Escape Velocity – Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected

Escape Velocity - Where Strategy Meets the Unexpected
Podcast Description
Conversations That Propel You ForwardHave you ever felt the need to break free from the gravity of routine thinking? To escape the constraints that keep you circling familiar orbits, reaching only as far as the same outcomes, the same ideas? We have. And that's why we’re thrilled to introduce 'Escape Velocity', our brand new podcast designed to help you overcome those very barriers.Breaking Free from Conventional ThinkingThe term escape velocity is often used in astrophysics—it’s the speed an object must reach to break free from a planet’s gravitational pull and move into a wider, limitless space. For us, it’s a perfect metaphor for how we approach creative work, innovation, and growth. Every creative project, every branding challenge, and every reimagined strategy requires reaching that critical point where old ideas are left behind and you begin to operate in entirely new territory.In a world full of saturated markets, disrupted industries, and ever-growing noise, we need more than just iteration; we need an intentional leap—one that changes our perception and opens new frontiers of thought. That’s what Escape Velocity is all about.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a multitude of themes centered around creative work, innovation, and personal growth, including political branding, workplace culture, the impact of AI in design, and generational insights. Episodes such as the one featuring a 10-year-old discussing Gen Alpha slang and another exploring political campaign branding showcase the show’s diverse focus areas.

Conversations That Propel You Forward
Have you ever felt the need to break free from the gravity of routine thinking? To escape the constraints that keep you circling familiar orbits, reaching only as far as the same outcomes, the same ideas? We have. And that’s why we’re thrilled to introduce ‘Escape Velocity’, our brand new podcast designed to help you overcome those very barriers.
Breaking Free from Conventional Thinking
The term escape velocity is often used in astrophysics—it’s the speed an object must reach to break free from a planet’s gravitational pull and move into a wider, limitless space. For us, it’s a perfect metaphor for how we approach creative work, innovation, and growth. Every creative project, every branding challenge, and every reimagined strategy requires reaching that critical point where old ideas are left behind and you begin to operate in entirely new territory.
In a world full of saturated markets, disrupted industries, and ever-growing noise, we need more than just iteration; we need an intentional leap—one that changes our perception and opens new frontiers of thought. That’s what Escape Velocity is all about.
In this deeply personal and philosophical conversation, Tracey Halvorsen is joined by Richard Banfield—artist, writer, former CEO, widower, parent, and all-around human compass—for a wide-ranging discussion about identity, agency, grief, creativity, and what it means to truly be present in our lives.
From confronting midlife reinvention and letting go of society’s need to label and define, to embracing vulnerability and the healing power of art, Richard offers an honest and expansive take on what it means to be a whole human navigating an increasingly complex world. The two discuss the myth of productivity, the seductive danger of perfectionism, and how shame can quietly shape our creative pursuits.
They also explore the creative tension between mastery and curiosity, the liberating power of saying “yes,” and how emerging technologies like AI might paradoxically help us reconnect to our humanity. Richard reminds us that our greatest agency lies not in having all the answers, but in showing up—open-hearted and willing—to our own lives.

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