Iñaki Escudero is a storyteller through and through. He’s been a pillar in the Hyper Island ecosystem for almost a decade, inspiring and provoking change in students and businesses through programs, master classes, and content. As Iñaki is equipped with expertise in brand, storytelling, and everything to do with change, we thought it would be a great idea to catch up with him from his base in Austin, Texas and pick apart his creative mind. Get inspired and read all about how Iñaki interprets the power of storytelling, where he finds inspiration, and the ridiculous number of newsletters he gets through on a daily basis!
Background and design for lifelong learning
I’m a curious Spaniard, living in Austin, Texas. I’m a father to five unforgettable kids and the husband of an unbelievable woman.
So, when I’m not learning something new myself, I’m a speaker, facilitator, and learning designer for people and corporations looking to fall in love with learning again.
There’s only one thing I’ve ever done that came naturally to me: playing soccer. I feel like for everything else in my life that requires a certain skill, I’ve had to work hard to understand, learn, and develop it.
That has pushed me over to the stretch zone more times than I can remember, so I feel comfortable knowing that I am going to have to put time, effort, and discipline into a project.
Right now, I’m learning Japanese on Duolingo and I feel way out of my comfort zone. I have made a deal with myself though, this is a long-term investment. I’m looking at being able to speak a few words and carry out a conversation in two years’ time. I’m making a lot of mistakes, but I am also having fun.
The drive to continue exploring the power of stories
I realized my intimate relationship with storytelling after it happened. I didn’t plan it and I didn’t become conscious of it until recently, but somehow, storytelling has been part of almost every important stage in my life.
I have a magnetic attraction to stories; to good stories and to not so good ones too. And I continue to wonder at the incredible work and choices some people and brands make to tell the right story to the right people.
The greatest attribute about storytelling is that it’s free. It is available to all of us equally.
We all get to tell our story. Life is not a predetermined script we are supposed to follow. We get to write our story every day and we get to decide what story we want our life to be.
Technology has transformed storytelling dramatically. Especially in the speed of distribution, the number of storytellers, and the impact on credibility. Anybody can tell a story and every story has the ability to gain an audience.
When I was a kid, my parents wanted me to watch every movie with them. I watched so many movies growing up, so many great movies by great storytellers. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I watched more movies, and read more books than any 14 year old should at that age.
The fuel and approach to learning through storytelling
For me, learning is growth, self realization and possibilities.
I often think about how I can help myself, my kids, and my clients to create and tell the most impactful, moving, and defining stories of our lives.
Once you know you want to swim, be intentional and do a little every single day. I am a firm believer in tiny habits or the 1% methodology.
To keep up with the times and expand on my knowledge, I read about 40-45 newsletters per day. These range from news to opinion, tech, finance, architecture, design, leadership, and marketing to name a few. I listen to around 10-15 podcasts, and I read a book per week. I realize this might sound excessive, but it’s all about creating the habit. Once you do it by routine it’s not that difficult, I promise.
My goal is to create the biggest possible bubble of knowledge. And my compass (i.e.,what drives my interest) is “what’s changing?” If something indicates change, I dive right in. Whether it’s change in behaviors, in habits, in culture, in taste—that’s my diet.
Finding meaning and the question of ‘how?’
After nine years with Hyper Island, there are still so many things to do, and such little time. That’s one of the greatest cultural values at Hyper, there is always something interesting to do.
“I think people today are driven by meaning. It’s related to storytelling. We want to be part of something meaningful.”
This can include creating or participating in projects with positive and real human impact. I see this as a global trend, from students in the Nordics to executives in India and Guatemala.
The questions everybody wants to find the answer to often begin with “how?”
From my experience, I see the following as the main questions on many storytellers’ lips in their bid to keep going forward, to stand out from the competition, and strive to develop:
- How do I lead and transform my organization?
- How do I keep up with digitalization?
- How do I create and run a sustainable business?
- How can I become the best version of myself?
- How can I develop the right skills to thrive in the future?
- How can I keep up?
Connect with Iñaki
Connect: LinkedIn page
Email: inaki@themutantgene.com
Check out Iñaki’s personal project: Together Bistro
