The Crazy One
The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast for creatives, leaders, and anyone who refuses to settle. Hosted by renowned designer and global design leader Stephen Gates, this show delivers unfiltered honesty, actionable insights, and hard-won wisdom to help you grow your creativity, lead with confidence, and build a meaningful career.
With over two decades leading world-class design teams at companies like InVision, Citi, Starwood Hotels, WW, and McCann Erickson, Stephen has built brands and digital experiences for clients including Disney, American Airlines, W Hotels, Verizon, Acura, and more — work that’s earned over 150 international awards and has been featured by Apple in 10 keynotes, 4 commercials, and the Human Interface Guidelines.
Now as the founder of CRZY, an independent strategy and design studio, he’s helping companies find bold new visions for their brands, experiences, and creative futures. Through The Crazy One, he shares everything he’s learned along the way — from integrating behavioral science with human-centered design to navigating imposter syndrome to building a career and creative life on your own terms.
With over 100 episodes and a loyal global audience, The Crazy One has been named:
• Webby Award Honoree for Best Technology Podcast
• #1 Podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and Springboard
• 5-star rated across every iTunes Store worldwide
This is more than a design podcast. It’s a wake-up call. A masterclass. A real-talk guide for finding your voice, owning your crazy, and changing the game.
No BS. No buzzwords. Just real insights from someone who’s been there.
- Update frequency
- every 17 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 147
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2025
Ep 121 Design Thinking: The U.S. Army can teach you a lot about Design Thinking
In this unique episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into an unexpected source of inspiration for Design Thinking—the US Army’s Design Methodology. After exploring how the Army approaches pro…
Ep 120 Career: Don't apply for your next job (and what to do instead)
In this eye-opening episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates reveals why traditional job applications only have a 5% success rate—and why it’s time for a new approach to landing your next role. Backed…
Back from hiatus
I'm sure you noticed this show went on an unannounced 7-month hiatus. Before I started recording new episodes, I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what happened that made me stop, what kept me …
Ep 119 Teamwork: How to become a great meeting and workshop facilitator
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the art of facilitation—a crucial yet often overlooked skill that transforms meetings and workshops into spaces where everyone can contribut…
Ep 118 Teamwork: The best remote team building activities
In this essential episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the top challenges of remote work—unplugging, loneliness, and collaboration—and shares why building trust, teamwork, and vulnerabilit…
Ep 117 Teamwork: Understanding your team's cognitive and emotional culture
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates uncovers the deeper layers of company culture beyond team-building events and office perks. He explains how culture is truly shaped by the d…
Ep 116 Creativity: Understanding the new imposter syndrome triggers from remote work
In this timely episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into how the pandemic has reshaped our experiences with imposter syndrome in a remote work world. He explores three key factors unique to …
Ep 115 Leadership: How to write an effective and unbiased job description
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles one of the biggest sources of imposter syndrome: job descriptions. He dives into the common pitfalls of traditional job descriptions…
Ep 114 Career: Overcoming fear and self-doubt
The pandemic has grown and magnified many people's fears and imposter syndrome. We have all been forced into a huge amount of change in a short amount of time, and those new and old fears are startin…
Ep 113 Career: Understanding the 2021 job market
In this timely episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates explores the unexpected changes and fresh opportunities shaping the 2021 job market. As companies adapt and creative talent seeks new roles, Ste…
Ep 112 #ShareTheMicNow: The Power of Youth in Redesigning Systems by Antionette Carroll
In the fifth episode of the #ShareTheMicNow series on The Crazy One, Antionette Carroll leads an inspiring conversation on “The Power of Youth in Redesigning Systems.” Joined by dynamic voices Connie…
Ep 111 #ShareTheMicNow: Dismantling White Supremacy in Design by Antionette Carroll
In the fourth #ShareTheMicNow episode on The Crazy One, Antionette Carroll leads an impactful conversation with David Clifford, founder of Design School X and Liberatory Design, and Timothy Bardlaven…
Ep 110 Creativity: 'Metallica’s rock ‘n roll insights on creativity and leadership’ from HOW Design Live 2020
In this rare and insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates interviews Marc Reiter, the creative force behind Metallica’s legendary projects for over 25 years. As Metallica’s “Chief Creative …
Ep 109 Creativity: ’Hope is not a strategy’ keynote from HOW Design Live 2020
In this powerful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates shares his main stage keynote from HOW Design Live 2020, following up on his acclaimed 2019 talk. Stephen dives deep into the hidden “debt” we…
Ep 108 Memorial: The life and lessons of my father, David Gates
In this deeply personal episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates honors the life and legacy of his father, who was not only his dad but also his first boss, mentor, and a creative director who profoun…
Ep 107 Career: How to outsmart the broken recruiting system
In this game-changing episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the common roadblocks of job hunting—frustration, self-doubt, and the struggle to stand out in today’s hiring process. Stephen…
Ep 106 Career: How to build a personal brand people will love to hate
In this must-listen episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the critical importance of building a standout personal brand in today’s competitive landscape. He explores why so many resumes, po…
Ep 105 Career: How to negotiate salary and job offers
In this eye-opening episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates breaks down the essential skills of salary negotiation, a step that most professionals overlook in both new and existing roles. Stephen sha…
Ep 104 #ShareTheMicNow: Working in Tech While Black Part 1 by Jackie Velasquez Ross, Dorcie Lovinsky, and Christian Clark
In the third #ShareTheMicNow episode on The Crazy One, Jackie Velasquez Ross (Senior Recruiter), Dorcie Lovinsky (Engineering Manager), and Christian Clark (Strategic Renewals Manager) open up about …
Ep 103 Leadership: Why creating organization and cultural change is so hard
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the challenges of driving meaningful change in a time when people, teams, companies, and entire cultures are facing unprecedented transforma…