Hello!

This week, we welcome Dolunay Kocabag, an inspiring artist whose journey traverses the realms of acting, music, and the complexities of pursuing an artistic career. Dolnae's story is not just about her artistic passions but also about adaptability, and the courage to follow one's dreams.

Dolunay Kocabag's artistic journey began in Turkey, where she was first drawn to acting.

Relocating to New York City, Dolunay Kocabag faced the realities of being an artist in a competitive environment. She juggled multiple jobs, to support her artistic endeavors.

Her experiences ranged from working as a Christmas elf to navigating the challenges of being visually impaired in a demanding city. Despite the struggles, Dolunay Kocabag found that New York's energy fueled her creativity and productivity.

After a challenging period, Dolnae returned to Turkey, where she discovered a renewed sense of happiness and privilege. She reflects on the importance of community and the value placed on her experiences from New York, stating,

Dolunay Kocabag's journey exemplifies the intertwining of personal challenges and artistic aspirations. Her story encourages us to embrace our unique paths.

As we continue our own journeys, let’s remember Dolunay Kocabag words about adaptability in the pursuit of our dreams.

Feel free to listen to the full episode for more insights and stories from Dolunay Kocabag's life.

#careermotivation #careeradvise #arts #sciences #music #psychology #podcast #genz #generation #technology

In this episode of Here is the thing podcast, Board-game enthusiast and startup co-founder Egecan joins hosts Ayça Yılmaz and Kunal Dugar to explain modern board-game mechanics, cooperative and solo play, and how games can develop transferable problem-solving skills. He also lays out how a designer might build a team, test a game, and use crowdfunding to bring a board game to market.

keywordsboard games, board game design, board game mechanics, Kickstarter, crowdfunding, cooperative games, solo board games, 4X games, game design entrepreneurship, career , career advice, motivation

key topics

• Egecan traces his board-game hobby to the pandemic-era first year of university and names Beyond the Sun as his first game.
• He explains 4X strategy: explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, and why Beyond the Sun feels closer to a 3.5X game with area control rather than direct destruction.
• Cooperative games such as Sleeping Gods make the table work together toward a shared outcome; choosing a game and balancing experience levels can help new players participate.
• Board games preserve a consistent, replayable experience, while digital games can change through updates, new releases, and server shutdowns.
• Egecan compares learning game mechanics and adapting to a new ruleset with applying existing skills in a new workplace or case-study environment.
• He describes Inventions as a metaphor for his career: ideas evolve through collaboration, setbacks, and the work of bringing them into the world.
• For aspiring designers, he recommends assembling a team with strong art and design, combining familiar mechanics thoughtfully, and playtesting with digital tabletop tools.
• He describes crowdfunding through Kickstarter or Gamefound, including funding thresholds, backer rewards, stretch goals, production, and the role of presentation in attracting supporters.
• Egecan discusses social groups, stereotypes around being a board-game nerd, bluffing and roleplay, and how many campaign-style games support solo play.
• His five favorites are Arcs, Inventions, Ark Nova, Dune: Imperium, and The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship.

key frameworks4X: explore, expand, exploit, exterminate

action items

• Start by forming a team that can contribute to the game’s story, visual design, and other creative elements.
• Combine established mechanics with a distinctive theme, then test the experience repeatedly before launch.
• Use a digital tabletop platform to prototype and playtest before committing to a physical production run.
• Study existing crowdfunding campaigns and plan the funding goal, campaign presentation, rewards, and stretch goals carefully.
• Ask Egecan for recommendations if you are choosing a board game to try.

Chapters

00:00Meet Egecan: board games, startup building, and strategy

02:03How the pandemic led to a first board game

05:21Making complex games welcoming for new players

07:56The four Xs, area control, and cooperative play

13:19Choosing teams and sharing decisions in co-op games

16:08Why board games stay the same while video games change

22:18Can game experience transfer to workplace problem-solving?

24:26Inventions, career lessons, and why ideas can be reused

28:19Finding your gaming community and embracing the nerd label

37:03Board-game mechanics and the foundations of design

39:32Building a game-design team and playtesting a prototype

41:07Crowdfunding: goals, rewards, stretch goals, and production

58:03Why designing board games could be a dream career

01:02:33Licensed games and Egecan’s top five picks

01:11:17How solo board games create an unpredictable opponent

01:15:22Closing thoughts and board-game recommendations

In this episode we present you a unique career journey that Zeynep Kızmaz went through, she broke the prejudice to become an inspiring hero for those people who want to pursue a career path that truly motivates, them, or sometimes just pursue both careers. Enjoy this bonus episode of Here is The Thing Podcast. For more motivational contents like these, make sure to follow us via social media platforms. #career #motivation #careeradvice #personalgrowth #careerpath