Back in March, I hosted the first ever LIVE event for my community, Curiosity Island.

We hired my friend and Curiosity Island “Castaway” Bob Regnerus to produce the video footage for our event:

Click right here to watch the video

Why am I sharing this with you?

* Incoming humble brag *

If you listen to that video, there was definitely a theme in what the Castaways shared:

• “You feel like you're entering a Brandon world when you come into his space. It is warm, inviting, challenging, curious and so exciting in the best way.”
• “I've never met anybody like Brandon who takes creating experiences so seriously.”
• “This Curiosity island that he's created is so much more than a business or a brand or a mastermind… This is really an experience”.

The theme that I notice is World Building / Experience Design.

After designing several live events, hundreds of virtual experiences, and speaking on many stages, I’ve never actually sat down to ask myself:

“What am I actually doing?”

Meaning:

How would I actually teach someone about my approach to World Building?

When another Castaway, Meredith Grundei, asked me to come on her LinkedIn live show to talk about it… it was a perfect excuse for me to actually teach my approach.

So after several hours of GPT biking and playing around, I arrived at this:

To design transformational experiences, have your MOM make a WAFFLE 👇

MOM is an acronym that stands for the 3 phases of an experience…

While WAFFLE is an acronym for the 6 keys to make an experience stick.

Whether you run events, lead a community or team, create content, or just want to inject more magic into your daily life… this one’s for you.

Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!

00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today's guest, Meredith Grundei

Brandon introduces the episode as a unique hybrid format: a collaborative conversation with friend and Curiosity Island castaway, Meredith Grundei. The focus is on designing transformational experiences, anchored by Brandon's custom "Have Your MOM Make a WAFFLE" framework.

00:57 - The MOM and WAFFLE Framework: A Sneak Peek

Brandon sets the stage for the framework he created to help people design memorable and magical experiences. The acronym “MOM” (Momentum, Open Loops, Memory) and “WAFFLE” (World, Anchors, Fusion, Flaws, Language, Emotion) serve as the episode’s central theme.

03:24 - Meredith Welcomes Brandon & Introduces the Speaker's Lounge

Meredith welcomes Brandon to the Speaker’s Lounge, her monthly conversation series. She invites him to share the origin story of Curiosity Island, the imaginative community he leads.

04:29 - The Birth of Curiosity Island: A Domain Bought in a Flash

Brandon recounts a pivotal Zoom call with his friend Vlad where the phrase “Curiosity Island” was coined—and how he immediately bought the domain. He explains how the name gave conceptual structure to his vision of a place filled with wonder and transformation.

06:16 - What is Curiosity Island? A Transformational, Imaginative Community

Brandon describes Curiosity Island as a place of infinite possibility—“mirrors, not mentors”—where castaways help each other uncover their gifts. Meredith adds how impactful it’s been for her, especially through the “Breeze Offer” concept.

08:45 - Why Presentations Need to Become Experiences

Both Brandon and Meredith discuss how modern audiences are no longer captivated by static presentations. With content overload, the key differentiator becomes experience—one that captures emotion, connection, and fun.

11:02 - The Difference Between Corporate “Immersion” and Real World-Building

Meredith draws a contrast between truly immersive theater and corporate attempts at “immersion.” Brandon adds that true immersion requires world-building, not just surface-level add-ons like selfie stations or post-it boards.

14:28 - Clarifying Audience Participation to Eliminate Confusion

Meredith raises the importance of setting clear “rules of engagement.” Brandon connects this to the MOM framework, emphasizing the need to intentionally onboard participants so they understand their role in an experience.

17:43 - Brandon Introduces the MOM & WAFFLE Framework with Slides

Brandon shares the full breakdown of his framework: Momentum, Open Loops, Memory, and WAFFLE: World, Anchors, Fusion, Flaws, Language, Emotion. He begins explaining how each component contributes to the design of a sticky experience.

21:16 - How to Emotionally Design a World: Islands and Bonfires

Brandon shares how Curiosity Island and Curiosity Bonfires each began with specific emotional goals—play, wonder, connection. He explains how identifying the emotion helped him design immersive worlds aligned with those feelings.

23:18 - Anchors and Insider Language: Making It Real

Brandon describes how he brainstorms tangible “anchors” (e.g., sand, bottles, fire, s’mores) to make worlds feel authentic. He also talks about using insider language like “castaways” and “breeze offers” to deepen immersion and shared identity.

28:14 - Gamified Objects & Physical Props: Sunglasses, Bottles, and Puzzles

Meredith and Brandon dive into the physical props used in Curiosity Island to anchor the experience: sunglasses with passport numbers, hard-to-open message bottles, and even puzzle kits. Every item is infused with meaning and intentionality.

30:05 - The Power of Flaws: Why Imperfection is Memorable

Brandon explains the importance of “flaws” in experience design, especially in the age of AI-perfected content. Whether it’s chocolate on your face in a GIF or a frustrating bottle to open, intentional flaws add humanity and memorability.

36:33 - Keeping the Story Going with Open Loops

Brandon demonstrates how “open loops” create curiosity by not revealing everything at once. He uses the example of citizenship quests on Curiosity Island and a package that must be unlocked progressively to maintain excitement.

38:10 - Memorable Endings: Citizenship Ceremonies & Final Gifts

To reinforce the “memory” aspect of MOM, Brandon shares how the most unforgettable moment for many castaways is the citizenship ceremony and receiving their passport. Ending strong matters—and he makes it magical.

39:00 - Meredith Sends Her Mom a Video Message (Live on Air)

In a spontaneous and heartfelt conclusion, Meredith sends a video to her mom, Suzanne, promising to make her waffles—tying the episode’s theme back to family and warmth.

44:49 - Beyond the Stage: Experience Design in Everyday Micro-Moments

Brandon urges listeners to apply experience design beyond presentations: email signatures, Zoom calls, music choices, and even LinkedIn bios. Every touchpoint is a chance to build your “world.”

47:10 - Passwords & Marshmallows: Micro-Experiences That Delight

Brandon shares stories about Steve Sims, who used silly passwords to set the tone for nightclub entries. He ties this back to virtual events—like his Zoom breakout “teleportation” jokes—as ways to elevate even small moments.

49:55 - Final Thoughts: Create More Joy with Simple Questions

Brandon concludes by encouraging listeners to ask one simple question more often: “What might I do here?” With that curiosity, any moment can become magical.

51:19 - Improvised Exit: One-Word-at-a-Time Story About a Chicken Named Todd

In a final act of playful improv, Meredith and Brandon co-create a ridiculous story about Todd the chicken who eats too much sugar and invites his mom to Thanksgiving. A perfect, light-hearted ending.

Links & Resources:

• 🎥 Video version of the episode with slides & visuals
• 🧠 Meredith Grundei’s Speaker Lounge: Hosted first Mondays monthly at 12pm ET
• 📚 Recommended book by Yukai Chou: Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards
• 🎙️ Tribute Episode to Steve Sims: Available on the Beyond Curious podcast feed