sig-w3_2aYo

Learn more about Aurora's journey: Our Roller Coaster $1.6m Seed Fundraise

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we follow the journey of Shelby Moledina, co-founder of Double Loop Games, from the aspiring start in 2019 to the difficult decision to close the company in 2023.

Shelby shares the story of founding Double Loop Games, focusing on creating mobile games for underserved audiences, particularly women, and the process of building the company from prototyping to fundraising. Despite the eventual closure of Double Loop Games due to market pressures and funding challenges, Shelby's story is one of resilience, strategic pivoting, and commitment to her team until the last day of closing the company.

This episode sheds light on the importance of community support as a founder, self-reflection, and the courage to make tough decisions for the team's well-being and personal integrity.

Double Loop Games raised a seed round of $2.5M in 2020 and $8M in Series A in 2021: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/double-loop-games-raises-8-million-to-create-meaningfully-charming-mobile-games

02:42 The Founding Story of Double Loop Games

03:12 From Corporate to Co-Founder: Shelby's Transition

15:13 The Early Days of Double Loop: Prototyping and Team Building

20:05 Navigating the Fundraising Landscape: Seed to Series A

28:45 Adapting to a Changing Investment Environment in 2024

32:29 The Evolution of Game Development Strategies

32:30 Insights from Soft Launch Experiences

33:26 Reflecting on the Final Months and Decision to Close

33:42 Pivoting to a New Game Concept

36:11 Exploring the Merge Game Market and Strategy Development

38:56 The Emotional Journey of Shutting Down and Moving Forward

53:20 New Beginnings: From Game Development to Filmmaking

58:57 Reflections and Future Directions

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

We are resuming the podcast in May, tackling the multiple challenges of building a new company/studio and surviving in 2024.

We kick off this new season, with the journey of Sophie Vo, founder of Rise and Play and first-time CEO of a game company.

Sophie shares her process of becoming a CEO, the challenges of fundraising and pitching, applying the learnings from 100+ entrepreneurs she interviewed in the podcast, building a company like a studio/product, and the importance of digging into co-founders' team dynamics and trust.

Co-host Claire Rozain interviews Sophie, exploring topics from the necessity of curiosity and learning in leadership roles to practical advice for new founders.

The discussion covers the strategies used by Sophie to navigate her company through difficult times, turning constraints into creative opportunities and not being afraid of making the hard call in times of business crisis.

04:04 Sophie Vo's Leap into Entrepreneurship: Building a Game Company in 2024, why???

09:46 Facing Skepticism and Embracing the Challenge

16:23 The Importance of Continuous Learning and Curiosity

19:50 From Solopreneur to Co-Founder: The Decision to Collaborate

20:09 The Solopreneur Journey and Team Dynamics

21:35 Building an Aligned Founding Team and the Role of a CEO

24:47 Effective Leadership and Role Clarity With Mission Cards

28:02 Building Trust and Embracing Challenges

33:47 Adapting to Market Constraints and Embracing Innovation

36:13 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs in 2024

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

• We are onboarding new co-hosts so if you're interested in giving it a try, contact us at sophie@riseandplay.io


• Workshop and 1-1 coaching inquiry at sophie@riseandplay.io


• Next networking event in Berlin on April 25th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rise-and-play-x-starberry-x-metacore-networking-brunch-tickets-861332878827?aff=oddtdtcreator

We're back in May! In the meantime, enjoy the evergreen top content from the previous episodes:

91. Founder Jens Begemann's⁠ Retrospective on Running Wooga For Over A Decade

90. Solving the Team Culture Map Puzzle  with Jen Donahoe

77. Master Emotionally Charged Conversation

59. How to Plan and Nurture Your Career in Games with Miska Katkoff and Sophie Vo

52. Running your 1:1 in a modern workplace (remote) - with Marko Kecman

43. Coaching episode: Tamara Rose Morales, On Examining Your Life Script 

32. What You Did Not Know About UX- with Devon Wyland, Head of UX at Solsten

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Jamie Smith, with over 13 years of experience working on AAA titles like Tom Clancy's The Division, FIFA, and Call of Duty, discusses his career journey, the transition from production roles to a leadership position, and the importance of team autonomy, cross-discipline collaboration, and decision-making structures in delivering successful game projects. The conversation sheds light on the balance between creative direction and the multitude of factors influencing game design, including technical limitations, publisher expectations, and market comparison, aiming to provide valuable insights for improving management skills and understanding the complexity and legacy of AAA game development.

More about Jamie's work and open AAA design learnings: https://youtu.be/q250xvbn9hg?si=kOEbYofqAGMJzVeH

02:42 The Evolution of a Game Designer, from IC to Leader

12:01 Leading Teams and Defining Quality in AAA Game Design

17:00 Navigating Conflicts and Priorities in Game Development

23:35 Adopting a Holistic Approach to Game Design

29:57 Reflecting on 13 Years in AAA Game Development

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

We explore the evolution of game development from first-mover advantages beginnings to the complex, research-driven approach necessary in today's competitive market.

Through Charmie's journey from working on Samurai Siege Live Ops to leading the highly successful music game Beatstar, we uncover insights on how to innovate within various game genres, and the importance of research, marketing, and adapting to the market. Beatstar has grossed over $125m and has attracted over 60m players since its launch in September 2021.

Key takeaways: the significance of direct player engagement, the strategic necessity of market research before genre selection, and the pivotal role of diverse team adaptability in meeting contemporary gaming demands.

01:35 Charmie Kim: A Trailblazer in Game Design and Leadership

06:00 Tracing Charmie Kim's Journey from Fashion to Game Design

15:47 The Strategic Shift at Space Ape Games: Exploring New Genres

20:32 Innovating in the Music Game Genre with BeatStar

32:06 The Importance of Market Research in Modern Game Development

37:13 Concluding Thoughts and the Future of Game Development

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Derk shares insights on the importance of self-awareness, empathetic communication, and aligning one's core being with their professional roles. The discussion delves into the pitfalls of rapid scaling, the benefits of retreats for personal and leadership development, and the significance of creating a supportive and creative company culture.

01:37 The Genesis of Paladin Studio: A 20-Year Journey

03:50 Navigating the Early Days and the Shift to Entertainment Games

09:20 The Evolution of Leadership and Business Strategy

16:14 The CEO's Dilemma: Balancing Creativity and Business and Finding Balance

23:20 Embracing Creativity Beyond Work

24:11 The Synergy of Creative and Business Minds

26:13 The CEO Role Reimagined: Co-CEO for Creative Freedom

26:25 Navigating Operational and Strategic Challenges

28:33 The Transformative Power of Retreats

35:26 Leadership as a Journey of Self-Discovery

39:59 Cultivating a Culture of Shared Values

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we interview the duo Caroline Marchal and Charu Desodt, respectively CEO and Studio Director at Interior Night, to share their journey building an innovative AAA studio from scratch.

Interior Night is an independent game studio formed by Quantic Dream and Sony veterans based in London, dedicated to creating innovative interactive stories for a broad and mature audience. They are the crreators of the original interactive drama As Dusk Falls , a new take on narrative games which received unanimous reviews (9/10 IGN, 9/10 GameSpot, 9/10 Steam).

We cover the evolution of the AAA industry, the growth of representation of women in gaming, the journey of starting a new AAA studio and the significance of having a clear vision and being persistent with it. Caroline had a strong vision of a new kind of AAA narrative games she wanted to make for a mature audience (mothers, non gamers, spouses), and supported by a highly experienced diverse team, she materialized that vision successfully with their first title As Dusk Falls.

01:16 Interior Night Studio: A Female-Led Game Development Studio

02:21 The Journey of the Studio Founders: From Game Designers to Studio Leaders

06:26 The Birth of Interior Night: A Leap of Faith into Entrepreneurship

09:44 The Making of 'As Dust Falls': A Unique Interactive Narrative Experience

18:54 The Impact of 'As Dust Falls' on Players: A New Approach to Gaming

22:01 The Journey of Funding and Building a Game Studio

30:38 Reflections on Leadership and the Future of the Gaming Industry

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

TreesPlease Games raised $8M in seed funding in 2023: https://mobilegamer.biz/treesplease-games-gets-8m-in-seed-funding-reveals-debut-game-longleaf-valley/

Laura shares about the process of navigating the challenges of starting a company as an initial solo founder, raising funds, assembling a team, making a game that aligns with the company's environmental mission, and managing the operational demands of achieving the company's goals. The team at Trees Please is proud to have planted nearly a million trees through their gaming activity and first casual puzzle title Longleaf Valley. Despite various challenges, TreesPlease aims to continue creating environmentally-themed casual puzzle games, with plans to launch more in 2024.

Learn more about TreesPlease reforestation project:

https://www.treespleasegames.com/real-tree-planting

https://www.edenprojects.org/

01:03 Laura's Journey into Entrepreneurship

03:34 The Birth of TreesPlease Games

05:23 Challenges and Triumphs of Starting a Company

06:57 The Importance of a Supportive Network

07:32 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

10:01 Building the Founding Team

10:26 Securing Initial Funding

12:23 The Journey of Building Longleaf Valley

17:35 The Impact of Longleaf Valley, planting 1,000,000 trees

36:51 The Future of TreesPlease Studio

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

We delve into Kim's analytical approach exploring startup successes and failures, identifying key patterns across companies. Over two years of research, Kim interviewed over a hundred gaming founders, CEOs, and leaders. Relevant topics ranging from the necessity of creative tension and disciplined decision-making in leadership, the four critical phases of development for startup companies as compared to a human life cycle, and the importance of knowing one's purpose in their role as founders or CEOs, and at the different growth and decline phases. Many practical and philosophical insights from the book are highlighted.

02:00 The Author's Gaming and Entrepreneurial Journey

05:28 The Process of Writing the Book

06:31 The Value of the Book

07:04 The Process of Interviewing Companies

08:43 The Structure and Purpose of the Book

14:48 The Importance of Discipline in Success

25:47 The Role of a CEO in a Gaming Company

29:47 Solutions and Challenges in Leadership

30:40 The Role of a CEO and the Importance of Support

33:40 The Struggles of Leadership and the Need for Self-Care

36:04 The Dynamics of Co-Founders and Team Composition

38:32 The Importance of Conflict and Challenge in Team Building

51:12 The Role of a CEO in Different Phases of a Company

54:48 Understanding Your Purpose As a CEO or Founder

Get your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/UP-DOWN-companies-succeed-others-ebook/dp/B0CR4D417V

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we interview Veronica Rojas, who climbed the ranks in her career from product marketing at Gameloft to Head of Studio, ultimately becoming the co-CEO at Uken Games. How does someone become a co-CEO/CEO? What does this role imply, and what should one consider before taking on those responsibilities?

The role of co-CEO has emerged more and more in the gaming industry as we recognize that the demands of a CEO role might become overwhelming as the company scales.

04:01 Veronica's Journey into the Gaming Industry

07:34 The Challenges of Starting a Gaming Startup With No Funding and Experience

15:32 Transitioning from Startup to Corporate

24:03 The Role of Product Marketing in Gaming

25:46 Joining UKEN and Rising to Co-CEO

37:05 The Challenges of Being a Co-CEO

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we interview Kelly Wallick, the former founder of Indie Megabooth and now a partner at 1Up Ventures, founded in 2019 by Ed Fries (Former Microsoft Vice President). Their mission is to build a diverse and inclusive community of the most talented, experienced, and creative independent game developers in the world. Their portfolio includes noteworthy emerging studios such as Lightforge Games, Superbloom, and Gardens.

We discuss the importance of diversity in the gaming industry, how a team that reflects its audience increases the potential for success, and the role of founders' community building in nurturing success.

Wallick shares her gaming journey leading her to the investment side, the vision for 1Up Venture, and the unique community-centered approach they bring to venture capitalism.

02:19 Kelly's Journey into the Gaming Industry

04:37 The Birth and Growth of Indie Megabooth

06:42 Transitioning to 1Up Venture

10:30 Investment Decision-Making at 1Up

20:45 Betting on Diverse Teams

21:27 Investment Structure and Strategy

22:14 Building a Founders Community within the Gaming Industry

27:16 Challenges and Successes in Community Building from a Venture Side

39:31 How to connect with 1Up

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, Sophie interviews Miska Katkoff, founder of Deconstructor of Fun and former CEO of Savage Games, to reflect on the journey post-acquisition from PlayStation Studios in 2022.

We discuss the definition of success and the common pressures individuals face in attaining it. Miska shares his personal experience navigating his sense of achievement, dealing with external validation, and the value he places on self-reliance. He discusses the importance of understanding personal values and setting personal goals instead of adopting those prescribed by others. He also encourages listeners to seek therapy as a tool for understanding oneself and promoting mental health. We also touch on the role money plays in their definitions of success.

Link to the MindJournal mentioned in the episode.

00:47 Discussing the Concept of Success

01:38 External Success vs Internal Success

06:24 The Role of Comparison in Success

07:47 The Importance of Setting Personal Goals

11:05 The Role of Money in Defining Success

21:18 The Impact of Material Possessions on Happiness

24:27 The Importance of Therapy in Stressful Times

24:55 The Role of Therapy in Personal Growth

25:54 The Impact of Stress on Personal Relationships

27:13 The Struggles of Startup Life

28:17 The Power of Normalizing Therapy

28:38 Overcoming Prejudices and Resistance to Therapy

29:31 The Importance of Mental Training

30:56 The Journey of Self-Discovery through Therapy

31:24 The Role of Coaching in Personal Development

34:48 The Impact of Upbringing on Success Drive

37:34 The Importance of Self-Realization and Serving Others

44:18 The Power of Journaling and Self-Reflection

45:33 The Persistence of Internal Issues Despite Success

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Matej Lancaric, known for his prominent role in UA in Games, shares his journey as a solopreneur on the podcast. We cover Matej's transition from a corporate career to UA consultancy, his unique approach to providing value to the audience, the evolution of his content creation, and his definition of success. He emphasizes being true to oneself, maintaining authenticity, and cherishing the flexibility provided by being a solopreneur.

If you need help marketing your game, you should reach out to Matej: https://lancaric.me/

Follow his podcast on UA: two-and-a-half gamers.

00:35 Guest Introduction: Matej Lancaric

00:59 Matej's Journey in the Gaming Industry

03:35 Transition to Solopreneurship

05:10 The Power of Authenticity

05:50 The Leap into the Unknown

05:59 The Challenges of Going Solo

06:46 The Importance of Being Yourself

08:13 The Journey of Starting a Newsletter

08:41 The Reality of Launching Games

10:54 The Value of Sharing Knowledge

13:13 The Struggles of Being Criticized

19:50 The Evolution of Content Sharing

22:29 The Importance of Feedback in Solo Work

22:55 Building a Unique and Playful Brand

23:51 The Birth of the Dancing Unicorn and Two and a Half Gamers

24:59 The Evolution of Content Creation and Branding

27:05 The Role of Happiness and Authenticity in Personal Branding

32:46 The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Solopreneur

33:32 Defining Success as a Solopreneur

39:43 The Art of Time Management and Content Creation

41:42 Reflections on the Journey and Future Aspirations

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

The studio’s first global hit game Merge Mansion already has over 50 million players. Metacore is one of the fastest growing game companies in Europe, with EUR 129 million in revenue in 2022 and a team of 190 professionals. The company has raised EUR 180 million in funding from Supercell and is one of their portfolio companies.

Mika talks about the company's early meetings and experiences, his personal journey into the gaming industry, and the decision to shift focus from new technologies to more established gaming markets.

He also sheds light on the company's culture and the vital importance of a robust talent acquisition strategy. Furthermore, Mika provides insights on Metacore's expansion plans, with a new studio in Berlin and operations extending to other games.

00:00 Introduction and Background of Metacore

00:31 Interview with Mika, CEO and Co-founder of Metacore

01:48 Mika's Journey into the Gaming Industry

04:47 Mika's Experience at Digital Chocolate

08:08 Founding of Everywear Games and Transition to Metacore

10:28 Challenges and Learnings from Previous Ventures

17:06 The Birth of Merge Mansion

18:49 The Testing and Iteration Process of Merge Mansion

23:55 Reflections on the Development Process

27:10 The Journey of Game Development and Company Growth

28:06 Challenges and Learnings from Global Launch

28:43 Understanding the Role of Story and Advertising in Gaming

29:37 The Evolution of Company Culture

30:37 Influence of Other Cultures and the Importance of Adaptability

32:40 The Importance of Talent Acquisition and Internal Growth

34:33 Reflections on Company Growth and Expansion

34:59 The Importance of Defining and Evolving Company Culture

43:18 Looking Forward: Future Aspirations and Expansion Plans for Metacore

47:33 Challenges and Strategies in Scaling Skills and Leadership

48:03 The Role of Community in the Gaming Industry

53:50 Closing Thoughts: The Importance of Inspiration and Continuous Learning

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, Matt Schembari, CEO at Lightforge Games, shares the research on open salaries and the current state of the open salary movement and provides concrete benefits and challenges from Lightforge's experience practicing open salaries over the past three years.

You can find additional resources from Matt's GDC 2023 talk here.

As a recognition for their effort in pioneering a better culture for the game industry, Lightforge Games received the 2024 Game Changers Awards by Lightspeed and Gamesbeat.

Topics covered:

• Why open salaries make sense in specific contexts and how to determine if it applies to your situation.


• Steps to initiate open salary practices if you haven't already.


• Establishing a company with open salaries from the ground up.


• Exploring the pros and cons of open salaries, including potential pitfalls.


• Embracing a coaching culture for leaders and employees.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this last episode of the series, we unleash India's gaming potential from an investment point of view with Vivek Ramachandran, early-stage investor at Matrix Partners.

We dive into the exciting world of game development and explore the potential of the Indian market.

We discuss the growth of the media and entertainment sector, the rise of mobile gaming, and the opportunities for global distribution. Vivek also shares insights into the challenges and opportunities for game development in India, the talent ecosystem, and the importance of quality and cultural context in game design.

Whether building for the Indian audience or targeting the global market, this episode offers valuable insights for game developers and investors.

Additional IGDC resources on building a VC backable studio in India: https://youtu.be/0y-h1WqUJXI?feature=shared

Topics Discussed:

- Introduction of guest Vivek and his background in entrepreneurship, business, investment, and gaming.

- The growth and potential of the Indian market in the media and entertainment sector.

- Overview of India's digital landscape, including the impact of networking infrastructure and increased accessibility to entertainment.

- The rise of mobile gaming in India and its success due to free-to-play models and improved internet access.

- Opportunities and challenges in game development in India, including talent, game design, scaling, and user acquisition.

- The potential for India-native gameplay formats and adapting games for different audiences.

- The role of Matrix Partners in supporting early-stage game developers and the billion-dollar opportunity in the Indian gaming market.

- Importance of quality, storytelling, and cultural context in game development.

- Localization challenges in a country with multiple languages and the need for a strategic approach.

- Insights for both Indian and international game developers looking to enter the Indian market and partner with Matrix Partners.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we follow the journey of Ram Reddy, CEO and co-founder at QuriousBit, and former product leader at Play Simple, which was acquired by MTG in 2021 for $510M.

QuriousBit was founded end of 2022 and raised its funding of $2 million from gaming-focused venture capital firm Lumikai and early-stage investor General Catalyst.

The studio is taking a fresh and innovative approach, both in game design and distribution, to achieve category-leading success in the highly competitive global casual gaming market, given current market conditions. Think of it as a mix of Tetris and Sudoku, with a lot of unique puzzle elements.

But the main reason why we're excited to talk to QuriousBit is the approach of how they built the company, focusing on the culture first. Like Netflix or Valve, they started with a culture handbook of 75 pages, that we will share in this episode!

QuriousBit marks the rise of a new generation of Indian gaming studios that want to leave a sustainable trace with their company, and we're excited to be part of it!

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/gaming-startup-quriousbit-raises-2-million-in-funding-from-lumikai-general-catalyst/articleshow/103993791

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we go on a captivating journey into the world of gaming and e-sports in India. Joined by Roby John, the CEO of SuperGaming and former co-founder of June Gaming, we discuss the rise of India's gaming industry and the unique player-centric and cultural approach SuperGaming has taken in building its innovative Indo-Futuristic Battle Royale title: Indus.

More about Supergaming: https://www.youtube.com/@supergaming6686

More about Indus: https://www.youtube.com/@IndusGame

Topics Discussed:

- Super Gaming's mission to build India's gaming revolution

- The development of cross-platform games and SuperPlatform

- Roby's background as a teacher and its influence on community-building through gaming

- The journey of building June Gaming (Roby's first company) and the lessons learned

- The success of Mask Gun and the importance of ground insights

- The integration of Indian culture and festivals in their game Indus

- The creation of Indus, an Indo-futuristic battle royale game

- Super Gaming's focus on data, iterative improvements, and community building

- The accessibility of the internet and a young demographic driving the growth of mobile gaming in India

- Super Gaming's approach to creating Indian-specific games and storytelling

- The significance of representation and empowerment in their games

- The incorporation of traditional Indian music and instruments

- The upcoming closed beta release and the excitement of player feedback

- The talent and collective effort behind Super Gaming's games

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

What if AI could be the answer to providing quality education for every child in the world? What if we could leverage tech and entertainment to have a social impact at scale?

That's the world problem Rishi and his Supernova AI team try to crack. In the episode, we go deep inside Supernova's fascinating journey, where the team believes that learning should be fun and interactive instead of just being a passive experience. We live in the age of user-centricity, and like every other product, educational experiences need to be a lot more user-friendly. 

Targeted toward kids aged 4-12, the company started by Anirudh(Previously Co-Founded Myra Medicine & exited to medlife), Nawin & Maharishi in 2021 aims to redefine the current passive forms of learning by providing super fun & engaging Live Quizzes,  “Byte-Sized” lessons & worksheets on CBSE topics. Every time kids come to one of Supernova’s Live Quizzes, they learn & practice a CBSE math skill in innovative 30-minute sessions.

See for yourself about the incredible capabilities of ⁠Supernova⁠: https://youtu.be/J_hVsEdzZz8

Supernova raised pre-seed funding of $1.1 million in 2022. The pre-seed round was led by Lumikai VC, with participation from Kae Capital, All In Capital, Goodwater Capital & strategic angel investors.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we sit down with Ojas Vipat, the CEO and co-founder of Mayhem Studio ($20 million raised in a Series A round led by Sequoia Capital), to uncover the untapped potential and lack of awareness surrounding the Indian gaming scene. Ojas shares his journey and what led him to break away from the norm and start his studio. We discuss the development of the gaming market in India, the shift towards more popular genres, and the rise of esports.

But what makes Mayhem Studio stand out? Ojas reveals their mission to build for India, showcasing the rich stories and heritage of the country through immersive gaming experiences. Their latest creation, "Underworld Gang Wars," is a mobile shooter game set in a meticulously crafted map called Dhantara, which pays homage to various locations in India. With over 6 million pre-registered players and positive feedback from closed alpha testing, the game is set to take the gaming world by storm.

More about the game here: https://underworldgangwars.com/

Topics discussed:

- Development of the gaming market in India

- Rise of esports in India

- Mayhem Studio's aim to build India as a gaming powerhouse

- Emerging community of esports in India and specific trends

- Popularity of mobile gaming in India

- India's competitive nature and the popularity of other sports

- Mayhem Studio's journey and formation

- Mayhem Studio's goal of showcasing Indian culture through gaming

- Challenges and opportunities in the Indian gaming industry

- Mayhem Studio's focus on creating a unique gaming experience

- Talent shortage in the gaming industry in India and opportunity for global experts to help

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we are joined by Oliver Jones, CEO and co-founder of Bombay Play, one of the leading gaming studios in Bengaluru, India. Oliver shares his journey in the gaming industry before founding Bombay Play, from working at Zynga and Glu to founding his first company Moonfrog Labs (acquired for USD 90 million by Stillfront in 2021).

Oliver talks about the booming gaming ecosystem in India and how companies like Zynga and EA established their studios in the country to leverage local talent. He shares how Moonfrog Labs, his first startup, focused on creating content for the Indian market and eventually gained traction leading to the acquisition by Stillfront.

We dive into the challenges and successes of building a gaming company in India, including the importance of bootstrapping, building a strong team, and focusing on a specific genre. Oliver shares insights on their strategy of creating card games with a social casino twist, targeting a gap in the market. Oliver emphasizes the importance of quick iterations, adapting to the market, and taking bold bets in game development.

Check Bombay Play's latest title ⁠Block Heads⁠ (a Duel Puzzle Game) in Soft Launch.

Topics Discussed:

- The gaming ecosystem in India

- Building Moonfrog Labs and Bombay Play

- Bootstrapping and generating revenue

- Focusing on specific genres

- Cultural differences and working culture in India

- Creating a purpose-driven culture

- Quick iterations and adapting to the market

- The future of the Indian gaming market

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In this episode, we interview Jenny Xu, the CEO of Talofa Games, to discuss her journey in the gaming industry and the creation of their unique fitness RPG game, Run Legends.

Jenny shares her background in the industry, including her previous solo-founded company, JC Soft Inc., and being part of the Niantic Kickstarter Program leading to the creation of Talofa Games.

We dive into the details of Run Legends, a co-op fitness RPG game that combines modern gaming with fitness, aiming to surpass existing fitness gaming options. Learn more about the fitness habits and preferences of Gen Z, and what it takes to create a game experience for GenZ.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

In 2021, Kepler has raised $120 million from NetEase in a financing round as part of its launch.

At Kepler, studio founders become co-owners with a say in the decision-making process of the collective and are able to utilize the benefits that a model like this can provide. Marketing, operations, finance, publishing, technology and even team expertise: the combination of resources enables each studio to achieve their goals, all while maintaining creative freedom.

Among the founding studios at Kepler: A44, Alpha Channel, Awaceb, Ebb Software, Shapefarm, Sloclap and Timberline. The company's executive team is led by the founders of independent video game fund Kowloon Nights.

A co-ownership model sounds great on paper, but how does it work in practice?

Join us for an insightful conversation that will change the way you think about game development and publishing!

Topics Discussed:

- Kepler Interactive's co-ownership model and its impact on game publishing

- Cat's journey from consulting to joining Kepler Interactive

- The origins of the disruptive publishing model created by the founders of Kepler

- How Kepler strives for alignment and collaboration among studios

- The criteria Kepler looks for when considering new studios to join the collective

- The power of collaboration and synergy among studios within Kepler

- Kepler's commitment to sustainable growth and organic expansion

- The trade-off between rapid scaling and long-term sustainability in the gaming industry

- Kepler's vision for the future and their commitment to unique gaming experiences

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Starberry is known for its successful title Merge Mayor, released in 2019. We delve into market topics like platforms, merge games, social features, and the importance of making tough decisions as a founder. Antti emphasizes the value of persistence and adaptability in a volatile market.

Topics Discussed:

- Antti's journey in the mobile gaming industry

- Working on Jelly Splash and other games

- Antti's decision to start his own company

- Pivoting and securing funding

- Challenges in the gaming industry

- Merge games and social engagement

- Making tough decisions as a founder: how to do the hard things the right way?

- Why Berlin is the place to be to open a new studio?

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

You can read the latest piece from Niek here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/evolution-of-hybridcasual-deepdive/

We cover Niek's journey in games and the importance of broadening those 7 extra skills as a designer if you want to grow in the industry:

1. Game design core skills: UX/features/core gameplay/system design

2. Player understanding and empathy

3. Prototyping

4. Writing and communication skills

5. Product management, understanding the business of games

6. Narrative / Storytelling

7. Leadership

Niek and I built the first casual studio at Voodoo and launched Plantopia in 2020, as the first internal casual game published at Voodoo. We talk about how we approached game development developing casual games with hypercasual speed. We delve into player retention, monetization, and the value of smaller team sizes in F2P games.

Topics discussed:

- Building casual games in a hyper-casual way

- Career journey as a designer in the gaming industry

- Experiences at Wooga and the development of Plantopia

- F2P business model and player retention

- Writing endeavors and gaining market knowledge

- New venture at Moonlit Games and the influence of blockchain technology. Current game: Rogue Nation (⁠Android⁠/⁠iOS⁠) by ⁠moonlitgames.io⁠

If you want to get in touch with Niek:

Blog: ludocious.com

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

The discussion expands to reflect on the games industry's potential to learn from more mature industries and the power of coaching in supporting CEOs and engaging teams effectively. Sophie and Oscar examine the 3 key leaders' fears and their impact on leadership, as well as the concept of self-responsibility and its correlation with business outcomes. The importance of understanding oneself and resolving personal conflicts is emphasized as a prerequisite for impactful leadership. We also demystify the distinctions between coaching, mentoring, and consulting, with coaching being defined as a process that encourages individuals to find their own answers and lead authentically.

Topics Discussed:

- Coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry

- The role of a Chief of Staff in game companies

- The importance of self-awareness in leadership

- 3 most common fears and their impact on leadership style

- Coaching as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery

- The distinction between coaching, mentoring, and consulting

- The prerequisites for coaching and the commitment it requires

- The transformative power of coaching in personal and professional life

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

TK shares the journey of nWay, a gaming company focused on delivering the best fighting multiplayer games with various IPs across multiple platforms. We delve into the 10-year evolution of the company, from initially creating games for Facebook, then expanding to mobile, console, and PC, all the way to collaborating with renowned IPs like Power Rangers and WWE.

For the funny anecdote, find out how Street Fighter characters made it into the Power Rangers universe! Disclaimer: The fans were very upset at first! Luckily it has been deescalated with humour!

Key points:

- Key business insights on the challenges and rewards of building and selling companies such as Nway and Nurian Software.

- Discussion on the significance of teamwork, passion, and pioneering new game experiences.

- TK's take on the importance of an idea-driven company culture and avoiding the hiring of people with big egos.

- Exploration of the ideal team size for innovative game development and the critical evaluation of culture fit during hiring process.

- Insights into the funding and success milestones of Nway's popular games like Power Rangers and WWE.

- Discussion about strategic partnerships with IP holders resulting from Nway's success.

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

They also dive into the challenges and considerations of establishing offices and hubs in different locations, including legal and tax implications. Anton emphasizes the importance of analyzing market development and talent concentration when choosing office locations.

Sophie and Anton discuss the success of MyGames' game Rush Royale (over $230M lifetime revenues) and how it was made fully remote with a small, talented team. They emphasize the need for trust and collaboration among team members.

The conversation concludes with a discussion on the impact of different cultures on remote work and the importance of cultural awareness and education.

Topics discussed:

- Shift to hybrid work and fully distributed teams

- Benefits of remote work

- Establishing offices and hubs in different locations

- Legal and tax implications

- Success of Rush Royale (over 230MM lifetime revenues)

- Trust and collaboration in remote teams

- Impact of different cultures on remote work

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Holacracy is a system of self-management where leadership roles are not subject to a traditional hierarchy of command. Instead of having a static job description, individuals in a holacracy assume multiple roles, each associated with a purpose, domain, and accountabilities. It distributes authority and decision-making through a holarchy of self-organizing teams rather than being vested in a management hierarchy.

While it looks great on paper, how does that work in practice? This approach impacts all the layers of what makes a company culture and strategy:

• Who joins the company?


• Who makes the decisions and on what?


• How decisions are being made (not by the CEO or leaders).


• Which games are greenlighted?

Four years since its founding, the team has been growing with this core holacratic culture and delivering proven success with Mr. Autofire. Maybe there are aspects that you can take away from a holacratic culture for your own company. How ready are you to let go of control?

🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/O4NOnciptDg

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

We dive into the importance of self-esteem and self-awareness when throwing yourself out there to build your new business and being 100% behind it. We also cover strategies for dealing with negative feedback and the importance of self-reflection and self-evaluation.

The conversation shifts to the common pitfalls of leadership, specifically misalignment within teams. Sophie emphasizes the need for alignment in vision, values, and purpose within a company and highlights the challenges that can arise when co-founders have different motivations.

At the end, we offer avenues on how to achieve deep alignment in your team, through group mediation and sometimes therapy at an individual level.

🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/gREnrlUoG5I

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜

We are reflecting on over a decade of founding, building, and growing the studio, navigating the ups and downs of the company, including scaling up and down, company and game pivots. Martial opens up about the failures and lessons learned, such as the painful experience of a game flop, disappointment, and losing people. I appreciate how open and humble Martial is in sharing these entrepreneurial mistakes because there is as much to learn from the mistakes (if not more) as there is from the wins.

We will also delve into OBB's unique approach to game development, emphasizing its aim to create fresh, fun, and original games that leave a positive impact on gaming culture. The main lesson learned over a decade is the continued focus on hiring amazing talent and the importance of working with kind-hearted individuals is the foundation of a sustainable business in the gaming industry.

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Martial's journey from Gameloft to starting OBB

- Challenges faced as a young creative director

- Lessons learned from game failures

- Importance of company culture and direction, in hindsight

- OBB's creative-driven approach to game development

- Balancing creativity and business

- Hiring practices and company values at OBB

- Embracing growth as conscious leaders in the industry

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜

We cover Jen's journey in the gaming industry and the lessons he learned as an entrepreneur that led him to found Wooga in 2008. We also explore the growth of Wooga, its successful games, and the company's shift to mobile gaming. The conversation touches on the significance of company culture, hiring the right people, and the need for constant adaptation in the ever-changing gaming market. We discuss the difficult decisions and strategic mistakes made along the way, as well as the ultimate decision to sell Wooga to Playtika at the end of 2018. Today, when we observe the company's growth and revenues, Wooga is more successful than it has ever been.

Topics covered:

- Challenges faced in the dot-com bubble burst in 2000

- Importance of having a network and clear vision before starting a company

- Growth of Wooga and its early successful games Brain Buddies, Diamond Dash, Bubble Island, Jelly Splash, Pearl's Perils

- Shift from Facebook games to mobile games

- Importance of company culture and hiring the right people, from the start

- Challenges and mistakes made leading to a difficult year with layoffs in 2017

- Decision to sell Wooga to Playtika in 2018

- Why Playtika was the right choice for Wooga, post-acquisition

💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.

Have a great week, and don't forget to take care of yourself.

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23!

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In this episode, we deconstruct with Jen Donahoe (Game Marketing and Growth Leader, co-host for Deconstructor Of Fun) The Culture Map book by Erin Meyer, and how we applied the 8 cultural dimensions with teams in our career:

Communicating: Low vs High Context

Evaluating: Direct negative feedback vs Indirect negative feedback

Persuading: Principles- first or Applications-first

Leading: Egalitarian or Hierarchical

Deciding: Consensual or Top-Down

Trusting: Task-based or Relationship-based

Disagreeing: confrontational or non-confrontational

Scheduling: Linear or Flexible Time

No matter where you live or grew up, you need to be intentional about where you stand on the cultural spectrum as a leader and communicate it well to your team. It is not about cultural differences only, but also personality and cognitive differences where the same frameworks apply!

We are taking a break with the podcast and will come back in September with a new series on Change Management! Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. 

Behind that mask, these leaders face some serious challenges. They can't catch a decent night's sleep, and anxiety weighs them down day in and day out. Their energy levels go up and down like a yo-yo, and they feel exhausted most of the time..." Steve Cuss.

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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In this episode, I am talking to Steve Cuss, who has an extensive background in the video games industry, starting his journey in 1994 as a programmer at Intelligent Games and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the Development Director and co-owner after a successful management buyout. Steve later spent 20 years in leadership roles at EA and then Criterion, leading the development of notable titles including Black, the Burnout series, Star Wars Battlefront, and latterly focusing on the Need for Speed series.

In 2023, Steve decided to take his learnings outside of EA by founding The GamePlan Consultancy to help other leaders be their authentic selves with what he calls Liberated Leadership. Steve has also authored a book titled “Liberated Leadership: Lessons Learned from 20 Years Producing Video Games at EA,” which is scheduled to be published in the summer of 2023. Stay tuned!

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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In this episode, we go through ⁠Jen Donahoe's⁠ 20 years of career and leadership learnings at Disney, Mattel, EA, Zynga, Scopely, and Riot Games as a Growth and Marketing Executive. Moving from one company culture to another is a transition, and you will inevitably make cultural mistakes. Jen and I will share how we used the Trust triangle framework to rebuild trust with our teams, sharing personal and professional anecdotes.

The 3 pillars to rebuild trust are Empathy, Logic, and Authenticity. Check Francis Frei's video for the full framework: https://www.ted.com/talks/frances_frei_how_to_build_and_rebuild_trust

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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We will cover in this episode how to prepare your company for an exit or funding, how to evaluate the right funding partner, and how to get your team ready for funding with a strong vision, culture, playable, and scope. Those principles apply to any business model in gaming (F2P, premium, web3) when money is less available.

Related episode on Why We Need More Women As Investors: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riseandplay/episodes/39--Why-We-Need-More-Women-As-Investors---with-Salone-Sehgal-e1lv318/a-a8c2lb2

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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Maria will share her leadership evolution from the McKinsey days to CCP Games to later becoming the CEO at Ustwo Games. The key transformation for her was to find her authentic style of leadership beyond the motherly expected leadership style.

We previously recorded this single episode with Maria, if you want to hear more about the company culture at Ustwo Games: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riseandplay/episodes/42--Making-Games-With-Impact-At-Ustwo-Games---with-Maria-Sayans-e1nn9cs/a-a8h028l

We will also hear from Daniel and how he grew from being a QA manager at Kuju, to being a producer at Lionhead, to later becoming the Chief Creative Officer at Ustwo Games. Daniel contributed to the success of iconic titles such as Monument Valley.

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

We will deconstruct in this episode those questions with Bastian Bergmann, co-founder at Solsten, using the human psychological lens on teams, processes, and culture.

You can find additional resources on the topic with this HBR article written by Bastian and Joe, his co-founder: https://hbr.org/2016/07/a-data-driven-approach-to-group-creativity

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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If you don't know yet about this studio, check out their awesome social Word games at https://www.funcraft.com/

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

In this episode, we go back to the story of Skunkworks Games, the makers of Merge Friends, a notable successful merge game released in 2019 during the rise of other new merge games.

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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A few years later in 2022, we hear the company is shutting down and filing for bankruptcy. The game is no longer running, the whole team has to go and find a new job. What happened? What can we learn from this story to not repeat similar stories? 

Learn from Collin Foss, ex-CPO at Skunkworks Games on the key lessons and postmortem of the studio. As the management, how do you close a company when you know this is the end? How do you communicate it to the team, when and how?

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

Watch the full online workshop here: https://youtu.be/GDRPJL5Sm30

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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We will delve into the fundamentals of non-violent communication (framework from Marshall Rosenberg), exploring how it can promote understanding, compassion, and empathy in a leadership context. We will also discuss how leaders can utilize these principles to build stronger relationships with their teams, manage conflicts more effectively, and promote a culture of open and honest communication.
Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting, learning the NVC framework will help you immediately enhance your communication and leadership skills!

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

Video of the episode: https://youtu.be/j8l9IY5q6ZY

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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We will cover the 4 principles of Stoic philosophy: Justice, Bravery, Temperance, and Wisdom, and how you can apply those in the everyday life business. Arseny will share the case that led him to decide to relocate his whole company from Russia to Portugal when the war in Ukraine hit. Those business decisions always have pros and cons in the long term, but how to avoid the worse decisions? That's where a bit of Stoic thinking can help you!

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

We discuss in this new episode with Miska the limitations of being truly yourself as a leader. It is easier and even recommended to be yourself when you're part of a game team (i.e. Product Manager, Producer), to build trust and connection with your team. When you are in a management role (i.e. CEO/C-level/VP, Game Director), your title precedes you, and being too much "yourself" can have damaging consequences for people and create an environment of anxiety.

Here are some pitfalls: revealing strategic information in the wrong timing or context, saying something that will be misinterpreted, or saying a bad joke.

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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We will share in this episode several frameworks of communication: Layer your communication with different groups and audiences. Be close and yourself with the people you need to be close to (your core team), not everyone in the company. Accept being disliked for your image, not for who you truly are. You are not a Lead to be liked. You are a Lead to make the right (and unpopular) decisions for the long-term benefit of the company and team.

Link to the video of the episode: https://youtu.be/FdrnkMVqe6Q

If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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So how do you approach those conversations in a more serene way, while showing empathy? The work starts with you getting self-awareness of what the situation is and controlling your feelings, preparing for the talk. Learn from Julie Beaugrand (Head of Studio & VP at Rovio), Benjamin Chevalier (co-founder at Mighty Bear Games), and Sophie Vo (General Manager at Savage Game Studios), who share their experience, their learnings, mistakes, and self-management tools.

Link to Julie's previous episode on Building The Next Casual Hit At Rovio

Link to Ben's previous episode on Building A Western Culture Studio in Asia

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.

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In this episode, we walk through Ioana Hreninciuc's journey from being the Head of Product at Game Analytics, to becoming the CEO of the company. What was the skill and mental switch required to fulfill the position? What can help you make the switch from "getting things done" to "influencing others to get things done"? The role and responsibilities of a C-level are not for everyone. Is that challenge the right one for you as you look to grow in your career?

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

Everyone comes to you for every day's requests and problems when you are the Producer. How do you master "Saying no" more often? Learn the communication tools on how to set clear producer boundaries at work. The best producers keep focus and push back distractions to get things done!

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23."

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Maria Maunula is currently a Senior Producer at Rovio. She has been a producer with years of experience in the games industry, working on businesses of all sizes, from small startups to big corporations such as Seriously, DoDreams, and Nitro Games.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

Highly recommended reads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944267.Boundaries

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53359440-boundary-boss

Article on boundaries at work from Ioana Hreninciuc

https://www.riseandplay.io/blogs/how-to-set-boundaries-at-work

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Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23."

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As the leader of your organisation, how inclusive are you of neurodiversity at work? Your employees won't tell you that they're neurodiverse if they don't feel part of an inclusive workplace, or trust that it won't be used against their career progression and performance. How can you be proactive and supportive about it as an employer? What talent opportunities are you missing out on by excluding neurodiverse people?

Learn more about ADHD and mental health conditions from Alice Bowman's testimonial, Product Lead at MAG Interactive. Alice is offering insights into the challenges of some of those mental health conditions, and how it could be a virtue at work and for leaders. Hear ideas of what you can implement in your workplace to be more inclusive for people with mental health challenges. Alice has previously worked for companies such as Trailmix, Netspeak Games, and Outplay Entertainment.

Shout outs:
Safe In Our World  as a great wealth of resources and support for mental health in the games industry ✨
Adam Clewes-Boyne whose new community Playing Attention is dedicated to supporting folks with ADHD in the industry 🌟
Dominic Shaw who is constantly advocating for neurodiverse individuals through his work with Ukie - The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, Autistica and #RaisetheGame 💪

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog

Get the practical steps from Nicolas on how to pivot a company strategy, team, and branding. How do you accompany the teams throughout this uncomfortable phase? Those changes don't happen overnight if you want to them be sustainable. They usually take 2 to 3 years. Are you ready to lead that journey in your company?

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit ⁠go.solsten.io⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

In this episode, Simonetta Lulli (CEO at GameHouse) and Ioana Hreninciuc (CPO at Homa, ex-CEO at Game Analytics) share their Monday routines and tools to ensure they stay on top of things. How do they make time for themselves, to think of the big picture? How do they juggle the demand of personal and professional life? How do they incorporate White Space into their daily routine?

You don't need to be a CEO to apply those discipline tools for yourself. But you can learn from successful CEOs!

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/yG2oIWJ74vU

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit ⁠go.solsten.io⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

Don't miss out on episode #33 with Simonetta (How To Break The Bias Of Being A Female CEO): https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/rxweBnk4Lyb

In this episode, Olga Marushchak, UX Director at King, will deconstruct what makes a great UX designer. Olga will share practical tools on how to hire and identify great UX designers, when you don't have internally the knowledge yourself. She will also prove that it is possible to hire UX designers without a prior experience in games if they demonstrate certain key skills. Last, how do you train your UX designers in games, once you found the One?

Olga has been working in Game Dev for almost 14 years and has worked in various gaming companies: AAA, small indie startups, and medium-sized organizations such as Playgendary and Wargaming.

To learn more about UX, check out episode #32 What You Did Not Know About UX

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit ⁠solsten.io/contact-us⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠https://www.riseandplay.io

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/OyIpv-cEViYhttps://youtu.be/OyIpv-cEViY

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Read more about How to Lead Teams As A Stoic: https://medium.com/ironsource-levelup/leading-teams-as-a-stoic-1-2-d0045dd024d3

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

How do you give the best chances of success and training for your new leaders in the company? Use the EDGE Technique to lead: Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. How do you ensure that leaders have a manageable number of reports? For a new leader, it should be one report. For an experienced leader, it should be six-seven reports maximum. How are you following those principles?

Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

A month ago, I did something I was really afraid to do: tell a personal story on stage. 

The story you are about to hear is a performance I gave on stage at The Bear, a Berlin storytelling event with up to 100 people in the audience. You get up onstage, no notes, and tell a story that is related to a theme (on this evening, it was 'Work'). The more vulnerable you are, the more powerful the story ends up becoming. 

I really wanted to do it because I felt I had something to tell. I was afraid because I thought I was not capable of doing it. I thought I would panic on stage and fail. But what I usually do when I face a fearful situation, I dive into it. Because I know I will grow from this, I will learn, even if it is scary. 

I hope you will enjoy this special story, that will inspire you to do something daring and fun today, too. For yourself.

Happy International Women's Day! 

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Video of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP850uh36g0

Thanks to The Bear for giving me the space on stage! The piano song is played and composed by James Harper.

Today, we discuss with Jussi Tähtinen, CEO and co-founder of Nitro Games, a Finnish mobile mid-core games studio, on how to build a culture bottom-up. How do you start the process when you want to involve your people in reevaluating your culture? How do you define company values bottom-up, and at which stage of the company should you do it? How often should you update you values and culture? Values are not just pretty words on the wall, so how do you turn them into everyday habits of the company life?

Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit solsten.io/contact-us and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs. 

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Wherever you are in this world, you will always report to someone, your boss, a stakeholder, or an investor. Making those relationships work is as important as the relationships you build in your team. How can you apply your empathetic superpowers to your manager? Managing up is good for you, good for your boss, and good for the organization as a whole.

In this episode, we cover how to "Manage Up" with Michail Katkoff (Managing Director at Savage Games Studios and Founder of Deconstructor of Fun) 

- How to be a good subordinate?

- How do you identify the "type" of your manager, and how do you adapt your leadership style for each?

- What are the upsides of managing up well?

Full video of the episode here: https://youtu.be/jlXkU0N2UKc

Check out the book Manage Up

More resources from HBR: https://hbr.org/2015/01/what-everyone-should-know-about-managing-up

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

We will cover in the discussion how to tackle strategic communication when you are onboarded as the new General Manager/Managing Director/COO/CEO, post-acquisition. It might be tempting to execute core changes fast, but this will have a cost on the people and culture. You need to go slow, to go fast. Sit down, talk and listen to everyone in the company to understand the history, where is the company now, and where it needs to be.

Celine Pasula has over a decade of leadership experience in top mobile gaming companies including startups and bigger companies. She has been working with experiences on all platforms, mobile and HD. Celine is an expert in leadership, finance, legal and business development and also in building a great company culture.

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

While it is an uncomfortable topic for company leaders, we cannot ignore the fact that it is happening on a global scale. What can we do about it and where is the line to draw between an employer and employees? 

In this episode, we tackle with Songya Why mental health issues happen and creep into the workplace. Impactful and durable changes happen from the top, so we will provide in this episode tools for leaders to first understand what mental health is about and how they can reflect on their own mental health. We will provide directions on how they can support the mental health of employees through the company environment they create.

Songya Kesler is an EXECUTIVE COACH who is PCC-accredited through the International Coaching Federation, Songya works with business leaders on (1) personal development, (2) leadership, and (3) business strategy. Contact her for coaching inquiries: https://www.songyakesler.com/

Reports and data sources on mental health:

https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport-2021

https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2022-6108-45873-66068

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Leanne Loombe has extensive career developing and publishing games over the past 18 years, working on iconic franchises such as Magic the Gathering, Need for Speed, and League of Legends. She is currently heading up External Games at Netflix and helping to change how we play games through Netflix. In this episode, Leanne shares her learning on Publishing, coming from the lens of a game developer.

Additionally, Leanne is a passionate ambassador for Women In Game and focuses on encouraging women to join the industry and creating diversity in teams through mentorship, panels, and events.

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

More info on jobs at Netflix Games: https://jobs.netflix.com/team?slug=netflix-games-studio

We will cover in this episode with Laura the concrete steps to incorporate DEI in your company: to be part of your hiring process, career development process, and feedback culture.

Laura is an organizational researcher and the former Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Bolt and the current founder of VALIDEI, a research agency specializing in assessments of DEI and scalability. Laura applies a data-informed approach to supporting viable businesses and ways of working.

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

We'll address in this episode:

- The definition of burnout. What are the signs? Joakim and I will share our personal experiences.

- What can you do once you know you are in a burnout or depressive state? How can therapy help? 

- What are still the blockers for leaders to seek help and therapy?

Thank you to our sponsor Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

In those episodes, we will be sparring thoughts with Miska, reflecting on our leadership work at Savage. Full video of the talk: https://youtu.be/HwlPik-s8kk

Kicking off this segment, we tackle in this episode "How to plan your next career moves?" 

• How do I approach my career and nurture my Zone of Genius 


• How did I make the decision to join Savage (instead of building my own company? or continuing my former studio at Voodoo)? It. comes down to the question "How do I want to spend my time? Who do I want to spend time with?" 


• How does Rise and Play fit into my mission and career growth? 


• How did I ensure an effective integration at Savage, even before I officially started? 


• How do you develop your personal branding? And why does it matter? - Why developing your relationship capital is fundamental in growing to leadership roles?

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Today, she is an advisor to game studios, publishers, and esports companies, and a popular host and event speaker. Marie shares her journey of building her own path in gaming, from engineering, to game design, to game direction, leading teams to building her own business. We talk about women (or the lack of them) in E-sport, what skills are expected of a Game Director, why game design is still such a young and evolving field and how to stay on top of it.

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Here are a few tools we are sharing in this episode: value and life vision examination every 6 months, priorities and plans in the 5 core areas of your life (the 5F), envisioning your Ideal Day, life reflection from the deathbed, create accountability in your life change, timeline and moodograph...

More about Tom Hammond: Tom has been an active contributor to the Live Ops community with his podcast Mastering Retention and recently the UserWise Academy. Tom is sharing his entrepreneurial journey in creating his two companies TheoremReach and UserWise, his company culture and values, and what led him to create the Mastering Retention podcast. To "give back" to the community.

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

With solid experience in large AAA companies, Isabelle took a new journey as the co-CEO and COO of Klang Games, one of the best-funded gaming start-ups in Europe and is also acting as the Executive Producer for SEED, an MMO society simulator being developed at Klang.

In this episode, we cover the exciting challenges of joining a startup in a growing phase. How to integrate a leadership team that has history before you and build trust in a sustainable way? What is the pace of change when you come in to improve the culture, organization and process? I can relate a lot to Isabelle's challenges as I joined Savage Games and faced similar challenges. That's what we cover and debate about in this episode!

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

To get in touch with Ben and Aaron, visit Valarin website here: https://valarinconsulting.com/

SHE PLAYS GAMES is a podcast dedicated to celebrating women who work in the games industry. We want to make the various roles in games visible to anyone looking to join the games industry whether through programming, QA, producing, streaming, content creation, and so on.

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Marko is an experienced Product & Project Manager with about 20 years of professional experience. His career started as a full-stack web developer where he quickly grew to become a Tech Lead, having to manage teams of developers.



Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Read more about Dorian at: https://home.dorian.live/

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Read more about Kinder World and open positions at Lumi Interactive: https://jobs.polymer.co/lumiinteractive

Prior to EA, Catharina also acted as General Manager and Head of Studio at King. She built and scaled their London games studios and played a key operational and product leadership role in the growth of the company.

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

How could we design a better work environment to support parents and mothers to keep thriving? The change starts with more awareness, education, and appropriate reintegration programs for parents. 

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io



About our guests: Betty Lapeyre is a certified Integral Development Coach, who supports people live their lives truthfully and fully. You can book a coaching session with Betty here: https://www.bloomingwithbetty.com/

Emily Yim has over 13 years of experience in mobile games and held several product management leadership roles at companies such as EA, Glu, Dots, and Zynga. Emily gained her mobile gaming expertise in casual and lifestyle genres while working on successful franchises such as Covet Fashion, The Sims Mobile, Two Dots, and SongPop, and has led teams of various sizes.

Prior to joining Jam City, Vanessa served on the Mobile Publishing team at global video game publisher, Electronic Arts. She contributed to the successful launch of highly-rated original and licensed games, such as Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, The Simpsons Tapped Out, FIFA.



Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Check the open positions in Rovio Toronto.

I am debunking the key misconceptions about money and personal finances with Marcela Barrera, the founder of Investors Abroad and financial coach. Are you diversifying your portfolio of assets? Have you started to invest? Do you know the difference between a liability and an asset? Why is there a knowledge gap in finances for women, and what can we do about it? That's what we will bring to you in this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors.

• Game Refinery: https://info.gamerefinery.com/riseandplay to get a free product tour. Build better games + live events with leaner teams.


• Appodeal: https://appodeal.com join the all-in-one growth platform for mobile app creators of any size.

Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io

Join and follow Afrogameuses: https://www.afrogameuses.com/