SS-Ep01
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Bryant: [00:00:00] Welcome to _Squid Strengths_. You know, this is not just gonna be a recap of a reality TV show. Now this can be an insider look from a player in the TV show who still happens to also be a strengths coach. I'm Bryant Raymond, player 164, and I'm really excited to finally get to share that, yes, I played _Squid Game,_ and this has been a long time coming. So, hop on board. We're going to go and dive in to this experience. We'll start with my experience coming into the game, everything that I can share up until the point the TV show probably starts. I know you're thinking 'Bryant, you're a strengths coach. Why are you talking about a TV show?' Well, it's very interesting actually because I do believe that when you're put in a high pressure situation like the _Squid Game_, this massive, intense social game, first and foremost, _who you are_ just surfaces to the top.
How you react, how you interact, really emphasizes [00:01:00] what I want to bring to the table. And you either bring your best to the table, you might bring your worst, somewhere in the middle. Well, I guess it depends on, well, how far you go. And regardless of the actual outcome of the game, I believe there's a lot to learn.
There's gonna be a lot to learn as we go and look at each of the episodes and we take a deep dive. I'll have a chance to interview some of my fellow castmates and well, we have 455 other ones. So I think that there's gonna be a lot of stories to share. There's gonna be a lot of strengths to share. I think we're all coming from a place of strength.
We're all coming with some optimism. Of course, each and every one of us are vying for that $4.56 million prize. It's not gonna be an easy journey. There's gonna be twists and turns. There's going to be things that are gonna be exciting. There's gonna be things that are probably disappointing.
There's gonna be elements of my story that I think are going to be very fascinating and that will potentially also complicate the road ahead. I'm gonna ask my buddy, Alex, here to be my co-host, and Alex is [00:02:00] going to ask me some questions.
So when Alex asks me a question, you'll see that on the page here and we'll get that started. All right, Alex, are you ready?
Alex: Alright. Well, Bryant, let's start at the very beginning. You're a doctoral student, a professional strengths coach... this isn't the typical path. What was that single moment you decided, 'I'm actually going to apply for _Squid Game: The Challenge_'?
Bryant: Why did I apply? Well, really I didn't seek it out. They sought me out. I was being considered for another TV show, and long story short, that didn't pan out so that the casting director. Kept me in mind and when this came about, you know, they, what tends to happen is that they just kind of come out nowhere. What that says to me is that whatever I brought to the table in a previous casting process for a previous show mattered. It left an impression, it likely showed some of my strengths. For example, in my DRIVE framework, which is Design, [00:03:00] Rally, Ignite, Validate and Execute. They probably saw a lot of that Ignite and Rally energy, and that's something that I always bring to the table within 30 seconds of meeting me.
I'm very aware I can be somebody that can spark a conversation that can get things started, that can get people very, very excited. And I think that is something that is very important to incorporate in everything you do. So even before the notion of being casted on such an iconic game, the reality TV show version of this iconic game.
You know when people say, "Just be you". Well, just be you, with intent. And that's what strengths provides. It provides that intention with some level of awareness just of yourself. will allow you to recognize, well, this is the special secret sauce that I can contribute. So whether it's a [00:04:00] job that you really wanna get, uh, whether it's within your current job and you wanna get a promotion or whether it's a fun reality TV show, you really never know where the next opportunity lies, and you never really know the impression that you make. So be you. Know what your strengths are, know what you bring to the table, and perhaps in those moments where you think, by influencing somebody that has influence in something else, such as in casting, you don't know where that's gonna go.
Don't assume, by the way, that a singular opportunity only exists. While usually for the vast majority of our lives, when we have interaction with somebody, that singular interaction may be the only interaction. You never know and by just recognizing what you bring to the table, hey, it might lead you to another show.
All right. How does that sound, Alex?
Alex: That’s such a great point, that this all stemmed from a previous [00:05:00] casting process. It really proves that 'just be you with intent' idea.
You mentioned that casting process, and it’s this total black box everyone wonders about. Can you dig into that? From your perspective, what 'character' do you think they're actually looking for? And how did you handle that personally... that tension between 'Here's who I am' and 'I need to be compelling for a TV show'?
Bryant: It's quite an insightful follow up, Alex.
It is a balance between, well, here is who I am in real life and here's the camera and appealing to it. As I am right now to this camera, whoever gets to watch this, and please, if you're out there, please like this video. Please subscribe not just to my Coach Bryant Raymond, YouTube channel.
Please subscribe to Squid Strengths. I promise you, I'm going to bring you the best insider info I can give you, but from the lens of a Strengths coach, from the lens of somebody who's looking at this, not just for [00:06:00] entertainment, which is great, but also from education and from empowerment, by looking at it through the perspective of human development.
So when you realize that it's a microcosm of life, right? It was just Halloween and, well, thank you Netflix. You gave me a nice Halloween costume. We all wear masks. Everywhere we go in anything we do. Sometimes that mask is really heavy. Sometimes that mask is really thick, and sometimes that mask may be translucent, or there may be those times where you can just take off that mask, right? And it can change based on context, and it can shift in an instant depending on what you're doing.
So, did I go into this game thinking I'm going to play a character? Well, I did to some degree and we'll get to, we'll get to that. But for the most part, I can't not be me. Maybe it's a me that is exaggerated in a [00:07:00] certain way or emphasizes certain things and you do have to be aware of the camera.
Right. And I'll talk a little more about that once we have a chance to talk about the show itself. Do you emphasize who you are or do you just play to the camera or can you do both? And to me, that is truly the strength of somebody who knows themselves well, somebody who is confident in what they bring to the table, someone who knows also their limitations.
I asked one of my fellow talent development folks who got a chance to share this, "What's something you'd like to see in _Squid Strengths_?" And they said, "How do we explore blind spots?" And that's a great question, right?
If you think about a casting video, and perhaps comment below if you wanna see my casting video. Maybe that will come out at some point. Not today. You only really have maybe a minute, a minute and a half, just like a resume. You have only about five seconds to really captivate [00:08:00] that recruiter. And I'm sure if your casting video sucks in the first five seconds, just like if I don't hook you here, you're not gonna stick around that much longer. It's the same thing. It's truly a microcosm of real life. So what I want you to do is just think about what masks do you wear every day? Where do you go? Why do you wear that mask? Is it a mask that helps you? Is it a mask that hinders you?
And with regard to just even the casting process itself, I knew I needed to come in and show them who I am. I needed to just simply be a vibrant version of me. And yes, there was a mask, but the mask was very translucent. What do I mean by that? It means that it just allowed me to feel just that sense of confidence.
Okay, I'm gonna be me, but I'm gonna just add a little more gloss. Some people, they go out there and they may try too hard. I'll give you an example of something that happened to me a long time ago. [00:09:00] My dream company was Bain back in college. Bain is one of the top three strategy management consulting firms, McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.
And I really wanted to work for Bain, obviously. I didn't even think I had a shot. So I really, really studied for those case interviews and I had a chance to interview for their internship between junior and senior year of college.
So I was like 21 at the time and I did not grow up with an environment of business around me. UCLA was not a business school for undergrads. So I had to really, really hone in on that business... not just the mindset, but the way in which I interacted that business sort of "swagger", if you wanna call it. I studied the heck out of these case interviews, and eventually I got to the final round, had about five final round interviews, had the call, and basically they told [00:10:00] me, "Bryant, we really, really like you, but unfortunately we can't offer you the internship."
And I asked them, "Well, first of all, thank you for considering me, but is there, are there any feedback?" They said, "Yeah, there's one thing you need to work on. You got the cases, we just didn't feel you were confident." Huh? Okay, so did I need to create a mask of confidence or did I have to "be confident"? Is it kind of like just a gloss?
I worked my butt off to try again for that full-time role. And by the way, they said, "If you apply again, we're just gonna go straight to final round, so you'll have a chance. We were so impressed by you. So just really work hard in acing the final round for the full-time recruitment process."
And that happened and I was grateful. And actually it was the exact day when I had to decide that the interview day between the offer I got from Deloitte, which was in the summertime, and thankfully had that offer and was really glad to work for Deloitte. But again, Bain was my dream company, and I [00:11:00] told [Bain] transparently, "This is what's happening. Can I know a decision by the end of today? Because I know I just interviewed." And they said, "We'll call you by the end of today." So they did. And what they told me is, "Bryant, thank you for coming in. Really great to see you again. Unfortunately, we're not going to give you a full-time offer."
"Ahh, thank you so much for this opportunity. Really means a lot. Could you provide me any feedback?" And they said, "Bryant, we feel you are just _acting_ confident." And that taught me the lesson. *Acting* confident versus *being* confident are two very different things. Anyone can put that thick mask of "confidence" on.
And for a short period of time, perhaps, maybe you might even fool someone. You know, the person you may be fooling the most is you. When you are confident, when you know yourself and are aware of both your strengths and also what you don't naturally bring to the table, [00:12:00] you are more likely to bring to the table the things that matter most, the things that are most natural, the things that are most you.
And that's the me that I brought to this casting process. I brought the "me" that was most me.
How does that sound, Alex?
Alex: Okay, that was powerful. That Bain story... 'acting confident' versus 'being confident'... is the perfect way to explain it. It makes the 'translucent mask' concept really click.
So, you've got the mindset. Let's get into the strategy. You get the call. You're in. As a strengths coach, which of your strengths did you intentionally lean on first? What was the very first concrete thing you did to turn that strength into an actual advantage?
Bryant: That is a very insightful question and one that requires me to really dig deep in the psychology of just simply flying on a plane. Halfway around the world to somewhere, and knowing I'm going to be meeting upwards of 455 other people who have their own dreams, their own ambitions, and [00:13:00] you know, when you look at my top five Clifton Strengths, they are Woo, Ideation, Futuristic, Communication, Activator.
I have to think, "Which one of these should pop out? Well, besides the Woo."
Woo meaning 'winning others over', that's kind of like the 'politiciany' strength you can say. What I really needed to do beyond that, is a combination of Activator and Futuristic. And I can tell you when this exactly happened in a later episode when I can talk a little more about my strategy once you have a chance to watch the show.
But in terms of my preparation itself, perhaps this was even intrinsic, perhaps this was even intuitive. I actually don't know how I'm gonna meet them. Right? I don't know what the setup's gonna be.
We know that in the first season, it just starts out with Red Light, Green Light, right? So, do I meet people there? Do I make a quick snap judgment about who they are and who I'd wanna ally with? Do I believe that the people around me are gonna help me get to that finish line or not? Who knows? Well, [00:14:00] we'll, we'll talk again, talk more about the games when we can get there.
But when it came to the mindset coming into the game, I think it's a combination of my Activator and my Futuristic, because one is, well, even though I'm a Woo, I don't wanna be an annoying Woo. I don't wanna be a woo where it looks like you're trying too hard. Actually, this is something, if you ever watch _Survivor_ or _Big Brother_, some of these other social games, you realize some of the folks who are *too social*, they raise their threat level too much. And yes, those are different games that have different mechanisms in the game. But no matter what, _Squid Game_ is first and foremost a social game. I'm very aware of that. I'm very aware that you're not gonna get to the end without making alliances, without folks helping you get to the end.
We saw that in the first season. So coming into this, I knew I had to bring both my Futuristic and my Activator together. Futuristic, especially with envisioning where could this person fit into my game, [00:15:00] and where can I fit into their game? And mutually, like looking at the two. Activator, meaning not being afraid to ask to go up to them, and even within a two minute conversation, not being afraid and saying, "Hmm, wanna work together?" Because in the end you gotta remember, they all also looking for folks to work together with them. So that's where also the Communication comes in.
It's not just asking, it's how you ask. Your intonation, especially the amount of empathy and the amount of compassion. And my goal is to be as compassionate as I can, while also making sure people know that you're not gonna mess with me.
And it's a delicate balance too. You know, I'm not a pushover, but at the same time, I don't wanna be, let's just say an A-hole. I wanna be somebody that at least is respectable and you can't work with everybody. So I had to come in and make sure, actually, ironically, that number one Woo is really managed very well.
This is a great example of managing your [00:16:00] strengths. This is a great example of how your top strength could potentially be a weakness or something that will bring you down. Because if I was just wooing around and trying to talk to hundreds of people and just be as friendly as possible, "oh my God, hi!"
What do you think's gonna happen? "Oh God, those guys, this guy, that 164 is being so fake. 164, that guy they don't even know my name. And gosh, that guy is running around just trying to talk to everybody, trying to kiss ass."
And that could be the reputation, right? That is definitely something I've also faced in the real world where people think that, okay, you're just trying to say hi to everybody. You're just trying to be friendly everywhere. There must be an ulterior motive. The exact thing can happen in a _Squid Game_, in any other social game.
So that's something that I had to be very aware of, and I came in thinking, okay, I had to be the right level of Woo. Not this 'Woo, that's everybody's gonna be my friend.' But you also [00:17:00] don't wanna be mean. Well, at least I don't wanna be mean. It's okay, you know, not everybody's gonna be your friend, but doesn't mean you have to be mean about it either.
So gotta be a respectable Woo. And getting that Futuristic and Activator to look at, well, who are the people I wanna ally with? And also observing them and seeing who they're allying with, and how those allies that they're connecting with can further my game.
It's a constant switch and battle. This is the mindset coming in, right? That's the question that you asked Alex. Now, Ideation is there too. Where does that come in? Top Ideation comes in when you think about how we work together, especially in different styles of games. Now in _Squid Game:_ _The Challenge,_ there are of course the _Squid Game_ style games that we know and maybe love, like a Red Light, Green Light, for example, is an easy one. There are other ones in season one, for example, there was Marbles, right? And you think about Marbles, well, you're just given bags of marbles. You [00:18:00] decide how these bags of marbles turn into a result, and we saw in season one, there was one pair that could not decide what to do. Time ran out and they were eliminated. If you know that, okay, well there's this decision we gotta make, it sucks because, well, maybe you might, it might break you up with your best friend.
Or even in season one, it broke up a mom and a son. So you gotta really think about how every decision you make impacts the next decision. Activator, Futuristic and then Ideation is in the moment, there's multiple ways in which I can approach this, and the decision can be maybe something as trivially seeming as a chore, right?
And we saw that in season one, where there were chores and sometimes the chore led to a test where it impacted an outcome and sometimes a chore led to a cookie. Quite literally, I believe so. You know, you never know. You never know. And that's where I think my top strengths come in. I also think that [00:19:00] managing the strengths matter a lot.
How does that sound, Alex?
Alex: That is such a high-level insight. The fact that you had to 'manage your Woo', your number one strength, just to keep your threat level down is a perfect example of strengths awareness. We've heard the strategy. But what about the emotions? What was actually going through your head as you were flying to... wherever it was... about to start this thing?
Bryant: You're always being sized up, and that happens everywhere you go no matter what. It's a very human thing to size people up. It would be very both hypocritical and simply inaccurate for me to say I don't do that.
Of course, it's a survival mechanism at the end of the day because we need to feel comfortable being around you. I'm comfortable interacting with you. I have an idea of how I want to approach my interaction with you. Maybe that can shift or maybe I can become more comfortable, more open, depending on how well I get to know you.
I'm pretty [00:20:00] aware of how I come off. But again, their perception is their reality, and I can't step into their mind. I cannot step into their perception. I can only be me and the best thing I can be is aware of me.
That's where strengths comes in, because the language provides that level of awareness, precision and intention. That's the power of the strengths language. It's not simply just, oh, I'm an extrovert, or I'm an introvert. It's not just, oh, you are open to experiences or not, or maybe you're more neurotic than not, what have you.
The specificity of the language matters, the way in which we interact with the language matters. So by, just by virtue of, of being prepared from a perspective of strengths and being armed by more than one strengths framework. There is Gallup Clifton strengths. There's also my strengths framework, the Strengths First DRIVE catalyst quiz.
I knew that I'm coming in with some really awesome strengths, but [00:21:00] also some things I needed to manage. So overall I knew well, I needed to be prepared immediately that at any moment you're being sized up.
That happens in real life, right? That happens in real life when you go to a networking event, for example, and you never really know who's observing you. You never know, okay? You're at a huge conference and there may be certain people that may have already sized you up and you never even talk to them.
You've never been right in front of them, but you already left an impression. So that happens in real life. I think that awareness matters and that's essentially the best way I can prepare.
Alex: Okay, we have time for one last question. After all the mental prep, the strategy, what was the one moment, after you arrived, that it just hit you? The moment you thought, 'Oh, wow. I am in _Squid Game_.'
Bryant: _Squid Game_ is iconic. There are iconic colors. There are iconic costumes and wardrobe and there are iconic settings, [00:22:00] and I'm grateful that I had a chance to be in the room where it happens, and we can talk a little bit more about that later. But just even wearing the tracksuit.
Literally, within an hour we're wearing our tracksuits. It is very difficult to articulate the, the feeling of like, whoa, well this is happening, and then you get your number. I'm like, 164, and I'm like, what does that mean? Well, maybe we'll figure out what that means later, but for now it's just, this is happening.
I'm wearing this. I am this. This is my identity here, or at least a big piece of me for the next however long. And then having the opportunity to be in these settings, to be around all of the visuals and the sight and even the sounds of _Squid Game_. You know everything that when you watch it on [00:23:00] tv, you know, the drama perhaps with less blood.
But beyond that, it's pretty much, you know, the feeling. It's like I'm in it, and I can say, I know that there are millions of people who would love this opportunity. I know that I am very fortunate to have a chance to play _Squid Game: The Challenge_, and to have this experience. So I'm just soaking every second in of everything that I do, especially once I am in the tracksuit, and once I'm stepping in and feeling the spaces, seeing the spaces.
And what it really said to me was, well, just be grateful for the opportunities that you get in life. Sometimes these opportunities that you get in life are things you just can't expect. I never once thought I would be casted for a reality TV show. Well, maybe the idea kind of popped in my head, but I never applied for any, you know, it wasn't something that I explicitly said, 'Hey, I'm gonna do this.'
And so a lot of people do. Right. Maybe now I might [00:24:00] try out other shows, but for now I'm just like, well, let's, let's focus on here and let's say I am in this. This is just literally _awesome_. And what I wanna do is do the best I can, obviously yet as far as I can, and we'll, we'll see what happens, but most importantly, make this something matter to my real life.
And that's the reason that I'm doing _Squid Strengths_ is because I think everything you do in life matters. Every opportunity that you have can matter. It's just a matter of how you seize it, how you bring in your strengths, how you do it with intention and integrity, and how that then turns into something that can be amazing down the road, you may not even be able to conceptualize what that is. I can tell you there are things that have happened this past week that are not related to _Squid Game_ that link all the way back to when I started becoming a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. That's a story for another day.
But the point is, your whole life is interconnected. [00:25:00] Past experiences interconnect with current experiences. Current opportunities may lend to future opportunities. Impressions that you make now could make the knock on the door happen and apparently, well, that's how this happened because by not being casted on whatever that other show was, it might have made me more memorable to get an opportunity for this one.
And perhaps that's the biggest lesson. Just don't lose hope on anything you do. And I can tell you that's something that I need to bring in to what I'm doing now. Building Strengths First, building this coaching consultancy. It is a bold move. I know it's an ambitious move, but I'm grateful that I've had a chance to do experiences like this, do things more professionally where I get to go to conferences and meet people who are absolutely amazing who believe in me and who I also really admire and wanna be on this journey together. So we'll talk more about those things separately on this channel. But right now let's see what we can learn from watching the show, deconstructing the dynamics [00:26:00] that we observe and also just perhaps some special inside access.
I can knock the door on any of my 455 fellow castmates and I'm hoping they're gonna answer my call. I bet most of 'em will wanna chance to talk about not just the recap of the show, which is cool, right? Like, we'll recap some of the highlights. But more importantly, the lessons learned, what they brought to the table, and then what they took out of the game, how they're gonna bring that to their future endeavor.
I do believe that that is something that is even more valuable, more meaningful, and something that I want to bring to the table. So with that. I am Player 164. This is Coach Bryant Raymond. Signing off. Please like and subscribe, and we'll see you for the next episode of _Squid Strengths_ next week.
How's that sound, Alex?
Alex: Putting on the tracksuit. That's the perfect cinematic moment to end on. It [00:27:00] brings the whole story full circle. From that first casting director's note all the way to standing in the iconic uniform... it’s clear this is about so much more than just the game.
Bryant, thank you for taking us inside your mindset for this first episode.
And for everyone listening, make sure you are subscribed, because this is just the beginning. Next week, we're diving into the game, and Bryant's bringing on special guests from his team to break down what really happened, how their strengths came into play, and how they navigated the chaos together. You will not want to miss it.
