Julia Chatterley

“I had the pressure of carrying our culture to the world but more than pressure I had so much fun everyday.” My interview with @shogunfx lead actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada on maintaining authenticity, showcasing Japanese culture and whether there will be a season 2!?

In 2023, I had the honor of doing the Commencement Speech for the graduating class at @RiverdaleCS. Titled, "How to navigate change and uncertainty," below is a condensed version of the speech removing sections related to gratitude and appreciation that do not make sense out of context. My hope is that you find find value in this! *** Wow. What an honor. In 1998, I was you. And, I started at Riverdale in first grade, much like some of you. If you told me 25 years later, I would be here speaking to the Class of 23, I would be speechless. I do not know if I would believe it. Personally, I am humbled. Thank you. As I thought about what I wanted to address today, I settled on the topic: How to navigate change and uncertainty. But when I thought about how to articulate that in a Commencement speech, I realized that I had no clue. So I figured if this was a speech about change and uncertainty, I would simply ask ChatGPT how to proceed! So I opened up my computer and typed in: “What is the best structure for a Commencement Speech” and here is what it told me … FIRST. You need an introduction. Grab people’s attention. Start with a captivating opening line, personal anecdote, or an inspiring quotation and establish a connection. Hi! My name is Keith Grossman and I am the President of Enterprise at MoonPay, a Web3 Payments and Infrastructure company, and a Board Member of New York Cares and Griffin Cares. Previously, I was the President of TIME and prior to that was the Global Chief Revenue Officer at Bloomberg Media. I went to Cornell where I was a Government Major and can find an appropriate Winston Churchill quote for any occasion and will use one to end this speech! SECOND. ChatGPT suggested I “Establish a theme.” Which I agree - but now I feel as though I went out of order. The theme of this speech is “How to navigate change and uncertainty.” So I will jump to THIRD: “Share Personal Insights or Stories.” My career has been defined by “Saves, Turnarounds and Evolutions.” I never had the professional luxury of stability. When I joined the Media Industry in 2002, it was the height of the dot.com bust and I joined … WIRED - a brand focused on Technology! On my very first day, I was informed that the CEO of Conde Nast had assured the team at WIRED the previous week that it was OK, that it would not close, but if you look back in history that assurance was empty. The reality was we were on our own and had to figure a way out of the mess we were in. Everyday I came to work not knowing if the brand would survive. Everyday I watched another technology brand go out of business. Everyday I watched more people lose their jobs. It was this exposure to the quote-on-quote “real world” that shaped my professional career and belief system. And, I quickly realized the following: The only thing you can control is your own time; and, what you do with it. The best question you can repeatedly ask yourself is “Why?” And, love is the only commodity you cannot hoard; the more you hold onto it, the less you have, the more you put out into the world, the more you get in return. The last is a quote by Warren Buffett, however, it is a highly recommended way of operating through life. Personally, I can look at my career and realize it was shaped by only a handful of moments that were presented to me because of hard work, focus and grit. And, I specifically use the word GRIT because that is the title of Angela Duckworth’s incredible book and an underlying pillar of the Riverdale ethos: Have a growth mindset. Embrace curiosity.