Hollywood Flow Hacks for Distributed Teams with Steven Puri

The Business Emergency Room: For Leaders Facing Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity (VUCA)

Remote leadership works best when people have the space to enter flow states that spark ideas and move projects forward.

In this episode, Maartje van Krieken talks with Academy Award winner and entrepreneur Steven Puri about what it really takes to lead distributed teams with purpose. How do you build trust when you can’t walk the halls together? What makes the difference between a team that only trades emails and a team that shows up with insights that shift the direction of a company? Steven shares lessons from his years in Hollywood and tech, showing how vision, culture, and the right conditions allow people to do their best work no matter where they are.

The conversation explores why leaders should pay attention to chronotypes, how simple practices like timeboxing and deep work hours create space for breakthroughs, and why creativity often comes from unexpected places. If distributed teams are your reality, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how remote leadership can help people thrive rather than just get by.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Remote Work and Flow States

00:44 Steven Puri’s Background in Film and Startups

03:29 How Leaders Create Flow in Distributed Teams

07:10 Conditions That Unlock Peak Performance

14:22 Chronotypes and Protecting Deep Work

20:25 Misconceptions About Remote Leadership

21:16 Timeboxing as a Strategy for Productivity

23:25 The Real Source of Creativity

29:47 AI, Communication, and the Future of Work

33:06 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Steven Puri

Connect with Steven Puri:

The Sukha Company

Email Steven

Steven Puri is the Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company, a focus app designed to help people achieve more while maintaining a healthy work life. His career began as a youth news show host in the DC/Baltimore market and later as a Thomas J. Watson Scholar at IBM before moving into film production, where he produced Academy Award–winning visual effects for Independence Day and 14 other films. At 28, he sold his first tech company, Centropolis Effects, to Das Werk and went on to hold senior roles at 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks, working on franchises like Die Hard, Wolverine, Star Trek, and Transformers. Today, he combines his experience in film and tech to build tools that support focus and productivity. Steven lives in Austin, TX.

Connect with Maartje van Krieken:

Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn

The Chaos Games Consulting

The Business Emergency Room

Subscribe to The Business Emergency Room on YouTube

Subscribe to Maartje’s Substack

Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm