Episode 000 – Introduction
When we learn more about the season one of Talks of imperfection
Risto Kuulasmaa (b. 1978) is a Finnish-born and Amsterdam-based global marketing entrepreneur, media executive, start-up founder and tv and film producer with an award-winning career in marketing, media and events. Risto works as a coach for private clients and international organizations and his recent ventures include co-leading the Finnish Flow at the annual Davos World Economic Forum side event.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Risto gives you a guided tour to the world of Talks of imperfection including the S001 guest selection, recording locations and, of course, his personal life-long relationship with imperfection.
RECORDED AT
Risto’s home in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during one cloudy September Wednesday.
“Life is perfect. How you relate to life creates all the imperfections. Nature is perfect and we are part of it, it is our minds that creates the separation. We create our subjective truths about perfection and imperfection and this is why talking about imperfections is so interesting.””
KEYWORDS & TRANSCRIPTIONS
Imperfection, nature, success, diversity, sustainability, change, growth, trust, diversity, balance, Edita Prima, intuition, empathy, Aito De la Rua, Lisbon, Helena Gualinga, Berlin, Victor Pineda, Amsterdam, Peta Milan, Los Angeles, Tony Cho, Miami, Ruchika Sikri, Mickey Meyer, Lubomila Jordanova, greatness, leadership, value, commitment, devotion, kindness, freedom, fears, wealth, Earth, biodiversity, future, vulnerability, tech, grandma, love
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:07
Life is perfect.
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:10
How we relate to life creates all the imperfections. Nature is perfect, and we are part of it. It is our mind that creates the separation.
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:22
We create our subjective truths about perfection and imperfection. And this is why talking about imperfection is so interesting.
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:39
My name is Risto Kuulasmaa, and I'm the host of Talks of Imperfection podcast.
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:46
In this short intro episode, I will introduce the Talks of Imperfection podcast and also take the opportunity to introduce myself.
Risto Kuulasmaa 00:57
I'm an entrepreneur and coach with a background of over 20 years in media, and marketing and events.
Risto Kuulasmaa 01:01
I have produced content on all platforms from television and feature films to books, paintings, audio and events.
Risto Kuulasmaa 01:15
As a producer, I usually work behind the cameras and with the talents. But in this case, I'm learning my ropes as a very imperfect podcast host for the first time. So this is my first podcast, where nearly perfect people talk about their imperfections.
Risto Kuulasmaa 01:40
My guests are known for their inspiring global world class work, and their performance, which requires near perfect delivering.
Risto Kuulasmaa 01:49
The world is changing to succeed in the years ahead, we need to lead and operate fundamentally differently. I think the guests of the show represent this change, and all of them are on the front line, creating the change for a more sustainable and meaningful future.
Risto Kuulasmaa 02:13
As a host, I tried to keep things intimate and authentic, connecting the dots between business and private life. We hear stories about growth towards perfection, and what kind of rolling imperfection place on the journey. My own work is all about meaningful change and sustainable growth.
Risto Kuulasmaa 02:36
I'm based in Amsterdam, I have a Romanian wife and soon one year old daughter, and in my world, the borders are made for crossing them and finding trust and diversity is the key to all creation. I often work with the best people in their industries and I love it. Being close to perfection is exciting.
Risto Kuulasmaa 03:03
When it comes to my hobbies, I've made peace to attain a profoundly average skill level in multiple activities. I remain a beginner in surfing, painting, jogging and telemark skiing. I struggled to keep my daily routine in yoga and meditation but I feel accomplished when I attend my annual 10 day silent meditation retreats. Again, it's an ongoing balance with the imperfection.
Risto Kuulasmaa 03:38
So why we do this podcast?
Risto Kuulasmaa 03:41
Usually I initiate all my projects and ventures. But in this particular case, my friend Antti J. Peltonen called me and introduced the concept of Talks of Imperfection, which he had developed with his client, the tech company Edita Prima.
Risto Kuulasmaa 03:58
The idea and the format of Talks of Imperfection, felt immediately good. And strangely, I didn't have much to add to the concept.
Risto Kuulasmaa 04:10
It was so clear from the get go and we were ready to roll immediately.
Risto Kuulasmaa 04:16
When it comes to the guests, I selected them through an intuitive process. Basically I chose people from my network. I was looking for good storytellers and people with whom I have a good relationship and a connection with enough trust. To dive a bit deeper.
Risto Kuulasmaa 04:36
The intention is to create an ambitious yet kind of empathic podcast. Recorded live face to face in actual physical spaces around the world.
Risto Kuulasmaa 04:48
I talked with Aito and Victor here in Amsterdam, and I met Peta and Helena in Lisbon. We did the recording with Lubomila in Berlin and I met the rest of my guests in the US. Tony and I had a chat in Miami and we talked with Mickey in Los Angeles and Ruchika I met at her home in San Jose.
Risto Kuulasmaa 05:13
So, what is the common threat among the guests of the first season?
Risto Kuulasmaa 05:22
When looking back, I think my guests have found their success through being truthful to their own imperfections. They have spotted the imperfection also in the world, and they are proactively fixing it or working with it.
Risto Kuulasmaa 05:40
After recording the first season, I found three common denominators among the guests.
Risto Kuulasmaa 05:46
Firstly, they all represent greatness. All of them are natural leaders creating respect and following. Their greatness is linked to the act of being in service for causes bigger than oneself.
Risto Kuulasmaa 06:02
And this creates devotion and commitment in the people around them. They all bit of like movement builders. And there's a lot of kindness in them, their greatness does not put anything above or below the otters.
Risto Kuulasmaa 06:23
Secondly, I would say all of my guests are connected with freedom. My guests look at the world from the perspective of not being attached to external or internal limiting beliefs and fears. They are entrepreneurial game changers who have successfully built their own worlds.
Risto Kuulasmaa 06:45
And actually, almost each of them is financially free. And they manage assets in millions, 10s of millions or hundreds of millions.
Risto Kuulasmaa 06:57
I didn't plan to do a show with wealthy people. But if I look back now, their financial success is fundamental part of the equation of greatness and they're striving for freedom.
Risto Kuulasmaa 07:13
When talking about money, I think it's very important to mention our youngest guest 20 year old indigenous leader Helena Gualinga, who is working for the planet Earth, her freedom is in danger and that freedom cannot be measured in money.
Risto Kuulasmaa 07:32
In her case, we are talking about the abundance of biodiversity and Mother Nature currently under threat.
Risto Kuulasmaa 07:40
And many of our guests work in that space of sustainability. Trying to create impact and solutions in wellbeing, biodiversity and they work for better tomorrow, cutting their emissions and leaving the place bit better than it was.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:04
So I could say the guests are more or less they are the good guys.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:09
Yeah.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:12
The third common nominator is obviously vulnerability. All the brave guests were willing to share their imperfections in a very personal way. And I'm very grateful for it.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:25
I could go into the backstories of each guests here but I prefer not. I think it's better that you listen to the episodes and get to know them on your own.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:37
And by the way, there is no specific order to listen to the episodes just go and discover.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:44
And then thank you's. Firstly, I want to thank all my guests for the first season.
Risto Kuulasmaa 08:55
I want to thank also you listening and interacting.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:00
I'm really looking forward to hearing more from from our listeners.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:06
I want to thank you, Ville Immonen at Edita Prima for enabling the space to build this show. It is very rare to have certain insightful sponsor, Edita Prima is Nordic tech company that is over 170 years old.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:23
I think that's rather cool.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:27
Thank you Antti J. Peltonen for masterminding and producing the show and giving the much needed feedback.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:34
Thank you Alex Hedberg for acing yet neither of our productions as my trusted producer at our production company Brightland Studios.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:46
And thank you, Mihaela, my love for your endless support and thank you grandma Bella for taking care of our baby when Daddy was travelling.
Risto Kuulasmaa 09:57
This is my first podcast series which I'm hosting. I hope you like it.
Risto Kuulasmaa 10:04
Let's stay in touch. If you feel like suggesting guests or just giving feedback you can do it via our homepage and you will also find us on Instagram.
Risto Kuulasmaa 10:17
This is it, choose your episode and enjoy the show.
