INTERVIEW | Make Money by Unlocking Creativity Through Play with Piera Gelardi

Piera Gelardi, co-founder of Refinery29 and creator of the immersive 29 Rooms experience, argues that play isn't a luxury or a distraction—it's the essential fuel for creativity, resilience, and connection in both life and work. In her new book, *The Playful Way*, she challenges the cultural myth that play is frivolous, revealing instead that it’s a mindset that can be integrated into any task, from budget meetings to leadership decisions. Drawing from her own burnout after suppressing her playful, creative identity to fit corporate expectations, she shares how re-embracing play—what she calls 'plork' (play + work)—transformed her leadership, innovation, and mental health. She emphasizes that true innovation comes not from silencing your intuition, but from listening to critics while holding fast to your vision, using their feedback to strengthen, not abandon, bold ideas. Her journey from feeling like an imposter in her own company to leading global play workshops during the pandemic—where thousands found emotional relief—reveals play as a radical act of vulnerability and connection in a lonely world.