The Midlife Chrysalis Reinvention After 50 with Seth Godin: Make Life Your Best Work of Art
Seth Godin, bestselling author and entrepreneur renowned for his marketing insights, shares his transformative views on midlife. He argues that this stage can be a creative renaissance rather than a crisis. Topics include the significance of 'the dip' in personal growth, the importance of aligning work with one's values, and the potential for reinvention. Seth encourages embracing aging as an opportunity for legacy-building and emphasizes the power of creativity in shaping a fulfilling life beyond 50.
52:32
Rebrand Midlife as Opportunity
- Midlife is an opportunity to be the best version of yourself today, not a loss of former self.
- It's a mindset choice and a positive rebranding of aging and purpose.
Master The Dip Principle
- Recognize the dip as a natural challenge meant to weed out unsuited efforts.
- Quit before starting or stick through the dip if you're committed, as rewards lie beyond it.
Seth's Dips in Business
- Seth invented email marketing, enduring a two-year near-bankruptcy dip by pushing through.
- Later, when Google effectively shut down his social network Squidoo, he chose to quit early, valuing time over slogging through a losing dip.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right 8 chevron_right
Intro
00:00 • 3min
Embracing a Portfolio Life
02:49 • 11min
Transformative Growth in Entrepreneurship and Life
14:14 • 17min
Reframing Midlife: Embracing Growth and Legacy
31:26 • 11min
Navigating Polarization: Understanding America's Divides
42:42 • 2min
The Impact of Generational Shifts and Small Conversations
44:20 • 2min
The Value of Self-Learning and Personal Experience
46:13 • 2min
The Power of Origin Stories in Shaping Identity
48:15 • 4min
#5151
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Guerrilla Marketing
Jay Conrad Levinson
Guerrilla Marketing, written by Jay Conrad Levinson, revolutionized marketing strategies by introducing unconventional and cost-effective methods for small businesses.
The book, first published in 1984, has been updated and expanded to include modern marketing techniques such as internet marketing, podcasting, and automated marketing.
It emphasizes the use of creativity, energy, and time to establish direct contact with customers and cause an emotional reaction.
The book is considered a marketing bible and has been named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 best business books, with over 21 million copies sold worldwide.
#10376
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
Business Rules of Thumb
Seth Godin
Chip Conley
#2581
• Mentioned in 10 episodes
All Marketers Are Liars
Seth Godin
#167
• Mentioned in 77 episodes
The Tipping Point
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell examines the phenomenon of social epidemics and how ideas, products, and behaviors spread rapidly.
He introduces three key principles: the law of the few (the role of connectors, mavens, and salespeople in spreading ideas), the stickiness factor (how messages or trends must be memorable to spread), and the power of context (how environment and circumstances influence human behavior).
Gladwell uses various examples, such as the rise in popularity of Hush Puppies shoes, the decline in New York City's crime rate, and the success of children's TV programs like Sesame Street, to illustrate these concepts.
The book provides insights into how small changes can lead to large-scale social and behavioral transformations.
#6355
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
The Carbon Almanac
Ann-Laura LeCoumpf
#209
• Mentioned in 62 episodes
The Dip
A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
Seth Godin
In 'The Dip,' Seth Godin challenges traditional views on persistence and quitting.
He introduces the concept of 'The Dip,' a challenging phase between starting and mastering a skill, which is necessary for growth and mastery.
Godin distinguishes 'The Dip' from 'The Cul-de-Sac' (a dead-end situation) and 'The Cliff' (a risky situation), advising readers to quit the latter two but push through 'The Dip' to achieve significant rewards.
The book provides practical advice on recognizing when to quit and when to stick with a project, job, or relationship, emphasizing that strategic quitting can lead to extraordinary success.
#238
• Mentioned in 56 episodes
Purple Cow
Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Seth Godin
In 'Purple Cow,' Seth Godin argues that traditional marketing strategies no longer work in today's saturated market.
He advocates for the creation of 'Purple Cows' – products or services that are so remarkable they naturally generate buzz and attract attention.
Godin uses the metaphor of a purple cow to illustrate how being ordinary is no longer sufficient; businesses must be bold, innovative, and willing to take risks to stand out.
The book is filled with examples from successful companies like Apple, Starbucks, and JetBlue, and it challenges readers to rethink their marketing strategies to focus on creating truly remarkable offerings.
#558
• Mentioned in 32 episodes
Tribes
We Need You to Lead Us
Seth Godin
In 'Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us,' Seth Godin explores the concept of tribes as groups of people connected by a shared interest and a leader.
The book highlights that tribes are not created but assembled, and they thrive on faith, respect, and admiration for the leader and the community.
Godin argues that effective leadership involves challenging the status quo, creating a culture around the tribe's goal, and fostering connection and growth among members.
He emphasizes that great leaders focus on tightening the tribe, using their influence to unite and reinforce the tribe's sense of purpose, and that change is often driven by heretics who challenge existing norms.
The book is a call to action for those who want to make a significant impact by leading a tribe and creating meaningful change.
#2219
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
Lynchpin
Russell Brunson
#4389
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Unleashing the Idea Virus
Seth Godin
In 'Unleashing the Ideavirus', Seth Godin explains how companies like Napster and Hotmail have successfully launched idea viruses, which are customer-to-customer dialogues that spread marketing ideas.
Godin provides a recipe for creating your own ideavirus and shows how businesses can use this marketing strategy to succeed in a world that is increasingly resistant to traditional marketing.
He introduces concepts such as 'sneezers' (influential people who spread the ideas), 'hives' (populations most willing to receive them), and 'smoothness' (the ease with which sneezers can transmit them throughout a hive).
#15528
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Free Prize Inside
Seth Godin
Seth Godin's "Free Prize Inside" explores the power of creating unexpected and delightful experiences for customers.
The book argues that in a world saturated with advertising, businesses need to find new ways to connect with their audience and build lasting relationships.
Godin emphasizes the importance of providing value beyond the product or service itself, creating moments of surprise and delight that leave a lasting impression.
He encourages businesses to think creatively about how they can engage their customers and build a loyal following.
The book is a practical and insightful guide for anyone looking to create a more engaging and memorable customer experience.
#5
• Mentioned in 415 episodes
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
The book is divided into two parts.
The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945.
He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners.
The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure.
Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering).
The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
#221
• Mentioned in 59 episodes
The Fourth Turning
What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny
Neil Howe
William Strauss
The Fourth Turning illuminates the past, explains the present, and reimagines the future based on a provocative theory of American history.
The authors identify a distinct pattern where modern history moves in cycles, each lasting about the length of a long human life, composed of four twenty-year eras—or 'turnings'—that comprise history's seasonal rhythm of growth, maturation, entropy, and rebirth.
The book offers bold predictions about how America’s past will predict what comes next, particularly focusing on the roles of Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials during times of upheaval.
#28241
decisions
Annie Duke
#50486
What Does It Sound Like When You Change Your Mind?
Seth Godin
#34838
This Might Work
Seth Godin
What if midlife isn’t a crisis, but your most creative chapter yet?
In this inspiring and deeply personal episode, bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin shares how he’s reinvented his life through purpose-driven work, disciplined freedom, and the belief that life itself is a series of art projects.
We explore why the “dip” is a crucial part of growth, how to walk away from success when it no longer serves you, and what it really means to build a legacy. Seth also opens up about aging, identity, and choosing meaning over momentum.
It’s a conversation full of wisdom, honesty, and practical insight for anyone navigating change. Subscribe for more episodes that help you reimagine your next chapter!
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:16 How Seth and Chip first met at Stanford
02:49 Writing their first book together
03:53 Jay Conrad Levinson as a modern elder
07:01 Writing over 150 books
08:31 Understanding The Dip and its midlife parallels
12:28 Seth’s two “Dip” examples
14:13 Chip’s hotel dip and decision making
17:27 Creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurship after 50
19:36 Not being in high school anymore & insulating yourself
22:49 Midlife crisis or chrysalis?
27:25 Alt MBA, The Carbon Almanac, and collaborative creation
32:03 Rebranding midlife and self-image as we age
35:28 Things that got better with aging
37:54 Seth’s perspective on retirement & legacy
41:16 Seth’s next project
42:42 The future of the U.S. and generational change
46:28 A bumper sticker of wisdom
48:14 The importance of the origin story
Learn more about MEA at https://www.meawisdom.com/
#SethGodinInterview #MidlifeChrysalis #StanfordStories #TheDipBook #PortfolioLife #ModernElderAcademy #CarbonAlmanacProject #AltMBAJourney #RebrandingMidlife #CreativeAging #WisdomInMidlife #OpportunityCostLesson #EntrepreneurAfter50 #LifeAsArtProject #TeachingLegacy