Daring Creativity. Daring Forever.

Episode: "It needs to come from inside you." (Alex Senta Bonus Episode)
Host: Radim Malinic
Guest: Alex Senta
Date: October 9, 2025

Overview

This episode discards the myth that creativity is about perfection. Instead, host Radim Malinic and celebrated brand designer Alex Senta dig into the fears, motivations, and values that drive great creative work. Structured around four pivotal moments from Senta’s career, the discussion unpacks lessons on risk, caring, authenticity, and humility in design. Whether you’re an aspiring creative or a seasoned brand builder, this episode encourages daring from within, showing that meaningful work is always rooted in genuine intent and relentless care.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Leap of Faith—“It Needs to Come from Inside You”

[00:42–01:30]

• Alex Senta’s Career Crossroads: Recounts leaving a prestigious position as Design Director at Coca-Cola. Despite the external status, making the jump to start his own studio was terrifying.
• Seeking Permission from His Hero: Senta shares how he desperately hoped for encouragement from Brian Collins but instead got quiet resistance—forcing the decision back onto Senta.
  • Quote: “He rolled down the window of his car and he said, it needs to come from inside you. And he was right.” — Alex Senta [01:26]
• Host's Reflection: Radim paints this exchange as a transformative moment, playing up its rom-com-worthy drama. He reveals that the wisdom Alex sought from Brian was, in fact, the elusive push to trust his own inner compass.
  • Memorable Reflection: “It was actually best advice he never really asked for.” — Radim Malinic [02:02]

2. The Superpower of Caring Deeply

[03:42–04:21]

• Alex on Caring: He distinguishes caring as his unique advantage, more important than technical skill.
  • Quote: “It’s the only superpower I have... I care more.” — Alex Senta [03:42]
• Implication in Work Culture: Radim explains how this attitude is foundational for Senta’s studio, creating a culture where emotional investment and personal detail drive success—something that’s becoming a rarer commodity in an age of AI and automation.
  • Notable point: “Care is an incredibly human advantage.” — Radim Malinic [05:35]
• Brand Building Strategy: Caring attracts like-minded people, forms lasting communities, and sets businesses apart.

3. Human-Centric Branding—Brands as Reflections of People

[06:33–07:23]

• Senta’s Philosophy on Branding: Brands aren’t just products—they’re living reflections of the people who make and love them. The handover from creator to consumer is when true brand identity emerges.
  • Quote: “Every brand is a reflection of both the people that make it and the people that love it.” — Alex Senta [06:33]
• Moving Beyond Marketing Jargon: Radim highlights that Senta’s people-first approach is what differentiates great brands from soulless corporate endeavors. Brands foster communities, enable co-creation, and support self-identification for their customers.
  • Quote: “Great brands facilitate co-creation rather than controlling it. They are platforms for identity expression, not dictatorships.” — Radim Malinic [08:08]

4. Humility, Naivety, and Learning—The Rookie Designer’s Story

[09:08–10:00]

• Early Career Story: Senta humorously revisits his internship days, recalling his overzealous attempt to redesign the iconic New York Rangers logo (“I guess I was just a brash kid…”). The realization that some things are hands-off was a humbling lesson.
  • Quote: “You’re literally an intern and that is not your job.” — Alex Senta [09:55]
• Universality of Naivety: Both Alex and Radim relate to the shared creative urge to “prod this creative beast from every angle,” acknowledging that pushing boundaries is how creative learning happens, even if you sometimes “change the brown fonts, logo colors” in vain.
• Creative Growth: This story encapsulates the passionate, sometimes naive, spirit that drives creatives—and why humility is as important as daring.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It needs to come from inside you.” — Brian Collins (via Alex Senta) [01:26]
• “It’s the only superpower I have... I care more.” — Alex Senta [03:42]
• “Every brand is a reflection of both the people that make it and the people that love it.” — Alex Senta [06:33]
• “You’re literally an intern and that is not your job.” — Alex Senta [09:55]
• “Care is an incredibly human advantage.” — Radim Malinic [05:35]
• “Great brands facilitate co-creation rather than controlling it...” — Radim Malinic [08:08]

Memorable Moments

• Rom-com Moment: Alex chasing Brian Collins in the rain for validation, only to be told he already had his answer inside [01:20].
• Changing the Rangers’ Logo: The almost-comical misstep of redesigning a world-famous logo as an intern [09:08].
• The Naming of the Episode: The host titles the episode “Dare to Care More than Anybody Else,” emphasizing the power of emotional investment [04:21].
• Host’s Closing Reflection: Radim’s gratitude for the candidness of his guests and the shared creative journey they illuminate [11:10].

Episode Takeaways

• Creative courage comes from within; no external validation can take its place.
• Deep, genuine caring is a competitive edge in creative work and company culture.
• The best brands are dynamic, shaped equally by creators and consumers—they foster identity, co-creation, and belonging.
• Mistakes and oversteps are rites of passage in a creative career, fostering growth and humility.

For listeners, this episode is a rallying cry to trust your instincts, never underestimate the impact of caring, and stay curious, even if you embarrass yourself along the way. Creativity, as Senta and Malinic reveal, is less about the big brands and more about the boldness to be yourself, imperfectly, bravely, and fully.