Every idea – even a great one – needs an editor. Someone to help sift through the fluff and get to the heart of it all. For a band, it’s the producer. For an agency, a creative director. And for an author, it’s the editor. On this episode,...
There are four phases that you’ll pass through in your effort to produce brilliant work in your career. By understanding them, you can ensure that you don’t get stuck and that you continue pushing up the growth curve over time. Download the...
I was recently watching the Coldplay documentary “A Head Full Of Dreams”, and lead singer and songwriter Chris Martin said something that struck me in a profound way. He said something like, “The best songs all come in 10 minutes, but it’s...
Invisible metrics and hidden agendas can sometimes prevent us from producing the work we are capable of. How did pop music become so bland? Not because people didn’t want to make great music. It’s because the entire industry was driven by something they...
Your everday practices are what set you up for success. It’s not the “every so often” mustering of your will, it’s the things you choose to implement regularly that prepare you for those moments when you need to be brilliant. Today’s...
I recently spoke at an event, and one of the other speakers – Chase Jarvis – said “you can’t stand out and fit in at the same time.” I think most creative pros oscillate between these two things: a fear of standing out too much, to the...
When beautiful things die – like our ideas, our hopes, our dreams, a career path we thought would pan out – we often just move on and focus on the next thing without stopping to consider how we’ve been affected by the disappointment of it all....
I (strongly) agree that the future belongs to the curious, but would add that so does the present. Curious people are able to parse experience and recognize Reality behind reality; what’s truly going on in patterns and systems. They are able to ask great questions, and are willing to trade them in for better ones when they’re not satisfied with the answers. So with that in mind, how can we stay poised, leaning forward, and in a state of productive curiosity? On this episode, we explore four ways.
No matter how long you’ve been doing what you’re doing, it’s easy to get into assumptive ruts. Thought ruts. Ruts that prevent you from seeing potentially great ideas. On this episode, I share a few ways to use a “stimulus dive” to get...
Paralyzed and unable to gain traction on that big project? Maybe it’s because your expectations are too high. (What? Too high?!?!) By lowering your expectations for regular output you can increase the likelihood of actually making meaningful progress on your...
People love to encourage you to chase your dreams. They mostly mean well. What they don’t tell you is that you are probably going to fail a lot. And, the problem with pursuing a dream is that it’s hard to know when to quit. On this episode, we discuss the difficulties of giving up a dream, and how to move on when it’s no longer a part of who you are.
Why does story have such a powerful hold on us? How do the stories we believe influence the way we behave each day? Perhaps more importantly, how do we leverage the power of story to get our work into the world in a more meaningful way? These are the questions I discuss with Harris III. He’s a performing magician, and also the driving force behind STORY, an organization that helps people tell better stories and change the world.
Weekends are not only a great time to rest, but also to recreate (as in “re-create” yourself, and to regain your focus and enthusiasm for your life and work.) By instilling a few simple checkpoints, or rituals, in your weekend, you can spark your creative juices and ensure that you’re clear-headed and focused heading into your next week.
Even though we are deeply connected by technology, it’s hard to argue that we are in some sense “alone, together.” This is especially true in many workplaces, where expectatations are rising, and familiarity is high but empathy and deep connection can be scarce. On today’s show, Dan Schawbel shares insights into how to create deeper connection in an age of isolation with principles from his book Back To Human.
In 2015, a strange new competitor appeared to challenge cloud accounting software company Freshbooks’ dominance in their space. The new company, called Billspring, had a fresh look and feel, and seemed poised to pose a serious threat to Freshbooks. However, all was not quite as it seemed. On this episode, CEO and Founder Mike McDerment shares the story of how an unlikely competitor completely re-invented the face of the company.
On this episode, Wade Foster of Zapier shares the story of the founding of his company, how he knew it was time to make the leap from side hustle to full-time, and how his entire company has managed to work remotely while maintaining its strong culture.
Are the constantly increasing expecations robbing you of your best work? The Daily Creative Podcast offers a quick daily idea, tip, or strategy to help you be better at what you do each day. Hosted by Todd Henry (author of The Accidental Creative, Die Empty,...
Are you artificially escalating planks? The Daily Creative Podcast offers a quick daily idea, tip, or strategy to help you be better at what you do each day. Hosted by Todd Henry (author of The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Herding Tigers). Download the...
To thrive as a creative pro, you must spot and eliminate unnecessary complexity. The Daily Creative Podcast offers a quick daily idea, tip, or strategy to help you be better at what you do each day. Hosted by Todd Henry (author of The Accidental Creative, Die...
GHOST RULES! These are invisible narratives that infiltrate our lives and organizations and limit our effectiveness unless they are challenged. Learn more about them in my book Herding Tigers. The Daily Creative Podcast offers a quick daily idea, tip, or...