“Have you ever looked at someone else, someone you admire, who has accomplished a lot, and just assumed they must be wildly confident and always winning at everything? You’re not alone. But, the truth, it turns out, is much more complex.So many of those luminaries are not, in fact wildly, or even remotely confident. And if they are, they go through cycles of profound change, self-doubt, struggle and, when they learn to harness these experiences, revelation and even reinvention.”That’s how my longtime friendtor Jonathan Fields describes this episode, a crossover from his fantastic SPARKED podcast, where I’m honored to be on a panel of rotating advisor co-hosts (here’s our Spotify playlist).In this crossover episode, we discuss seasons of confidence, struggle, renewal, and my 51/49 mantra on courage. I hadn’t yet spoken about the new secret Substack publicly, so I thought Free Timers might benefit from a spontaneous (and nerve-wracking!) reveal that I didn’t see coming.As Jonathan writes, “In an unexpected, yet deeply powerful moment, Jenny shares a ‘Sparked Exclusive’ revealing that she began, almost covertly, creating something ‘from the mess’ in hopes of helping others feel less alone in their struggles. She wonders: Can sharing our human flaws and uncertainties actually complement our expertise and advice, providing value in its own way?”More About Jonathan Fields: Jonathan Fields—the Good Life Guy—delivers insights that spark purpose, possibility, and potential. On a decades-long quest to discover what makes people come fully alive, Jonathan is an award-winning author, Webby-nominated producer, business innovator, and host of one of the world’s top podcasts, Good Life Project. He is the author of Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive.🌟 3 Key Takeaways The simple act of putting something into the world can let other people know that they are not alone; in fact, oftentimes it opens a two-way door that does the exact opposite of your worst fears. Allow for (and expect) 49% nausea, fear, overwhelm and insecurity, followed by a massive vulnerability hangover after something goes live. Just aim for 51% action that gets you to press the schedule button. If you’re launching a project, pick what day you want it to go live, and then schedule it. That way, you have to do the work of unscheduling it, rather than the reverse. The next action becomes putting on the breaks, rather than constantly fretting about how and when to get over the hump of pressing go and pressing forward. 📝 Permission To share your process before you have a neat, tidy outcome tied in a beautiful bow.✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next Take one tiny step that tips the scale from fear and anxiety into action. 51/49.🔗 Resources Mentioned Jonathan on the web, Sparketype.com Articles: Follow Jenny on Substack, The Business Yips & 51/49, Ignore the Odds Tools: Substack app 📚 Books Mentioned Jonathan’s books: Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive, Uncertainty, How to Live a Good Life, Career Renegade Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College 🎧 Related Episodes SPARKED: Subscribe here, check out the full Spotify playlist of Jonathan x Jenny’s episodes Free Time: 222: Why I migrated my three email lists to Substack (BFF Bonus Replay), and 033: Sparked with Jonathan Fields Pivot: 047: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields 🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review✍️ Check out my new Substack Rolling in D 🤦🏻‍♀️h: Divine Disaster Diaries📝 Check out full show notes and share with friends: https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/223 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that I’m one month into Rolling in D🤦🏻‍♀️h, I’m sharing my reflections on Substack as a software platform for personal writing (and potentially moving my newsletters soon too). I recorded this bonus episode for the BFF Community at the end of July; since then, I decided to officially migrate my Pivot and Free Time mailing lists and go all-in.;TLDR: I’m utterly delighted! The last time I felt this thrilled about software was when I first started tinkering in Notion four years ago, which became one of the best things I ever did for my business :)✨ If you have the means and it feels joyful to support me and this new body of work, you can subscribe as a paid or Founding Member here 🙏 Huge thanks to those of you who have already joined and commented — I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me!🌟 3 Key Takeaways As a reader, Substack allows you to more easily reply and engage in the comments, “restack” snippets you like, browse the archives, bookmark favorite posts, see what percentage of each article you’ve read, and support fellow creators’ work if you feel called to. As a writer, the composition interface is such an improvement! You can create richer newsletters with fancy content embeds—my husband calls it “upgrading the facilities,” host an archive page ****with previous issues, and for the first time—publish essays and podcast episodes to the same main feed. One writer I follow, Kathryn Vercillo, practices artistic tithing: Ten percent of her income goes to supporting other writers on the platform. I now pay for fifteen fellow Substackers, and while at first I feared subscription fatigue (like so many of us!), this combined expense has become the happiest money that leaves my bank account every month. I love supporting the writers and thinkers whom I respect most, and who have given me so much. 📝 Permission: To make changes in your business operations even when it seems like no one solution is perfect, and you know you’ll break 100 things in the process. No risk, no reward! You also hereby have permission to charge for your work :) We’re all getting a raise in 2024!✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Download the Substack app and see how joyful it is to browse newsletters again away from the chaos of your email inbox! You might be surprised at how many people you read and follow are already on there :)🔗 Resources Mentioned Writing coach: Writers at Work with Sarah Loom Walkthrough: Notion for Idea Collection (5 min) Video: TEDxBerkshires—Homework for Life Course: MasterClass—Dan Brown Teaches Writing Thrillers JB’s Substacks: Notes (and “restacks”), Rolling in D🤦🏻‍♀️h, Time Well Spent, PivotList Elizabeth Gilbert’s new Substack: Letters from Love Articles: Time Well Spent Newsletter with Writing Apps, Substack Office Hours, Top Twenty Tips for Writing Memoir Apps: Substack, Notion, Circle, OmmWriter, SaneBox, Kajabi 📚 Books Mentioned Intuitive Writing: The Remedy for Writer's Block and the Secret to Authentic Communication by BFF member Jacqueline Fisch Happy Money by Ken Honda Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith How to Tell a Story from The Moth, and check out their related podcast Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College 🎧 Related Episodes Spotify Playlist: Behind-the-Book podcast episodes The Active Voice with Substack cofounder Hamish McKenzie SPARKED: The Confidence Trap: Why You DON'T Need It To Do Big Things Working Wife, Happy Life: Bethanie & Jenny on being the breadwinner Free Time: 210: Knot a Care—Sailing the Free Time Seas with Joy and Ease, 203: 🎢 Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Launching with Natalie Lue, and 034: Organizing Research and Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #1 ✍️ Check out my new Substack Rolling in D 🤦🏻‍♀️h: Divine Disaster Diaries📝 Check out full show notes at: https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/222 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I see in books,” says today’s guest. “Every book is, at its heart, an argument for something—for a belief, a way of life, a vision of the future, a way to solve a problem, a way to make a friend, a way to lose your soul. The point is what the entire story drives to. It’s the thing your reader will come away from your book feeling.”That’s just one gem from today’s guest, Jennie Nash, book coach and author of a blueprint series on how to approach your writing. Jennie and I discuss the tumult happening in hybrid and traditional publishing outfits; risks inherent in the publishing process; red flags to watch out for in selecting partners; determining the right genre for your work (i.e. nonfiction, fiction, memoir), how to “make room for the reader,” and what it means to write for the marketplace.More About Jennie: Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to lead the emerging book coaching industry. Author Accelerator has certified more than 160 book coaches in both fiction and nonfiction. Jennie’s own book coaching clients have landed top New York agents and six-figure book deals with Big 5 houses such as Penguin, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette, and won dozens of national indie book awards. Jennie is the author of 12 books in 3 genres, including Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book: Plan and Pitch Your Big Idea and the forthcoming Blueprint for a Memoir: How to Write a Memoir for the Marketplace.🌟 3 Key Takeaways Before choosing a publishing partner (traditional or hybrid): Speak with at least three authors who have worked with that organization before! Not just ones the publisher suggests. Three genres explore different possibilities: Fiction explores what if? as you imagine a world and the characters within it; nonfiction will be factual, information-based, teaching and topic oriented; memoir is where you tell your own story about your own life, even with larger themes at play; memoir+ brings additional elements. Make room for the reader: When you’re writing personal essays or memoir, you can get so caught up in your own story that you’re not thinking about who will read this, why they care, what they are looking to experience, and how you can connect with and inspire them. 📝 Permission: Drop the idea that you will be picked by the publishing industry. You are the creator, so take the work into your own hands. You pick you.🔗 Resources Mentioned Jennie on the web, IG, Twitter, LinkedIn Coach Training: Author Accelerator Templates: Free Time Author Toolkit Articles: NYT—Buyouts and Layoffs Mean a Changing of the Guard at Penguin Random House, Leaders Press—Scribe Media Shuts Down Substack: Round-up of serialized fiction classics, Jenny’s (secret for now) new Substack :) MasterClass: Dan Brown on Thriller Writing, Malcolm Gladwell 📚 Books Mentioned Jennie’s series: Blueprint for a Book, Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book, and Blueprint for a Memoir In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carolyn Maria Machado Untamed by Glennon Doyle The Candy House by Jennifer Egan Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpot + NYT Review In Love by Amy Bloom Lost and Founder by Rand Fishkin Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College 🎧 Related Episodes JB’s Spotify Playlist: Behind-the-Book Free Time: 205: Why Paul Millerd Turned Down a $200K Two-Book Traditional Publishing Deal, 203: 🎢 Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Launching with Natalie Lue, and 209: From Lost and Founder to Chill Work with Rand Fishkin Pivot: 208: Your Book and Big Idea (Part 2) 🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review✍️ Check out my new Substack Rolling in D 🤦🏻‍♀️h: Divine Disaster Diaries📝 Check out full show notes and share with a friend: https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/221 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The host discusses a business mistake and the importance of systems. They invite listeners to a Q&A session and promote their new sub stack. The challenges of recording in a hot office and setting boundaries are explored. The impact of summer heat on mental health is discussed, along with the importance of taking time off. The speaker advocates for setting aside time for rest and vacation.

The podcast highlights three creative lessons learned in seven years of podcasting, including the value of daily creative bootcamps, the game-changing role of delegating tasks, and the importance of staying focused on intrinsic rewards. It also discusses the benefits of investing in a full-service production team and protecting the idea factory. Additionally, it explores the concept of virtuous circles in building a business and differentiates between fun and fake fun.

Kevin Kelly, author of Excellent Advice for Living, discusses the power of human-AI partnerships and the concept of being the only, not the best. They explore the rise of generative AI, embracing opportunities and generosity, finding purpose, and the paradoxes of life. The conversation also touches on wisdom and declining arguments as an experiment.

Self-doubt isn’t all bad. It means you’re stretching outside of your comfort zone, that you’re willing to learn, and that you aim to surround yourself with people who challenge you. So if you often grapple with imposter syndrome (or as I like to call it, an Imposter Monster sitting beside you), you are not alone. If you sometimes fall into the trap of feeling like you’re not good enough or ready yet to tackle your biggest creative aspirations, here’s a new perspective to consider.This crossover episode originally aired on the Pivot podcast on May 29, 2022.🌟 3 Key Takeaways: There is a big difference between acting like you are the ultimate expert, and being a curious and informed curator of ideas and resources.  One of the biggest gifts you can give others is curating people, and allowing them to connect and share with each other. We have no control how a project is going to land in the world, so “don’t suffer twice,” in terms of worrying before you hit publish and after — just put it out there, then deal with what follows in the moment.  ✅ Next Action: Shift your mindset from “I need to be an expert before . . .” to “I’m curious.” Start curating the people and ideas that inspire you, then share them with others through your unique lens and experiences.📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Perfection Detox: Tame Your Inner Critic, Live Bravely and Unleash Your Joy You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Connection, Trust, and Belonging The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Shane Snow’s article on Intellectual HumilityRelated Podcast Episodes:  251: Listener Q&A on (Furry) Imposter Monsters 112: Whose Voice is in Your Head? Perfection Detox Round Two with Petra Kolber 86: Grab Bag! Upcoming NYC Workshop, BookRx on Interviewing Tips, and the Upside of Awkwardness 56: Perfection Detox with Petra Kolber Penney & Jenny 8: Embracing Liminal Space (July 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natalie Lue, a recovering people pleaser, joins the host to discuss the five types of people pleasers, how to build the skill of saying no, and the power of celebrating boundaries. They also delve into resentment and martyrdom in people-pleasing, as well as setting boundaries in family relationships. If you've ever ticked the boxes of being a "Good Person" while making yourself miserable, this episode is for you.

I'm super excited to pilot a "what would we invent if anything were possible" experience this quarter—and you're invited!Join me and business bestie Sarah Young, founder of Zing Collaborative and author of Expansive Impact, on Sunday, October 22 for a three-hour VIP brunch and brainstorming extravaganza, followed by a decadent buffet at DUMBO house, with inspiring views of the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan. This is much more than a brunch. As fans of what restauranteur Will Guidara calls Unreasonable Hospitality, we just couldn’t resist throwing in all kinds of bells and whistles. This VIP day is supported by a three-month-long program designed to surprise and delight you. Together with a small, curated group of Heart-Based Business owners, you’ll get a mix of 1:1 coaching and group calls to close 2023 strong, set a clear vision and strategy for 2024, and implement the most joyful, abundant next steps for you and your business.📆 Early Bird Enrollment (and special pricing) ends September 1, and the final deadline to enroll is September 15.If you’re interested in joining, learn more and apply here » 🪄 Here’s to building business blissfully! 🎉 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s solo riff is on a three-word phrase that has helped quell countless waves of anxiety in the decade since I first heard it, wisdom passed from my friend Monica McCarthy's (aka MonBon’s) mom then to the pages of Pivot. Pardon the occasional panting (lol) and background noise—err New York City soundscape—as I recorded this one on a big hill at the park, running up and down while throwing a giant log for Ryder to chase. He chases sticks, I chase ideas!This crossover episode originally aired on the Pivot podcast on April 2, 2023.🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Memento Mori, though it is by definition morbid, is a practice of reminding ourselves that we (and our loved ones) will die. As the monks at Wat Umong temple hand-wrote on a note posted to a tree, “Remember: In 100 years, all new people.” How can you allow this reality to inform how you engage in relationships without leading to excessive anxiety or worry? The Second Arrow: Notice when you are suffering because of a story you are telling yourself after a painful event, grinding the gears of a problem and making it worse long after the fact. Remember, “Worry is praying for what you don’t want.” Try not to worry for or about others either; it’s not a nice energy to project or to feel. ✅ Next Action: If you notice yourself worrying or anxious, try to remind yourself of those three little words from MonBon's mom: Don't suffer twice.📚Books Mentioned Life After College Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver Change Me Prayers: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Surrender by Tosha Silver 🔗 Resources Articles: Many Animals—Including Your Dog—May Have Horrible Short-Term Memories, Memento Mori, The Second Arrow People: Monica McCarthy, Tosha Silver, Penney Peirce 🎧 Related Podcast Episodes Pivot: 312: Are You Future-Tripping? Jenny & Penney Show (Spotify playlist) Slow Cooked vs. Pressure Cooker Free Time: 170: 🌈 “Imagine a World of Abundance” ✨ 172: Free Time Isn’t Just for the Fun Days 138: ⛵️ Stop Sailing the Sea of Shiny Shoulds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices