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 102 #ShareTheMicNow: I Dare You to Care by Sylvia Baffour
In this powerful #ShareTheMicNow episode of The Crazy One, Sylvia Baffour delves into the importance of emotional intelligence in our professional and personal lives. She explores how to approach wor…
Ep 101 #ShareTheMicNow: Maurice Cherry and Debbie Millman in conversation
In the inaugural #ShareTheMicNow episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates presents an intimate, unfiltered conversation between design legends Maurice Cherry and Debbie Millman. Together, they explore…
Joining #ShareTheMicNow
Today, more than ever, it is NECESSARY that we all join #ShareTheMicNow to create unifying actions centered around Black, Brown, Indigenous and/or LGBTQ+ lives, stories, and calls to action. I wanted…
Ep 100 Career: Rejecting your life's invisible scripts
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the invisible scripts and societal expectations that often control our lives and careers, shaping who we think we need to be and what we bel…
Amazing Design People List: Find a job, a mentor, and some hope.
The Amazing Design People list was created as a worldwide, community-led talent base to help those creatives who have recently been laid off or furloughed. It started as a simple Google sheet, but th…
Ep 99 Career: The 8 habits of successful people
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates uncovers the 8 powerful characteristics shared by the most successful creatives and leaders he’s coached. These traits set high achievers ap…
Ep 98 Career: What to do if you get laid off
In this impactful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the tough topic of layoffs and furloughs—experiences that can be both anxiety-inducing and life-changing. Having faced it twice himse…
The Crazy One is now on YouTube
Thanks to all this time at home The Crazy One is now on YouTube with the most popular episodes, tutorials, keynotes, interviews, live streams, favorite videos, and more. Subscribe now!
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Ep 97 Career: How to deal with change.
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the impact of constant change on our careers, personal lives, and overall well-being. Change often brings stress, anxiety, and fear that can…
Ep 96 Career: Insights from the Design Imposter Syndrome Crazy One Conversations.
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates recaps his new Crazy One Conversation series, where he spoke with 60 creatives from 10 countries and 20 U.S. cities to explore the realities of Design …
Ep 95 Career: How to create a standout portfolio.
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates breaks down the art and science of crafting a portfolio that truly stands out. Your portfolio is not only a reflection of your brand but also your firs…
Ep 94 Creativity: The lost art of boredom.
In this thought-provoking episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates explores the surprising connection between boredom and creativity. Over the past 25 years, creativity has been on the decline, and St…
Ep 93 Career: Why you have to build and maintain a personal support system.
In this empowering episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the critical role a strong support system plays in overcoming career challenges. From battling insecurity to facing compassion fa…
Ep 92 Career: How to deal with difficult and creativity killing people
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles one of the toughest challenges in creativity: navigating difficult personalities that can derail, debate, or even kill great ideas. Creativity’…
Ep 91 Career: The critical difference between design vs. creativity
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates unpacks the critical differences between design and creativity—two terms often used interchangeably but with distinct meanings that can grea…
Ep 90 Career: The real reason why you aren't getting promoted.
In this powerful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into one of the biggest frustrations in any career: feeling stuck and unable to get promoted. Stephen takes you behind the scenes of the…
Ep 89 Career: Trends in recruiting, hiring, and retaining the best talent.
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the growing challenge of finding and hiring top creative talent in today’s competitive job market. With record-low unemployment, sky…
Ep 88 Creativity: Trust is the key to everything.
In this essential episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates explores why trust is the cornerstone of creativity, teamwork, and effective leadership—and why it’s often misunderstood or overlooked in mos…
Ep 87 Creativity: Supporting and empowering introverts
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates challenges common misconceptions about introverts in the workplace, breaking down why introverted leaders and teammates bring unique and valuable stren…