The Underswell with Derek Sabori

🎸 Dream Big and Do Something About It: The Creative Journey of Anthony Small

This week on The Underswell LIVE!, I sit down with musician, arts advocate, columnist, and community connector Anthony Small—a man who has spent his second act building meaning, identity, and impact through music, storytelling, and arts engagement. From tech sales to releasing his first studio album at 60, from working in minor league baseball to co-executive producing a new documentary on the legendary Los Lobos, Anthony’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. His life’s work now spans songwriting, curating music for community events, arts advocacy, multicultural music education, and creating opportunities for emerging artists. 🎙️Anthony opens up about the flashpoints that changed his trajectory: * His wife Bonnie’s breast cancer diagnosis * Caring for parents with Alzheimer’s * His own kidney cancer journey * The moment he realized he needed to pursue work that filled his heart 🎸In a show first, he performs two original songs live on the show—Don’t Give Up and Nice Girl—both deeply personal pieces that reflect his belief in resilience, hope, and the emotional power of music. We also explore: * The making of his album El Viejo * Why he curates spaces for young artists to grow * The story behind the upcoming Los Lobos documentary * His years writing “Dana Point Rocks” * Finding identity and belonging through the arts * The “underswell” that keeps him going Why Listen? If you’re exploring creative work, navigating a career shift, or seeking deeper purpose, Anthony’s story is a powerful reminder that your life’s best chapters can begin at any age—and that showing up with heart can open doors you never imagined. Links Anthony Mentioned: * Anthony Small - https://anthonysmallmusic.com/ [https://anthonysmallmusic.com/] * Anthony Small on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-small-40019111/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-small-40019111/] * Dana Point Rocks, November 2025 - https://www.picketfencemedia.com/danapointtimes/soapbox/dana-point-rocks-muchas-gracias-dana-point/article_4a89b8c6-0ef5-4f35-a321-75d2ad8cb244.html [https://www.picketfencemedia.com/danapointtimes/soapbox/dana-point-rocks-muchas-gracias-dana-point/article_4a89b8c6-0ef5-4f35-a321-75d2ad8cb244.html] * Truly Pizza - https://www.trulypizza.com/ [https://www.trulypizza.com/] * El Viejo, by Anthony Small - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4YauWw1iTj0mgpwAeqhF8k?si=grGoH5THR0CtCRE7PpeioQ [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4YauWw1iTj0mgpwAeqhF8k?si=grGoH5THR0CtCRE7PpeioQ] * Native Sons, Los Lobos Doc - https://madpixfilms.com/los-lobos-film/ [https://madpixfilms.com/los-lobos-film/] * Arts Orange County (ArtsOC) - https://artsoc.org/ [https://artsoc.org/] * Redo Market - https://www.redomarket.com/ [https://www.redomarket.com/] * City of Dana Point Arts Ambassadors - https://www.danapoint-arts.com/ambassadors [https://www.danapoint-arts.com/ambassadors] * The Cheech - https://riversideartmuseum.org/visit/the-cheech/ [https://riversideartmuseum.org/visit/the-cheech/] * LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes - https://lapca.org/exhibition/a-great-day-in-east/ [https://lapca.org/exhibition/a-great-day-in-east/] * Dolores Huerta documentary - https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/dolores-huerta/ [https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/dolores-huerta/] Music🎵 by Lidérc Inquire about being a guest on The Underswell at www.theunderswell.com/livewithderek [http://www.theunderswell.com/livewithderek]

♻️ Navigating a Changing Sustainability Landscape with Monika Kumar

This week on The Underswell, I sit down with Monika Kumar — sustainability advisor at Ichcha (“a wish”) and former Sustainability Finance Specialist at The World Bank — for a deep, energizing, and deeply human conversation about what it really takes to drive impact in today’s complex sustainability landscape. At first glance, it may appear to be so, but Monika’s story is anything but linear. Starting as an activist with NYPIRG, shaped by an international upbringing across Ethiopia, India, and the U.S., and refined through graduate work at Yale and a career in global development, she’s now blending sustainability, social impact, and grounded guidance across multiple arenas — including her family’s artisan-focused textile brand, Ichcha. Together we explore: * Sustainability as a rigorous, technical discipline * Why today’s sustainability leaders must understand economics, risk, regulation, and how to speak the language of CEOs and CFOs. * Why every role can be a sustainability role Monika shares how impact is created from every seat — not just “sustainability teams.” * Collaboration > competition Her World Bank experience reinforces that systems change happens when we share knowledge, align goals, and work collectively. * Leadership buy-in as the catalytic force * Building resilient business models requires fluency in financial value, risk, and ROI — full stop.  * Careers that bend, pivot, and persevere Visa barriers, global politics, economic instability — Monika opens up about navigating obstacles with adaptability and persistence. * Hope as a professional strategy * Progress is slow, messy, and nonlinear. But hope, resilience, and community keep this work alive. It’s a rich episode for career builders, emerging sustainability pros, and anyone looking to integrate purpose and impact into their work. Links: * Monika on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikakumar/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikakumar/] * Her family brand, Ichcha - https://www.ichcha.com/ (Biggest Shop Small sale of the year going on) * The latest on SB253 and SB 261 - https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/california-corporate-greenhouse-gas-ghg-reporting-and-climate-related-financial [https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/california-corporate-greenhouse-gas-ghg-reporting-and-climate-related-financial] * Global Footprint Network, Footprint Calculator - https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/ [https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/] * Books she recommends right now: The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50998056-the-ministry-for-the-future Blood Over Bright Haven, by M.L. Wang - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208430658-blood-over-bright-haven?ref=nav_sb_noss_l_22 [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208430658-blood-over-bright-haven?ref=nav_sb_noss_l_22] Music🎵 by Lidérc Inquire about being a guest on The Underswell at www.theunderswell.com/livewithderek

⚒️ Jesse Colin Jackson - Art, Architecture, Engineering & Technology: Building an Open-Ended Career in Academia

Guest: Jesse Colin Jackson — Artist, Designer, Professor, Associate Dean, Executive Director, and Relentless Builder of Ideas Some careers unfold in a straight line. Jesse Colin Jackson’s career is more like one of his sculptures—layered, iterative, unexpected, and quietly brilliant once you step back and take in the whole form. In this conversation, Jesse, a Canadian-born artist/designer/engineer-turned-academic leader, shares the unconventional path that took him from civil engineering… to art school… to architecture school… to a faculty career at UC Irvine where he now serves as a Professor of Electronic Art & Design, Associate Dean of Research & Innovation, and Executive Director of the internationally recognized Beall Center for Art + Technology. We cover a lot of ground—creativity, curiosity, sabbaticals, building things that don’t exist yet, learning how to manage your energy, what college really offers students today, and the underrated value of wandering into the unknown and working hard even when you don’t know where it’s all leading. This episode is a goldmine for students, young creatives, mid-career explorers, and anyone who’s ever wondered: How do you build a meaningful, original career when you’re interested in everything? 💡Some Highlights + One-Liners from Jesse * “Design thinking and art thinking? Same thing—designers just have clients.” * “I didn’t plan on being an artist. I didn’t plan on being a professor.” * “Iteration beats perfection. Generate lots of ideas fast—don’t labor over one perfect thing.” * “The sabbatical isn’t a vacation. It’s stepping away to think, imagine, and start something new.” * “Energy in → outcomes out. Hard work compounds, even when you don’t see it right away.” * “Students think professors aren’t nervous. Most are. Teaching is performance.” * “Don’t confuse what you’re good at with what actually feeds you.” * “You can’t predict where opportunities will come from. Don’t treat life like a transaction.” * “Some of the things you do for fun will end up shaping your career more than the things you did ‘on purpose.’” 🎙️What We Talk About — How Jesse blended engineering, art, and architecture into a single creative lens — Why dropping out (or being asked to leave) can become the best learning moment of a career — What running a campus bike co-op taught him about leadership, collaboration, and creativity — The value of iteration, restlessness, and trying a lot of things — How AI is reshaping creativity—and what students should really be focused on right now — Why college still matters (and what people misunderstand about its purpose) — Advice for new grads entering the workplace — His “underswell”: that open-ended need to build, explore, and make things that didn’t exist before — The Beall Center for Art + Technology, UCI’s Arts + campaign, and the role of art as a form of inquiry — His next big projects, including the delightfully ambitious curb machine artwork 🎧 Why Listen: Jesse’s story is a reminder that careers are long, winding, and much more malleable than we tend to believe. Your degree doesn’t define you. Your first job doesn’t define you. The things you build, explore, and put your energy into over time—that’s what shapes a career. For anyone navigating change, uncertainty, or a path that doesn’t quite fit the standard template, this episode offers both comfort and a spark. There’s wisdom here. And some very quotable insights. 🔗 Links & Resources: * Jesse Colin Jackson: https://jessecolinjackson.com/about [https://jessecolinjackson.com/about] and https://art.arts.uci.edu/jesse-colin-jackson [https://art.arts.uci.edu/jesse-colin-jackson] * Beall Center for Art + Technology: https://beallcenter.uci.edu [https://beallcenter.uci.edu] * Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UCI: https://www.arts.uci.edu/arts-campaign [https://www.arts.uci.edu/arts-campaign] Music🎵 by Lidérc Inquire about being a guest on The Underswell at https://www.theunderswell.com/livewithderek [https://www.theunderswell.com/livewithderek]

🌎 Karimah Hudda — Transformative Leadership & Flourishing Futures

My guest this week, Karimah Hudda, has lived and worked across 40+ countries, guided by a lifelong commitment to equity, purpose, and human flourishing. She’s helped shape the sustainability agendas of some of the world’s most recognized organizations — from Fairtrade and Mondelez to Nike — and today leads IllumineEarth, a purpose-driven leadership and systems-change consultancy that helps executives, teams, and changemakers thrive from the inside out. In my rich and expansive conversation with Karimah, she shares stories, frameworks, and deeply personal lessons from her global journey — from her roots in India to boardrooms and farms around the world. Her message: true sustainability begins with people. In this episode, we talk about: * Her Underswell — that thing under the surface that drives her and powers her commitment to the work she does. * Lessons from Fairtrade — how smallholder farmers and artisans shaped her lifelong philosophy on equity and shared humanity. * The evolution of corporate sustainability — from grassroots ethics to enterprise leadership and what’s needed more than ever. * Moving beyond compliance — why regulation matters but heart-led leadership matters more. * The human side of sustainability — how to avoid burnout, find joy, and practice “personal flourishing.” * The call to align personal purpose with organizational systems — bridging people and planet for a flourishing future. * What she’s learned from her work with Gen Z and why she believes her best is yet to come. 💬 Memorable quotes: “We’re all born to purpose — we’re just trained out of it.” “Once you go see, you cannot unsee. You cannot un-care.” “Flourishing means humanity and nature coexisting in equilibrium.” “Stay unreasonable. Stay untainted. The world needs you as you are.” Listen to this episode if you’re:  * A sustainability or purpose-driven leader balancing impact with well-being. * A professional seeking to align personal values with career choices. * A student or early-career changemaker looking to build courage, clarity, and community. * Curious about the next era of leadership — one built on empathy, imagination, and shared humanity. About Karimah: Karimah Hudda is a transformative leadership expert, systems change catalyst, and founder of IllumineEarth. A graduate of Oxford University and the University of Washington, she has led sustainability and supply chain initiatives for global brands and continues to mentor the next generation of leaders. Learn more at linkedin.com/in/karimahhudda. Music🎵 by Lidérc Links mentioned in the show: LINKS TO SHARE: * Karimah Hudda - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimahhudda/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimahhudda/] * Illumine.earth - https://www.illumine.earth/ [https://www.illumine.earth/] * IUCN World Conservation Congress - https://iucncongress2025.org/ [https://iucncongress2025.org/] * University of Oxford - https://www.ox.ac.uk/ [https://www.ox.ac.uk/] * University of Washington - https://www.washington.edu/ [https://www.washington.edu/]  * Doctors Without Borders - https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ [https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/] * SBTs - https://sciencebasedtargets.org/ [https://sciencebasedtargets.org/]  * CSRD - https://www.csrdreadiness.com/ [https://www.csrdreadiness.com/]  * Salute - South Asian Leaders Unite To Empower - https://www.salute.community/ [https://www.salute.community/]  Inquire about being a guest on The Underswell at theunderswell.com/livewithderek

⚡️From Surf to Strategy: Steve Tully on Leadership, Lightening in a Bottle, & Playing Offense with Your Career

This week, I sit down with Steve Tully, a seasoned executive whose career spans more than three decades in the surf and consumer products industries. From leading at Quiksilver, Roxy, Vix Swimwear, and Neff Headwear to mentoring emerging leaders and coaching executives through pivotal transitions, Steve’s story is one of humility, reinvention, and service. In this conversation, Steve shares how he built a career rooted in integrity, mentorship, and curiosity — and why he believes surrounding yourself with great people is the real key to success. As a former president-level leader turned executive coach, Steve now helps others navigate their next chapters with clarity and confidence. 📋 In This Episode: * For Emerging Leaders: Why emotional intelligence and curiosity matter as much as hard skills — and how to make yourself invaluable on any team. * For Mid-Career Professionals: Why reinvention is a lifelong skill and how to “retire to something, not from something.” * For Executives & Founders: How personal growth drives organizational growth, and why staying humble and coachable keeps you relevant. * For Anyone in Career Transition: Why “playing offense” with your career — building your network, crafting your narrative, and creating a personal board of directors — is key to staying ahead of change. 💬 Memorable Quotes: * “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” * “Decisions are made by those who show up — sometimes that means physically, but often it means mentally.” * “Play offense with your career. Don’t wait for change to happen to you.” * “When things are going really good, be grateful and humble. When things get tough, make the hard decision — sooner is better.” * “Your company isn’t who you are. It’s just where you work.” Listen To This Episode If... You’re a career builder, mentor, or leader who wants to stay adaptable and inspired. Whether you’re seeking your next role, stepping into leadership, or redefining what success looks like, this one’s filled with timeless, practical wisdom. 🎵 Music by Lidérc 🔗 Links: Steve on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetully/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetully/] SRTully, & Associates - https://srtully.com/ [https://srtully.com/] SDSI, San Diego Sports Institute - https://www.sdsportinnovators.org/ [https://www.sdsportinnovators.org/] LCAD, Laguna College of Art & Design - https://www.lcad.edu/ [https://www.lcad.edu/] The First 90 Days - https://hbr.org/books/watkins [https://hbr.org/books/watkins]  💬 Inquire about being a guest on The Underswell at theunderswell.com/livewithderek