Michael: welcome to the man. It's great to see you. ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Good to see you. It's been a few months, six months or so since we've seen each other. Good to be here.
Michael: I know. Well, you've been out having adventures in California, which I'm eager to hear about and get into. listen, the ⁓ viewers aren't familiar with your life and work and mission, give us some background, man. Tell people ⁓ abridged version the last, I guess, 20 plus years that we've known each other. the circuitous incredible journey that you've been on, but let's get some of that to start.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. I mean, you know those who don't know me is most of the earth. So this is a valuable time. Appreciate it Man where to start? You know, spent a good amount of my career in the world of advertising and marketing my life actually I I just saved my career my life. I spent a good amount of my life But 60 % of it in the world of advertising and marketing about 28 years in that world worked my way from an internship music marketing to chief creative officer a really great experiential marketing agency, doing events and doing big things for big clients around the world. And just about anybody's story that business is just about the same. right. So, you know, the one thing that came out of that journey, that adventure, was how to be me, most because I had to be so many people when I came into the industry, because I did not know the industry that I was joining. I was offered internship that was serendipitous, that was beautiful, that gave me a great opportunity, and I ran with that. But at the time, when I jumped into marketing, I was still kind of a kid who wanted to make video games. And this was a complete 28 year aside that some great intersections along the way, you know, the one with you. But, you know, of the things I learned was I had to be so many different to so many different people along the way. And along that way, I became a father and a husband and had to learn how to be both of those things, being all these different ways and these things to different ⁓ Whether I'm a strategist one day or a creative another day or an accountant one day or know, whatever need role you need to play in that world you kind of play. And I picked up so many roles that you know, felt I'd become a good actor but did not know who I was in that mix. And that all came to a head at a point a few years ago where, you know, I had some really great recognition that ⁓ I could be a better version of me than I was being. it took me down some really great paths, but most importantly to reconnect with myself as an artist, to reconnect myself in my creative spirit, to be the photographer and the father and I guess, a cultivator of healthy relationships that I've really always wanted to be. know, along the way I realized I could do that for myself and not necessarily needing a organization in order to that presence. so, yeah, ever then, I've been ⁓ working this really incredible project called the Alien School for Creative Thinking, where, you know, I take a lot of my discoveries around alienation and how has impacted the world, how it's impacted people, how it's impacted the creative spirit, how it impacts and work on tools, ideas, structures, frameworks, guidance systems that help people reconnect with their alien nature to a but most importantly, appreciate the uniqueness that they are and the uniqueness of their creative spirit so they can see more brightness in the roles that they're playing on a ⁓ daily basis.
Michael: So I'm an individual, say we didn't know each other and I ⁓ you know, I've had these moments of re-examination, reconsideration, kind of rebirth in my own life, creatively, professionally, personally, spiritually, psychically, you know, say I come to you, what is process like? Like, what is it like to actually work with you? Like, what do you, how do you people now? Cause I think that'll get to like,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah.
Michael: I wanna sort of come at exploration we've talked about before that I think is so useful for people trying reinvent themselves and also people starting out. Like, I look at son, I look at your son, look at young people coming up into a very different world than it was when we came up and like how to navigate that, how to have the tools, how to have the presence of mind, the the resilience that people need.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: So how do you work with people? If I'm a middle-aged guy coming to you and saying like, man, I'm a little lost. What do we do?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. I mean, that's it's funny because that's kind of the way it happens, you know. But a lot of times when people approach me and say they're a little lost, it's usually about what I is I have to offer because it's just not standard. So they've poked around my website. If you go to thealienschool.com, there's a lot of great information there about what the alien school is. But it still leaves people a little bit I'm confused because it's not a soft serve website. Usually people are approaching the alien school when they know how deeply alienated they are from where they want to be. They've got a project, they've got an idea of themselves, they've got a challenging situation in their work life or their relationship life or they're at a crux point in thinking about even becoming a parent. and they are interested in some guidance ⁓ they know themselves as a creative. You know, what I speak is purely about creativity in the human ecosystem. They know themselves as a creative. They may not have been that creative in their life in the traditional way that we think about creativity. but they know that it's pulsing inside of them. they could be facing significant burnout. from a career, could be facing significant burnout from a relationship. There's so many things that contribute to burnout that aren't just ⁓ you know, as you know, as you know. so what starts is a conversation just like this that helps me get a sense of the creative being that the person is. What are they looking to create? ⁓ What's created for them? What their world is a bit like? And then we go through an orientation call. in an orientation call, they've answered about six or seven questions about their life, their relationship to creativity, natural elements that, what natural elements they thrive around in their life. ⁓ Mountains, know, open What time of is their creativity like at its peak? You know, some people are people, know, things like that, that are really about the being
Michael: Hmm. Hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: not the doing. ⁓ What are the things that satisfy the being? Because I want to get to understand the nature of the being so that we can talk about the nature of their creativity. And once we start to get to some of that root stuff, it opens up a lot. so orientation call, you know, is a nice, you usually about an hour long call. We go through a lot of Q &A during that time where I'm looking these inquiries and I'm putting together a person.
Michael: Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: I'm looking to understand the nature how being moves. And so I learned a bit more about that. And there's few things that happen from there. If someone is on an individual path, we have about a six month course. So, you know, one ⁓ semester experience, we about a six month course where just about on a weekly biweekly basis, we're talking about the creativity in the person's life. And as we learn about the creativity in the person's life, we understand a bit more collectively, they and I, what kind of being that they are. And I'm working to consistently attune them to all the areas of creativity in their life. Whether they're creating a meal, whether they are creating a relationship, whether they're to create repair in a relationship, they may be looking to create a life like I talked about. They may be looking to create a new idea. They might be looking to create a business. Creativity is so much more than the traditional artistic expressions that we know creativity to be. And as we start to explore that more and more, they start to see a bit more and more how much creativity is swirling around their life and how much the creativity in the world is actually impacting their state. ⁓ So that's kind of the traditional like semester long individual work. I do same thing for about a three month
Michael: Hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: pathway for organizations where we really dive into the ecosystem of creativity in the organization and pick apart the things that are getting in the way of creative spirit. Learn how walk through walls, learn how to collaborate with the imagination in some cool ways, learn how to slapbox the devil's advocate because they really don't belong the room. We were trying to get to something good.
Michael: You're so hot.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: And then I have a couple of other like workshops and tools. One of the most more significant is a project called Creative Steeping. Creative Steeping is a seven day or seven week course where I really take people through the unfurling of their essence. A real self-narration process in getting to understand who they are and who we are. That's where I'm at right now. I'm at a residency in Southern California leading a Creative Steeping retreat for some really great people on a mission to explore their creativity from a lot of different angles. yeah, it's a beautiful experience.
Michael: I love it, man. I love it. that's, you know, on this we're so aligned. I mean, you know, like we were for, for, the, for the benefit of the listener, I'll just give a little, little bit of background of our experience. I we met when I was starting to produce the ride New York and counts media and looking at how could tools be, you know, like, like the smartphone before there were smartphones or, know, when the very beginning of text messaging.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm.
Michael: uh, integration into the U S and I met Kamau and he was in an agency. was, I was sort of starting this crazy production media company and, I immediately felt a kindred spirit with him about someone who just thought differently and saw the world differently and saw the connection between things like, you know, I think a lot of what you're saying, man, is like stuff that I've known of you, like you understand the integration of, uh, creativity into one's being and you always have. And I feel like that was something that I understood and saw in you. And then we did projects together. We were fans of each other's work. We worked together briefly and I think ultimately ended up, and I think became dads at a very similar time and just sort of shared.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm. Yes indeed. Yes indeed.
Michael: as outsiders in each other's lives for the most part, life experience. And bump into each other on a plane and talk about touch in our lives as men growing up in the and in New York and in the industries that we were in and as creative people and as spiritual people. And recently, like no surprise, both found our way to, the kind of, mean, you don't describe it. as coaching directly, but I think it is a kind of creative coaching and obviously been drawn into that and a lot of what I'm doing now in creating content and writing and this is really about sharing. I work with people individually, but share one, two to some of the insights that I feel like I've gained and benefited from and people like you that I've learned from. to sort of share that with everybody because I think, you know, young people, middle-aged older people, like reinventing ourselves is me now norm. know, like I, you know, this idea of we figure out who we are and then that's who we are and the old like sort of three-stage life model that existed for our parents' generation of like education, career, retirement, like that's just a thing of the past now.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Hmm.
Michael: You know, and I know so many of us are reinventing ourselves and discovering new things at mid-stage, at late stage. And, you who knows with longevity science, how long these lives that we have will be. And so, know, I just think it's such a fascinating idea of ⁓ creative back to the individual and allowing people to really think.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: creatively about themselves. And I think that ultimately like this type of work, like what we're doing and even this conversation is to me the model of human to human support, know? And I think that as so many jobs are gonna be taken by AI and automation and technology, you know, what can do that is unique an AI couldn't do? And a lot of it is the empathy, it's the connection, it's the... the shared lived experience and the supporting you and your creative process, a human creative process, not like an AI creative process or something. And I just think that like, it's just so interesting to me that guys, both you and I sort of pulling on our own thread in our respective way have ended up consistently at these similar stages to me. It indicates that there's something just
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. I'm Mm-hmm.
Michael: You know, we're part of a wave that is moving and it's not us a way, you as we're making decisions, but it's also this, this need, this collective need that's, that's, that's happening. And so I want to kind of like circle to that last point. Like, what do you, you know, you've experienced it for yourself. I've experienced it for myself. You've worked with people. I've worked with people, but like, what do think is changing in our now?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hmm.
Michael: that is making it just so critical that people differently about creativity in themselves and that the idea of invention, the idea of innovation, I what this podcast is called, Producing Innovation, like that's not just about innovation out in the worlds of technology. It's like human, my own personal innovation has been my journey. Like what do you think is happening culturally the need that you and I are being sort of pulled into
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Michael: is emerging at this moment in history.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah, that's an amazing question. I appreciate the opportunity to approach it. One of the things I think is changing very, very significantly and very, very subtly. the amount ⁓ of that is going to reach society. I think we actually know where we are in that particular circumstance right now. And this has nothing to do with artificial intelligence. Diem. The structure of hierarchy has created so much bloat inside of organizations. that even before we're seeing with job loss as a result of artificial intelligence, we started to see significant job loss just because of the amount of people organizations were realizing that they did not exactly need to their function. And a lot of that happened during COVID when accountability was ⁓ really, hard to come by. I think there was a lot of accounting for how many people it actually took to get a thing done in an environment where there wasn't just the physical busyness of moving around physical spaces. We started to see some significant things happening with job movement then, and we're to see that. We're continuing to also then see ⁓ shifts towards different ways of fewer days of work, and then the concept of remote work, all with the concept of the creator all at the same time. Hmm People are going to need to know productive things to do with time in times like these so that we're not left in abject loneliness and confusion disillusion and left unaware of the realities ⁓ of the face of workload in
Michael: Yeah, and purpose, right? I mean, it's like for so many people purpose came from and you'd say, do you do? Or like, was the basis of your identity in so many, mean, for really. And I think as that changes, right? it's like that is a disruption than I feel like economic factors, which is the sort of the psychic, emotional, psychological, person to person relational factors.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. learning create for and with each other again, outside of the workplace, this is going to become super essential. This is where that macro view of creativity that I'm talking about really comes into play and that we've discussed because we have so conditioned by the nature of our infrastructures.
Michael: Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: to work for almost like an invisible entity. Which means we're not always working for each other, which is why there's inside of the same company for positions and space when you're in the same place doing the same thing for the same reasons. That competition is wildly unnecessary. So then stepping out of that where you don't need that competition to drive the day, what are people going to do?
Michael: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: with their time and their energy the resources that they have to work with. This is just observation from the world kind of stepped back a bit where even as this trickles into reality, some of us need to be there to assist the
Michael: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's funny, know, there's a way in which it just occurred to me in what you were describing and I'm thinking about some of the changes that I've observed in people in my community, people that I work with and know, socially, some professionally, where like the of COVID, the changes to remote work, the changes to their industries, the shifting expectations. ⁓ So much of that was about friction, right? Like the friction of the office and people going in and the time and the travel and the this and the that and the way people work in a space together, like when you can remove a lot of that, like it just, changes so much. in a way, I think that some of what people struggle with is finding the creativity in themselves, but it's also just managing change. Like, ⁓ I ⁓ it a facet of creativity in my life, but like,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: The most uncomfortable thing that I see in creativity that I've wrestled with throughout my career, and I feel like my ability to be okay with it was a strength that I had as a creative person was uncertainty. Just like, I don't know where that idea came from. I don't know how these ideas fit together yet, but I'm okay with the uncertainty and the confusion, and I'm okay with it kind of unfolding.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: as it were in front of me and I don't need to understand it, right? Like I understood that as a creator, whereas if I need to understand it, it can only be as big as my rational brain, mind. But if I can be okay with the uncertainty, then it can be so much bigger than that. As a creator, like that's uncomfortable, but a lot of people are like, don't know, I'm not a creator. I don't have to deal with that. But when you apply the same thing to just change,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: I know people in our old industries, I know people in advertising who were like, AI is freaking me out and they were just like, didn't want to look there. And then when they started looking there, they got excited. You know what I mean? And I just think that, so part of the discomfort that you're talking about to me is implicit in creativity, but some of it is just about change. And I think that assisting with both being a kind of midwife or doula
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hahaha Mmm. Yeah. Yeah.
Michael: for people into that change and to our society through that change is a part of what so many people need to do now. And I feel like it's part of what I'm doing, part of what you're doing, but like, parallels do you see or what connections do you see between creativity and change ⁓ I'm positing it?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Hmm. I mean, you've really hit it on the head because change is actually the most creative element on the planet. It is always in motion it's always forcing us to consider its profound creative power. And can routine ourselves into and believe that change is not happening.
Michael: Right.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: However, when those routines shift or those routines are shifted for us, then we have to actually recognize the state of change. How much has changed in the time that we've been kind of standing in place thinking that change wasn't happening. And this is why people come out of professional environments come out of a long-term relationship and are like, hold on, it's a whole new world. What do I do? because we haven't had a relationship with change, the real nature of it as it is happening on a daily basis, because relationships can actually just hold us in a pattern, spiritually, practically, unnaturally. it's an awakening when we come out of those environments and we're breathing air and we're like, hold on, the air is different. I don't know what this looks like. What do I do with this device? do I find a job in this environment? What do I do with time? You all these things become bigger questions to go to relationship with. And so, you your encouragement there is really about that observation of change on a consistent basis and seeing being appreciative. You don't have to dive in to every change, but knowing that it's there. and understanding its role is really, really valuable.
Michael: Yeah, yeah, you know, it's so funny, man. I've been, time I talk to you, like, dot, I feel like, like ⁓ described maybe with Steve Jobs, somebody said, ⁓ know, creativity is just connecting the dots. And whenever I'm with you, ⁓ that were not previously connected get connected. And that is part of why I love you so much. And for listeners like, follow because that's what happens with him. But the, thing that I've been ⁓ really on late, like increasingly over the last years, like the last months specifically is reconnecting with ⁓ Eckhart Tolle's work and the power of now and the idea of like being present. Like I've read his stuff before and I knew it and there's a sort of, you know, tried and true spiritual principles in what he talks about. But like what I just realized about why that's been so fascinating to me right now and feels so relevant right now is that when you're
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm.
Michael: like, you what he describes is most of us are unconscious because our mind is in the future or our mind is in the past. And we're rarely in the present right now. And yet the reality of our lives is that we only, our life is a perpetual present that most of us miss entirely, you know? And when you're present, it's like you're present for the change, you know? You're seeing the change in some of the systems that I feel like we've had.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: long-term relationships, long-term careers, repetition, routine, as you said, we kind of into this mode where we're less less present and that's more and more okay. We can kind of be on autopilot and then we don't see the change. And then there's a moment of catalytic awakening or we're into a position of like, ⁓ now you to like crisis mode, ⁓ alarm bells like wake the fuck up.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. You You
Michael: time to get into action, you're like, wait, what? Like everything's different now and I didn't notice. It's like, yes. And I think it's the thing that I'm realizing, I feel like ⁓ idea that just came into sharper focus because of this conversation with you is that the need to be present is so in a moment of change. It's so critical in a moment of creativity. And it's so critical to just
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: in our lives, you know, like I just, as read his stuff, Eckhart Tolle's stuff recently, and I've been like, God damn, most of us are, it's like we're unconscious literally most or all of the time. Like what, what would happen if we all were like super present? Is I feel like, well, I think we're about to find out, you know, I think that that's where we're headed. You know what I mean? ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yes indeed. Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. laughing and smiling really big because... one the only things that can be in the forthcoming. We're watching so many really significant events pass us by because are somehow fully affixed to the past. And rectangles that are graciously allowing us to have this communication that we're having right now are like of past. Just the only thing that exists there is the past. especially when you're looking at a social media feed because all it can show is the past. And so the internet isn't as present as we are in our bodies. However, we're reliant on the internet in a lot of ways to show us what is present in our lives. And that is what feels like presence, but it's just not. the reality of that is ⁓ we get closer and closer to the realization that we are. Oftentimes setting ourselves up for failure with our behaviors on a macro level. ⁓
Michael: Yeah, totally.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: will recognize that there's another way, that there's actually some possibilities for like collective success. really loved maybe two episodes ago, one of guests was talking about the power of getting a billion people together to potentially do something. ⁓ And. ⁓
Michael: Yeah, Zoe, Zoe Gellar of We Are 8.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yes, it's a it's an absolute possibility. It's possibility in this in this world. And the realities of that are profound. ⁓ the study of what the realities of that could be will be amazing when it does happen, because it's already in the ecosphere to be able to happen. We already do it by the hundreds of thousands and millions and maybe even billions when we watch Super Bowl. So what else is forthcoming that's bringing us together in that kind of way is at least worth considering. in order to do that, it actually takes us to be able to be in the presence of each other for something beneficial that isn't just drawing us into the past, but maybe taking us into the future.
Michael: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that's idea of, know, know many people now are talking about the idea, mean, Eckhart Tolle, but so many more. And I feel like it's the idea that I'm kind of waking up to is that our civilization will either go through a massive awakening and transformation. ⁓ or it'll really be in jeopardy. I mean, it's in jeopardy now and it'll probably hit an absolute crisis because we can't be unconscious and solve the problems our time. And I just the idea of a billion sort of reaching a point of real presence, like really seeing each other in a way that we haven't, really getting like... moving away from the idea that our life is in the future, which I think so many of us do. think our whole, in so many ways, our civilization is based on this idea, like convince us all that our present is an insufficient reality slash problem to be solved and the solution is in the future. It is a bottomless pit. Like that can never work It's like mirage and it's like chasing the mirage. ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: around the globe and around the globe again, you know, or chasing the horizon. Like you never get there, right? Like, and I think if we all sort of woke up to the creativity and the potential and our connection, our community, humanity in a way is getting a little bit like, you know, high here, but like, shit, man, like this is like, these conversations have to happen. These transformations have to happen. These awakenings have to happen.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: And I'm grateful that there are people like you there facilitating that for individuals and for companies, man. it's, you know, if not you, then who? And listener, like this is of the smartest, most creative people I know. And maybe take some these lessons because I think that the application of these and for young people, like the idea of helping
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: bring about this shift is these are the businesses and these are the opportunities ahead for you. And I think for all of us, these are the big problems to be solved and they're gonna take all of us working together. But the youth, the energy of youth is gonna have to be a major force in this title shift.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: For us to get to a place where we are truly appreciating each other on a level that is really transformative across the globe is going to take a lot of foolishness. We to fool. We need to be able to believe that this is possible. We have be able to get to that inner child. We have to be able to get to that understanding of our imagination as a vector of possibility, not just a bunch of ideas.
Michael: Yeah.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: in that vector of possibility, it's powerful to encode that with an for how we live together and create together and appreciate creativity on a different level. And this is not just about art. This is not matter of towards encouraging more people be the traditional artists that most people associate with creativity. This is a matter of, hello human in front of me. How do we create a better relationship with each other so that our relationship potentially is an example for a better tomorrow? Can we just start with that? Enough in collaboration, in imaginative collaboration to see that you and I could do really great things together just in the way that we relate to each other that could bring about change for somebody else, they can bring about change for somebody else and accept that that is a positive force in the world. simplicity of that is the part that I believe we may be overwhelmed by because everyone's got their idea of how to change the world on a macro scale. And if we all today, like right in this moment, were granted our wish for how we would change the world, this whole thing would explode. The whole thing would explode. Some parts with joy. ⁓ some parts with terror, some parts with waste. All these things are realities in this eight billion person jam, jam ban that we're all a part of. So you're offering and what is really clear is that we have a chance as independent operators. to slowly offer some new views of creativity into the world. There have been many guys and teachers that have been promoting this for eons of time, eons of time, from the Eckhart Tolle of the now to the Hermes of the ancients to every figure ever that existed.
Michael: Yeah.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: But the constructs that sit in between of that unity, the constructs that sit in between of that, those are the walls that ultimately will have to come down and at a certain point will have to at least recognize just for a hot second that we may be singing the same song.
Michael: Yep, yep, yep. hundred percent, man. I re-exploring Tole's New Earth. And he talks about that. says like, so many of these ideas have been around since the Tao Te Ching and Siddhartha. these not necessarily new ideas, but
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hmm.
Michael: the adoption of these ideas has to happen now. Like we're at a critical inflection point ⁓ necessity will drive these kinds of changes in a way that it's all been sort of, know, laying the groundwork for this moment, which just feels like, what an incredible moment to be alive and what an incredible moment to be contributing. ⁓ And say, know,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: I'll let you have the last word, but I just want to kind of wrap up on the idea that like, I'm really grateful that there are people like you, friend out there, know, trying to facilitate change. And I'm proud to be, you know, brother in arms with you trying to do the same, but know, and invite others have the kind of... ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: You know, the word that popped into my head a few minutes ago when you were talking about like the willingness to change the audacity, you know, the audacity to think big ideas, the audacity to think that one person could have, you know, this sort of a grand macro impact potentially because that's who has historically, right? Like it's only ever bands of little individuals willing to think differently that like changed.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: the world and now we need to do that again, but on a scale that's a new. So I'm grateful for the yous and the me's and the others out there in the world doing it. But this is a really an invitation to everybody, you know, listening, you know, young or old to, like, think with us on how to, how do some of these changes happen? How do some of these transitions happen? How do some of these insights, you know, get, get had and then communicated and, and in my own limited way.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: in my little corner of the world, I'm trying to like promote these ideas that I think are critical to our future, certainly in my future and our future, my kids' future, but like, you know, I think are also really relevant to ⁓ world and our civilizational future. So last word to you, my friend.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. And I appreciate that. I'm going to throw, you know, just the same, I guess, an enthusiasm to the audience that, you know, for for Michael to be in the world ⁓ being support system for other humans. Like this is this is just a gift from his parents to you. This is just they created him. ⁓ so that he could do all the amazing things that he's done in his career, to learn what he's learned, so that he could be a guide to with the creative spirit. So this is just, it's important to know this. This is not small that brings a life into the world. to really understand history ⁓ and work ⁓ and to where he is now is... It's worth the adventure in learning what he may be able to offer you through this podcast and far beyond this podcast. I've, this body a black man that I've grown up in, I've had to watch the world create terror. in rejection of the other. for very long time, since before I was born. If you look at this hyper genetically, if we take the meta of it all, I've been a genetic witness to practice of creating terror for as long as humanity has been doing its thing. But even as a conscious being on this planet, I've inside of the conscious active creation of terror for so many people for so long. We got it. We've done it. We got it. We can do that. We are professionals at it. mastery level. There's another way. There's another direction. There's more that we can create with all the resources that are put towards creating terror. There's another way. It just has to be because of existence. And it's just up to us to recognize that there's another way and see each other as the way. And until we get there, we've got a lot of work to do. But we can get there in every way possible because our mastery level of terror creation is like, don't need anything else. We can create as much terror as we want on every corner of the planet with drones, whatever it is that we need. We created all of this just to create terror in name of defense. So, you know, there's a love offensive available. It's just there. the wave if you're interested.
Michael: Yep, yep. Absolutely, man. I love you, Kamau, and grateful for you. How can people find you? Where can people find you?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Love you too brother. Thealienschool.com is the best way to find me. It is a where you're going to be challenged to read, where instant gratification is not exactly the way, but there's some really great gratification in the investment in time. So thealienschool.com is the best way to get at me ⁓ to connect with everything that I'm up to.
Michael: Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much brother and be safe out there in the desert. And I hope all those people get everything that they can out of you, cause it's so much. All right, everyone, thanks for joining us for this wonderful episode of Producing Innovation.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Grateful.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Good to see you. It's been a few months, six months or so since we've seen each other. Good to be here.
Michael: I know. Well, you've been out having adventures in California, which I'm eager to hear about and get into. listen, the ⁓ viewers aren't familiar with your life and work and mission, give us some background, man. Tell people ⁓ abridged version the last, I guess, 20 plus years that we've known each other. the circuitous incredible journey that you've been on, but let's get some of that to start.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. I mean, you know those who don't know me is most of the earth. So this is a valuable time. Appreciate it Man where to start? You know, spent a good amount of my career in the world of advertising and marketing my life actually I I just saved my career my life. I spent a good amount of my life But 60 % of it in the world of advertising and marketing about 28 years in that world worked my way from an internship music marketing to chief creative officer a really great experiential marketing agency, doing events and doing big things for big clients around the world. And just about anybody's story that business is just about the same. right. So, you know, the one thing that came out of that journey, that adventure, was how to be me, most because I had to be so many people when I came into the industry, because I did not know the industry that I was joining. I was offered internship that was serendipitous, that was beautiful, that gave me a great opportunity, and I ran with that. But at the time, when I jumped into marketing, I was still kind of a kid who wanted to make video games. And this was a complete 28 year aside that some great intersections along the way, you know, the one with you. But, you know, of the things I learned was I had to be so many different to so many different people along the way. And along that way, I became a father and a husband and had to learn how to be both of those things, being all these different ways and these things to different ⁓ Whether I'm a strategist one day or a creative another day or an accountant one day or know, whatever need role you need to play in that world you kind of play. And I picked up so many roles that you know, felt I'd become a good actor but did not know who I was in that mix. And that all came to a head at a point a few years ago where, you know, I had some really great recognition that ⁓ I could be a better version of me than I was being. it took me down some really great paths, but most importantly to reconnect with myself as an artist, to reconnect myself in my creative spirit, to be the photographer and the father and I guess, a cultivator of healthy relationships that I've really always wanted to be. know, along the way I realized I could do that for myself and not necessarily needing a organization in order to that presence. so, yeah, ever then, I've been ⁓ working this really incredible project called the Alien School for Creative Thinking, where, you know, I take a lot of my discoveries around alienation and how has impacted the world, how it's impacted people, how it's impacted the creative spirit, how it impacts and work on tools, ideas, structures, frameworks, guidance systems that help people reconnect with their alien nature to a but most importantly, appreciate the uniqueness that they are and the uniqueness of their creative spirit so they can see more brightness in the roles that they're playing on a ⁓ daily basis.
Michael: So I'm an individual, say we didn't know each other and I ⁓ you know, I've had these moments of re-examination, reconsideration, kind of rebirth in my own life, creatively, professionally, personally, spiritually, psychically, you know, say I come to you, what is process like? Like, what is it like to actually work with you? Like, what do you, how do you people now? Cause I think that'll get to like,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah.
Michael: I wanna sort of come at exploration we've talked about before that I think is so useful for people trying reinvent themselves and also people starting out. Like, I look at son, I look at your son, look at young people coming up into a very different world than it was when we came up and like how to navigate that, how to have the tools, how to have the presence of mind, the the resilience that people need.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: So how do you work with people? If I'm a middle-aged guy coming to you and saying like, man, I'm a little lost. What do we do?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. I mean, that's it's funny because that's kind of the way it happens, you know. But a lot of times when people approach me and say they're a little lost, it's usually about what I is I have to offer because it's just not standard. So they've poked around my website. If you go to thealienschool.com, there's a lot of great information there about what the alien school is. But it still leaves people a little bit I'm confused because it's not a soft serve website. Usually people are approaching the alien school when they know how deeply alienated they are from where they want to be. They've got a project, they've got an idea of themselves, they've got a challenging situation in their work life or their relationship life or they're at a crux point in thinking about even becoming a parent. and they are interested in some guidance ⁓ they know themselves as a creative. You know, what I speak is purely about creativity in the human ecosystem. They know themselves as a creative. They may not have been that creative in their life in the traditional way that we think about creativity. but they know that it's pulsing inside of them. they could be facing significant burnout. from a career, could be facing significant burnout from a relationship. There's so many things that contribute to burnout that aren't just ⁓ you know, as you know, as you know. so what starts is a conversation just like this that helps me get a sense of the creative being that the person is. What are they looking to create? ⁓ What's created for them? What their world is a bit like? And then we go through an orientation call. in an orientation call, they've answered about six or seven questions about their life, their relationship to creativity, natural elements that, what natural elements they thrive around in their life. ⁓ Mountains, know, open What time of is their creativity like at its peak? You know, some people are people, know, things like that, that are really about the being
Michael: Hmm. Hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: not the doing. ⁓ What are the things that satisfy the being? Because I want to get to understand the nature of the being so that we can talk about the nature of their creativity. And once we start to get to some of that root stuff, it opens up a lot. so orientation call, you know, is a nice, you usually about an hour long call. We go through a lot of Q &A during that time where I'm looking these inquiries and I'm putting together a person.
Michael: Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: I'm looking to understand the nature how being moves. And so I learned a bit more about that. And there's few things that happen from there. If someone is on an individual path, we have about a six month course. So, you know, one ⁓ semester experience, we about a six month course where just about on a weekly biweekly basis, we're talking about the creativity in the person's life. And as we learn about the creativity in the person's life, we understand a bit more collectively, they and I, what kind of being that they are. And I'm working to consistently attune them to all the areas of creativity in their life. Whether they're creating a meal, whether they are creating a relationship, whether they're to create repair in a relationship, they may be looking to create a life like I talked about. They may be looking to create a new idea. They might be looking to create a business. Creativity is so much more than the traditional artistic expressions that we know creativity to be. And as we start to explore that more and more, they start to see a bit more and more how much creativity is swirling around their life and how much the creativity in the world is actually impacting their state. ⁓ So that's kind of the traditional like semester long individual work. I do same thing for about a three month
Michael: Hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: pathway for organizations where we really dive into the ecosystem of creativity in the organization and pick apart the things that are getting in the way of creative spirit. Learn how walk through walls, learn how to collaborate with the imagination in some cool ways, learn how to slapbox the devil's advocate because they really don't belong the room. We were trying to get to something good.
Michael: You're so hot.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: And then I have a couple of other like workshops and tools. One of the most more significant is a project called Creative Steeping. Creative Steeping is a seven day or seven week course where I really take people through the unfurling of their essence. A real self-narration process in getting to understand who they are and who we are. That's where I'm at right now. I'm at a residency in Southern California leading a Creative Steeping retreat for some really great people on a mission to explore their creativity from a lot of different angles. yeah, it's a beautiful experience.
Michael: I love it, man. I love it. that's, you know, on this we're so aligned. I mean, you know, like we were for, for, the, for the benefit of the listener, I'll just give a little, little bit of background of our experience. I we met when I was starting to produce the ride New York and counts media and looking at how could tools be, you know, like, like the smartphone before there were smartphones or, know, when the very beginning of text messaging.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm.
Michael: uh, integration into the U S and I met Kamau and he was in an agency. was, I was sort of starting this crazy production media company and, I immediately felt a kindred spirit with him about someone who just thought differently and saw the world differently and saw the connection between things like, you know, I think a lot of what you're saying, man, is like stuff that I've known of you, like you understand the integration of, uh, creativity into one's being and you always have. And I feel like that was something that I understood and saw in you. And then we did projects together. We were fans of each other's work. We worked together briefly and I think ultimately ended up, and I think became dads at a very similar time and just sort of shared.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm. Yes indeed. Yes indeed.
Michael: as outsiders in each other's lives for the most part, life experience. And bump into each other on a plane and talk about touch in our lives as men growing up in the and in New York and in the industries that we were in and as creative people and as spiritual people. And recently, like no surprise, both found our way to, the kind of, mean, you don't describe it. as coaching directly, but I think it is a kind of creative coaching and obviously been drawn into that and a lot of what I'm doing now in creating content and writing and this is really about sharing. I work with people individually, but share one, two to some of the insights that I feel like I've gained and benefited from and people like you that I've learned from. to sort of share that with everybody because I think, you know, young people, middle-aged older people, like reinventing ourselves is me now norm. know, like I, you know, this idea of we figure out who we are and then that's who we are and the old like sort of three-stage life model that existed for our parents' generation of like education, career, retirement, like that's just a thing of the past now.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Hmm.
Michael: You know, and I know so many of us are reinventing ourselves and discovering new things at mid-stage, at late stage. And, you who knows with longevity science, how long these lives that we have will be. And so, know, I just think it's such a fascinating idea of ⁓ creative back to the individual and allowing people to really think.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: creatively about themselves. And I think that ultimately like this type of work, like what we're doing and even this conversation is to me the model of human to human support, know? And I think that as so many jobs are gonna be taken by AI and automation and technology, you know, what can do that is unique an AI couldn't do? And a lot of it is the empathy, it's the connection, it's the... the shared lived experience and the supporting you and your creative process, a human creative process, not like an AI creative process or something. And I just think that like, it's just so interesting to me that guys, both you and I sort of pulling on our own thread in our respective way have ended up consistently at these similar stages to me. It indicates that there's something just
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. I'm Mm-hmm.
Michael: You know, we're part of a wave that is moving and it's not us a way, you as we're making decisions, but it's also this, this need, this collective need that's, that's, that's happening. And so I want to kind of like circle to that last point. Like, what do you, you know, you've experienced it for yourself. I've experienced it for myself. You've worked with people. I've worked with people, but like, what do think is changing in our now?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hmm.
Michael: that is making it just so critical that people differently about creativity in themselves and that the idea of invention, the idea of innovation, I what this podcast is called, Producing Innovation, like that's not just about innovation out in the worlds of technology. It's like human, my own personal innovation has been my journey. Like what do you think is happening culturally the need that you and I are being sort of pulled into
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Michael: is emerging at this moment in history.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yeah, that's an amazing question. I appreciate the opportunity to approach it. One of the things I think is changing very, very significantly and very, very subtly. the amount ⁓ of that is going to reach society. I think we actually know where we are in that particular circumstance right now. And this has nothing to do with artificial intelligence. Diem. The structure of hierarchy has created so much bloat inside of organizations. that even before we're seeing with job loss as a result of artificial intelligence, we started to see significant job loss just because of the amount of people organizations were realizing that they did not exactly need to their function. And a lot of that happened during COVID when accountability was ⁓ really, hard to come by. I think there was a lot of accounting for how many people it actually took to get a thing done in an environment where there wasn't just the physical busyness of moving around physical spaces. We started to see some significant things happening with job movement then, and we're to see that. We're continuing to also then see ⁓ shifts towards different ways of fewer days of work, and then the concept of remote work, all with the concept of the creator all at the same time. Hmm People are going to need to know productive things to do with time in times like these so that we're not left in abject loneliness and confusion disillusion and left unaware of the realities ⁓ of the face of workload in
Michael: Yeah, and purpose, right? I mean, it's like for so many people purpose came from and you'd say, do you do? Or like, was the basis of your identity in so many, mean, for really. And I think as that changes, right? it's like that is a disruption than I feel like economic factors, which is the sort of the psychic, emotional, psychological, person to person relational factors.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. learning create for and with each other again, outside of the workplace, this is going to become super essential. This is where that macro view of creativity that I'm talking about really comes into play and that we've discussed because we have so conditioned by the nature of our infrastructures.
Michael: Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: to work for almost like an invisible entity. Which means we're not always working for each other, which is why there's inside of the same company for positions and space when you're in the same place doing the same thing for the same reasons. That competition is wildly unnecessary. So then stepping out of that where you don't need that competition to drive the day, what are people going to do?
Michael: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: with their time and their energy the resources that they have to work with. This is just observation from the world kind of stepped back a bit where even as this trickles into reality, some of us need to be there to assist the
Michael: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's funny, know, there's a way in which it just occurred to me in what you were describing and I'm thinking about some of the changes that I've observed in people in my community, people that I work with and know, socially, some professionally, where like the of COVID, the changes to remote work, the changes to their industries, the shifting expectations. ⁓ So much of that was about friction, right? Like the friction of the office and people going in and the time and the travel and the this and the that and the way people work in a space together, like when you can remove a lot of that, like it just, changes so much. in a way, I think that some of what people struggle with is finding the creativity in themselves, but it's also just managing change. Like, ⁓ I ⁓ it a facet of creativity in my life, but like,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: The most uncomfortable thing that I see in creativity that I've wrestled with throughout my career, and I feel like my ability to be okay with it was a strength that I had as a creative person was uncertainty. Just like, I don't know where that idea came from. I don't know how these ideas fit together yet, but I'm okay with the uncertainty and the confusion, and I'm okay with it kind of unfolding.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: as it were in front of me and I don't need to understand it, right? Like I understood that as a creator, whereas if I need to understand it, it can only be as big as my rational brain, mind. But if I can be okay with the uncertainty, then it can be so much bigger than that. As a creator, like that's uncomfortable, but a lot of people are like, don't know, I'm not a creator. I don't have to deal with that. But when you apply the same thing to just change,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: I know people in our old industries, I know people in advertising who were like, AI is freaking me out and they were just like, didn't want to look there. And then when they started looking there, they got excited. You know what I mean? And I just think that, so part of the discomfort that you're talking about to me is implicit in creativity, but some of it is just about change. And I think that assisting with both being a kind of midwife or doula
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hahaha Mmm. Yeah. Yeah.
Michael: for people into that change and to our society through that change is a part of what so many people need to do now. And I feel like it's part of what I'm doing, part of what you're doing, but like, parallels do you see or what connections do you see between creativity and change ⁓ I'm positing it?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Hmm. I mean, you've really hit it on the head because change is actually the most creative element on the planet. It is always in motion it's always forcing us to consider its profound creative power. And can routine ourselves into and believe that change is not happening.
Michael: Right.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: However, when those routines shift or those routines are shifted for us, then we have to actually recognize the state of change. How much has changed in the time that we've been kind of standing in place thinking that change wasn't happening. And this is why people come out of professional environments come out of a long-term relationship and are like, hold on, it's a whole new world. What do I do? because we haven't had a relationship with change, the real nature of it as it is happening on a daily basis, because relationships can actually just hold us in a pattern, spiritually, practically, unnaturally. it's an awakening when we come out of those environments and we're breathing air and we're like, hold on, the air is different. I don't know what this looks like. What do I do with this device? do I find a job in this environment? What do I do with time? You all these things become bigger questions to go to relationship with. And so, you your encouragement there is really about that observation of change on a consistent basis and seeing being appreciative. You don't have to dive in to every change, but knowing that it's there. and understanding its role is really, really valuable.
Michael: Yeah, yeah, you know, it's so funny, man. I've been, time I talk to you, like, dot, I feel like, like ⁓ described maybe with Steve Jobs, somebody said, ⁓ know, creativity is just connecting the dots. And whenever I'm with you, ⁓ that were not previously connected get connected. And that is part of why I love you so much. And for listeners like, follow because that's what happens with him. But the, thing that I've been ⁓ really on late, like increasingly over the last years, like the last months specifically is reconnecting with ⁓ Eckhart Tolle's work and the power of now and the idea of like being present. Like I've read his stuff before and I knew it and there's a sort of, you know, tried and true spiritual principles in what he talks about. But like what I just realized about why that's been so fascinating to me right now and feels so relevant right now is that when you're
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mmm.
Michael: like, you what he describes is most of us are unconscious because our mind is in the future or our mind is in the past. And we're rarely in the present right now. And yet the reality of our lives is that we only, our life is a perpetual present that most of us miss entirely, you know? And when you're present, it's like you're present for the change, you know? You're seeing the change in some of the systems that I feel like we've had.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: long-term relationships, long-term careers, repetition, routine, as you said, we kind of into this mode where we're less less present and that's more and more okay. We can kind of be on autopilot and then we don't see the change. And then there's a moment of catalytic awakening or we're into a position of like, ⁓ now you to like crisis mode, ⁓ alarm bells like wake the fuck up.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. You You
Michael: time to get into action, you're like, wait, what? Like everything's different now and I didn't notice. It's like, yes. And I think it's the thing that I'm realizing, I feel like ⁓ idea that just came into sharper focus because of this conversation with you is that the need to be present is so in a moment of change. It's so critical in a moment of creativity. And it's so critical to just
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: in our lives, you know, like I just, as read his stuff, Eckhart Tolle's stuff recently, and I've been like, God damn, most of us are, it's like we're unconscious literally most or all of the time. Like what, what would happen if we all were like super present? Is I feel like, well, I think we're about to find out, you know, I think that that's where we're headed. You know what I mean? ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yes indeed. Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. laughing and smiling really big because... one the only things that can be in the forthcoming. We're watching so many really significant events pass us by because are somehow fully affixed to the past. And rectangles that are graciously allowing us to have this communication that we're having right now are like of past. Just the only thing that exists there is the past. especially when you're looking at a social media feed because all it can show is the past. And so the internet isn't as present as we are in our bodies. However, we're reliant on the internet in a lot of ways to show us what is present in our lives. And that is what feels like presence, but it's just not. the reality of that is ⁓ we get closer and closer to the realization that we are. Oftentimes setting ourselves up for failure with our behaviors on a macro level. ⁓
Michael: Yeah, totally.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: will recognize that there's another way, that there's actually some possibilities for like collective success. really loved maybe two episodes ago, one of guests was talking about the power of getting a billion people together to potentially do something. ⁓ And. ⁓
Michael: Yeah, Zoe, Zoe Gellar of We Are 8.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Yes, it's a it's an absolute possibility. It's possibility in this in this world. And the realities of that are profound. ⁓ the study of what the realities of that could be will be amazing when it does happen, because it's already in the ecosphere to be able to happen. We already do it by the hundreds of thousands and millions and maybe even billions when we watch Super Bowl. So what else is forthcoming that's bringing us together in that kind of way is at least worth considering. in order to do that, it actually takes us to be able to be in the presence of each other for something beneficial that isn't just drawing us into the past, but maybe taking us into the future.
Michael: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that's idea of, know, know many people now are talking about the idea, mean, Eckhart Tolle, but so many more. And I feel like it's the idea that I'm kind of waking up to is that our civilization will either go through a massive awakening and transformation. ⁓ or it'll really be in jeopardy. I mean, it's in jeopardy now and it'll probably hit an absolute crisis because we can't be unconscious and solve the problems our time. And I just the idea of a billion sort of reaching a point of real presence, like really seeing each other in a way that we haven't, really getting like... moving away from the idea that our life is in the future, which I think so many of us do. think our whole, in so many ways, our civilization is based on this idea, like convince us all that our present is an insufficient reality slash problem to be solved and the solution is in the future. It is a bottomless pit. Like that can never work It's like mirage and it's like chasing the mirage. ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: around the globe and around the globe again, you know, or chasing the horizon. Like you never get there, right? Like, and I think if we all sort of woke up to the creativity and the potential and our connection, our community, humanity in a way is getting a little bit like, you know, high here, but like, shit, man, like this is like, these conversations have to happen. These transformations have to happen. These awakenings have to happen.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: And I'm grateful that there are people like you there facilitating that for individuals and for companies, man. it's, you know, if not you, then who? And listener, like this is of the smartest, most creative people I know. And maybe take some these lessons because I think that the application of these and for young people, like the idea of helping
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: bring about this shift is these are the businesses and these are the opportunities ahead for you. And I think for all of us, these are the big problems to be solved and they're gonna take all of us working together. But the youth, the energy of youth is gonna have to be a major force in this title shift.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: For us to get to a place where we are truly appreciating each other on a level that is really transformative across the globe is going to take a lot of foolishness. We to fool. We need to be able to believe that this is possible. We have be able to get to that inner child. We have to be able to get to that understanding of our imagination as a vector of possibility, not just a bunch of ideas.
Michael: Yeah.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: in that vector of possibility, it's powerful to encode that with an for how we live together and create together and appreciate creativity on a different level. And this is not just about art. This is not matter of towards encouraging more people be the traditional artists that most people associate with creativity. This is a matter of, hello human in front of me. How do we create a better relationship with each other so that our relationship potentially is an example for a better tomorrow? Can we just start with that? Enough in collaboration, in imaginative collaboration to see that you and I could do really great things together just in the way that we relate to each other that could bring about change for somebody else, they can bring about change for somebody else and accept that that is a positive force in the world. simplicity of that is the part that I believe we may be overwhelmed by because everyone's got their idea of how to change the world on a macro scale. And if we all today, like right in this moment, were granted our wish for how we would change the world, this whole thing would explode. The whole thing would explode. Some parts with joy. ⁓ some parts with terror, some parts with waste. All these things are realities in this eight billion person jam, jam ban that we're all a part of. So you're offering and what is really clear is that we have a chance as independent operators. to slowly offer some new views of creativity into the world. There have been many guys and teachers that have been promoting this for eons of time, eons of time, from the Eckhart Tolle of the now to the Hermes of the ancients to every figure ever that existed.
Michael: Yeah.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: But the constructs that sit in between of that unity, the constructs that sit in between of that, those are the walls that ultimately will have to come down and at a certain point will have to at least recognize just for a hot second that we may be singing the same song.
Michael: Yep, yep, yep. hundred percent, man. I re-exploring Tole's New Earth. And he talks about that. says like, so many of these ideas have been around since the Tao Te Ching and Siddhartha. these not necessarily new ideas, but
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Hmm.
Michael: the adoption of these ideas has to happen now. Like we're at a critical inflection point ⁓ necessity will drive these kinds of changes in a way that it's all been sort of, know, laying the groundwork for this moment, which just feels like, what an incredible moment to be alive and what an incredible moment to be contributing. ⁓ And say, know,
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: I'll let you have the last word, but I just want to kind of wrap up on the idea that like, I'm really grateful that there are people like you, friend out there, know, trying to facilitate change. And I'm proud to be, you know, brother in arms with you trying to do the same, but know, and invite others have the kind of... ⁓
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm.
Michael: You know, the word that popped into my head a few minutes ago when you were talking about like the willingness to change the audacity, you know, the audacity to think big ideas, the audacity to think that one person could have, you know, this sort of a grand macro impact potentially because that's who has historically, right? Like it's only ever bands of little individuals willing to think differently that like changed.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: the world and now we need to do that again, but on a scale that's a new. So I'm grateful for the yous and the me's and the others out there in the world doing it. But this is a really an invitation to everybody, you know, listening, you know, young or old to, like, think with us on how to, how do some of these changes happen? How do some of these transitions happen? How do some of these insights, you know, get, get had and then communicated and, and in my own limited way.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Michael: in my little corner of the world, I'm trying to like promote these ideas that I think are critical to our future, certainly in my future and our future, my kids' future, but like, you know, I think are also really relevant to ⁓ world and our civilizational future. So last word to you, my friend.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. And I appreciate that. I'm going to throw, you know, just the same, I guess, an enthusiasm to the audience that, you know, for for Michael to be in the world ⁓ being support system for other humans. Like this is this is just a gift from his parents to you. This is just they created him. ⁓ so that he could do all the amazing things that he's done in his career, to learn what he's learned, so that he could be a guide to with the creative spirit. So this is just, it's important to know this. This is not small that brings a life into the world. to really understand history ⁓ and work ⁓ and to where he is now is... It's worth the adventure in learning what he may be able to offer you through this podcast and far beyond this podcast. I've, this body a black man that I've grown up in, I've had to watch the world create terror. in rejection of the other. for very long time, since before I was born. If you look at this hyper genetically, if we take the meta of it all, I've been a genetic witness to practice of creating terror for as long as humanity has been doing its thing. But even as a conscious being on this planet, I've inside of the conscious active creation of terror for so many people for so long. We got it. We've done it. We got it. We can do that. We are professionals at it. mastery level. There's another way. There's another direction. There's more that we can create with all the resources that are put towards creating terror. There's another way. It just has to be because of existence. And it's just up to us to recognize that there's another way and see each other as the way. And until we get there, we've got a lot of work to do. But we can get there in every way possible because our mastery level of terror creation is like, don't need anything else. We can create as much terror as we want on every corner of the planet with drones, whatever it is that we need. We created all of this just to create terror in name of defense. So, you know, there's a love offensive available. It's just there. the wave if you're interested.
Michael: Yep, yep. Absolutely, man. I love you, Kamau, and grateful for you. How can people find you? Where can people find you?
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Love you too brother. Thealienschool.com is the best way to find me. It is a where you're going to be challenged to read, where instant gratification is not exactly the way, but there's some really great gratification in the investment in time. So thealienschool.com is the best way to get at me ⁓ to connect with everything that I'm up to.
Michael: Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much brother and be safe out there in the desert. And I hope all those people get everything that they can out of you, cause it's so much. All right, everyone, thanks for joining us for this wonderful episode of Producing Innovation.
Kamau Zuberi Akabueze: Grateful.
