How to find and embrace your personal style of creativity with Gensler Principal, Naomi Sakamoto.

I was planning to close season one of the podcast at episode 10. It seemed like a nice round number. But when l finally got the chance to sit down with my guest for this episode, Naomi Sakamoto, it turned out to be just too good to hold back. Naomi, currently Principal at Gensler, London, inspires me so much every time we meet. I think this opportunity exceeded all previous conversations. We discussed that there are many different types of creative people, and how to discover which type you are. Also how to be comfortable with the fact that other people might be better than us at the other types, and maybe even our own type. We also covered how to let ideas breathe and evolve, and how she manages to achieve that even under the time pressure of tight deadlines. Naomi explained how she thinks language is humans’ most creative invention and how she takes inspiration from its evolution over time. She also gave some great advice on how to manage a creative career and find your personal style of leadership which may well not include achieving a high-powered role or job title. Naomi’s own career has followed a fascinating path. Having studied civil engineering at Stanford University and an architecture Masters at Harvard she’s worked in both fields, eventually transitioning to interior design and then into leadership as a principal at the largest architecture firm in the world, Gensler in London. Roles she gravitated to due to her personal human centric approach. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this first season of the podcast, and to all the amazing guests. I already have many more inspiring creatives booked to join me for season 2. Please rate and subscribe to the show so as not to miss any of what I hope will be some amazing new episodes. Thanks!