In this episode, I chat with Hollywood editor and American Ninja Warrior Zack Arnold on his podcast Optimize Yourself about creativity and its importance in our lives.  Creativity is a life amplifier and is fundamental to our lives, just like physical fitness, proper nutrition, and mindfulness is discussed. We delve into how creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly and that through creating small, daily things, we can develop this muscle and become more creative. Finally, we discuss the concept of creating a mosaic of all the unique things that we have done in our lives and how this can help us discover our creative calling. Highlights from our conversation: What it means to be a creator How creativity can enhance one's life and wellbeing Accepting and pursuing the side of yourself that wants to make Becoming a master of your discipline by proxy The Optimize Yourself Podcast is a must-listen for any creative entrepreneur. Check it out anywhere you listen to podcasts. Enjoy!

Jenna Kutcher is a born-and-raised Minnesota wife, mother, and entrepreneur with a dual focus on livelihood and happiness. Creator and host of the top-rated Goal Digger Podcast, she’s helped thousands of people build a new definition of success while also chasing bold dreams through her work as a leading online personality and educator. Jenna joins me during this podcast to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and insight for aspiring creators. Highlights from our conversation: Defining hustle and its place in entrepreneurship Why hustle isn't always a good thing Jenna's personal realizations and priority shifts as it relates to success How to create your own definition for success and live a life that leaves you feeling fulfilled Enjoy!

The current economy is feeding fears in the creative community. Is this feast or famine cycle the new normal or can we make our own opportunities as creative entrepreneurs? We’re exploring how embracing new things and making mistakes supports success. We’ve got Christopher Jared on with us again. He’s the VP of the Outside Creator Studio, which is responsible for the content, socials, and events for Outside Interactive. Christopher is an expert in the field of media and publishing. He has experience running a publishing group that produced free ski and snowboard magazines, was the CEO of ROAM, a venture-backed company, and founded Inkwell Media Company.  Christopher has a ton of insight for us on many of the burning questions that I hear from our community. So, we’re going to explore some of those in this episode and see if we can get some ideas.  We’re talking about the power of experimentation and more! Highlights: Building New Skills and Experimenting Embracing Mistakes and Quick Recovery Self-Directed Curiosity and Execution as a Hiring Manager Taking Breaks from Technology and Engaging in Play Enjoy!

Steve Turner is a world-renowned guitarist, most known as the cofounder of groudbreaking Seattle Punk and Grunge bands Green River and Mudhoney. Even after 35 years in the music scene, he's continued to propoagae the grunge genre he helped build into the twnety-first century with tour performances and new music. Steve recently sat down with me to discuss this illustrious career and his new book, Mud Ride.  Highlights from our conversation: Background context on the grunge scene and how it came to be Steve's place in grunge and original goals when getting into music Exploring grunge culture and what it means for those who lived its early days first-hand Where the genre is headed and what Steve hopes for the future of music Enjoy!

In this episode we talk the trap of constantly seeking out the next best thing, and how it can hinder our creativity and productivity. As a creative myself, I totally understand how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement of a new idea or tool. But the truth is, constantly starting new projects before finishing old ones can leave you feeling unfocused and unproductive. That's why we're diving deep into this topic to help you prioritize your projects and stay focused on what really matters. We discuss ways to acknowledge and manage what I call “Shiny Object Syndrome”, including prioritizing projects, setting clear goals, focusing on quality over quantity, creating a dedicated workspace, and celebrating small victories along the way. Trust me, these tips have helped me and my guests stay on track and achieve our creative goals. Enjoy!

Over the course of a decade, Steve Chou has created multiple 7 figure businesses. During that time, he set out on a journey to build a life of balance. What he found was an endless schedule and work that wore him and his family down. A hard lesson to learn, but he did learn, and change. It’s no surprise that Steve’s new book is called The Family First Entrepreneur. He delivers a series of simple principles that can guide your decisions to help you establish your own solid foundation to build the life you’ve dreamed of and support those you love. He’s highly renowned for his work and leadership in the e-commerce space and has taught thousands of students how to profitably sell physical products online through ProfitableOnlineStore.com. In today’s discussion, we get into the beginning of when he launched the blog, MyWifeQuitHerJob.com. Now it’s been featured in leading magazines such as Forbes Inc., The New York Times, Entrepreneur, and MSNBC and it’s grown into a popular podcast, rated among the top 25 marketing shows on all of Apple Podcasts. Steve Chou who also carries a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University runs BumblebeeLinens.com along with his wife. They put on an annual e-commerce conference called The Sellers Summit. Highlights from the episode:  His wife quit her six-figure salary job — 3:04 How much money is enough money? — 7:13 The four-burner theory — 8:01 Maximizing your leveraged time — 28:29 The Family First Entrepreneur — 43:16 Enjoy!

No one is coming to save you.  Experts are valuable when you’re learning new skills, but neither experts nor institutions are going to nurture you, guide you, or make your creative dream a reality. You’re on your own path. It’s all up to you. In this episode we talk about the importance of taking control of your own learning and creative process. We explore the vast array of online learning resources available to help you develop the skills you need. Some key topics covered include: The changing world of education The value of self-directed learning Free and low-cost online learning resources Finding and joining communities to learn from others Going from general to specific in your learning process The importance of taking action and doing the work Enjoy!

In this episode, Simone Stolzoff, independent journalist and author of "The Good Enough Job", shares her insights on how work has come to dominate American culture and how we can reclaim our lives in a world centered around work. Simone's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and numerous other publications. Simone and I explore the dangers of treating work as a source of identity and meaning, and the importance of diversifying our sources of identity. We discuss how to define what we want our relationship with work to be, the value of active forms of leisure, and the benefits of trading money for time. We also talk about the role of work in our lives, and how it can lead to more creativity and better ideas when we invest in other aspects of ourselves. Some highlights we explore: How to cultivate different sides of ourselves to become more resilient in the face of change The risks of a work-centric existence and how it can detract from our ability to be the best versions of ourselves The benefits of investing in relationships, hobbies, and passions outside of work How to define what we want our relationship with work to be The value of trading money for time to increase our sense of fulfillment The importance of understanding the role work plays in our lives and how it can lead to more creativity and better ideas Enjoy!

In this episode, we explore how to guard your dreams and stay focused on what truly matters. Whether we realize it or not, life happens. Interruptions and obstacles crop up: an implosion in your side hustle disrupts your day job, or a big challenge at your day job necessitates skipping creative work for several weeks in a row. 3-6 months can go by and the next thing you know, you can’t remember when the last time you spent real time on your dreams. If this sounds familiar, it might be time to review what’s important to you, In this episode I provide a 6-step plan to help you reset and re-focus. Enjoy!

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Gagan Biyani, CEO and co-founder of Sprig, Udemy, and Maven, about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and building a successful company. We delved into a variety of topics, ranging from the importance of having a big vision and painting a picture of the future, to the benefits of bootstrapping versus raising venture capital. We also explored the role of passion in the workplace and the challenges that come with scaling a company. Overall, it was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. Some topics discussed: The importance of having a big vision Painting a picture of the future Building momentum over time Bootstrapping versus raising venture capital The importance of passion in the work you do The process of scaling a company Enjoy!