Overview
What if play isn’t a distraction from meaningful work, but the very thing that makes you better? In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, host John Jantsch sits down with entrepreneur and Refinery29 founder Piera Gelardi to explore how the mindset of play can unlock creativity, strengthen relationships, and drive innovation in business and life.
Drawing from his new book How to PlayGelardi explains why play is not something we achieve after work, but a powerful tool that improves the way we work. From the details of neuroscience to real-world business applications, this discussion is reframed as a strategic advantage rather than a trivial task.
Guest Bio
Piera Gelardi is an entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Refinery29, a global media company focused on the lives of modern women across fashion, wellness, and culture. He helped grow the company from a small startup into a global brand with over $100M in revenue and 500+ employees. Gelardi is also the author of How to Playwhere he explores how sport can transform creativity, leadership, and resilience.
Key Takeaways
- Play is a Performance Enhancer, Not a Reward
Play is not something you get after work. It’s a mindset that promotes creativity, problem solving, and relationships while working. - Deprivation of Play Has Real Consequences
A lack of play leads to a lack of intensity, a limited perspective, and a decrease in intrinsic motivation, making work feel stiff and unmotivating. - Play Opens New Perspectives Through Divergent Thinking
The concept of play allows people to explore multiple possibilities instead of choosing safe, repetitive solutions. - There are many “Play Personalities”.
Play is not just about jokes or bullying. It includes curiosity, imagination, movement, and conceptual thinking, each important in different contexts. - How to Play vs. Compressed Method
Stress means persistence, result focused, and driven by the fear of failure.
Play means being open, exploring, being active, and generating ideas. - Few Moments to Play Beat Forced Fun
Integrating play into a daily activity, not a one-off, creates a real culture and engagement. - Experimentation is play with action
Reprogramming as an experiment lowers the perception of risk and encourages innovation, which is key to marketing and growth. - Leadership Sets the Tone of the Game
Leaders must show vulnerability and playfulness to build the psychological safety of teams.
Good Times (Time Stamps)
- 00:01 – The Big Idea
Why play may be the missing ingredient in meaningful work and creativity. - 01:30 – Playful Nurturing
How Gelardi’s early life shaped his belief that play and production can coexist. - 02:54 – The Science of Play
Research on play deprivation and how play restores the brain to growth and strength. - 04:32 – The Misconception of Play at Work
Why gaming is being destroyed and how different types of gaming are emerging in business. - 06:57 – Playful Innovation
How a playful mindset leads to breakthrough ideas instead of reinvention. - 09:32 – Practical Play Tests
Simple tools like shake breaks and curiosity questions to unlock group creativity. - 12:28 – The story of refinement29
From a blog startup to a global media brand and how exploration has fueled growth. - 14:14 – Avoiding Compulsive Entertainment Culture
Why should the game be integrated into everyday work, not treated as a gimmick. - 16:56 – Play Marketing
How testing and low-risk testing led to the success of the 29 Rooms virus. - 19:50 – Reconnecting and Playing Like Adults
Why we lose play and how to regain it with small actions.
Memorable Quotes
“Playfulness is not the opposite of taking things seriously. It is what makes seriousness bearable.”
“When we think of something as an experiment, it stops feeling so high, that’s when creativity opens up.”
“Playing creates the best new ideas, the best relationships, and the power to solve problems.”
Where You Can Learn More
- Book: How to Play available from major booksellers
- Website: pieragelardi.com
- Instagram and Substack: @pieraluisa
