Episode 3: Starting a Movement with Tommy Sobel
Tommy Sobel is a good friend and the founder of a company called Brick. To me, Brick is more than just a company, instead it is a phone free movement. Brick encourages users to build a healthier relationship with their technology, starting with at least 1 hour per day in “Brick Mode” (without your phone). Taking it one step further, Brick asks users to go out into the real world and do something engaging with people you love.
I’ve been to many Brick events and it’s incredible how quickly a group of unplugged individuals can truly connect without distractions.
In this episode Tommy and I discuss our struggles with phone addiction, the theft of our attention, whether Facebook is evil, building a phone free movement, finding fulfillment at work, and the power of community.
Tommy studied neuroscience at Duke then started a career in entertainment as Steven Spielberg’s assistant. Later he became Dreamworks Studios / Amblin Entertainment’s head of frontier technology. It was at this time, that Tommy realized he had an unhealthy relationship to his phone that was negatively impacting his life AND that he was not alone.
Important links:
Brick Website: https://www.gobricknow.com/
Brick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobricknow/
Other Interviews: Tommy on Mind Pump Radio
