Have you ever been in a big client pitch, a challenging company meeting, or a conversation with a peer and been at a loss for the right words? What do you say in those difficult situations to improve your odds of success? This episode features Phil M. Jones, the author of Exactly What To Say. He will help us understand the words that will help you achieve your goals, influence others, and connect more deeply with your peers and clients.
Every so often, a word becomes so common in the marketplace that it begins to lose its meaning. I believe that empathy is one of those words. On this episode, SubRosa CEO Michael Ventura shares insights into how to leverage empathy to thrill and delight your clients and customers and creative change in the world. Michael's new book is called Applied Empathy.
How much time do you spend worrying every day? For many of us, the answer is "too much". When you worry, you disengage parts of your mind and perspective that are necessary for creative brilliance. On this episode, Amber Rae shares how to identify those voices of worry in your head, and how to instead choose to focus on possibility. Her new book is called Choose Wonder Over Worry.
Ideas are often plentiful, but great, concise, well-presented ideas are rare. Sometimes you need another person to help you shape your work into something that can achieve maximum impact. David Moldawer is just such a person. He's an editor, and a writer, and he helps authors simplify and communicate their very complex work in a way that it can be received. On this episode, we talk about how to find your voice as an artist, a common fallacy that prevents us from success, and how to best position yourself for creative success.
There's so much discussion about how to get started, how to overcome creative block, and how to find your motivation, but you know what's rarely discussed? That's right - how to finish when things get hard. Today's guest Jon Acuff has written the book on the topic, and he's here today to discuss his creative process, and some core principles for finishing challenging long-arc goals in your life and work.
Have you ever had a goal or an ambition, but you simply couldn't figure out how to get moving on it? Or, have you ever encountered a hurdle that you simply couldn't jump over or go around? Today's guests, Jason and Jodi Womack, help people gain momentum in their life and career, and on this episode they'll share how to deal with the expectation escalation that comes with technology, how to determine the direction of your life and work, and why relationships are critical to effective productivity.
Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter and recording artist. His songs have been recorded by dozens of artists, and he earned a Grammy nomination for song of the year for God Gave Me You, as recorded by Blake Shelton. On this episode, we discuss the craft of songwriting, the intricacies of collaboration, the temptation of comparison, and how he hones his practice every day.
When you are growing a business, it's tempting to allow yourself to get pulled into the million little things that demand your time. However, there is something that your business needs from you that only you can do, and you're the only one who knows what it is. On today's episode, Jen Gotch (co-founder of Bando), shares her thoughts about social media, growing a business, leading creative teams, and how to keep yourself inspired and focused when your business is too big to be small, and too small to be big.
Who is your ideal customer? If you're a freelancer, a small business owner, or even someone designing or writing within an organization, this is a critical question. But you can't stop by identifying that customer, you also need to understand how to communicate in a way that will resonate deeply. In other words, you need to uncover their "secret language".
What's the most important part of doing creative work? Some people say it's getting started, but I think that's a bit simplistic. It's more about getting started right, and then being able to sustain yourself when times get tough. On this episode, David Kadavy shares some insights from his new book The Heart To Start.
How do the best brands in the world inspire loyalty? And, why do some brands just seem to fall apart even though they seem to be doing everything right? On today's episode, Alison Stratten is here to share a few stories of brands who have leveraged comfort, cost, convenience, and convergence to grow incredible customer loyalty. Alison is the co-author of the new book Unbranding.
When you hear the story of the founding of a business, you often get the sanitized version. You only hear the high points. However, it's often in failure that the biggest lessons are learned. Today's guest Kristen Hadeed founded Student Maid several years ago, but the early days weren't always so smooth. She's just published a book called Permission To Screw Up in which she chronicles some of the lessons learned as an entrepreneur and a boss, and on today's show she shares some of the hightlights.
You're a pro. You do the work even when you don't feel like it. Still, you can't discount the value of inspiration. Without it, your work might begin to ring hollow. How do you protect the fire so that you can stay engaged and motivated to do your best work? That's the question Scott Mautz is here to answer with tips from his new book Find The Fire.
It's one thing to build an income around a product or an idea, but it's something entirely different to build a business. On today's episode, Dorie Clark shares insights from her new book Entrepreneurial You. She's going to help us think through how to develop multiple sources of revenue to grow trust, influence, and income.
Andrea Summer has been working on an album project called Wanderlust for a few years, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. She’s had to work on the project a little at a time as the resources were available, she lost her voice due to a fluke illness, and she struggled with wanting to give up multiple times. In our conversation, we discuss the origins of the project, the source of her dedication to making it happen, the highs and lows she’s encountered along the way, and what other artists can learn from her journey.
Leading creative teams is challenging. You not only have to manage very complex work, but also the very complex interpersonal relationships and aspirations of the people on your team. Today's guest Cy Wakeman shares tips for minimizing the drama and producing your best work. Her new book is called No Ego.
Who are your people? I'm talking about the people who help you stay inspired, engaged, and focused, and who celebrate your successes with you and help you get through your setbacks? We all need these people in our life, especially when doing creative work largely in isolation. On today's show, Dane Sanders and I chat about the importance of creative community and how to find it.
You have an idea inside of you that could change the very world around you. And, many people allow those ideas to die on the vine because they lack the courage to take the first step, or the community around them to support their efforts. Today's guest, Nilofer Merchant, has just released a book called The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Ideas Mighty Enough To Dent The World, and she shares stories of people who have taken their idea from hunch to impact and changed the world in the process.
How often are you conscious of the story you're telling through your work? You can't afford to create just for yourself. You need to be mindful of how the work you're creating will be received by the educated consumer on the other end. In today's episode, Alexander Jutkowitz shares how to use wisdom, wonder, and delight to weave stories that will connect with your audience with insights from his new book The Strategic Storyteller.
When you work as a freelancer, or are doing creative work largely on your own, it can be difficult to find a rhythm that allows you to simultaneously bring your best work into the world, and also keep yourself on-track and healthy. On today's show, Carrie Wilkerson shares her thoughts on avoiding the lure of comparison, running your day like a pro, and keeping yourself on course financially and personally.