“We’re both the heroes and the villains in our own stories” | Chase Jarvis, Photographer + Entrepreneur + Author of Never Play It Safe

21 snips

Oct 7, 2024

Chase Jarvis, an award-winning photographer, entrepreneur, and author of "Never Play It Safe," shares his journey of self-discovery. He delves into the duality of being both hero and villain in our stories, stressing the importance of honesty in storytelling. Chase discusses overcoming psychological barriers to creativity, likening struggles to a 'saber tooth tiger.' He emphasizes the value of self-trust and authenticity in crafting impactful narratives, urging listeners to embrace their unique paths and connect with their true selves.

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ANECDOTE

Early Stifled Creativity

Chase Jarvis's entrepreneurial spirit was stifled in second grade when his teacher discouraged his creative pursuits.
This led him to conform to societal expectations, pursuing sports and academics instead.

INSIGHT

The Pull of the Typical

Despite finding success in photography, Chase Jarvis still felt drawn to societal expectations.
He realized that true fulfillment comes from aligning with one's authentic self.

INSIGHT

The Meta Nature of Storytelling

Even experienced storytellers may not be fully aware of the underlying structures and techniques they use.
Analyzing and dissecting stories can reveal these hidden elements and improve one's own storytelling.

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Why is candor essential for a good story? How brutally honest should you actually be in sharing a story with the world?

The great Chase Jarvis brings us into his story of self-discovery, with the many twists and turns his professional career has taken, as he works through how to best tell that story ahead of his next book tour.

Starting in second grade when his entrepreneurial spirit was snuffed by his teacher, Chase works to find acceptance by pursuing the “best” path forward, before realizing that maybe it’s not the best path for him. It’s a story that’s brutally honest, surprising, and carefully crafted so that listeners get an intimate look at the real Chase Jarvis and the themes of his book.

Chase is an award-winning photographer, entrepreneur, and the author of “Never Play It Safe," and he's widely considered to be one of the leading voices advocating for the importance of creativity in work, life, and society today.

Together, Jay and Chase extract the various blocks that create the flow of Chase's story, exploring what makes certain segments most compelling and how to best drive the story forward. They discuss how great stories are built, rather than experienced, and the importance of allegory versus illustration.

Whether you’re an aspiring author, artist or entrepreneur, this episode will compel you to slow down, reflect, and connect to your own unique path forward and all the stories that have shaped you and your work.

RESOURCES:

⚫ Learn more about Chase at his website, or listen to his podcast, The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show

⚫ Follow Chase on X and Instagram

⚫ Buy Chase’s book, Never Play It Safe

🔵 Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's newsletter at jayacunzo.com

🔵 Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the Creator Kitchen

🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Threads

🟢 Produced by Ilana Nevins

🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink

***

ABOUT JAY:

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Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype.

A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows.

Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain.