Bend Don't Break: Brian August, Executive Director of the Tower Theatre Foundation

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Brian K. August shares his journey to becoming the new Executive Director of the Tower Theatre Foundation. With more than twenty years of leadership experience across nonprofits, private enterprise, and global initiatives, Brian brings a thoughtful approach to strategic growth, operational excellence, and community impact. His work with CauseMic and the Oregon Humane Society reflects a deep commitment to service and a talent for guiding organizations through meaningful transformation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Ben Don't Break Podcast. We are powered by the Source, Ben's locally owned media company and weekly newspaper. This podcast is our eddy in the rushing waters of local journalism. We are glad that you're taking some of your time to listen to us chat with the people who shape our local community. Support us through our member program at BenStorce.com.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Remax Key Properties, a family-owned, full-service real estate brokerage specializing in residential, luxury, commercial, new construction, and ranch and land properties. Their new state-of-the-art facility at 42 Greenwood Avenue is a modern collaborative space and the new home of the Ben Don't Break Podcast Recording Studio.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

I'm Aaron Sweitzer, publisher of The Source and producer of this podcast, Ben Don't Break. Today on the show, we are thrilled to welcome Brian August, the new executive director of the Tower Theater Foundation. Brian stepped into the role this summer, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience across nonprofit, private, and global sectors. Before joining the tower, Brian served as chief growth officer at Cause Mike. Is that right?

SPEAKER_03 1:08

CosMEC. CosMIC.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Where he helped nonprofits strengthen governance, scale community impact, and optimize strategy. He also spent over six years at the Oregon Humane Society with advanced degrees in law, business, and psychology, plus a strong track record of board service, including right here in Central Oregon. Brian brings both vision and dedication to his new work at the tower. Brian, thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Thanks for having me. And what an intro. I can't top that. Can we just we're good.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

I think this is the second week in a row that I've messed up something in the intro. Let's probably read these to the people.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

I will correct. I don't have an advanced degree in psychology. I have a degree in psychology, but other than through practice uh of working with nonprofits and boards and leaders, like I think you have to have some tendency towards psychology.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

By now you probably have an honorary degree in psychology. I'm just waiting for one college to call it. And if you're working at the tower, then by the end you'll certainly have graduated.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Or at least have the acting chaps to pass it off as having that advanced psychology degree. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

So um, Brian, what what is your uh how did you get started in your interest in the arts? You can go back as as far as you want, but um yeah, what what leads someone like yourself into that canal?

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Yeah, well, it um I've always had an interest in the arts, appreciation for music and performance. Uh, whether we were living in a small town in Wisconsin or in Thailand, we'd always carve out time to go uh partake of the arts wherever we were. Because the partaking of the arts in Thailand is very different than partaking of the arts here. It's just it's just different. Um and uh it combined with my my passion for nonprofits and really helping them find their groove and helping them scale their impact into the community. And I think there's uh given our geopolitical environment right now, I think there's a huge need to focus on these areas that where there was maybe strong government support and community support, things are are feeling a little bit uncertain now. Yeah, sure. And so being able to bring some of the some of the expertise that I have to the table to to benefit uh performing arts and to provide uh a path forward, I think the the timing is is right. And it feels it feels like I can do a small part to help maybe change the environment a bit, at least what I have control of.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

What um you mentioned Thailand, so that's uh that's fascinating. What's your uh what's your connection to Thailand? I so Thai arts, you know.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Yeah, well, so back in this would have been 2001, 2002, I did a program through USAID um that worked.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

So probably no longer exists.

SPEAKER_03 3:51

I was gonna say rest in peace, but maybe it'll come back. But um, they funded uh MBAs or business school graduates to go over to developing emerging economies and work with small businesses, government entities, non non-government entities to help them accelerate their growth and bring over the latest in thinking in operations or supply chain or finance or whatever the area was. Yeah. So as part of this program, I was in Thailand for a couple of years working with some of the small and medium-sized Thai businesses, which uh hopefully I don't know if listeners will remember, but in 1997, 98, there was a huge financial crash in Asia. And so USAID stepped in to try to provide some expertise to stabilize the region. So I had that unique opportunity to go over and work with all sorts of businesses, anything from apparel manufacturers, ceramic manufacturers, delivery services, um, government uh promotion offices, what whatever was needed.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

What was the school connection that got you to USAID?

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Uh so there was a consortium of top business schools that worked with this program and it was administered through the UNC uh Kenan School of Business. I went to Carnegie Mellon uh for my MEA, and that was one of the consortium schools that would send people over, give the opportunity to apply to go over to help these organizations.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Is it uh I'm sure when you say Thailand, I would bet 90% of the people think white load is snow. Like, yeah how awesome it is over there, but dangerous.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

Yeah, you know, I that may be a side of Thailand that I missed for a variety of reasons. Um, I went over there with my now wife and and we had a lovely life there. Um, we got we got to travel around. I I was I had learned Thai, and so that was really helpful uh to just navigate some of the areas where English wasn't uh spoken. But it was just it was an amazing country and and just amazing people there.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

And what uh what was the next step when you emerged from Thailand?

SPEAKER_03 5:51

Oh boy, it was it was a series of uh corporate jobs, I would say. Anything from Home Depot. Uh at one point I was turning around uh a couple of pulp mills in the Midwest. So we were basically they were they were operating out bankruptcy, so they were financially bankrupt, but operationally they were profitable. So meaning they were built, and once they were built, they could they could run profitably, but you could never service the debt that had been used to build them. So help turn them around, sell them uh to an industry player, and then move to San Francisco, uh, where I worked for the Gap uh for a number of years in strategic sourcing and uh strategy, and then uh moved over to a startup, as everybody in the Bay Area, I think, eventually does a failing startup, I should say. Um and was there for a few years, and then um my wife and I decided to move to Portland, or I should say back to Portland. We'd been there at a certain point, and my family there. And so moving back to Portland, I joined a group called Slalom Consulting, which is an international strategy and business uh technology consulting firm uh with offices all over the world. Wow. And I was there for about five or so years, doing a lot of supply chain project management, um, some uh program management as well. And that was when I became aware of the opportunity at the Oregon Humane Society, who was uh recruiting their very first COO. They were at the time I joined them, they were a very um strong organization, but they were about to embark on what turned out to be a $40 million expansion project, which involves construction, fundraising, all the things.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Um seems like an odd swerve. It it is gap.

SPEAKER_03 7:37

And then really I didn't even mention the the pre-tile in working in aerospace in the wine business down in Modesto for Gallo.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

So maybe it's just a series of curves.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

Yeah, so um, but uh in some respects, it took everything that I had done for clients and internally and said, let's pull this all together and really be able to help a team scale and get to the next level. Yeah. So I came in as their first COO, and what I liked about the role is I was coaching and mentoring executives who were then who I was helping them then coach their teams and trying to develop leadership capability, operational excellence, financial excellence.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

And so at Oregon Humane Society, are you overseeing or in communication with all of the humane societies in the state?

SPEAKER_03 8:26

Yeah, so the humane society setup, there each humane society or SPCA is their very own entity. Okay. There is a humane society in the United States, and that's its own organization. No assets are shared, no board of directors are shared. They are completely independent organizations. Same thing in Oregon. So I'm actually on the board here for the Humane Society of Central Oregon, which is unrelated to the Oregon Humane Society.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Different board, different assets, different governing model, um, different service areas. The Oregon Humane Society does tend to hit uh the majority of the state for different services. Okay. Whereas Humane Society of Central Oregon, we're really focused on Central Oregon and trying to improve the lives of pets and people here. Yeah. Um, so that you know, that's a commonly held uh perception that they're all related and they and they really aren't.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

I think Oregon Humane Society is a branding problem.

SPEAKER_03 9:16

Oh, yeah?

SPEAKER_01 9:17

They're huge. They're if they're all of Oregon, then they've got to work with Central Oregon and these other things.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Well, most of those humane societies do work together, they're very collaborative, and in some respects, as but if you're Oregon, you're bigger than Central Oregon.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

You're overseeing Central Oregon, in my mind.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Yes. Yes. I I I think that may be right, although some people may perceive that as I want to give to my humane society, and therefore I'm going to give to the Humane Society of Central Oregon versus one that is based in Portland. Most of their services are offered in Portland, even if they support other organizations across the central.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Exactly. You could get fooled into thinking that somehow you're helping all of Oregon's humane societies if you're not.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

I mean, that's a common criticism of the Humane Society of the United States is they're it's confusing because I'm giving to them, but what do you mean you want me to give to you? And yeah, they don't, they're not related to us. And what I what I will say is most of the humane societies, particularly in Oregon, have a really great working relationship, really supportive each other. And in that respect, coming into the tower theater and and being pretty new to the performing arts, I mean, totally new to the performing arts, is what I found is the performing arts organizations have a similar bend in terms of um really helpful with each other, trying to build each other up, trying to raise the whole community. And I really appreciate that. That's what I loved about working with animals and people is now getting to the performing arts and working with uh other organizations. Um, I find a very similar mindset to say, how do we do more together?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

How did you how so how did the tower pop up on on the radar? Because what were you at the Oregon Humane Society before coming to the tower?

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Uh I had actually left the Oregon Humane Society in the spring of 23, late, late spring, and I joined a group called Cosmic, which which you mentioned during the introduction. And that is Cosmic. Cosmic. It is spelled in fairness, it's spelled M I C C A U S E M I C. So I can see that, but it's Cosmic. Yeah. Um, and uh they they're a it was a more boutique strategy, technology, and fundraising focused uh agency and firm. And so I joined them uh to help bring some of the strategy, nonprofit strategy board work, executive director work to the table for them. Okay. So I was with them, and at that point, because I was no longer at a physical location like the immunity society, I could work from anywhere. And my wife and I have for a long time wanted to get over to Ben, but uh this was a great opportunity. So we moved over in the summer of 2023. Okay, um, and I worked remotely for them. And we worked, we had a lot of clients in Portland, but we worked all over the country uh with organizations. So I was at Cosmic, and then I became aware that the Tower Theater was that Ray Soly announced in the paper he was retiring, they had kicked off uh a process, and so I started reading more about it, and just in terms of a central place of connection for for Ben and the surrounding areas, I'm like, what an iconic institution. I mean, this is really when you look at the resurgence of Ben in the late 90s, early 2000s. I mean, this tracks it. And so that was really the idea of taking something that was in really good shape and really had made its mark and saying, What's next? Like, oh, this this sounds really interesting. And then when I started meeting with the board and then meeting with some of the staff, every time I met with a group from there, I got more and more interested and more and more excited. Yeah, and uh eventually they offered me the role and I accepted.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

What do you I mean, Ray's such an iconic figure in the cultural landscape here in Central, and you're stepping in behind that? I mean, how do you how do you step out of that shadow? How do you how do you advance the tower beyond that? And what are you what are some of your thoughts around that?

SPEAKER_03 13:12

It's a great question. One, I keep Ray on speed dial, you know, just in case. Right. It's all right. No, I so there's a few things. I think what I've what I've mentioned to Ray and to the board is this was one of the best succession plans that I've seen. And I've worked with organizations of huge organizations and small organizations, but this was really well set up, and Ray was really thoughtful, and the board was really thoughtful in terms of how do we set someone up for success? What is it we want to do and where are we gonna go? So coming in behind Ray, um, one is having his full support and his onboarding me and introducing me has been so incredible in terms of the community accepting and helping, the staff accepting and helping, the board accepting and helping. So that's one of the things. I think the other thing is in some respects, not coming from a performing arts background. I don't I don't feel like I have to outshine Ray. I mean, Ray's Ray. Like I people keep saying, Oh, you're replacing Ray. I'm like, I am succeeding, Ray. There is no replacing Ray. Ray was one of a kind, and that's great. Um, but one of the things they did as part of that succession planning is they uh they split up his role because he used to do all the programming as well as the ED work, and it's a lot, and you really have to have a special skill set to do that. Oh, they hired uh someone specifically to drive programming named Stacey Kough, who is a wonderful uh uh event director. He she worked for Four Peaks, or Four Peaks was her, I shouldn't say she worked for Four Peaks was her. She is Four Peaks. She is Four Peaks, and so she's now doing our programming and um brought in a director of production, so uh a little bit more direction at the actual operational level for the for the theater. And I so I think have set up some resources where I'm coaching, developing, guiding them, and then working with the board and talking to people in the community and say, like, hey, what's the next iteration look like? Like we've we've done some great things for the community, and I and I think we can continue to to build on that uh and do more. And so that uh makes it easier in terms of it's not it's not trying to outshine Ray or put my own stamp on it. It's really just saying, like, hey, for the organization, where do we need to go next? And how are we gonna get there?

SPEAKER_01 15:24

I think when people imagine coming into that position, it's like you took all the fun stuff off your plate. It's like they put they think I'm gonna come in there and it's gonna be awesome. I'm gonna bring Tyco Drumming and Modern Dance.

SPEAKER_03 15:39

Well, so so yeah, and you know, one, people have been, and whenever I say, Oh, I I'm I'm now at the Tower Theater, and it's like a list of here's what I want you to bring. And I'm like, Do you know this band? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 15:53

And the nice thing is I can say, Well, let me put you in touch with our programming director, or let me forward that's a programming director. Um, so that part, that part is fine. I think I am working with them. So I'm learning, and then basically I'm having Stacy kind of sit with me and say, Hey, tell me about your strategy for a season. How do we fill this up? And I think what I can bring is not necessarily knowing the latest act or the hottest act, but saying, like, hey, how do we set this up financially to be successful? And we're a nonprofit. So, in terms of figuring out our funding, how we structure shows so that there are some shows that we know will will make money, right? But our our mission is to bring kind of a variety of performing arts to Central Oregon. So it's understanding how do we how do we use our levers to bring more to the community, expose them maybe to things they haven't seen before, support. We have also have uh some mission-based work called Lesson Plan, uh, we uh which basically goes out and works with schools and children in the area in a whole whole three county area, um, and either brings artists out to those schools or the reservation or brings those kids in for for basically no cost performances. That's the mission work. So, understanding what we do to create the resources to be able to do that, that's where I can really help bring that together with the programming and say, like, let's think about how we can do this in a way that enables us to actually scale our mission. So that, you know, it's not giving up the fun part, but it's recognizing there are other people that are way better at that than me.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Well, you get your fun in a different way.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

I well, budgets, spreadsheets, numbers, who doesn't think those are fun?

SPEAKER_01 17:35

I love accounting. It's just getting I do like successful events that are successful on the bottom line more than I like programming. So I'm with you on that.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Yeah, you know, I the programming is really interesting because for me, I you know, I as I think through that, it it there's a I think there's a maybe a tendency to go like black or white. Did it make money or didn't? And for me, there that's there's that component has to be considered so that you can be sustainable so that you know in 10, 15 years, if I'm walking away, like there's a really strong organization that people can build off of. Same thing for all the team. But I think when I, you know, the first few shows that I went to, what I really marveled at and what I want to make sure that we don't lose touch with is watching people walk out of a show. And whether they are smiling or crying, uh hopefully because the show moved them emotionally, not for other reasons, um, whether they are disagreeing and talking animately with their neighbor, whether they have met someone there in the concession line to and started going uh back and forth. If you can move someone, if you can have them come out changed by the experience, even just a little bit, that's that's the magic part. And that's what we're focused on.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

You mentioned at the beginning the kind of head headwinds from federal policy, cutting a lot of the support there, and um you know, being kind, I think the the vision there is that okay, well, the federal the federal government's not gonna play this role. So people have to understand at the state and local level that they have a bigger role now. I mean, the this is a trickle-down theory, right? Is like, well, we're not gonna pay for it up here, so you're gonna be doing better and you're gonna be contributing, but we're in a tr that's a transitionary concept, you know, to return to that model. And um, I mean, do you see that as your role? I mean, how are you gonna backfill those grantings?

SPEAKER_03 19:30

I I see that as all of our roles, nonprofit leaders, but even as just individuals and thinking through that. And and fortunately for us in some respects, and you were very kind in how you describe how this is gonna transition and it'll all be fine.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yeah, because it looks pretty grim, you know, when you look at the the let the the suddenness and the level of the cuts, I think about the kind of money that the high desert lost and pullback. And you're like, uh, you know, philosophically, sure, I understand if you've got a change in policy you want to do this. My feeling would be you might want to give them a little heads up, a little transitionary efforts, but that's not the way it's going forward. It's it's very much like today's today's the beginning of of the rest of your life. So start planning, you know.

SPEAKER_03 20:20

And I mean that's hard. It's a great point. And so I I mean I have a mantra that I kind of go with because you never know what situation you're gonna walk into, but it's what can you do with where you are, what you have. Yeah, this is where we are, this is what's happened. And our only choice, we we can complain about it, but really our only choice is to respond. And that that's this that's the federal government. That's could be personnel issues, could be financial issues. And it's like, what are you gonna do now? Because that's that's the only thing you can influence, really. Um, so I think it is part of our role as as nonprofit leaders, as individuals, to to look at this and say, what do we value in the community? And and that's hard because there's a lot of really great outstanding programming in the communities. I I happen to think the Tower Theater is an enormous uh contributor to the community, the our well-being, our opportunity to uh experience um any kind of uh new performing arts um support schools in terms of the programming that we do with our lesson plan. I mean, I think these are all services to the community that we're able to provide. And so, yes, we have to explain, even though we weren't reliant necessarily on federal funding, there's there's a trickle down the other way where, well, if the federal government is stepping back, the state government, as as Oregon typically does, and I like, is they'll step up in fund. But that just means there's a little bit less, a little bit more belt tightening. The the state has to make prioritization trade offs.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

And they used to get pulled in 15 directions, now they're getting pulled in 100. A hundred different directions with regard to funding.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

Yeah. And I, you know, for me, it's it whether that that's almost a side point to you still want to connect with donors or prospective donors or members and supporters to say, you know, to understand what do you value? What is it about this that inspires you to give? And how do we make that possible for you? And and whether that is through plan giving and you would like to leave, you're not, you're worried now, but you'd love to leave a gift for when you're gone to make sure it sure it carries on, or if you want to support at whatever level that you're comfortable with, you know, our job is to is to make that compelling case, to make sure we're connecting with their what their wishes and what their desires, and to be the utmost in terms of stewards of effectively using those generous contributions that people uh choose to give to us.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

What do you see as the not your biggest challenge, but the most exciting thing that you hope to bring? Like as you've gotten in now, I mean, I don't know if you're far enough into your tenure that you feel like that you're gonna tear down a wall and blah, blah, blah, bad.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

It may be a bit generic of an answer. Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

But what what gets you what gets you excited about the future?

SPEAKER_03 23:13

I yeah, I think, and uh this is me learning about the performing arts uh uh landscape here is one, I think Ben really punches above its weight, so to speak. I mean, when you look at the acts that come through, um Hayden Holmes Amphitheater does an amazing job through Live Nation, bringing in some incredible acts. I think the Tower Theater similarly brings in uh really top acts. And you look at the size of the theaters, I don't know exactly how many uh the amphitheater hole, eight or nine thousand, maybe ten thousand. And our our theater is 460. And so maybe there's opportunities to expand that um bigger logistic challenge, but you start to look at what are the different venues and different opportunities to bring different genres, different experiences with performing arts to bend. And as we grow, as our population has really skyrocketed, as the demographics change in this area, how are we changing to not just reflect the demographics, but to provide those new experiences and exposure to things that we may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience? I mean, I think that's for me is is is really the ultimate goal. And that's the thing that gets me excited is we do a really great job uh in terms of the shows that we're bringing, but as as we dig into our programming and figure out like, hey, what are our demographics like? How are we engaging kids? How are we engaging teens to 20s? How are we engaging 30? Every every generation and every demographic has things that they really are attracted to. And so how do we how do we make sure that we are servicing that?

unknown 24:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

I mean, with the growth and population, the change in uh just that comes with having more people who are uh interested in cultural activities that are divergent or different, and you're in a great spot. I mean, just over the course of the time that I've watched the tower and you see the community grow, you're just able to bring a broader array of things. I spoke with the guy who's trying to bring, you probably met him with uh Ben Dance and bring some some modern dance out. That would yeah, that would never have been possible, you know. I mean, we we got some, but they were they were so small and so isolated. It wasn't something that was really going to be sustainable. But, you know, I'm speaking of my personal, you know, preference, but that would be incredible, you know.

SPEAKER_03 25:38

Yeah, and I think part of what might be an opportunity for the theater is being a conduit for that. So it's not just our own things, but how are we supporting the arts community in general and and enabling that or helping with that and using our position and our abilities to to enhance performing arts across the spectrum and not just for you know our our shows. Um it's really talking about that community and and building that up and making connections and collaborating. And I think that's where the the orientation of the performing arts groups that I've met here, that collaboration, that's where that comes into play is we can do more together than we can just kind of all doing our own thing.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

I think that's a byproduct of the I think that's gonna increasingly be a positive byproduct of the cutting of that fendround funding. Because you can see that stepping out of the arts and into journalism is way more collaboration because you have to sharing of content, sharing of ideas, just like you know, kind of that, you know, we're we're what's left, we're what's here, you know, and um only by assisting each other. Whereas before they it was a much more competitive environment. And I can see the same thing in the arts where a lot of you I mean, you've been in nonprofits enough. A lot of times they they go ivory tower, they're you know, they're they're fundraising for themselves and themselves alone, even though they're they often duplicate services, and um that that's not helpful, and I don't know, and I can't imagine that being a recipe for success as things become more competitive.

SPEAKER_03 27:17

Yeah, I think uh there's a it's a question of like, is there a single pie and you're dividing that up and someone just tries to get the biggest piece, or you're like, hey, can we expand this pie?

SPEAKER_01 27:28

Those pieces. Darn it.

SPEAKER_03 27:31

Yeah, the pie grabbers. Um or is there a different way to look at this? Can we make the pie bigger? Can we change the landscape? Can I bring whipped cream to the pie? Um that analogy has possibly that one. I don't know. Um, but interesting that you bring up journalism because I I, you know, I while the arts it feels like we're under fire, journalism, like this predates kind of this most recent things. I I can't imagine. Like, I'm I'm curious about that uh cooperation and kind of collaboration because that's I mean, it's always been a cutthroat industry. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

But like I'm I'm curious, are you seeing Oh, it feels way less so now way less so because you have changes in models, you've now got nonprofit models, you've got groups that are overarching. You see now with even cuts in, especially now with the cuts in public funding where they're just trying to sort that out. But you know, they're coming into the fold, uh, less um oh hey, we're radio, we're TV, we're print. You see a little bit like we're news providers, and um, we help them, they help us. Um, you know, you'll see some OPB content appear in newspapers, you'll see news uh OPB riffing off stories and so yeah, it's it's definitely a very interesting and I feel less competitive environment. There's just fewer people around, and um the pie is not as big, but there also aren't as many folks who want to eat that pie, you know, and and so they uh there's a little bit more to go around. At least that's the way I feel. And and you know, I think that for everybody as they scale or figure out their niche, you know, some people were had hopes and aspirations of being a statewide newspaper, or we're gonna be a regional newspaper, and maybe that's gone by the wayside and you're gonna be really hyper-local, and there's still a lot of need and demand for that. Um and then again, like I mentioned, you have nonprofit coming into that space, and what does that look like? Some universities are now so it's it's a fascinating time, and how it settles out is just like the same way now you look at the arts and and what's gonna happen with you know quite a little bit less funding and and uh how that rolls.

SPEAKER_03 29:56

Yeah, it's and it's as you think through it, it's always there's always a question of okay, when we get to steady state, and I think what people are starting to realize is there's no steady state. You get to the next, and then some environment shifts. It can it can shift for the better, right? It it can shift for the worse, but the one thing that I that I found is it's probably not gonna stay where it is. It'll maybe for a couple of years, but eventually some dynamic that is outside of your control is going to change. And again, your your choice is what do I do with what we have now, or what do we do with what what's available to us now?

SPEAKER_01 30:32

I think everybody thought that the digital age was gonna be uh, you know, I I mean you can think back 10 years and uh and it was like, oh my gosh, this industry is changing so quickly. And it's like we'll just adapt. And once we adapt, we'll be ready for the next decade. And it it's just been it just speeds up every year. And now I kind of think, you know, you know, especially in like a newsroom, six months. That's all that's a long time to be in one job description as a journalist. They end of six months, oh, it's a new website, or or hey, look, this, you know, this and TikTok took over. Now we're TikTokers, and however that goes. But um, yeah, the the pace of change is is pretty consistent now. I think it's consistent.

SPEAKER_03 31:17

Consistently accelerating. Yeah. Well, what's this uh I was listening to a podcast regarding AI, the AI Daily Brief, and it's a great podcast, but it is also a podcast that will scare you when you listen to it every day of like, oh, I'm so far behind. We are so far behind.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

And I do that a lot in the office, right?

SPEAKER_03 31:32

But they talk about like, oh, I put this into ChatGBT5, which they just released, and it spun up a new website. I'm like, wait, what? Yeah, and it worked, and all the links worked, and we just had to revise. And you know, having been in strategy fundraising technology with Cosmic, you know, one of the questions is what does AI mean for nonprofits in terms of like copywriting, which I think for a news organization as well, that's been front and center. And who's scraping your content? Who's creating content that in some respects is is pretty darn good? You know, it's and so these are things we have to wrestle with of like, well, how do we navigate this? We don't get a choice of AI comes into the into the mainstream or not. It's here, yeah, and it's running fast. So our our question is now well, what do you want to do about it?

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Yeah, that's another example I think of, you know, like if you thought it was fast before, if you thought the pay, well, you the little robots have, you know, how how many little robots you have in your office? Because they work pretty fast. Yeah, you know, and they change things pretty quickly. Yeah, they do. So um, yeah, and for I mean, again, in in we we just finished coming up with a new AI policy, and you're, you know, and it's how you're using it in different aspects. And are you using it to generate content? We don't. We use it to modify our content for different platforms, and um, we try to put guardrails on what we're doing, but you can see where this is going. I mean, there are whole publications out there that are being created entirely with AI.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

And um, and they appear to look very similar to publications that you otherwise wouldn't look, but they haven't quite gotten to the point where they look like our publication. I think that will be very hard to pull off, and that's kind of our goal to make sure they can't.

SPEAKER_03 33:13

Yeah, well, it's I mean, it's offering you like we have a unique offering for our community of readers, listeners, consumers. Yeah, and how do how do we continue to to to uh evolve with that? Yeah, because that's that's where AI, I think, might struggle a bit to to uh anticipate that.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

Yeah, so well, we're at the end of our time. Nope, nope. Sorry, sorry to guess off track there. No, it was good. I liked getting off track a little bit. That was uh usually we don't flip the script like that.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

Anytime you need a guest interviewer, I'm I'm happy to step in, Megan. Hopefully I'm not stepping on your toes there. Um, but uh if you don't mind, a little plug for the theater.

SPEAKER_01 33:52

No, no, that's what I was always at the conclusion. What what'd we leave out? What do you want to listen to?

SPEAKER_03 33:57

Yeah, no, I just want uh folks to to remember that we are a nonprofit of 501c3 towertheater.org is the place to find us. We have an incredible lineup of of artists coming over the next uh six to eight months. That I I'm so excited. It's such a it's such a good programming lineup, and I I I I can't wait. Um, so I invite everyone to go to the website, uh follow us on social medias, all of them. And uh and next time you're at the theater, please say hi to me. I love meeting people and understanding what type of impact, maybe stories about when they were kids they went to the theater. I love to hear that. So and I really appreciate you all having me on. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

No doubt. Well, uh Brian, thanks for thanks for coming on the show.

SPEAKER_03 34:43

Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

This has been the Bendo Break Podcast. If you like what you heard, you can go on the website and support us through our member program. Uh be generous and lets us chat about AI, even though we thought we were gonna do one on on the tower, and we swerved. And I blame Brian.

SPEAKER_03 35:02

And hopefully, Nicole, my marketing director, does not give me the Ryan act when I get back.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

It's gonna be like, you had 30 minutes and 15 moments about cool stuff. Will you start asking questions more? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:15

All right, well, thank you. Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

You've been listening to the Ben Don't Break podcast, powered by the Source Weekly. To read, hear, and see more of what we do, go to Benssource.com.