The Power of Teamwork

Automobiles range from trendy to practical, economical to powerful. But two things remain essential throughout the decades of automotive existence — innovation and brand loyalty.At Volkswagen, the design, communication, and technology teams are working together to disrupt what they thought they knew about creative and sustainable car design. With a growing need for businesses to address climate change and implement eco-friendly practices, VW isn’t just aiming for what looks trendy on the road. They’re focused on using AI to inform sustainability in their products without sacrificing design.In this episode of Adobe’s The Power of Teamwork podcast, Andreas Mindt, head of Volkswagen design, and Stepan Rehak, spokesperson for design and concept cars, unpack how modern VW design is leaning on AI to keep up with industry trends, consumer desires, and global environmental goals. Listen now to learn more about how this team is putting collaboration and innovation into overdrive — all while maintaining the brand that consumers have come to know and love.

Teamwork and sports go hand in hand. But professional sports teams are also businesses — and in business, cross-functional collaboration is the key to success.From the players and coaches to the marketing and business teams, the Chicago Red Stars have found that trust, integrity, and authenticity are the winning strategy for effective teamwork.In this episode, former Head Coach Chris Petrucelli and Director of Marketing and Communications Rachel Parrish give us the play-by-play on how teamwork has kept the Red Stars bonded together since their start in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League.We unpack the team’s common-goal mentality on the pitch, how the marketing team aims for a more authentic brand approach to connect with fans, and how the contributions of each arm of the organization are essential to winning. We even get a behind-the-scenes look at how the team’s skillful footwork helped them work together to choreograph a dance video.

With far-reaching and diverse campaigns, the in-house creative team at Delta Air Lines is making a global impact. Get an inside look at the pioneering creativity and global impact emerging from Delta Air Lines’ Window Seat. Leading the North American front for   top-performing airlines of 2023, according to Forbes, Delta Air Lines is also driving tailwinds as one of the leaders in creative brand strategy. Opening its doors in 2021, award-winning Window Seat has sought out and surpassed its goal of connecting the world through visual creative. In this episode, recorded live at this year’s Adobe MAX, we sit down with Maya Dukes, executive director of creative, to explore the discovery and collaboration that drives Delta’s internal success, positions itself as leaders in creative brand strategy, and empowers its positive global impact with its consumers.

Dive into the vision behind VMware's trailblazing brand experiences. Go above the clouds with VMware's people-driven innovation.As the competition for multi-cloud enterprise supremacy intensifies, VMware’s Jef Tyler, creative director of brand experience, and Krista Passarelli Patterson, director of strategic partnerships and brand experience operations, unveil the secret sauce driving their groundbreaking strategies — and why investing in the talent behind the high-tech innovations just makes sense. In this episode, discover how this powerful “all in” philosophy has not only revolutionized the VMware brand while setting new benchmarks in the tech industry. This is more than just a behind-the-scenes look — it’s an invitation to unpack innovation and leadership at its very best.

At LEGO, play is an essential building block to teamwork. It's the framework for out-of-the-box thinking, creativity, and a global household mainstay that spans generations.From how they innovate new product ideas to how they execute marketing campaigns, the teams at LEGO have one focus — inspiring innovation.In this episode, we talk to Senior Designer Ellen Bowley and Director of Masterbrand Renee Guida about trying new approaches, stepping outside of your own boundaries, and leveraging the strength of teammates to build something spectacular. Whether it’s creating new toy sets with specialized expertise or piecing together global marketing campaigns, teamwork at LEGO is an all-hands — and all-fun — effort.

Every ice cream flavor at Ben & Jerry’s has an origin story. And it’s often years in the making.  The “flavor gurus” — members of the research and development team — approach every creation with equal parts scientific and cultural research and creative fun. They anticipate flavor trends before they even happen and come up with unique tastes that appeal to their core demographic of “fans” — as well as new audiences.But a delicious flavor is only half of Ben & Jerry’s strategy. Research and development partners with the brand innovation team for every new flavor journey, identifying impact partners and mapping out how to support the ice cream company’s mission, well beyond a flavor’s sell-by date. In this episode, Ben & Jerry’s Head of Brand Innovation Emily K. Smith and Head of Research and Development Chris Rivard reveal how their teams’ unique collaboration leads to product innovation, brand growth, and a lasting positive impact.

There’s a reason show business is often called “magic.” It takes teamwork and a shared vision to create new worlds that entertain and delight.On a big-budget production like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” the clothing alone is a powerful storytelling vehicle. But the sets, lighting, and camera work that complement the custom-made costumes for each actor help bring this world to life.In this episode, we talk with the visual design team of Amazon’s Emmy Award-winning series (which just completed its fifth and final season) — Costume Designer Donna Zakowska and Cinematographer David Mullen. They share the complexities of a large team working together to create historically accurate scenery and wardrobes for a diverse cast of characters.

Experience design is core to Gusto’s customer service — and its approach to teamwork. Gusto builds user-friendly HR and payroll software for small businesses, but its success is driven from within. The company's Experience Design Team is bringing customer-centered UX design principles in-house to architect individualized work experiences for all. In this episode, we hear from Gusto’s Amy Thibodeau, chief design officer, and Liberty Planck, head of remote experience + how we work, about how these intentional and thoughtful design tactics are creating efficiencies, more opportunities for collaboration, and a stronger team culture.

Lemonade Insurance was born out of a challenge — could a legacy industry work faster, smarter, and with leaner team operations? The company found a way through an organizational structure that empowers small groups to work independently and operate with deliberate efficiencies. The key to scaling “gracefully” while building slowly is Lemonade's reliance on data and artificial intelligence. In this podcast episode, we talk with Adina Eckstein, chief operating officer, and Sean Burgess, chief claims officer, to learn how this team is turning tech lemons into, well, Lemonade — across international datelines, no less.

The team at Travelzoo is passionate about getting its members out into the world, exploring. And it's the behind-the-scenes partnership and collaboration of the business development and editorial teams that make thousands of travel opportunities possible.  In this podcast episode, Josh Gershenson, head of sales, travel west, and Lily Fu, executive producer, talk about how their teams work in harmony to provide the best service for their clients while simultaneously making the travel dreams of their members come true.

Like any rapidly scaling startup, goodr is no stranger to pivots. It’s not the business model that’s changed, but how the team itself operates. CEO Stephen Lease and Head of Account Management Ashley Craft talk about the pros and cons of a flat organization structure, how they hope to make their customer service team irrelevant, and why celebrating big wins and big failures is essential to team success. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on this podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

Meal kit services have become increasingly popular, but there are two inherent challenges these companies face: carbon footprint and food waste. HelloFresh is taking a different approach to sustainability one recipe at a time. Sustainability Director Jeff Yorzyk and Director of Culinary Innovation Kristin Bryan talk about a business model built on sustainability best practices and their team that is making the change possible. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on this podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

The Power of Teamwork is dedicated to the business of collaboration — the heart and soul of every company. Teams play a critical role in productivity, creativity, and the bottom line.Each episode features teams that power every industry — from entertainment and technology to science and sports. Through real-life stories spanning industries such as technology, entertainment, education, and sports, The Power of Teamwork shows people working together — building, growing, and turning challenges into innovation. It’s not magic. It’s teamwork.Hosted by Garrett Schwartz, The Power of Teamwork is brought to you by Adobe, leaders in collaboration for more than 40 years.To learn more about the podcast, visit powerofteamworkpodcast.com.