With so many things influencing us every single moment, is it ever possible to be "free" from influence? Where do these influences even come from? And how do we begin to choose what's right for us in the midst of so many voices and factors that seem to be choosing it FOR us?

And...sort of related...how do you LAUNCH A BOOK on your own terms, free from the influence of industry expectations?

Today's incredibly timely guest is Jessica Elefante, and we're talking about ALL of this. Jess is a writer and [former bullshit] artist who has spent the last few decades examining what it means to be human in our modern world. She's the author of Raising Hell, Living Well: Freedom from Influence in a World Where Everyone Wants Something from You (including me). Her book came out this week, one week after WANT YOUR SELF...so think of this episode as our dual-birthday-party. We recorded this before either of our books were published, so you're getting to hear the behind-the-scenes from two authors who are IN IT.

Jess is the founder of acclaimed Folk Rebellion and a critic of today’s culture, and her award-winning talks, films, and work have been featured by Vogue, the Los Angeles Times, The Observer, Paper magazine, Wired, and more. In her previous life as a brand strategist, she was recognized as one of Brand Innovators’ 40 Under 40 and has been a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and New York University. She’s influenced by the social, cultural, and technological circumstances of her life but mostly by her desire to lead a colorful one. She is no longer bullshitting.