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.
Episodes
150 episodes
Ep 144 AI: Your Company Decided Your Value Before AI Existed
AI didn't build the case to replace you. It just gave companies the tool to finally act on a decision they'd already made.In this episode, Stephen Gates gets brutally honest about what's actually happening underneath the wave of creative...
Ep 143 AI: AI Isn't a Tool Problem. It's a Culture Problem.
Four years into running CRZY, Stephen has watched AI go from an interesting experiment to an organizational crisis that almost nobody is naming correctly. The problem isn't which model you're using. It's not your stack, your workflow, or whethe...
Ep 142 AI: The hidden cost of plausible, almost-right work
AI and cheap tools have given everyone the ability to produce work that looks professional, sounds credible, and feels like the real thing. The problem? It isn't. In this episode, Stephen introduces the term Plausible Noise — the growi...
Ep 141 Design: A bigger strategy behind Apple’s Liquid Glass?
Stephen finally breaks the seal on AI — not with a prompt tutorial or workflow breakdown (he’s got a YouTube video for that), but with a deeper dive into the real conversation: how AI is shaking the creative industry to its core.F...
Ep 140 Keynote: 'Bet on Yourself" BeMore Festival 2025
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates shares the lessons learned from his journey of leaving corporate America to start his own agency. With over 20 years of experience across industries, Stephen dives deep into the tough dec...
Ep 139 Career: The Hard Truth About Creativity’s Role in Business Today (and Yesterday)
This one’s part wake-up call, part battle cry. After too many sleepless nights and too many same-old conversations, Stephen Gates climbs up on the soapbox to call out the hard truth: if you’re shocked by the state of the design industry right n...
Ep 138 Creativity: AI Isn’t the Enemy. Complacency Is.
The AI hype train is moving fast—and it’s already crashing into our creative industry. In this episode, Stephen finally wades into the AI conversation, not to break down tools or workflows (you’ll find that on his YouTube), but to unpack the bi...
Ep 137 Career: The Pros and Cons of Going Out on Your Own
After decades inside the system—agencies, in-house, and everything in between—Stephen Gates made the leap. No roadmap. No safety net. Just a decision to bet on himself. Three years later, he’s pulling back the curtain on the truth behind the le...
Ep 136 Career: Overcoming Fear and Insecurity: Why You Need a Plan, Not the Answers
You’re stuck. Spinning in circles. Overthinking every move. Sound familiar? In this episode, Stephen breaks down the single most powerful piece of advice he gives to creatives, leaders, and anyone facing a moment of uncertainty: you don’t ne...
Ep 135 Career: The Hidden Problem of ‘Experience-ism’ in Creative Careers
When the stakes are high—new job, big idea, career leap—most of us freeze. We stall, waiting for the “right” moment, the perfect answer, the foolproof plan. But in this episode, Stephen shares the raw truth behind what holds us back—and the sim...
Ep 134 Career: Tough Love for Your Portfolio: Stand Out or Stay Stuck
Most portfolios don’t get rejected for lack of talent. They get rejected because they’re saying the wrong things — or nothing at all. In this episode, Stephen pulls back the curtain on how hiring managers actually review portfolios, wh...
Ep 133 Career: How to get laid off
Let’s be real — layoffs suck. Whether you saw it coming or it hit you out of nowhere, it’s personal, painful, and way too common in today’s industry. In this episode, Stephen breaks down everything he’s learned from being laid off three times —...
Ep 132 Career: Navigating the Mess: Insights into the 2024 Job Market
Let’s be honest—this industry is a mess right now. Layoffs are everywhere, leadership roles are disappearing, and even the best of the best are struggling to get a callback. In this episode, Stephen Gates tackles one of the most asked (and most...
Ep 131 Career: What's stopping you from going out on your own?!?
After 13 months away, the mic is back on—and we’re starting exactly where too many of us are stuck. In this raw and real return, Stephen unpacks the one conversation that’s been rising to the surface in every mentoring session, DMs, and late-ni...
Ep 130: Ending the hiatus. Is this thing still on?
After a year-long silence, The Crazy One is back — but not the same. In this raw return, Stephen opens up about the real reasons behind the show’s hiatus, the toll of being laid off (again), and how starting his own studio forced a reckoning wi...
Ep 129 Keynote: BeMore Festival 2023 - How to build a breakthrough career
In this powerful episode of The Crazy One podcast, Stephen Gates shares his standout keynote from the 2023 BeMore Festival, the ultimate 24-hour global super conference featuring over 100 top voices in Design, AI, Product Development, ...
Ep 128 Career: How to start your studio or freelance business
After a long break, Stephen Gates is back with a powerful episode unpacking what it really takes to go out on your own—whether that means freelancing, consulting, or launching your own studio. Recorded from a new home, a new city, and ...
Ep 127 Career: How to navigate and succeed in the era of defensive employment
In today’s career landscape, achieving success means taking on more responsibilities and adopting a proactive mindset—a shift Stephen Gates calls the “new era of defensive employment.” In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen unpacks ...
Ep 126 Career: Understanding the 2022 job market, a shift is coming
As the job market shifts from a fierce competition for talent to widespread layoffs and uncertainty, the creative industry faces both unprecedented challenges and new opportunities. In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates break...
Ep 125 Value of Design P3: Showing the value and impact of design
In the final episode of this 3-part series, Stephen Gates reveals actionable steps to help your team and organization truly appreciate the value of design. This episode of The Crazy One dives deep into how to conduct impactful design r...
Ep 124 Value of Design P2: Creating demand for design
In this powerful second installment of the 3-part series, Stephen Gates dives deep into strategies for elevating design’s role within your team and company. In this episode of The Crazy One, he reveals how to create demand for design b...
Ep 123 Value of Design P1: Understanding the power and stigma of the word 'Design'
In the kickoff to this insightful 3-part series, Stephen Gates breaks down essential steps to help your team and company fully appreciate the value of design. In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen explores how to shift perceptions ...
Ep 122 Career: How to decide if you should quit your job (or get a promotion)
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the challenging crossroads of career decisions, whether you’re aiming for a promotion or considering a job change. Both scenarios require clarity, self-reflection, and ...
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 problem-solving and strategy, Stephen s...
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 by 2022 job market data, Stephen sh...