In a new story, we try to understand what the heck a "rep" is in creative work, so we can reach our next rep faster, better, and more consistently. We hear the story of visual artist Matthew Zaremba and learn more about reps from Grammy-nominated music educator and CrossFit coach Kevin Mazzarella.  FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS:$13/month makes you a supporter of this show, with bonus content shared monthly. Or you can become a full-blown member of the group, Make What Matters.Make What Matters is where independent content creators (in function or in spirit) learn to elevate their creative skills,  earn more in resources and income, and execute their best work yet. Through peer support and members-only content (live and asynchronous), each member benefits from greater clarity, more confidence, and a stronger network. Consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:Matthew Zaremba:  matthewzaremba.com | instagram.com/matthewzarembaKevin Mazzarella: kevinmazzarella.com *** THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

In this episode, I experiment with something I'm calling "One-Shots."In this particular One-Shot, "making bad" -- what creative people we admire seem to have in common. FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletterCOMMUNITY FOR CREATORS:$13/month makes you a supporter of this show, with bonus content shared monthly. Or you can become a full-blown member of the group, Make What Matters.Make What Matters is where independent content creators (in function or in spirit) learn to elevate their creative skills,  earn more in resources and income, and execute their best work yet. Through peer support and members-only content (live and asynchronous), each member benefits from greater clarity, more confidence, and a stronger network. Consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

Every creative person is trying to make what matters. The projects and jobs they pursue, the bosses or clients they like or dislike, and the works they admire -- it all comes back to that one idea. Not "rank #1" or "drive massive growth."Make. What Matters.I believe everyone has what it takes to make what matters, but we often stop or stagnate in our creative process. So what do prolific, thriving, ever-improving creators have in common? What does a healthy body of work require to create? Well, if we stop to consider what a body of work actually is, we'll notice something tiny, something we all grapple with, and something that, when you really distill creativity down to its essence, represents the ONLY thing that matters to us as creative people.The next rep.Welcome to a new journey, where each episode, we explore stories and ideas about reaching the next rep consistently, faster, and better. I have a TON more questions than answers at this point, but if we can learn what it takes or what successful creators do to constantly reach the next rep, then we'll understand how to build an entire body of work -- all in the name of making things that make a difference.Welcome to this journey. Welcome to The Next Rep. NEWSLETTER:Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter MEMBER GROUP:Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:Jeremy Enns, Jeanne Ivy, Molly Donovan, Tallie Gabriel, Telyse Adams, and Michael Ashford."The Gap" quote is from Ira Glass and can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91FQKciKfHI ***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay 

Your knowledge is finite. Your curiosity is infinite. So why, oh why, do we usually rely more  on our existing knowledge than our boundless curiosity? We live in a society that seems to value the ability to have the answers, but the path to making work that matters just might mean admitting, "I don't have the answers, but I'm going to figure this out."What if we stopped acting like experts and started acting like ... well ... something else?In this episode, we hear stories from keynote speaker Andrew Davis, bestselling author Shane Snow (Dream Teams, Smartcuts, The Storytelling Edge), and Dr. Jade Wu, sleep psychologist and researcher from Duke University. NEWSLETTER:Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter MEMBER GROUP:Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:Andrew Davis: akadrewdavis.com | twitter.com/DrewDavisHereShane Snow: shanesnow.com | twitter.com/shanesnowJade Wu, PhD: jadewuphd.com | twitter.com/jadewuphd ***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

In this episode, the story of Lisa Schneider, (former) Chief Digital Officer at Merriam-Webster, and their award-winning, President-trolling, brilliant and witty Twitter account, social media presence, and dictionary brand -- yes, a beloved dictionary brand. Their success started with a simple aspiration that threw into question the most accepted approach to their marketing work. It all ended in a very personal place for the team. Meanwhile, story producer Andrew Littlefield goes exploring in New York and meets a jazz trombonist who gives us something we can use in our quest to trust our intuition.Finally, Tom Webster voices the dictionary.You can't make this stuff up! It's almost ... unthinkable? (No. Nope. No. I won't go there...) NEWSLETTER:Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter MEMBER GROUP:Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:Lisa Schneider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaschneider64Merriam-Webster on Twitter: https://twitter.com/merriamwebsterAndrew Littlefield (story producer) on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSUAndrewMariel Bildsten (jazz trombonist) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6MYXOUN2105Bi2ROMNmoYS?autoplay=trueTom Webster (voice of the dictionary) on Twitter: https://twitter.com/webby2001***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

Standup comedian and comedy writer Sarah Cooper's rise to mainstream fame feels inevitable. Looking at her 2020, she was one of the biggest stories in entertainment and the creator economy more broadly. It started when her nephew turned her onto TikTok, and it's there where she went viral. She filmed herself in her apartment doing lip-sync videos of Donald Trump speeches and media appearances. Her popularity doing these didn't stop at TikTok, either. The surge in fame spilled across social media, attracting the attention and praise of fellow comedians like Mike Birbiglia and Jerry Seinfeld, and landing her profiles and guests spots everywhere from the New York Times, Vogue, and Vanity Fair to CBS Sunday Morning, the Tonight Show, and a guest hosting gig for Jimmy Kimmel. She was even offered a Netflix special doing sketch comedy, a project called "Everything Is Fine." The struggling standup suddenly found herself shooting her OWN show, featuring an all-star list of cameos, like Aubrey Plaza, Marisa Tomei, Winona Ryder, Ben Stiller, Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch, Megan The Stallion, Maya Rudolph, and Helen Mirren!And just a few days prior to me recording this, it was announced that CBS purchased a pilot from Sarah Cooper based on her book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.(Editor's note: In my intro, I said this episode originally aired in 2016, but it was actually 2019. Either way, it was The Before Times, so it's all the same, isn't it?)SUPPORT THE SHOW + HELP FUND FUTURE STORIES:1. Monthly/annual membership group, Make What Matters: makewhatmattersgroup.comTiny techniques, creativity concepts, business and buy-in support, and plenty of behind-the-scenes of Unthinkable and other projects.***2. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Playing Favorites: jayacunzo.com/newsletterOne original story and idea for making your audience's favorite things, sent each Friday morning.***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

Tim Urban writes a blog about ... well ... lots of stuff. Understanding ourselves and our relationship to each other and the world, maybe? From making friends to exploring space, cultural and societal forces to neuroscience breakthroughs ... all packaged as brilliant, entertaining, and sarcastic essays. Tim Urban has written about it all.But like any exceptional project or career, Tim's is not one that reveals any singular secret to success. In fact, it just might be the millions of "secrets to success" that we're drowning in today which are holding us back in our own projects and careers. Best practices. Tips and tricks. Cheats and hacks. Gurus and get-rich-quick schemes. Trendy new tactics. Conventional wisdom. These are all just spokes on a wheel. But if we truly want to make what matters, perhaps we're better off escaping that wheel -- or dare I say, we should break the wheel?(This episode originally aired in 2018. I am re-airing this because it perfectly ties into our new journey to tell the stories of Idea Explorers -- people who made the shift from viewing themselves as experts to viewing themselves as explorers, and where that leads them in their creative work.)SUPPORT THE SHOW + HELP FUND FUTURE STORIES:1. Monthly/annual membership group, Make What Matters: makewhatmattersgroup.comTiny techniques, creativity concepts, business and buy-in support, and plenty of behind-the-scenes of Unthinkable and other projects.***2. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Playing Favorites: jayacunzo.com/newsletterOne original story and idea for making your audience's favorite things, sent each Friday morning.***THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!Keep making what matters.-Jay

How does your intent for your work change your results? If your goal is to build something big, does that increase the odds of succeeding? Why, then, do so many stories about huge successes start out the same way: with a shrug, and a quick, "I just wanted to brew some beer." ? Today, we explore the story of The Alchemist, makers of the industry sensation, Heady Topper. And we hear about a brutal setback they didn’t control, and how they rebounded stronger than ever  -- -- -- If you like these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:- Get my weekly email for podcasters exploring what it might take for you to create your audience's FAVORITE show: marketingshowrunners.com/subscribe- Inquire about my keynote speaking (including virtual talks that have been better-produced than webinars, much like this podcast) for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com- Read my dailyish blog sharing 3-5 very short posts per week about making a difference through work you create: jayacunzo.com/blog- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheelThanks for listening! 

Jack Conte, CEO of Patreon, has some firm beliefs about making stuff on the internet -- namely, that the economics simply don't reward great, quality, resonant, service-minded creators. Thus, the sensationalism and clickbait and algorithm-gamers win out. But that trend is changing, with Jack's company helping lead the charge. This episode goes deep inside some rather cathartic ideas for creators. Enjoy!---If you like these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

Gibi can't use her real name publicly, at least not anymore. Yet her work on YouTube is her calling, it's her everything. Despite the harassment and public criticism for what might ultimately be something rather mundane and sometimes rather wonderful, Gibi persists. Why? And what is the project that most embodies this double-edged sword of her work? She takes us inside its making. Whether you love video, or just love makin' stuff, there's something in this episode for all creators.If you enjoy these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel