In The Arena is where entrepreneurs and leaders share stories of the biggest crises of their careers and lives – and how they made it through. Host (and founder herself) Jesse Genet goes beyond the headlines to interview leaders about the most challenging moments they've ever faced – from total business collapse, to public scandals, even being sentenced to prison. Along with special guest co-hosts, In The Arena revisits the crucible experiences and reveals what it was actually like in the room. Most importantly, leaders share how they bounced back from the brink, offering advice, mental frameworks, and earned wisdom for any aspiring leader.
In the Arena is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
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In The Arena is where entrepreneurs and leaders share stories of the biggest crises of their careers and lives – and how they made it through. Host (and founder herself) Jesse Genet goes beyond the headlines to interview leaders about the most challenging moments they've ever faced – from total business collapse, to public scandals, even being sentenced to prison. Along with special guest co-hosts, In The Arena revisits the crucible experiences and reveals what it was actually like in the room. Most importantly, leaders share how they bounced back from the brink, offering advice, mental frameworks, and earned wisdom for any aspiring leader.
In the Arena is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
E8: Oren Aks on Marketing the Fyre Fest, the Infamous Cheese Sandwich, and Why Our Culture Can’t Look Away from Colossal Failure
"In The Arena"
1 hour 14 minutes 1 second
2 years ago
E8: Oren Aks on Marketing the Fyre Fest, the Infamous Cheese Sandwich, and Why Our Culture Can’t Look Away from Colossal Failure
Oren Aks was a designer at Fuck Jerry Media, the agency behind the signature marketing of the now-infamous Fyre Festival of 2016. In this episode, Oren recounts his ground-level realization that the festival was a fraud, sharing new details about the debacle chronicled in two documentaries. Oren also tells us about the backlash he experienced after the festival, shares his well-earned lessons around trust, and offers perspective about our cultural fascination with failure. Jesse Genet is joined by a special guest co-host Matty Mo, an artist who made headlines for putting on a fake fire fest as satire in Los Angeles.
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Catch up on host Jesse Genet’s own crucible moments from her entrepreneurial story in Episode 6:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3HQKu4vbaIuAvhgKLBuyYk?si=UYb2aGlJTxynO_B8UzMkUQ
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e6-host-jesse-genet-on-selling-her-startup-lumi-while/id1691530886?i=1000622369978
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Episode preview
(03:00) How Oren and co-host Matty first met
(04:35) Oren relives landing at Great Exuma for Fyre Fest
(13:30)The social distortion field Oren witnessed at Exuma
(17:00) Distraction efforts and the angry mob
(20:55) Things take a turn
(34:20) Processing the failure while Oren was on the island, and then back in NY
(44:30) The documentaries
(45:25) The red flags in hindsight
(49:00) Financial breadcrumbs
(54:00) The orange square and power of social proof
(01:00:20) Billy McFarland’s new thing
(01:05:18) Why the Fyre Festival has lasting power in the zeitgeist of colossal failures
LINKS REFERENCED:
Oren Aks agency Atomic Milk: http://www.atomicmilk.com/
Matty Mo's site: https://www.themostfamousartist.com/
X:
@fyrefestival (Oren runs this now)
@jessegenet (Jesse)
@mostfamousartist (Matty)
@inthearena_pod
"In The Arena"
In The Arena is where entrepreneurs and leaders share stories of the biggest crises of their careers and lives – and how they made it through. Host (and founder herself) Jesse Genet goes beyond the headlines to interview leaders about the most challenging moments they've ever faced – from total business collapse, to public scandals, even being sentenced to prison. Along with special guest co-hosts, In The Arena revisits the crucible experiences and reveals what it was actually like in the room. Most importantly, leaders share how they bounced back from the brink, offering advice, mental frameworks, and earned wisdom for any aspiring leader.
In the Arena is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
