PRESENT Podcast

This is the second episode of the PRESENT Podcast, where I talk with the most courageous makers and creators from all over the world to find out more about their creative journey, how they do it all, and how they tackle their favorite unrealized projects. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Adam Barnard, founder of Otto Resource, to explore his fascinating journey. We discuss his free-spirited upbringing in Botswana, his early passion for skateboarding, and the profound influence of the Tony Hawk’s Underground video game on his life. The conversation traces Adam’s career transitions, including his move to Berlin, his internship with Norse Projects in Copenhagen, and his editorial roles at Hypebeast and Highsnobiety, which ultimately led to his shift into product consultancy. Adam shares the story behind Otto Resource, a digital design archive born from his passion for research and his mission to combat gatekeeping in the fashion industry. We talk about the importance of making learning enjoyable, Adam’s vision of Otto as the Wikipedia of Product Design, and how we are both aspiring to build platforms that inspire and empower the next generation of creatives. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:49 Adam Barnard's Upbringing and Journey 02:57 Cultural Influences and Skateboarding 07:53 The Impact of Tony Hawk's Underground 16:41 Challenges and Realities of the Creative Industry 24:17 Moving to Berlin and Career Beginnings 32:28 Working at Norse Projects and Hypebeast 53:13 Implementing Ambitious Ideas into Physical Products 53:21 Creating a Mechanism for Designers at Hypebeast and Highsnobiety 55:32 Consulting Brands with Extensive Research 58:43 Birth of Otto Resource 01:00:49 Transitioning Otto to a Public-Facing Platform 01:06:31 Challenges and Ambitions of Otto Resource 01:16:53 Balancing Work and Personal Well-being 01:38:46 Favorite Unrealized Projects and Inspiration Links: https://www.ottoresource.com https://www.instagram.com/ottoresource Hugo and PRESENT: https://www.instagram.com/present_xx https://www.present.zone https://www.instagram.com/hugohoppmann https://www.hugohoppmann.com https://hugohoppmann.substack.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9UpcoPgjqc

Welcome to the PRESENT Podcast, where I will meet and talk with the most courageous makers and creators from all over the world to find out about their creative journey, how they do it all, and how they tackle their favorite unrealized projects. For the following conversation, I sat down with my friend Jasmin Truong in my office in Berlin. Enjoy! Check out Jasmin's Truongii brand: https://www.instagram.com/truongii_ https://truongii.com Links: https://www.instagram.com/present_xx https://www.present.zone https://www.instagram.com/hugohoppmann https://www.hugohoppmann.com https://hugohoppmann.substack.com Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:52 Celebrating Lunar New Year 00:09:16 Journey to Independency and Parents' Professions 00:14:40 Say No to Parental Expectations 00:19:41 Questioning the Decision to Start your Own Business 00:25:07 Discovering the Passion for Sewing and Fashion 00:30:27 Leap of Faith to go to Paris 00:36:08 Life in Paris and Discovering your Creative Side 00:41:56 Discovering the Possibility of a Career in Fashion 00:46:51 The Creative Journey 00:52:10 Applying to Fashion School in Berlin 00:57:52 Finding Your Path in School 01:03:08 Theory, Practice and Discovering your Peers 01:08:26 Following Your Heart and Taking the Leap 01:14:18 Launching Truongii Label 01:19:48 Designing the Perfect Work Day 01:24:40 Challenges of Being Self-Employed 01:28:13 Dangers of Burnout and Importance of Breaks 01:30:10 Sleep Patterns and Trusting Yourself 01:34:50 The Importance of Being Kind to Yourself and Managing Your Time 01:39:46 The Power of Deep Work 01:44:43 Managing Overwhelm and Stress 01:53:47 Power of Visualization 01:59:50 Benefits of Journaling: Brain Dumps and Gratitude 02:04:36 The Art of Giving Praise to People 02:09:28 Practicing Gratitude 02:14:48 Finding Presence in the Present Moment 02:19:59 Striving for Moments of Clarity 02:25:11 Living Life with Clarity and Purpose 02:30:41 Possible Futures of Truongii and Exploring Different Mediums 02:36:15 Outro and Goodbye #PRESENT #StayingPresent #CreativeJourney #CreativePath #Fashion #Design #Habits