Playing to LoseI loved playing cards with my grandmother — nothing more than cribbage. I didn’t love that I always lost. Finally, after losing several games in a row, nine-year-old me suggested we “play to lose.” My grandmother asked what I meant and...

In this episode of Business as UNusual, Aicila challenges the traditional notion of productivity and dives into the difference between a life that’s full versus one that’s truly fulfilling. Drawing on personal insights and cultural observations, they...

Same Week, Different StoryWhen I was in 7th grade, our drama teacher was absent one day and our principal, Stephen Heinz, was our substitute teacher. He asked how we were doing and one of the kids said, Life sucks. Dr. Heinz got curious, what sucks e...

In this episode of Business as UNusual, host Aicila challenges the classic lone genius narrative that dominates entrepreneurship. Inspired by a Monty Python moment, Aicila unpacks the hidden pitfalls of self-sufficiency, explores the critical importa...

The Compentence CostumeThe mythology we inherit — especially in the US — is almost entirely built around the lone genius. But the story has a shadow side as well: the way it quietly teaches us that needing other people is a liability. What would you...

In this episode of Business as UNusual, host Aicila explores the impact of advanced AI and automation on the workplace, shedding light on what technology can—and can’t—replace in the world of connection, trust, and meaning. Drawing from thought leade...

We Built Something Else InsteadThe early internet taught me the delight and power of making things and putting them out into the dark, trusting that the right person would stumble across them at the right moment.How does it feel when you let yourself...

Full is Not the Same as FilledWorking to live and living to work look similar from the outside. The difference is in what you’re oriented toward — and that question is harder to answer than it sounds.How do you want to be part of the world you’re in?...