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Jun 1, 2023 · 41m · how-i-built-this

Cultivating a creative community with Tina Roth-Eisenberg of CreativeMornings

Tina Roth-Eisenberg · 23m spoken Guy Raz · 13m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this episode of How I Built This Lab, host Guy Raz speaks with designer and entrepreneur Tina Roth-Eisenberg about founding Studio Mates, building beloved ventures like SwissMiss and Tattly, and scaling CreativeMornings into a global movement dedicated to accessible, non-transactional creative community.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Guy holds 36.9% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Guy as informed peer 3.1 Guest teaching 1.7 Guest disagreement 0.4 Guy pushing back 0.0
05100:0015:0030:001:18–3:45 · Guy as informed peer 2/10 Moving to New York and the Dot-Com Era Raz asks open, warm biographical questions about Eisenberg moving from Switzerland to NYC in the late dot-com era. The tone is thoroughly collaborative with zero friction.3:48–6:23 · Guy as informed peer 3/10 Launching the SwissMiss Blog and Curation Philosophy Raz brings up his own experience searching for the SwissMiss blog and references early internet history. Eisenberg explains her organic motivation for creating a design garden online.6:24–11:01 · Guy as informed peer 4/10 Creating Studio Mates Co-Working Space in Brooklyn Raz demonstrates strong familiarity with Eisenberg's background, quoting Seth Godin's reflection on social circles. Eisenberg enthusiastically validates the quote and details founding Studio Mates.11:06–17:17 · Guy as informed peer 3/10 The Inception and Early Prototyping of CreativeMornings Raz asks if the first gathering was an instant magical success. Eisenberg clarifies that the initial event had broken elevators and stale bagels, teaching her to apply an iterative design prototyping mindset.17:18–24:27 · Guy as informed peer 3/10 MailChimp Sponsorship and Expanding to Switzerland Raz notes his familiarity with previous guest Ben Chestnut of Mailchimp as well as Pentagram and Freitag. Eisenberg shares how Ben Chestnut offered breakfast sponsorship and how global expansion began in Zurich.24:40–31:41 · Guy as informed peer 4/10 Scaling CreativeMornings Globally and Fostering Human Connection When Raz asks about the guiding principles for speaker talks, Eisenberg reframes the entire premise, clarifying that CreativeMornings is fundamentally in the business of human connection rather than talks.31:42–41:23 · Guy as informed peer 3/10 Pandemic Adaptations, Venture Exits, and Future Vision Raz explores monetization opportunities and Eisenberg's exit of Tattly to Bic. Eisenberg explains shifting to online field trips during COVID and focusing fully on CreativeMornings.1:18–3:45 · Guest teaching 1/10 Moving to New York and the Dot-Com Era Raz asks open, warm biographical questions about Eisenberg moving from Switzerland to NYC in the late dot-com era. The tone is thoroughly collaborative with zero friction.3:48–6:23 · Guest teaching 1/10 Launching the SwissMiss Blog and Curation Philosophy Raz brings up his own experience searching for the SwissMiss blog and references early internet history. Eisenberg explains her organic motivation for creating a design garden online.6:24–11:01 · Guest teaching 1/10 Creating Studio Mates Co-Working Space in Brooklyn Raz demonstrates strong familiarity with Eisenberg's background, quoting Seth Godin's reflection on social circles. Eisenberg enthusiastically validates the quote and details founding Studio Mates.11:06–17:17 · Guest teaching 2/10 The Inception and Early Prototyping of CreativeMornings Raz asks if the first gathering was an instant magical success. Eisenberg clarifies that the initial event had broken elevators and stale bagels, teaching her to apply an iterative design prototyping mindset.17:18–24:27 · Guest teaching 2/10 MailChimp Sponsorship and Expanding to Switzerland Raz notes his familiarity with previous guest Ben Chestnut of Mailchimp as well as Pentagram and Freitag. Eisenberg shares how Ben Chestnut offered breakfast sponsorship and how global expansion began in Zurich.24:40–31:41 · Guest teaching 3/10 Scaling CreativeMornings Globally and Fostering Human Connection When Raz asks about the guiding principles for speaker talks, Eisenberg reframes the entire premise, clarifying that CreativeMornings is fundamentally in the business of human connection rather than talks.31:42–41:23 · Guest teaching 2/10 Pandemic Adaptations, Venture Exits, and Future Vision Raz explores monetization opportunities and Eisenberg's exit of Tattly to Bic. Eisenberg explains shifting to online field trips during COVID and focusing fully on CreativeMornings.1:18–3:45 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Moving to New York and the Dot-Com Era Raz asks open, warm biographical questions about Eisenberg moving from Switzerland to NYC in the late dot-com era. The tone is thoroughly collaborative with zero friction.3:48–6:23 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Launching the SwissMiss Blog and Curation Philosophy Raz brings up his own experience searching for the SwissMiss blog and references early internet history. Eisenberg explains her organic motivation for creating a design garden online.6:24–11:01 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Creating Studio Mates Co-Working Space in Brooklyn Raz demonstrates strong familiarity with Eisenberg's background, quoting Seth Godin's reflection on social circles. Eisenberg enthusiastically validates the quote and details founding Studio Mates.11:06–17:17 · Guest disagreement 1/10 The Inception and Early Prototyping of CreativeMornings Raz asks if the first gathering was an instant magical success. Eisenberg clarifies that the initial event had broken elevators and stale bagels, teaching her to apply an iterative design prototyping mindset.17:18–24:27 · Guest disagreement 0/10 MailChimp Sponsorship and Expanding to Switzerland Raz notes his familiarity with previous guest Ben Chestnut of Mailchimp as well as Pentagram and Freitag. Eisenberg shares how Ben Chestnut offered breakfast sponsorship and how global expansion began in Zurich.24:40–31:41 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Scaling CreativeMornings Globally and Fostering Human Connection When Raz asks about the guiding principles for speaker talks, Eisenberg reframes the entire premise, clarifying that CreativeMornings is fundamentally in the business of human connection rather than talks.31:42–41:23 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Pandemic Adaptations, Venture Exits, and Future Vision Raz explores monetization opportunities and Eisenberg's exit of Tattly to Bic. Eisenberg explains shifting to online field trips during COVID and focusing fully on CreativeMornings.1:18–3:45 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Moving to New York and the Dot-Com Era Raz asks open, warm biographical questions about Eisenberg moving from Switzerland to NYC in the late dot-com era. The tone is thoroughly collaborative with zero friction.3:48–6:23 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Launching the SwissMiss Blog and Curation Philosophy Raz brings up his own experience searching for the SwissMiss blog and references early internet history. Eisenberg explains her organic motivation for creating a design garden online.6:24–11:01 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Creating Studio Mates Co-Working Space in Brooklyn Raz demonstrates strong familiarity with Eisenberg's background, quoting Seth Godin's reflection on social circles. Eisenberg enthusiastically validates the quote and details founding Studio Mates.11:06–17:17 · Guy pushing back 0/10 The Inception and Early Prototyping of CreativeMornings Raz asks if the first gathering was an instant magical success. Eisenberg clarifies that the initial event had broken elevators and stale bagels, teaching her to apply an iterative design prototyping mindset.17:18–24:27 · Guy pushing back 0/10 MailChimp Sponsorship and Expanding to Switzerland Raz notes his familiarity with previous guest Ben Chestnut of Mailchimp as well as Pentagram and Freitag. Eisenberg shares how Ben Chestnut offered breakfast sponsorship and how global expansion began in Zurich.24:40–31:41 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Scaling CreativeMornings Globally and Fostering Human Connection When Raz asks about the guiding principles for speaker talks, Eisenberg reframes the entire premise, clarifying that CreativeMornings is fundamentally in the business of human connection rather than talks.31:42–41:23 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Pandemic Adaptations, Venture Exits, and Future Vision Raz explores monetization opportunities and Eisenberg's exit of Tattly to Bic. Eisenberg explains shifting to online field trips during COVID and focusing fully on CreativeMornings.

speaking balance: gold is Guy, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Guy 66.8% · guest 33.2%0:00 · Guy 66.8% · guest 33.2%3:00 · Guy 28.6% · guest 71.4%3:00 · Guy 28.6% · guest 71.4%6:00 · Guy 32.5% · guest 67.5%6:00 · Guy 32.5% · guest 67.5%9:00 · Guy 66% · guest 34%9:00 · Guy 66% · guest 34%12:00 · Guy 33.7% · guest 66.3%12:00 · Guy 33.7% · guest 66.3%15:00 · Guy 32.2% · guest 67.8%15:00 · Guy 32.2% · guest 67.8%18:00 · Guy 22.1% · guest 77.9%18:00 · Guy 22.1% · guest 77.9%21:00 · Guy 33.8% · guest 66.2%21:00 · Guy 33.8% · guest 66.2%24:00 · Guy 50.6% · guest 49.4%24:00 · Guy 50.6% · guest 49.4%27:00 · Guy 41.3% · guest 58.7%27:00 · Guy 41.3% · guest 58.7%30:00 · Guy 7.8% · guest 92.2%30:00 · Guy 7.8% · guest 92.2%33:00 · Guy 38.9% · guest 61.1%33:00 · Guy 38.9% · guest 61.1%36:00 · Guy 22.7% · guest 77.3%36:00 · Guy 22.7% · guest 77.3%39:00 · Guy 43.2% · guest 56.8%39:00 · Guy 43.2% · guest 56.8%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 27:52 Dismissing the focus on talks

Eisenberg politely dismisses Raz's inquiry about talk curation by stating she does not actually care about the talks, reframing the core purpose to human connection.

 Hardest push from Guy ▶ 33:09 Probing monetization possibilities

Raz presses Eisenberg on whether there is any realistic avenue for CreativeMornings to become a traditional money-making commercial venture.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 29:59 William Ury's theory of non-transactional giving

Eisenberg explains the psychological mechanics of why free events work, contrasting the entitlement of transactional ticketing with radical generosity.

 Guy holds their own ▶ 9:46 Connecting Studio Mates to Seth Godin's philosophy

Raz introduces and reads Seth Godin's quote on peer collisions, demonstrating direct synthesis of the guest's creative philosophy.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicGuy as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementGuy pushing backWhy
Moving to New York and the Dot-Com Era 2100 Raz asks open, warm biographical questions about Eisenberg moving from Switzerland to NYC in the late dot-com era. The tone is thoroughly collaborative with zero friction.
Launching the SwissMiss Blog and Curation Philosophy 3100 Raz brings up his own experience searching for the SwissMiss blog and references early internet history. Eisenberg explains her organic motivation for creating a design garden online.
Creating Studio Mates Co-Working Space in Brooklyn 4100 Raz demonstrates strong familiarity with Eisenberg's background, quoting Seth Godin's reflection on social circles. Eisenberg enthusiastically validates the quote and details founding Studio Mates.
The Inception and Early Prototyping of CreativeMornings 3210 Raz asks if the first gathering was an instant magical success. Eisenberg clarifies that the initial event had broken elevators and stale bagels, teaching her to apply an iterative design prototyping mindset.
MailChimp Sponsorship and Expanding to Switzerland 3200 Raz notes his familiarity with previous guest Ben Chestnut of Mailchimp as well as Pentagram and Freitag. Eisenberg shares how Ben Chestnut offered breakfast sponsorship and how global expansion began in Zurich.
Scaling CreativeMornings Globally and Fostering Human Connection 4310 When Raz asks about the guiding principles for speaker talks, Eisenberg reframes the entire premise, clarifying that CreativeMornings is fundamentally in the business of human connection rather than talks.
Pandemic Adaptations, Venture Exits, and Future Vision 3210 Raz explores monetization opportunities and Eisenberg's exit of Tattly to Bic. Eisenberg explains shifting to online field trips during COVID and focusing fully on CreativeMornings.

Statements from this episode (10)

Opinion
Roth-Eisenberg: Recent NFT and AI hype resembles the dot-com boom
“It was a magical time when the web was sort of, you know, exploding and everybody thought it's going to change the world forever, which it did to a certain extent, but I feel like we have similar hypes right now, you know. Around just recently NFTs and then no…”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 3:29
Assertion Contradicted
Roth-Eisenberg secured 'Swiss Miss' trademark by promising never to sell chocolate
“You know, I actually got the trademark for events and design related things, and my lawyer thought he was really, really bold, and they agreed to it. They said, if you put in there that you will never sell any chocolate related products, we're okay with it.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 4:09
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Roth-Eisenberg's design blog SwissMiss peaked at two million monthly readers
“Yeah, in my heydays, they really missed an opportunity to partner with me because I had like two million readers a month at the time.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 4:27
Insight
Roth-Eisenberg: Non-creatives often mistakenly demand perfection instead of prototyping
“Oftentimes when I work with people that did not sort of come out of a creative space, they always think that they have to create something and it needs to be perfect.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 15:02
Assertion Supported
MailChimp co-founder Ben Chestnut offered to sponsor CreativeMornings four months in
“Four months into launching. So apparently he read my blog and he emailed me and says, hey, my team, like literally, It said my team would poop their pants if they saw us team up. So can I support you? And I remember sitting there going, I don't know. And I jus…”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 17:38
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Roth-Eisenberg: CreativeMornings chapter hosts invest about 40 hours monthly
“You know, some, I would say a host invests probably about 40 hours a month into putting on the events.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 27:01
Assertion Supported
Roth-Eisenberg: CreativeMornings runs its global organization with nine people
“I mean, we are a nine people team running a global organization on a, It's extremely scrappy budget.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 29:15
Insight
Selling tickets ruins community events by creating transactional consumer expectations
“What you're doing is based on non-transactional giving. You're inviting people in to your space. But if you were to sell a ticket, then it's a transaction. You buy the ticket, you expect a good coffee and a breakfast and the talk, and if it's not good, you kno…”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 30:51
Assertion Not checkable as stated
CreativeMornings virtual workshops draw 10,000 monthly attendees across 20 events
“We have about 10,000 people show up every month for community led workshops from how to do SEO, to make pom poms, to stretching, to like, you name it. We have about 20 events a month. Of which each one of them average has 450 signups.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 34:43
Insight
Roth-Eisenberg found building a company easier than successfully stepping away
“It's easy. I mean, to me, it's easy to build a thing. It was much harder to get off the carousel.”
Tina Roth-Eisenberg Jun 1, 2023 ▶ 38:13
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