How can you use your opportunities to benefit everyone?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa talks with Chase Griffin, former quarterback at UCLA, 2x NIL Male Athlete of the Year, and a leading voice in the evolution of college athletics.

Chase shares how he learned to navigate moments of change—from NIL to civic engagement—by centering and designing for collective value. Together, they explore how leadership can happen from inside systems you didn’t create, and how athletes (and non-athletes alike) can turn personal opportunity into shared impact.

This conversation is a course on turning influence into impact, and “me” into “we.”

In this episode, we explore:

• Lessons from being early in the NIL era—and why preparation mattered more than luck
• How to structure partnerships that create real community benefit
• Why athlete voices are often missing from conversations about college sports and Chase is changing that

This week, maybe reflect on where in your own life you can redesign success so it benefits more than just you.

If this episode resonated with you, leave a comment or review and share it with someone who’s navigating change—or creating it—from the inside.

Links from the Episode:

• The Athletes Bureau (TAB) — Chase's newsletter by athletes, for athletes
• The Team — the civic engagement organization Chase partnered with during the 2020 election
• Find Chase on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Learn about NIL (Name, Image, Likeness)

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com

Communication anxiety is real. It’s time to start practicing.

This episode of How We Future, features Matt Abrahams, Stanford lecturer and host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. Lisa and Matt explore how effective communication is a learnable skill and why we’re rarely taught how to practice it.

Matt shares the frameworks he teaches to every incoming Stanford MBA to help them speak more confidently in spontaneous, high-stakes moments. From managing anxiety to the importance of clarifying your intentions, the episode focuses on practical tools for showing up with clarity, presence, and purpose when the pressure is on.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• The mindsets and methods of effective communications
• Simple ways to practice spontaneous speaking before the stakes are high
• How to structure answers so people actually remember what you say
• Why listening and pausing are powerful leadership tools

Communication is about connection. It will never be perfect, but like all skills, it gets better with practice.

Please rate and leave a comment, we’d really love to hear from you!

Links from the episode:

• Matt’s website

• Matt’s Podcast: Think Fast, Talk Smart
• Matt’s Book: Think Faster, Talk Smarter

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com

What if you can learn to be lucky?

In our first episode of season 3, Lisa Kay Solomon is joined by author, educator, and neuroscientist Tina Seelig to explore how curiosity, generosity, and small daily choices can dramatically expand what’s possible over time.

Drawing from decades of teaching at Stanford and her forthcoming book What I Wish I Knew About Luck, Tina reframes luck as a skill that can be cultivated rather than an accident we stumble into.

Tina shares how taking risks, showing appreciation, and staying open to unexpected opportunities can create compounding advantages. She also reflects on what she’s learned from teaching thousands of students, leading the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, and watching ideas evolve when people are given permission to experiment.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why luck often shows up at the intersection of preparation and openness
• The role generosity and curiosity play in long-term success
• How to design environments that make luck more likely

The future is something we shape through the questions we ask, the risks we take, and the people we choose to learn alongside. If you’ve ever wondered how to tilt the odds in your favor, Tina offers practical wisdom and hopeful perspectives on how to get started.

Please rate and leave a comment letting us know what classes you wish you had taken!

Links from the Episode:

• Preorder What I Wish I Knew About Luck: A Crash Course on Turning Aspirations into Achievements by Tina Seelig
• What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A Crash Course in Making Your Place in the World by Tina Seelig
• inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity by Tina Seelig
• Creativity Rules: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and into the World by Tina Seelig
• Tina’s Ted Talk: The Little Risks You Can Take to Increase Your Luck
• Tina’s Website

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com