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Before Wicked opened on Broadway in October 2003, the musicals production team took the show to the Curran Theatre in San Francisco for whats called an out of town tryout. The five-week run allowed the producers, writers, and director to work out the kinks ahead of the shows Broadway debut. During the San Francisco run, University of Southern California film student Jon M. Chu happened to be home for the weekend visiting his parents, who owned a Chinese restaurant called Chef Chus in Los Altos, California, just outside Silicon Valley. Chu was the youngest of five children growing up in a family that spent their free time playing instruments or going to the ballet, the opera, musicals, and the movies. It was the time of Michael Jordan on TV, and Steven Spielberg movies, Chu recalls. Michael Jackson videos were like mini musicals. Chu was raised on what he calls this beautiful idea of story, and went to film school with an inner theater geek driving his desire to learn the craft. So it wasnt a surprise when his mom, Ruth, suggested they catch the show at the Curran. Also at the show was Marc Platt, Wickeds producer, who spent those five weeks in San Francisco putting the finishing touches on what would eventually become one of Broadways biggest hits. Little did either of these men know that nearly 20 years later theyd pair up to bring Wicked to the big screen. I waited 20 some years to make the movie after I produced the stage show, Platt says. There were many reasons I waited; destiny was calling me to wait until Jon was available. Director Jon M. Chu on the set of Wicked: For Good with Ariana Grande as Glinda [Photo: Universal Studios] Their partnership is now one of Hollywoods great success stories. Together, Chu and Platt delivered a giant blockbuster that grossed $114 million in box-office sales on its opening weekend in November 2024 (it went on to gross nearly $750 million). Now theyre poised to do it again with the release of part two, Wicked: For Good. The Wicked films represent a big gamble for Universal Picturestwo lavish movie musicals released back-to-back with an estimated combined budget of roughly $300 million. All this in an era when studios are cutting costs and audiences are distracted by content that requires them to do nothing more than scroll their phones or stream TV from the living room couch. Still, Chu says he’s more optimistic about filmmaking than ever. Now is the moment, he says, to fight for big stories that can break through in a business thats increasingly driven by algorithms and a focus on the bottom line. I think if you want to fight that fight, youve got to play by the rules of this game, he says. You have to entertain the hell out of people. Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard of Oz) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) in Wicked: For Good [Photo: Universal Studios] The Silicon Valley Showman meets the Hollywood Machine Chu grew up inside two great American experimentsthe immigrant dream and Silicon Valley innovation. His parents have run Chef Chus for decades. In fact, thats where he was gifted his first camera and editing software from some thoughtful customers who worked in the movie industry. In high school Chu convinced his teachers to allow him to turn in short edited videos rather than written papers, which provided him the opportunity to develop a fluency with the software hed inherited at the restaurant. He also landed gigs shooting weddings and bar mitzvahs in his hometown. He was an early adopter from adolescence, learning how to master After Effects and Pro Tools. In 2002, while at USC, Chu gained some notoriety for a short film called When the Kids Are Away, which he made with a grant from the Princess Grace Foundation. It was a full-blown movie musical with singing and dancing, all about how stay-at-home-mothers spend their time when children are in school and spouses are at work. To work on it with him, he pulled in film school classmate and budding cinematographer Alice Brooks. They would later reunite on the Wicked films. Chu had an early run of films that cemented his approach to musical storytelling. In his first studio film, 2008s Step Up 2 the Streets, Chu learned how to turn ideas into an actual production by marrying choreography and character. Then, as director of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Chu gained an understanding of how powerful internet culture can be as a storytelling mechanism. It wasnt until he directed Crazy Rich Asians, though, that Chu truly turned a corner in his career. The film allowed him to blend cultural nuance, authentic storytelling, and mass appeal. All of this leveled up into Wicked, which is Chus most ambitious film by far. The movie required him to stretch beyond his creative instincts. Donna Langley, chairperson of Universal Pictures, says Chu is as much a whip-smart executive as he is a creative: He thrives at the intersection of commerce and art. He is deeply empathetic, pragmatic, and innovative. He sees challenges as opportunities, is extremely methodical in his planning, and yet remains flexible in his execution. [Photo: Universal Studios] Storytelling as empathy Chu sees storytelling as a kind of transcendent currency in the current age of filmmaking. It is one of the most powerful empathy engines we have other than travel, he says. It helps, of course, that with Wicked Chu happens to be telling a uniquely magical story, in a land that feels so fantastical and vibrant you cannot help but be transported. But Chus singular power in bringing Wicked to life is his ability to think like a storyteller and work like an engineer. Chus creative system is deliberate and disciplined. He recalls how in his early years of editing, he devised a system for nonlinear storytelling logic that helped him organize his ideas. He would assemble thousands of screenshots, textures, and notes and organize them into folders. These folders became a creative pantry of sorts that he began drawing from when developing a new film. [Photo: Universal Studios] When Chu and cinematographer Brooks were classmates at USC they bonded over their love of musicals. I think both of us are really emotional storytellers, says Brooks, who worked with Chu on both In the Heights and Wicked (among others). It’s about breaking a story from the inside out. She describes Chus process as incredibly intentional. [Photo: Universal Studios] She and Chu move at their own pace during the early stages of production and planning, trusting one anothers instincts as they go. When we first get a script, we break down each scene with one word, emotional intention, and every single camera choice and lighting choice comes from those intentions, Brooks says. It’s a long marinating process of letting ideas grow first, and then the technical ideas come very much as a secondary. On the set of Wicked: For Good, Chu implemented a process that required the actors to speak their lines while rolling before official filming began. While rehearsing the song For Good, actors Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo began to ad lib, singing to one another through a closet door. It was totally unplanned, but also part of Chus usual process ahead of a scene, so he let it go and the captured moment ended up one of the most memorable in the film. Process is how genius happens, he says. [Photo: Universal Studios] During the development of a movie, Chu doesnt think about box-office sales. Instead, hes locked in on making sure the film is as entertaining as possible. He views movies as a portal into another world, where the audience can experience things from someone elses perspective. To me, that is what we need to protect most in our culture, Chu says. I feel great responsibility that I have a microphone to be in that space. Chu began shooting both Wicked films in 2022 before AI really became a thing. He and the movies team of more than 700 visual effects experts were deeply focused on building a tactile but imperfect world. He wanted tables that wobbled and doors with cracks in them. For Wicked to work, nothing could feel overly manufactured or make believe. [Photo: Universal Studios] He insisted the world be touchable, that we could feel the scratches and dirt, says Platt. That quality is what allows the audience to feel the high stakes in Glinda and Elphabas relationship, Chu says, noting that everything on set within 40 feet was physically built. The imperfections enabled a kind of intimacy with the audience that AI could never replicate. This couldnt feel like a dream, because we were talking about real things and were digging at real truth, he says. Platt says this unwavering commitment to emotional resonance is what makes Chu unique at this moment in time. Even when it was challenging to make changes, or we had disagreements with the writers, there was always joy in the process, Platt says. When your director feels that way, it permeates all those working on a production. But also it made me confident in our collaboration, and in the outcome. In many ways, Chu represents a blueprint for what the movie business will need as technology continues to infuse cinma. Chu believes that as AI becomes a bigger part of how creatives make their work, it will only put more value on human curiosity. In the end, he says, its about building something people can feeleven in a world made of pixels.
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E-Commerce
AI has made us faster and more productive at work. It drafts our emails, summarizes our meetings, and even reminds us to take breaks. But heres the problem: in our rush to embrace AI, its quietly eroding our relationships and how we build human connections at work and in our everyday lives. People are increasingly using tools like ChatGPT to help them write, coach, and communicate. And many are also turning to it for therapy and relationship advice. The problem is, AI doesnt truly understand people as unique individuals. It can mimic empathy, but it cant understand it. It can predict tone, but it cant sense intent. The way we communicate with one person shouldnt be the same as the way we communicate with the next, yet thats exactly what happens when we hand over the nuances of being human to a machine. And its showing up at work: 82% of employees now report burnout, and 85% have experienced conflict at work. The majority trace it back to miscommunication, misunderstandings, or feeling unseen. AI is teaching us to write better, but not necessarily to understand better. Written communication has never been more polished. Yet the more we optimize our words, the more disconnected we seem to feel from one another. The importance of respecting human nuance AI can help us communicate, but it shouldnt act as a crutch. The real opportunity lies in using it as a mirror, which helps us better understand ourselves and the people we work with. Rather than replacing emotional intelligence (EQ), many teams are turning to personality science, such as the Five-Factor Model, to help leaders recognize how different teammates prefer feedback, how they handle stress, or why two colleagues interpret the same message in completely different ways. For teams, and for counselors and coaches, the goal is similar: not to have AI communicate for us, but to help us communicate better with each individual that we engage with. Because no two people hear, feel, communicate, or respond to information in the same way. And while the best communicators already know this instinctively, in todays era of chatbots and synthetic personas, we often abandon that awareness. We need to go back to giving each message, each meeting, and each moment the same level of consideration. Whos on the other side? What do they value? How do they process information or emotion? Leaders who take the time to personalize their communication build trust faster and resolve conflict sooner. When we adapt our style to meet people where they are, we only get better outcomes and make sure that people feel seen. Why we need to leverage EQ to optimize communications and outcomes Emotional intelligence isnt disappearing because people lack empathy. Its slipping because were letting machines do more of the communicating unilaterally. A new study by the Wharton School and GBK Collective found that 43% of leaders warn of skill atrophy as automation takes over routine work. This includes how we communicate. Leadership happens in the spaces algorithms cannot see: a pause in a meeting, the tension after a missed deadline, or the silence that signals someone doesnt feel safe speaking up. When we lose sensitivity to those cues, collaboration breaks down. Teams still communicate, but they stop connecting, and thats when misunderstandings quietly multiply into conflict and burnout. Heres how to keep the balance of efficiency and connection at work: Pause before you send. Before you hit “approve” on an AI-generated message, ask yourself: Does this sound like me? Does this reflect what the other person needs to hear? Sometimes, a call or short message will land better than a polished paragraph. Use AI for preparation, not delivery. Let technology help you structure the what, but you bring in the who with the persons history, style, and emotional context in mind. Listen and follow up. After sending feedback or direction, prioritize follow-up and check-ins to make sure you keep building the relationship, while listening and applying feedback. Prioritize taking a relationship-first approach. Remember that every person interprets messages differently. Landing the right tone and approach, depending on the relationship, shows respect and builds your connection. The leaders who thrive wont be those who use AI to talk more. Theyll be the ones who use it to listen more intentionally, understand people, and communicate with individuals uniquely. Because in the end, our progress, happiness, and success depend on the quality of relationships that we have with one another.
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E-Commerce
The modern workplace runs on a dangerous myth: that constant motion equals maximum productivity. We’ve built entire corporate cultures around this fallacy, glorifying the “always on” mentality while our teams quietly unravel. The result? A burnout crisis that’s costing companies billions in turnover, absenteeism, and lost innovation. But here’s what the dataand our own exhausted bodiesare trying to tell us: emotional recovery isn’t a luxury. It’s the most strategic investment a leader can make. The Real Cost of Running on Empty Burnout isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s a systematic depletion that manifests as cynicism, detachment, and plummeting professional efficacy. When leaders and teams operate without adequate recovery, they’re not just less productivethey’re fundamentally less capable of the creative thinking and empathetic connection that drives innovation. The science is clear: failing to detach from work triggers rumination, which prevents the replenishment of our cognitive and emotional resources. It’s like trying to run a marathon on an empty tankeventually, the system fails. And when it does, the costs are staggering: disengaged teams, toxic cultures, and the loss of top talent who refuse to sacrifice their well-being for outdated notions of “commitment.” Enter Move. Think. Rest: Your Operating System for Human Sustainability The move, think, rest, or MTR framework I developedpronounced “motor”offers a refreshingly simple yet scientifically grounded approach to emotional recovery. The MTR framework recognizes that our bodies and minds operate as an integrated system, where physical movement, cognitive engagement, and intentional rest work together to create resilience. Here’s how each element powers recovery: Movement recalibrates your system. Physical activity doesn’t just burn off stressit fundamentally changes your biochemistry. Exercise reduces cortisol while flooding your system with mood-enhancing endorphins. But this isn’t about mandatory gym memberships or corporate fitness challenges. It’s about recognizing that even simple movementa walk around the block, stretching between meetings, taking the stairs instead of the elevatorhelps reset our nervous system and prepares us for deeper rest. Thought creates internal space. Reflection and mindfulness aren’t just wellness buzzwordsthey’re tools for strengthening attention and emotional regulation. When we create space for intentional thinking, we develop the self-awareness needed to recognize depletion before it becomes a crisis. This cognitive recovery is where insights emerge and where we reconnect with the purpose that initially drew us to our work. Rest is where integration happens. Here’s the counterintuitive truth: some of our most productive work happens when we’re doing nothing. Rest provides the liminal space where our minds process, integrate, and make connections that conscious effort can’t force. It’s not lazinessit’s essential maintenance. Sometimes doing less really is doing better. From Surviving to Flourishing The goal of MTR isn’t just to prevent burnoutit’s to enable flourishing. This is the state where productivity becomes a natural byproduct of being fully engaged and authentically yourself. It’s where innovation thrives, where teams genuinely collaborate, and where the “unlimited potential of the Imagination Era” actually becomes accessible. This shift from survival to flourishing isn’t just good for employees, it’s also a competitive advantage. In an AI-driven economy where routine tasks are increasingly automated, the uniquely human capacities for creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking become paramount. But these capacities only emerge when people have the emotional bandwidth to access them. Making Recovery Real: Your Action Plan If you are ready to transform your organization’s approach to emotional recovery, here’s where to start. Keep in mind that it’s not a linear processit is situational and integrated throughout the work day, week, and year.: 1. Institute Strategic Microbreaks Build recovery into the rhythm of the workday, not just the weekend. Implement 15-minute “reset breaks” between back-to-back meetings. Create “No Meeting Thursday Mornings” to give teams uninterrupted time for deep workand genuine rest. Research shows these small reprieves sustain performance far better than pushing through exhaustion. 2. Lead with Visible Vulnerability Recovery will only become culturally acceptable when leaders model it. Take your vacation daysall of them! Talk openly about your own emotional recovery practices in team meetings. Share when you’re taking a walk to clear your head or blocking time for reflection. When senior leaders demonstrate that recovery is valued, not penalized, it gives everyone permission to prioritize their well-being. 3. Measure What Matters Beyond Output Expand your performance metrics to include recovery indicators. Track when teams are taking breaks, using PTO, and maintaining sustainable work rhythms. Celebrate leaders who help their teams achieve results while maintaining healthy boundaries. What gets measured gets managedso start measuring recovery as rigorously as you measure revenue. The Bottom Line The organizations that will thrive in the coming decades won’t be those that extract the most from their peoplethey’ll be those that invest most wisely in their people’s capacity to think, create, and connect. MTR isn’t just a framework for emotional recovery; it’s a blueprint for building companies where human potential can actually flourish. The hustle culture isn’t just outdated, it’s actively undermining your most valuable asset: the full humanity of your workforce. It’s time to build a new model, one that recognizes that our best work emerges not from relentless grinding, but from the dynamic interplay of movement, thought, and rest. The recovery revolution starts now. Are you ready to power down so you can truly power up?
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E-Commerce
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