The Gently Mad

Rob Walling on Finding Your Purpose and How to Actually Enjoy Your Life

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 09:08:00 -0000

Rob Walling is a man of many talents. Over the course of his career he has been an programmer, a freelancer, a bootstrapper, a business owner, an author, a speaker, a podcaster. The list goes on...

A few years back he founded Drip (and email marketing company), which he later sold to LeadPages. It's a path that many of us aspire to.

But what I loved about Rob's story was his realization that there are different kinds of freedom, and what we think will make us happy in the beginning, almost never does, and changes dramatically with the passage of time.

We talked about the struggle of finding meaning and purpose in our lives and how that relates to our work, as well as Rob's own realizations about what really matters and why it takes so long to figure that out.

I thought we were going to talk a lot about entrepreneurship and building meaningful business. And while, we did talk about that, our conversation ended up being a littler more philosophical (which are my favorite kinds of conversations).

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. There's a lot to glean here.

Happy listening!

Rob Walling: @robwalling
The Gently Mad: @tgmpodcast
Adam Clark: @avclark

Matt Giovcanisci on Getting Comfortable with Who You Are, and Making Your Own Rules

Mon, 28 May 2018 09:07:00 -0000

Matt Giovanisci is one those guys that I can talk to for hours. We have a ton in common, but just enough differences that it stays interesting.

A lot has changed since his first appearance on the show, which you can listen to back in episode ??. I feel like we've both changed in some very similar ways since then. Where last time there seemed to be a lot of doubt and questioning, now there's assurance and confidence.

And I think some of that only comes with certain amount of life experience.

We talked about all the different projects we've both been involved in and, what the ultimate point of it all is, and how all these different interests and projects are connected.

If you think of yourself as a generalist, or as the kind of person who really enjoys doing a lot of different things, this episode is for you. I'm definitely that kind of person and sometimes it can feel like I'm trying to do a million different things, and doing none of them well.

We got into that exact issue and wether or not it's even possible to do a lot of different things well. I think Matt is a clear example that it is possible. But it takes time and hard work.

He also just launched a new show, which was kind of the impetus for this conversation.

Enjoy!

Show Notes

28:28 - Chewbacca Bob
31:14 - The Hugh Hefner of pool care
47:04 - Why you shouldn't do what everyone else is doing
71:40 - What to do you when you fail
98:36 - What connects it all
122:37 - There's no such thing as a bad idea

More about Matt

Justin Jackson on Therapy for Entrepreneurs, Ego, and Coming Back from the Bottom

Mon, 21 May 2018 09:30:00 -0000

Justin Jackson is no stranger to this show. Technically this is only his second appearance (check out his first episode nearly four years ago), but there are hours of recorded conversations floating around my hard drive.

I always enjoy talking to Justin. Despite how much we have in common, he always helps me see things from a fresh and different angle. And his episode was no exception.

Every time we talk, it's like catching up with an old friend. And even though we only just met in person for the first time at MicroConf in Las Vegas, he is indeed someone I would consider an old friend.

Justin's career has spanned the gamut of the product, start up and SaaS worlds. He's an author, podcaster, educator and most recently a SaaS founder.

There's no bonus episode this week because I decided to release the entire conversation. At just over 120 minutes, it's a long one, but worth listening to.

Our conversation ranged from parenting, to business building, to the things that hold us back as entrepreneurs, to why every entrepreneur should have a therapist, and literally everything you could imagine in-between.

These are my favorite kinds of episodes, because there's so much to glean from a guy like Justin about life in general.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Enjoy!

Note: Yesterday I released a two-minute teaser of some of the most fun bits from the show. Here it is as well:

Show Notes

Min 25:05 - The power of podcasting
Min 38:45 - Why it’s important to evaluate what we’re putting out into the world
Min 53 - A surprising realizing about people
Min 67:22 - The time to get support is before you really need it
Min 71:12 - How Justin came back from bottoming out
Min 79:09 - Everything is a balancing act between chaos and order
Min 87:47 - How to move forward when everything falls apart
Min 92:45 - Why you're not winning
Min 101:08 - Ego is the enemy
Min 102:37 - The disaster of always running from discomfort
Min 125:52 - Maslow's hierarchy of needs for businesses
Min 128:47 - What if you had to completely start over?

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

The Gently Mad Trailer

Mon, 21 May 2018 06:06:00 -0000

The Gently Mad is a podcast about meaning, disguised as a podcast about entrepreneurship. It’s a bright-eyed and sweary look at what it takes to make a living on the internet (and still sleep at night).

The Many Voices of Justin Jackson

Sun, 20 May 2018 20:55:00 -0000

Paul Jarvis on Learning by Doing and Forging Your Own Path

Mon, 14 May 2018 10:05:00 -0000

Paul Jarvis is back! This is third or fourth time I think. We always have a lot of fun and this conversation was no different. Paul is a long-time web designer turned author and product maker. He has handful of great courses you should check out.

We talked a lot about the difference between an idea and an actual business, what makes our businesses sustainable for the long haul, and the discipline it takes to do something well.

Like last week, the bonus episode was as long as the main episode and we covered the specifics of how Paul uses podcasting to grow and engage his audience. As well the specific strategies he's using to make a full-time living from his courses.

Enjoy!

If you want access to this bonus episode and all future bonus episodes, subscribe below. If you’re on your phone, you can subscribe be texting the word “TGM” to 345345.

Brian Casel on Idea Fatigue, and Why a Productized Service is the Fastest Way to Make Money

Mon, 07 May 2018 11:04:00 -0000

In this week's episode of TGM, Brian and I talk about "idea fatigue", what to do when when your idea is the same as some else's, as well as why Brian believes that a productized service is *still* the fastest way to start generating revenue.

Brian has been around the block with more than a few businesses. His newest, AudienceOps, helps businesses with done-for-you written content. But he's also expanding into done-for-you podcasting.

In fact, I had a bit of a mini freakout when he first announced the new service, because it was so close to Podcast Royale (which hadn't been launched yet). We talked about that and what to do when your idea is very similar to something that already exists.

I really enjoyed the part of the episode where Brian talked about how he come up with the idea for AudienceOps and launched quickly. A lot of great inspiration in there.

Don't forget to subscribe for access to the bonus episode. We did a deep dive into productized services, podcasting, what Brian would do differently if he had to start all over, and so much more.

Bonus Episode Show Notes

0:42 - How podcasting transformed his business
4:00 - How to compete in a saturated market
7:20 - How do you manage so many different projects?
10:40 - Should you try to combine your various projects (personal writing, products, businesses, services, etc.)?
16:30 - Why Brian rebranded and reorganized all his projects
19:00 - How to increase sales of info products
29:00 - How to keep your audience engaged
34:35 - The problem with the whole “charge more” advice
41:15 - What Brian would do if starting over today

Enjoy!

If you want access to this bonus episode and all future bonus episodes, subscribe below. If you're on your phone, you can subscribe be texting the word "TGM" to 345345.

Janelle Allen on Owning Your Why

Tue, 01 May 2018 10:30:00 -0000

Janelle Allen is the founder of ZenCourses.co and is an expert in Instructional Design and online learning. We talked a lot about entrepreneurship and why it's so important to not only know your why, but to own it.

Don't forget to subscribe for access to the bonus episode. We did a deep dive into online course creation, what's working, what's not, mistakes to avoid, and, of course, how to create profitable online courses in 2018.

What we covered in the bonus episode

1:30 - Can someone still create a profitable online course in 2018?
5:50 - Why passive income is bullshit
8:55 - How do you resolve the disconnect between creating something once vs guided programs and ongoing
10:30 - How do you create a course that gets result?
13:10 - What do you do when your course has multiple outcomes and/or goals?
16:00 - What kind of courses work the best?
18:25 - What’s the difference between course goals and outcomes and why does it matter?
21:35 - What video link is best?
23:40 - Is it easier to sell a smaller ultra specific course or a bigger “cover-everything” kind of course?
26:30 - Why segmenting your audience is important
28 - How to know if you should change your course topic?

Enjoy!

If you want access to this bonus episode and all future bonus episodes, subscribe below. If you're on your phone, you can subscribe be texting the word "TGM" to 345345.

Derek Webb on Faith, Doubt and Finding Yourself

Sat, 28 Oct 2017 05:03:00 -0000

I’ve been a fan of Derek Webb for as long as I can remember. But’s it’s only been in the last couple years that I’ve gotten to know him a little bit more personally. He was a guest on this show a few years ago and that time we talked a lot about the music industry in general and how it’s changing (for the better) for those who want to make a living as an independent artist. A lot of sh*t has gone down since then. Both for me and for Derek. And one of the reason’s I love him and his music so much is that our stages of life seem to have a weird sort of symbiotic relationship. Usually whenever I’m going through something, Derek releases a new record and it’s exactly what I needed at that time. That’s certainly true for his latest record, Fingers Crossed. It’s an album about the loss and grief that comes with change and the hope we have to find within ourselves if we’re to grow rather than wither within the sadness of life’s turbulence. To use Derek’s own words, “It’s a sad as sh*t record”. But it’s a kind of *necessary* sadness. The kind of sadness that comes from serious soul work. And, honestly, that’s the best way I have of describing this conversation. It was sad at times, but also poignant and surprisingly buoyant with hope. Hope for what’s next, despite the pain of leaving behind the past. I hope you’ll check out Derek’s album. And I hope you get something out of this conversation. I certainly had a great time doing it. Enjoy the show.

Brennan Dunn on Overcoming Scarcity and How to Enjoy Your Freelancing

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 19:19:00 -0000

Ok folks this was like a mini sales masterclass. Not what I intended, but I'm always down for a pleasant surprise. Lots of tips to be gleaned just from listening to the stories of a guy who has been doing this indieprenuer thing for a long time and knows what he's talking about. It was a good one. Enjoy.

Sean McCabe on Getting Unstuck and Living the Life You Want

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 04:53:00 -0000

Today's guest is the one and only Sean McCabe of seanwes.com. Sean just published his new book, Overlap about how to get unstuck in your life and business and it's great. I read it and have alreaday re-ead several sections several times. If you trying to do this whole "indiepreneur" thing, it is worth every minute (and penny)! Sean is giving away the audiobook for free until September 14, 2017, so make sure and head over to OverlapBook.com and download it. We had such a great conversation. Seriously, one of my favs so far. I know you're going to enjoy it. I'd love it if you would take a minute to leave me a rating and review in iTunes. It's super helpful in getting the show noticed by other people and I'd greatly appreciate it. Don't forget to head over to TheGentlyMad.com and subscribe, if you're into that kind of thing. And, as always, see you next time!

Teaser The Second

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 19:29:00 -0000

Decided to drop another teaser with some clips from upcoming episodes. Why? Because I like making teasers. ;) Hoping to drop the first full episode next week. Enjoy!

We're Back!

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:51:00 -0000

After a VERY long hiatus, we. are. back. I’m super excited to kick off some stuff. I’ve been recording for the past couple of months and new episodes will be dropping soon. Head over to http://thegentlymad.com and subscribe to be notified when they do.

Irresistible Podcasting

Fri, 01 May 2015 20:38:00 -0000

Thank you so much for listening and supporting TGM during what I'm now calling "Season 2". If you don't know yet, I'm taking a break from the show to get my new show and course off the ground. As well as record some more conversations for Season 2 of TGM.

You can subscribe to the new show and, if you feel like being awesome, leave me a rating and review.

Enjoy the show!

Amy Porterfield on Designing Your Own Life

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:35:00 -0000

Amy has created a very successful business teaching people about online marketing and we spent a lot of time talking about the ins and outs of that.

This is definitely an atypical episode because I really wanted to dig into some tactics, given that I’m going through my own product launch at the moment.

Nevertheless, we did touch on some of the bigger issues, such as burnout, the pursuit of freedom and the bigger purpose behind what we do.

Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Amy

@amyporterfield
AmyPorterfield.com
ProfitLab Course

Paul Jarvis on Questioning Everything and the Canadian Dream

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 17:24:00 -0000

He knows how to work hard, but how to take breaks and have fun as well. He seems happy and content with his work and is able to change it up when he needs/wants to.

Basically the opposite of everything I did when I was a full-time freelancer.

In all seriousness, though, Paul and I talk on a fairly regular basis and it’s great when we’re able to record a conversation like this—about meaning, happiness, what we like, what we don’t, what we wish were different.

This is my favorite kind of TGM episode.

And Paul is a great, no-nonsense guy to learn from. He lives near the beautiful Canadian west coast and has purposely surrounded himself with the peace of nature, but still has a thriving career as a designer, writer and teacher.

Enjoy the show!

More About Paul

@pjrvs
pjrvs.com
thecreativeclass.io
Paul's books on Amazon

Nate Currin on Working Hard and Being Grateful

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 04:02:00 -0000

Nate is a Grammy-nominated musician, whom I met when I was 12. We started one band together when we were teens and then later in my mid-20s I joined his current band as the drummer.

After one album and a couple years of touring I ended up leaving the band, but Nate has stuck with it and continues to put out music that just gets better and better.

Besides being one of my best friends, Nate’s story is a perfect example of sticking with a dream even when it practically kills you. Lots of ups and downs both financial and personal, but he’s stuck with it and I admire him for that.

I’ve never had someone on the show that I have this much history with or known for so long, so, honestly, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go.

But I’m glad we did it because it turned out great. Despite all my curmudgeonly attempts to not be inspirational, this one definitely veers into that territory. He may not admit it, but I think Nate is an optimist, and like he says, you really can do whatever it is you want to do with your live—if you’re willing to put in the required effort and stick with it.

Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Nate

@natecurrin
natecurrin.com
Nate on Rdio
Nate on iTunes

Dan Haseltine on Writing What You Know and 20 Years in the Music Industry

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:49:00 -0000

Our conversation was one of the first in-person interviews I recorded and certainly the first with an artist that has had such a huge impact on my life.

I’ve been listening to Jars of Clay since their first album was released in 1995 and can attach specific songs to specific experiences as a teenager, college student and, later, husband and father.

It was truly amazing to get to sit down with him in Sputnik Studios in Nashville for an hour and talk about the history of the band and his personal evolution as a person and musician.

Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Dan

Dan on Twitter
Dan on Wikipedia
Jars of Clay
The Hawk in Paris
Blood:Water Mission

Omar Zenhom on The Power of Self-Discovery - Part 2

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 13:43:00 -0000

Omar is an incredibly hard worker, that much is clear. But, as I said in part 1, I was continually struck by his perseverance. He’s the kind of guy who keeps working, long after many of us would have quit.

I hope you enjoy part 2 of Omar’s incredible story.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Omar

Omar on Twitter
The $100 MBA
WebinarNinja

Omar Zenhom on The Power of Self-Discovery - Part 1

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 17:25:00 -0000

There’s something to the idea of continually re-inventing oneself.

Omar currently runs The $100 MBA and WebinarNinja, but he’s spent many years trying (and often succeeding) at many other things as well.

As someone who has often missed opportunities because of various fears and self-doubts, it was incredibly encouraging to hear the story of someone who has made those leaps and found that the other side isn’t so bad after all.

Enjoy the show.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Omar

Omar on Twitter
The $100 MBA
WebinarNinja

Allan Branch on How to Do Your Work on Not Lose Your Mind

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:09:00 -0000

In all seriousness, Allan is a really funny and interesting guy who also happens to co-own the best accounting software in the world, Less Accounting.

He’s one of those guys who can instantly raise my spirits no matter what’s going on. And I’ve always admired him for his ability to let work be work and enjoy having fun and spending time with his family.

As someone who has let all my hobbies fall to the wayside, I love how much energy Allan puts into his own non-work pursuits. He’s not driven by nor obsessed with his work. I want to be more like that.

If you’ve never met or talked to Allan, then settle in for a fun conversation about writing, building a software business, go-carts, hypothetical beer brewing and bees. Yes, bees.

Enjoy the show.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Allan

@allanbranch
LessAccounting

Natalie Sisson on Living On Purpose

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 04:42:00 -0000

We talked about all the stuff I hope TGM has become known for by now--happiness, meaning, purpose and how we find those things in our lives and work.

Good thing for me, these are topics that Natalie is not just passionate about, but helps other people figure out as well.

Enjoy the show.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Natalie

@nataliesisson
The Suitcase Entrepreneur
The Freedom Plan

At Least I Have A Multicolored Marble

Sat, 04 Apr 2015 15:10:00 -0000

Jordan Cooper on Leveling Up Your Levels

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 04:30:00 -0000

Jordan Cooper is funny funny guy and someone I would call a friend. In addition to being a Stand-up comedian, he's a web designer & marketer for small businesses in Louisville, KY. He's also a podcaster and host at least four different shows.

In addition to talking comedy and our respective careers, we talked about sticking with the things we start and the ever prevalent problem of quitting to soon.

Jordan busted my balls about not sticking with anything and wondering if this podcast ever actually launch, which makes it a fitting "fuck you" as episode 50 fo TGM. ;)

In all seriousness, I love Jordan and really enjoyed our conversation all those months ago and am excited to share it with you.

Enjoy the show.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Jordan

@blenderhd
blenderhead.me

Jordan's Podcasts

Tech Douchebags
Internet Outrage Machine
Connected Comedy
The Morning Dump

Daniel J. Lewis on Podcasting for Pleasure and Profit

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 04:11:00 -0000

It was my honor to get to speak with Daniel for an hour about podcasting, building online businesses, branding and all sorts of topics that have lately been rolling around in between my ears.

Whether or not your into podcasting, Daniel has a lot of wisdom about life and entrepreneurship and we had a great conversation.

As always, I had a great time talking to Daniel. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Daniel

@theramennoodle
danieljlewis.net
theaudacitytopodcast.com

What's Luck Got To Do With It? - 5 Ways To Make Your Own Opportunities

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:40:00 -0000

I don’t consider myself to be someone who has a lot of skills. But if there’s one thing I've been able to do over and over again, it’s create my own opportunities.

In today's episode, I talk about five ways you can do the same. Enjoy.

“You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?” ~ W. Clement Stone

Behind the Scenes of a Successful Podcast with Jon Nastor

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 01:44:00 -0000

I met Jon less than six months ago, but we hit it off pretty quickly. He's the host of the popular podcast, Hack The Entrepreneur, and we went deep into the struggles of building a business when it seems like nothing is happening. Jon pushed through months and month of "not knowing" with his podcast. But because he kept showing up, eventually he opened doors that never would have been opened otherwise.

I love the fact that Jon is ready and willing to admit he didn't know what he's doing, but he knew one really important thing: keep showing up.

And because of that, so many opportunities are opening up for him. We talked about all of that and what it's like to be on the other side of the dip.

As always, I had a great time talking to Jon. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Jon

@jonnastor
hacktheentrepreneur.com

Cursing Happens Here with Laura Belgray

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 04:36:00 -0000

I've been getting Laura's newsletter for several months now and it’s a truly unique breath of fresh air in an industry where everyone’s trying to sell you something. It's not about writing tips or "leveling up". It's about her personal life and she has a way of telling stories that are witty and heartfelt.

We talked about everything from our shared love of NYC to our distaste for online marketing buzzwords and bullshit.

In addition to building a solid reputations as a TV writer, Laura has also managed to create an amazing freelance business as a writer for entrepreneurs. Her forthcoming course, The Copy Cure, with Marie Forleo, is all about finding your voice as a writer, minus the tired and cliched advice spouted by most "writing" courses.

I found her to be a super genuine and endearing person. I loved talking to her and wish we could have talked for more than the hour and half we did. Maybe she'd be willing to do a part 2 some day.

As always, I had a great time talking to Laura. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Laura

@lbelgray
talkingshrimp.com

Stop Asking, Start Acting

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:18:00 -0000

That's me. I do that all the time. In fact, I just spent a whole week doing that, instead of doing what I already knew.

Getting advice, researching or preparing (after a point) is a really sneaky way of procrastinating and letting our self-doubt win.

In this episode, I talk about a few things that can help if you find yourself in that situation.

Christa Wells on Being an Artist and Not Waiting to Be Picked

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 04:34:00 -0000

So much great stuff in this episode. I first heard about Christa because of he latest album which covers songs from Nirvana, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Smashing Pumpkins and U2. All favorite bands from over the last 20 years of my life.

I'd been listening to the album on repeat when I decided to reach out to her and see if she'd be interested in coming on the show. I'm so glad she said yes. Like my conversation with Donald Miller, we talked about the art itself, but so much more than just that.

Christa is a deep thinker and I loved talking with her about art and artifice, business, the idea of the "tortured artist", and many so much more.

Every artist in an entrepreneur and I loved getting Christa's take on these topics.

As always, I had a great time talking to Christa. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Christa

@ChristaWells
ChristaWellsMusic.com
Christa on iTunes
Christa on Rdio

Thomas Frank on Retiring Early and The Sane Middle

Mon, 16 Mar 2015 04:33:00 -0000

Damn him and his productivity! Just kidding. I enjoyed getting to know him and talk about what it's like to run a website full-time at that age. As well as his plans for getting published and retiring by the time he's 40.

As always, I had a great time talking to Thomas. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Thomas

@TomFrankly
CollegeInfoGeek.com

How Not To Launch A Product - 10 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 19:06:00 -0000

“Why do I keep doing this?”, I thought. I would like to think I’ve matured in 15 years, but I’ve been repeating the same all-nighter-before-a-deadline pattern since college.

It worked fine then when the stakes weren’t as high. But now I have a family to support and bills to pay and every time I pull an all-nighter to meet a deadline, it wreaks havoc on my schedule, not to mention my health (it takes a lot longer to recover at 35 than it did at 20).

Sure, it’s my first product and I vastly underestimated how much time it would take to make, but you would think I would have learned this lesson by now.

I’ve plowed through half-a-dozen different careers since I was 20, but this whole deadline thing is the common element that connects them all together.

Procrastination is something I’ve never been able to shake. But this time, as I look back over the last 90 days, I see a lot of things I wish I had done differently and hope I can do differently the next time.

Here are 10 of them:

1. Spend less time planning.

What? Surely you mean spend more time planning, Adam. Nope. Planning, for me, is the thing I do to convince myself I’m not procrastinating, that I’m actually getting shit done. I’m great at planning and organizing. But if I’m honest, I only do that to avoid actually doing the Work. It’s a form of Resistance, as Steven Pressfield would say. It masquerades as progress, but in reality it’s just another thing that keeps me from doing the real work. Which brings me to number 2.

2. Work on the Work. Every day.

I look at all the hours I’ve spent during the last 90 days. If I had just forced myself to do the real work of creating every day, I would have been finished way ahead of deadline. Instead, I let myself get sidetracked and distracted by all the urgent things that pop up, instead of doing the important things.

Freedom can be a double-edged sword. I like not having a set schedule, but if the Work is going to get done, it must be scheduled and given priority.

3. Don’t get distracted by what’s loudest.

Every time I sat down to focus, something would happen. My server would go down. A client would email with an urgent need. I would get stuck on a call. I’d have a fight with my wife. And before I knew it, the whole day was gone.

The truth is, I let this happen. Looking back, there were so many things that seemed huge and loud (and out of my control) at the time, but could have waited until the Work was done.

4. Miniaturize my schedule.

Urgent things tended to overrun my schedule because my schedule wasn’t small enough. I gave myself way too much room to “be comfortable”. It’s not enough to say, “Tuesday I will get the Work done.” It will never happen. Because at 3p.m. my mind will tell me there’s still more “Tuesday” left.

My schedule needs to be as close to hourly as it can be. It would have been much harder to wrangle out of “Tuesday from 8a.m. - 10a.m.”.

5. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

This sounds like a preference, right? It’s not, if you want to get the Work done. My irregular sleeping patterns were a huge part of why I couldn’t make or stick to a tighter schedule. If I’m going to create from 8a.m. - 10 a.m. or whatever the schedule is, the non-working parts of my life have to be scheduled as well.

I know all this scheduling sounds depressing. We became entrepreneurs because we wanted freedom from the 9-5, right? That’s what I told myself for five years. And I’m still exactly where I started. That’s depressing.

6. Do the har

From Designer to CEO - Jason VanLue on Handing In The Golden Mouse

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 14:54:00 -0000

The first time I talked to Jason about being on the show was more than a year ago. But we finally made it happen and he has quite a story.

There was a lot we didn’t have time to get to, but I really enjoyed what we did discuss.

Jason has been with Envy Labs since nearly the beginning. He helped build the company’s product, Code School, which they recently sold for $36 million.

I was interested to know what it was like moving into the role of CEO, how he handles the pressure and, honestly, if he really enjoys it. And Jason didn’t disappoint.

As always, I had a great time talking to Jason. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Jason

@jasonvanlue
jasonvanlue.com

Andrew Warner on Legacy, Being Open and Dreaming Big

Mon, 09 Mar 2015 04:19:00 -0000

As an interviewer myself, I count myself as one of Andrew Warner's many fans. It was great to sit down with him and ditch all the facades of business and tactics and get right down to personal struggles we both face.

Andrew "created Mixergy to help ambitious people who love business as much as I do learn from a mix of experienced mentors. I do that through interviews where founders tell their stories and courses where they teach a solution to issues that can cripple founders."

As always, I had a great time talking to Andrew. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Andrew

@andrewwarner
Mixergy.com

Myke Hurley on Why You Should Do What You Love - Part 2

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 05:18:00 -0000

If you don't know Myke, he's the British guy you keep hearing on podcasts. He has been talking in to a microphone since 2010 and lives just outside of London, England with his sticker-covered MacBook Pro.

Enjoy part 2 of my conversation with Myke Hurley!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Myke

@iMyke
Relay.FM

Myke Hurley on Why You Should Do What You Love - Part 1

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 04:45:00 -0000

We talked about Myke's dream of being a full-time podcaster, the multi-year journey to get there and the new challenges he faces now that he is there.

Myke is an inspiration to keep at it no matter how difficult.

This is the first TGM two-parter. Yes, I'll be back on Friday with the second half of our conversation.

As always, I had a great time talking to Myke. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Myke

@iMyke
Relay.FM

Josh Shipp on Why You Should Humiliate Yourself

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 05:16:00 -0000

We talked about the illusiveness of success and the exhaustion of always trying to attain it, as well as what happens when we finally let go and just be who we are.

For Josh, it comes down to being willing to ask for help and "humiliate" oneself.

I can't even describe how great this conversation was (all due to Josh). Whether you're struggling or not, this one is worth your time.

Josh has been a public speaker since he was 17. He toured with Bill Cosby when he was still a kid, used to be on MTV’s Total Request Live, and just recently had his own TV show with Oprah’s executive producer.

He now runs a seven-figure business as a “youths” speaker and founder of Youth Speaker University.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Success

"One thing I’ve done that I really think has made a difference, it isn’t sexy, it’s not the answer that people would like, it’s just I’m willing to be self aware enough to where I’m great and where I’m terrible. And I don’t wallow in it. That means I can go and get a little bit better at that."

"Here’s what it comes down to to me: timely selfishness. To me selfishness is something that has negative connotation, but if you’re gonna be selfish, you need to be selfish at the start of the road, not once you’re down the road. From the get go, be very clear on who you are, who you’re not, what you bring to the table, what you don’t bring to the table, so that people can choose you and know what they’re getting into and be clear about that."

Why You Need Help

“The issue is never, 'can I trust myself when I’m thinking clearly?', when I’m at 80 percent, it’s those 10 or 20 percent days. I cannot count on myself on those days."

"All inspiration is temporary courage. So when I feel that, I try to, as best I can, push myself as far down the road as I can, because I know come the next day or next week or whenever, it’s going to eventually fade."

"If you think you can do this marathon, whatever that marathon means to you, either a) overnight or b) by yourself, you are without question (and this is not an insult to your talent, to your intelligence, to your perseverance) you are inevitably setting yourself up for failure."

What To Do After Success

“What I wish I could have figured out sooner was just to humiliate yourself in front of a handful of people and you won’t look like an idiot in front of the bigger group of people. You’ll be ready, you’ll have a healthier perspective, you’ll have the right heart and intention, but also the strategy and steps in place so that your pure, good idea actually has a shot of living and moving forward."

"Often times the very things that have helped us survive the difficulties in our life, later become a hindrance. Because my stubbornness, my relentlessness, my thick skin, my unattachment to anybody and anything and any outcome, is the very reason I survived the foster care system. But then later, when the game is no longer survival, but improvement and progress, that became my greatest hindrance."

As always, I had a great time talking to Josh. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Embrace The Mess with Jessica Clark

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 01:34:00 -0000

My wife joined me on the show for the first time. As usual, her perception is painfully accurate and and advice, spot on. I enjoyed having her on the show with me.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Matt Giovanisci

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 03:43:00 -0000

The thing that inspired me to reach out to Matt was a blog post he wrote about how much he hates all the bullsh*t buzzwords and egotistical fakery that seems to fill our industry. Sound familiar?

Matt is the creator of SwimUniversity.com and a number of popular and funny rap videos. His new project is all about coffee.

We hit it off right away and this was a really fun conversation. As much as it pains me to say it, there were a lot of takeaways as well, for those of who listen for that sort of thing. ;)

As always, I had a great time talking to Matt. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Matt

@mattgiovanisci
MattGiovanisci.com
RoastyCoffee.com
SwimUniversity.com

TGM34: Aaron Draplin

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 02:02:00 -0000

Aaron Draplin is not afraid to say what he thinks. I found myself resonating with so much of his story and especially his willingness to say what everyone is thinking, but is too afraid to say.

His own about page sums it better than I could:

Bred from the loins of the proud Midwest, this little fucker was squeezed out in Detroit, in the year 1973 to the proud parents of Jim and Lauren Draplin.

More About Aaron

@Draplin
Draplin Design Co

The Story You Don't Know

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 05:42:00 -0000

What do you do when you have no good choices in front of you? Are you a failure if you quit or delay? I don't think so.

I talked to my Justin about my podcasting course and give you a behind the scenes look about what's been going on and where I'm at with the course.

Seth Godin says, in his book, The Dip:

"Sometimes we get discouraged and turn to inspirational writing, like stuff from Vince Lombardi: 'Quitters never win and winners never quit.' Bad advice. Winners quite all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time. Most people quit. They just don't quit successfully."

If you've ever created a product or wanted to, I hope this will be an encouragement to you.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Barrett Brooks

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 04:20:00 -0000

Barrett is an amazingly smart dude with a great story and super helpful advice. In addition to being the Director of Member Success at Fizzle.co, a training platform and community for honest independent entrepreneurs building businesses they believe in, he's also worked for Seth Godin & founded a company called Living for Monday.

We pretty much covered the gamut, talking about our common roots in the Southeast, our distaste for the current state of American education and how to do what you really want to do, plus a lot more.

As always, I had a great time talking to Barrett. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Barrett

@barrettabrooks
BarrettBrooks.com
Fizzle.co

Merlin Mann

Mon, 16 Feb 2015 07:53:00 -0000

I was beyond excited to get to sit down with him and have a conversation about what actually matters in these little lives we lead and businesses we're trying to build.

Merlin is an independent writer, speaker, and podcaster based in San Francisco. You may know him from Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, and You Look Nice Today.

I loved these two quotes, which pretty much sums it all up for me:

“My narrative is that I’ve never known what’s coming next—I still don’t. I fell down the right set of stairs and have been surrounded by people who have picked me up and said, “Let’s try this again.” It’s been one anxious block of uncertainty after another.”

“…most of us are so stuck in this notion of how stuff should go that we want to find one of seven stories that matches our narrative. The fact is that most of us are wandering around, scared shitless, wondering what the fuck’s going to happen next.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Merlin. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Merlin

@hotdogsladies
MerlinMann.com
Back To Work
Roderick on the Line

The Dip: When To Push Through and Went To Quit

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 06:07:00 -0000

But there are some principles here and I loved going through them because I really needed to hear it myself.

Everything I’m talking about is pretty much stolen straight from Seth Godin and how I’ve applied what he talks about to my own situation. So, all credit to Seth for his amazing work on this topic.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Stephanie Halligan on Believing in Yourself and Creating the Life You Really Want

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 05:09:00 -0000

Stephanie is the cartoonist and writer behind ArtToSelf.com, sending you a daily personalized, inspiring cartoon and note to help you start the day from a positive place. She is also the cartoonist and money expert at EmpoweredDollar.com

On her website, she describes herself this way:

"If you asked me in this moment to describe myself in a few words, I’d say that I’m a curious, creative, contemplative, positive, spiritual, grounded, joyful woman who’s full of love. But in the not-so-good moments, I’d describe myself as an over-analytical, obsessive, untethered, self-critical perfectionist. Ouch."

I fuckin love that because I feel the same way most of the time, except for the "joyful woman" part.

This was a great conversation. Stephanie's story was an inspiration to me to keep at it and I know it will be for you too.

As always, I had a great time talking to Stephanie. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Stephanie

@stephhalligan
ArtToSelf.com
Empowereddollar.com

Pat Flynn on Staying True To Yourself In A Sleazy World

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 03:39:00 -0000

There are so many sleazy tactics and practices, half-truths and outright lies. If you’re not a part of it, you wouldn’t believe some of the things that people do.

Pat Flynn, on the other hand, has built a reputation for being an honest, completely above board kind of guy. And I was curious about how he did that? And more importantly, how do you stay true to yourself when money enters the equation (and in Pat's case, lot's of money)?

We talked about all of that and a lot more in this packed conversation. I learned a lot of things about Pat that I didn't know. What's the point of it all? Is he satisfied? Has his success brought the fulfillment he had hoped for?

As always, I had a great time talking to Pat. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Pat

@patflynn
SmartPassiveIncome.com
PatFlynn.com
SPI TV

Until You’ve Had 900 Rejections In A Row, You Have No Excuse

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 04:50:00 -0000

I decided to talk about exactly that in today’s episode. Really I was trying to encourage myself, but I hope it encourages you too.

It’s a marathon. Not a sprint. Keep moving. Keep getting better. Keep showing up. And good things will happen.

“Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” ~ John Quincy Adams

Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Mary Beth Storjohann on Taking Initiative and Putting Yourself Out There

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:25:00 -0000

Mary Beth spent more than a decade in the financial planning industry before deciding she'd had enough of the corporate world and made the indiepreneur leap.

Now, she works for herself, shaking up the traditional views of that industry by focusing specifically on GenYers, helping them make smart choices with their money.

As always, I had a great time talking to Mary Beth. Enjoy the show.

More About Mary Beth

@marybstorj
WorkableWealth.com

Leigh Nash on Pushing Through Creative Struggle and Finding the People You Can Laugh With

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 04:48:00 -0000

It was my honor to sit down with Leigh in Nashville last year and talk about her life, music, the struggle of being an artist and what has ended being the truly meaningful things in her life.

As always, I had a great time talking to Leigh. Enjoy the show.

More About Leigh

@leighannenash
Leigh on Facebook

Podcasts, Podcasts and More Podcasts

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 05:31:00 -0000

I'm excited to give a shoutout to some great podcasts in today's episode. I find that I listen to very few "entrepreneurial" podcasts. So here are some of my favorites. And I'd love to know your favorites. Shoot me an email and let me know.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Chris Brogan: Stop Complaining and Set Bigger Goals

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 05:03:00 -0000

I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Brogan for a minutes several months ago while I was preparing for a new show that eventually evolved into The Gently Mad.

It was great to talk to him and find out dive a little deeper into what he's all about.

My favorite part of the discussion revolved around the idea of life/work balance and/or separation. It was great to hear Chris' somewhat contrarian take on that (since I happen to agree with him). We also talked about failure, the importance of "mission" and lots of other great stuff.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On the Separation of Life and Work

“A lot of times people are under this weird pretense that they leave home at home when they head off to work and we all know that’s not true.”

“It’s interesting to me that we even try to separate [life and business], because even when I’ve been brought into really big companies, a lot of times it ends up feeling like a personal therapy session. To me it’s not that different.”

On Failure, Systems and Mission

“Don’t fear failure. We learn from failure. Everything we do that’s worth doing in life involves failure.”

“We don’t win all the time and the more we lose, the more we learn how to do better.”

“There are a lot of system’s that are there just because you had to have something. Those are the systems we can most work with.”

“There’s a difference between quitting and giving up.”

"There’s a difference between bering pretty good at guitar or writing fiction etc. and creating a business with mission."

"Everything to do with being helpful usually is the best way to parse out if you’re doing what you should be doing."

As always, I had a great time talking to Chris. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

Min 18:14: Why work and life are inextricably connected.
Min 20:29: Fitting in vs blazing your own path.
Min 22:23: Why a sense of “mission” is so important.
Min 25:45: The difference between your “passion” and your “mission”.
Min 27:40: Why business are different than projects.
Min 30:34: The No. 1 thing to which Chris attributes his success.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Chris

@chrisbrogan
ChrisBrogan.com

The Funk, The Resistance and Playing Hurt

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:06:00 -0000

I'll be honest. Lately, I've been in a funk. It's like self-doubt central over here. So, instead of the normal Monday guest episode, I decided to talk about it. Also, I read an excerpt from this week's book giveaway, The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield.

Five Things to Remember If You Want To Be A Podcaster - My Response to The Fizzle Show Ep 89

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 05:54:00 -0000

If you want to make a business out of your podcast, I've got some great news for you. It's totally possible.

This episode is a response to The Fizzle Show episode 89 in which Chase, Corbett and Barrett answered a question I submitted about podcasting vs blogging.

They totally nailed it and I had some thoughts I wanted to add. Briefly, I touch on four things you must do if you want to make a living from a podcast:

There are no rules.
Be interesting (this is a skill that can be developed).
Get creative with how you make money.
Focus on your email list.
Don't give up.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:45:00 -0000

My wife used to sell coffee. I used to be a journalist. A friend of mine used to be a audio engineer. We all used to be something. And now we’re something different. Maybe you used to be single, but now have a family.

We all used to be something. And now we’re something different. Maybe you used to be single, but now have a family to support. Maybe you used to be too afraid of risk or filled with self-doubt or unable to step into the unknown and do something remarkable.

If there’s one constant in our little breath of an existence, it’s change. Life is an ever-continuing series of seasons. If we obsess over our “future” we’ll miss the beauty and opportunities of the season we’re in.

Don’t do that.

Don’t fear picking the wrong thing or “wasting” your time. Instead, focus on getting better. Embrace the season you’re in and take advantage of the opportunities it affords you to make small, consistent progress.

If you improve 1 percent each week, how much better will you be in a year?

Change is inevitable. Excellence is not.

But if you choose, you can make a habit of the latter.

James Clear: The Habit of Creativity and How to Schedule the Muse

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:46:00 -0000

James Clear. Where the hell do you begin with a guy like this? He’s an entrepreneur, weightlifter, travel photographer, author and regular writer at JamesClear.com.

It was my honor to talk to him for an hour. I loved his perceptive on following one’s “passion” and what it really means to do creative work.

According to James, the Muse can be scheduled. I tend to believe him and I think you will too after listen to this episode.

We even geeked out about camera gear for few minutes toward the end.

In his own words, “I’m just a country boy trying to make a difference.”

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Writing and Inspiration

“The truth is that most of the articles I write get written that day. I don’t write every day. I tried to do that and totally burned. The important thing is to have a schedule you can stick to.”

“This is the difference between professionals and amateurs. Professionals to do things on a schedule. Amateurs do things when it’s easy for them or when they feel motivated or inspired to do it.”

“Having a pace you can sustain is huge.”

“I’ve realized I’m a terrible judge of my work. If you show up enough times to get the average ideas out of the way, genius will reveal itself.”

“The default for me is hitting publish and feeling like the post is lacking. The rare thing feeling good.”

“It is true that sometimes you just have that great moment and it just flows out of you and the creative muse strikes and it just feels right. What I find, tough, is that that moment can often be trigged by doing the work for a little while, rather than sitting around passively and letting it hit you just at random.”

“The only way to increase your odds of creating something that [is] compelling and useful and important in your field is to do more. To produce on a consistent basis.”

“There is some kind of quality bar, but after that, it comes down to consistency.”

On The Importance of Telling Great Stories

“I looked back on the first 18 months of articles that I had created and I found out that pretty much 90 percent of the most popular articles all started with a story.”

“It’s not just entertaining people. The other thing I think is really important about it, is that it provides a mental model for the idea in practice. And that is very useful when it comes to behavior change or helping to improve their lives in some way.”

“It can be really easy to talk about theory or share some type of scientific research and not do the hard work of showing people how to bridge the gap between that and practical every day life. And stories help do that in really great way.”

On Finding Your “Passion”

“It’s more about doing great work than figure out all the things you don’t know.”

“You can start with the thing you really like, but I think the conversation should probably be adjusted. The conversation most people have is something around, is this what I’m passionate about, do I really care bout this, does this project light me on fire, all that type of stuff. And those things are great, but I think what the conversation should be is, what skills do I need to succeed and what am I doing to develop that skill set.”

“No matter what project you’re working on, there’s some skill associated with it and you need to figure out what that skill is and how you can build it.”

“The conversation should be about how do I develop skills, how do I move toward mastery, rather than how d

Dan Martell: Street Smarts, Business Acumen and How Not to Waste Your Life

Mon, 19 Jan 2015 06:36:00 -0000

Dan Martell has one of the most unique stories I’ve ever heard. I tried my hardest not be inspired, but just couldn’t help it. ;)

Dan is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and founder of Clarity, a venture backed startup that makes it easy to connect with top business minds over the phone. He's also invested in 33 other companies as an angel investor.

We talked about all of that as well as the amazing story of how jail time saved his life and lead to all those accomplishments.

It was truly an honor to talk to Dan and I’m really excited about this one.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Traveling

“I think traveling could solve a lot of the problems in the world if we just get everybody to go travel and understand what they’re talking about.”

On Experimentation

“Most people could be very easily more productive, they just never strive for it. Once they’re 20 and they have a working structure, they never revisit it. And I just think that if everybody just started asking questions about everything in there life, what they change or what would they try.”

“Everything from physically how we live or where we live, or how we work or interact and communicate, those are all things that are always up for experimentation and kind of moving forward in some small way.”

“Try to break it down and chunk it down. You don’t have to be all in or nothing. Try something once and then at least you’ve tried it.”

On "Failure"

“I had a very challenging childhood, so when I was younger risk meant life or death. The worst case today is I lose it all and I’m sleeping on my brother’s couch for a month and half until I build it back.”

“You want to do these small failures so it doesn’t cripple you, but know that you’re doing them and they’re really just ways to move forward.”

“I’m only this earth for a small number of years and I just want to make sure it’s impactful.”

On Self-Education

“I took everything I had in savings and put into the company Spheric Technologies and that company is really when I changed the way I approached work. I realized I didn’t know anything about business, I read every business book I could get my hands on, I got business mentors and over a four year period we grew it to about 30 employees, about $4 million in revenue and ended up getting acquired.”

“I realized I don’t have to know all the answers. I just need to learn in real-time. In other words if you’re starting a business, then you read three books on starting a business.

“If you’re not ready to apply, then learning now is actually a very wasteful activity.”

On The Importance of Mentors

“[With mentors] you start learning at a capacity and speed that would never be possible your own, because you have all these people going out into the world and experimenting and bringing you back the results. I just think everybody can be a mentor to somebody else. It doesn’t matter where you are in your life, there’s somebody that’s trying to get there and would love to talk to somebody that’s been there.”

“I don’t do anything in life without talking to somebody that’s done it before. I just think that’s slow and irresponsible and not very fun. If everybody just started working that way little by little, I think they’d be surprised how much faster they could move in the world and how much better their relationships would be, because everybody loves to give a

How to Fail Even When You Win

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 03:59:00 -0000

A professional gets up every day, goes to work and dances with the fear.

Seth Godin said this to me in a recent episode of The Gently Mad and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head.

Dancing with the fear is what we do when we leave our comfort zone and do the work that scares us. Which is the only kind of work that has the potential to be meaningful and impactful.

When I dance with the fear, I mostly fail. I stumble and flounder and knock over everything in search of the light switch.

But there’s a worse kind of failing. The kind that happens when we play it safe.

Staying in my comfort zone can feel like a win because I know my way around that room and can get through it without banging my knees into everything.

But the only way to get better, the only way to discover just how much we can really achieve is to struggle and writhe out of the chrysalis and step into the unknown.

Only then do we fight The Resistance. Only then do we have the potential to create work that matters. Only then can we change the world.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

John Lee Dumas: Bunny Rabbits, Hammers and Going All In

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 04:33:00 -0000

If I'm going to be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this conversation. I had (stupidly) labeled John as a certain kind of guy. Someone very different from me.

But, I was totally blown away by our conversation. First of all, labeling people is stupid. Second, I found that we had so much in common it was almost freaky.

John is a brilliant guy and we both share a common inability to half-ass something. It’s all or nothing. And I love that about him.

John is certainly everywhere these days, but I think I can honestly say you haven’t heard a conversation like this.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Success and Persistence

“Success and happiness is the gradual realization of a worthy ideal. And the keys there are gradual and worthy. So it’s not getting to whatever you think that journey end point is. It is the journey itself. But it’s not just any ideal like money or fame or fortune, it’s of a worthy ideal. So when we can find how to combine those two, things really get better.”

“Show me any entrepreneur at a high level who wasn’t irresponsible, not only at some point in their journey, but multiple times in their journey. You can’t find one. Sometimes you’ve got to the on the job training.”

“My first 50 episodes of Entrepreneur on Fire are horrible. I was really really bad. I had zero experience and it showed in every way, shape and form. But if I had waited until I was good, I never ever would have started because the only way to actually get good at something is to do badly a number of times.”

“Give yourself permission to wake up everyday and say, ‘Today, I’m going to do something good.’”

“I could have packed it up and walked away many times and right now Entrepreneur on Fire would be a footnote, but instead I persevered. It’s going to take persistence and perseverance to get to the point of turning it into a viable business.”

On Quitting and Getting Better

“So many people quite days or weeks before success.”

“If you want to be, do.”

“If there’s something you really do want to do, you have to do it 1000 times.”

“The way I came a better podcaster was to podcast. Just do it over and over and hone your craft.”

“One inch wide and one mile deep is so important if you want to be successful.”

“I was a really terrible podcaster, but I was the best seven-day-a-week podcaster, because I was the only one.”

As always, I had a great time talking to John. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

Min 28: The advantage of being all in.
Min 35:19: If you wait until you’re ready, you’ve waited too long.
Min 45:13: Why perseverance is key to success.
Min 57:40: The importance of reading.
Min 65:18: Why it’s ok to focus one thing.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

The Search

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 03:27:00 -0000

A special edition episode of TGM where I talk about some important shifts in thought that have been going on lately.

It’s not as big or grandiose as an epiphany. It’s more like solving a puzzle. After an hour or so of trying and failing to connect one piece to another, your mind is able to grasp the edges of the picture and very quickly each piece drops into place.

Monday was my birthday. I’m 35 years old. And most of those years have been spent engaged in The Search. Sometimes I knew what I was looking for, sometimes I thought I knew what I was looking for, but mostly it was aimless.

It was a reactionary searching, born not of a desire for something in particular, but merely something more or different than what I had. It’s as if meaning and purpose have always been slightly out of reach.

I still don’t have an answer. But it feels as if I’ve reached an altitude where I can look out over the landscape of my life and begin to see, if only faintly, the edges of the puzzle.

And those faint edges have changed my thinking in a few key ways.

The first is that The Search will never provide what we’re looking for. Searching implies there is something to be found. It’s finite. Eventually, it ends.

But life doesn’t work that way. We don’t stumble upon our unlived life. We create it. Every single day.

It’s not that I’ve abandoned The Search, I’ve merely reframed it. Instead of The Search, it’s now The Journey.

The Journey is also finite. It also involves discovery. But where The Search results in “I have become”, The Journey result in “I am becoming.”

It’s a subtle difference. But the most powerful changes in my life always seem to come from the most subtle shifts in thought.

The second thing revealed in my glimpse of the edges, is this whole concept of reframing. Rarely, if ever, do we encounter a hard right turn, that changes our whole life. Most of the time, it’s a slight course correction that, over time, puts us a thousand miles away from where we would have been.

Most of my life has been spent asking me-centric questions. When will I find someone that will make me happy? What kind of work will make me feel complete? What knowledge or experience will make me successful?

It’s a very myopic existence. Make me happy. Make me complete. Make me successful.

But what if I reframed those questions and, instead, asked, What has kept me from being happy? Why haven’t I started that business? What am I doing or not doing that kept success out of reach?

Do you see the difference? The attitude of the first is, “The world owes me something.” The attitude of the second is, “What can I make of the world I have?”

The first is The Search. The second is The Journey.

I’m not big on reflecting. I don’t make resolutions. But as I turn 35, I can’t help but look back, at least a little, and realize how much arrogance and self has been at the heart of all this existential angst and continual searching.

I’m trading expectations for opportunity, thinking for doing, talking for practicing, whining for getting better.

I don’t know if this year will be different than the last. But I know it can be, if I wake up every morning and make a choice.

Am I going to continue with The Search or embrace The Journey?

Seth Godin: Dancing With the Fear

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 05:43:00 -0000

What an honor it was to talk to Seth Godin. I almost decided to title this episode The One Where Seth Godin Kicks Me in the Ass, because that’s kind of what happened.

I kept talking about one thing and Seth kept trying to bring me around to another thing. I’d like to think in the time since we recorded this conversation, I’ve taken put some of Seth’s advice into practice.

Regardless, I had a tremendously fun time talking to one of my heroes. Seth is an amazingly smart and kind man and oozes wisdom.

A self-described starter of projects, Seth is the author of 18 bestselling books and I was was truly delighted to speak with him about life, business, meaning and how all of that intersects.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Marketing and Shortcuts

“A marketer’s job is to tell a story that resonates with us.”

“All the people who talk about market and study up on the short-cuts are never heard from five years later.”

“You do not find anybody who has built a career or a life that they’re proud who says,’Seven years ago I discovered shortcut X and told everyone and spent all my time on shortcut X’. This is not the way it works.”

The Difference Between Jobs and Work

“I think that it is worthy to have a job. I think that many of us need to have a job and a job is the thing you do to feed your family. And the work is what we call it when we are doing the thing that is personal, when we are doing the thing that makes our heart beat faster, when we are doing the thing that contributes to the community. And sometimes (and I would put myself in this category), we are fortunate enough to have both be the same thing. But if you are requiring both to be the same thing and want to bootstrap your way into that, you’re going to cripple each of them.”

On Tension and Fear

“I think what makes the work worth talking about is tension and fear. There is tension because we are simultaneously doing something that might work and something that might not work. And living with both of those things at the same time is very difficult for most people.”

“It’s one thing to be afraid. But mostly we are afraid of being afraid. Mostly we are insulating ourselves from any situation where we might actually feel afraid. And that is why people look for shortcuts and that is why people hesitate to do work that matters. Not because we can’t deal with the fear, but because the fear of the fear is keeping us from even trying.”

“My thesis is that this tension, this fear, this felling is the *point*. If we go to work and we do not feel it, we’re not actually at work.”

What Professionals Do

“What professionals do is they go to work to face the fear on a regular basis. What professionals do not do is wait until they’re in the mood. They do not wait for inspiration to strike. They show up on a regularly basis, find the thing they’re afraid of and dance with it.”

“I think that most people have the ability to have a job where someone doesn’t tell them what to do every minute of the day. If you have one of those jobs, you could *chose* to fill it with meaning.”

On The Struggle and the Work

“The fact is if you’re trusted and known by people who count on you, you’re probably not going to have trouble making a living.”

“It is entirely possible to make a living doing work you believe in. But it’s also true that most of the people who whine about this have not developed sufficient talent. They’re jus

Nathan Barry: Working in Public and the Power of Small Consistent Progress

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 07:14:00 -0000

I feel privileged to call Nathan Barry a friend. He’s one of the most generous people I know and the conversation we recorded a few months ago was a really great.

I’m excited to finally share it with you here. We talked about so many different things, but I think the theme of the show really came down to Nathan’s commitment to consistent daily progress.

That was a huge takeaway for me because I so easily get caught up in big picture stuff and forget that the only way to actually get better at what I do is to show up every day and do it.

Nathan is the author of three books on design and marketing and the founder of ConvertKit, an email marketing company for authors.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Having Enough and Celebrating Small Wins

“I think the biggest thing you can do is just keep slowly making progress and celebrating those tiny wins. Like if all you can manage for a particular day, celebrate that as a win. You made progress.”

“Maybe I only did an hours worth of work today, but it moved my business forward. It’s forward progress.”

“Probably the biggest lesson for the entire year was realizing that I have enough. Revenue doesn’t have to double every year. I don’t always have to be scrambling to achieve bigger numbers and that’s not necessarily going to bring any more happiness or anything.”

“For a long time I wrote 1,000 words a day and I built an amazing business because of it, but it got to a point where I felt trapped.”

On Systems and Working for Long-term Success

“I want people to think beyond tactics. The real point is that you need to be looking at it from the very beginning as building a system. The work that I’m doing now will benefit me for years to come.”

“This is something I’ve had to work on so much. If you’re just chasing short term revenues. then that work you day that might make you a couple hundred dollars or a couple thousand dollars, but it will be one-time revenue. And so if you’re trying to live a balanced life, you’ve got to think in terms of how is this going to help me for years to come and not just this week.”

Get Good and Sell Later

“The very first book I wrote could have been about how to make money self-publishing books, but it would have been the stupidest thing to do because I didn’t know anything. It would have been hypocritical and wrong.”

“The best people are the ones who have already put in the time to become good at their craft and now they want to teach it. You can start building an audience while your still learning and I highly recommend that, but I wouldn’t start selling training products unless you’re actually good at your craft.”

“You should always start very specifically. I find the more narrow the topic, the easier it to sell and grow what you’re doing.”

“I’ve seen major improvements when someone can learn how to design and create their own product and ship better software and all that, but it’s not nearly as life changing as being able to teach someone how to make $10,000 on the side by teaching some valuable skill.”

“I didn’t go into any of this consciously with a master plan. I think those just never work out. What you have to do instead is say, this is the one thing I’m going to do and you do your absolute best at that one thing and then you see what opportunities open up to you.”

On Consistency and Showing Up

“You have to get passed this idea of things have to be perfect before they launch.”

How to Change Your Life in 2015

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 03:06:00 -0000

In this episode I talk about some things I've been lately that I think can help you change your life for the better in 2015.

Pick one goal and give it everything you’ve got

Most people set multiple goals. I want to lose weight, I want to spend more time with my family, I want to make more money, I want to get out of debt, etc. Don’t do this. If you set 10 goals this year, all you’re doing is creating nine distractions to the No. 1 thing you really want to do.

It’s a process of reverse-engineering. Decide what it is you want to do and then work backward to figure out what you need to do every day to achieve it.

“If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp ax, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.” ~ Ron Scolastico

Aim higher than you think is possible

If you set a goal of making $20k this year, there’s a chance you’ll make it. But what if you set a goal to make $1 million? The chances are low that you’ll hit that goal, but you’ll probably blow way past $20k. It’s really hard to fail completely if you aim high enough.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” ~ T.S. Eliot

Dive in before you know how to swim

If try to wait until you’re completely prepared and have all the answers, you’ve waited too long. First of all, you’ll never be completely ready. The work will expand to fill all the time you give it.

And there’s also a great amount of fear that comes with the risk of jumping in before you’re ready. But it’s my personal belief that facing those fears and forcing ourselves to do something before we think we’re ready is the best way to accomplish something great and meaningful.

“Some are always in a state of preparation, occupied in previous measures, forming plans, accumulating materials, and providing for the main affair. These are certainly under the secret power of idleness. Nothing is to be expected from the workman whose tools are for ever to be sought. I was once told by a great master, that no man ever excelled in painting, who was eminently curious about pencils and colors.” ~ Samuel Johnson in Idleness

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Caleb Wojcik: Tasting the Fish and Taking the Time to Get Good

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 07:04:00 -0000

In this episode we're going to hear from a guy who has made the indiepreneur jump several times. In fact just recently before we recorded this episode he left a company he co-founded to start all over working for himself.

The man in question is, of course, Caleb Wojick from DIYvideoguy.com.

Caleb is one of my favorite people and over the last few months since we recorded this conversation has become a friend. He's helped me through a ton of stuff and this episode is a bit of a break from the norm in that it's literally packed from start to finish with great insight into how to make a living doing your own thing.

Caleb teaches creatives how to make better web videos and makes videos for start-ups and solopreneurs.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Producing Content and Building an Audience

“Everything I do starts with writing, so the more I write, the more I can produce. If I just sit in front of a microphone and have a topic, that’s really hard.”

“The first thing you need to do is grow an audience and that has to be on a specific topic and it just takes time. And until you have an audience of people who care about what you’re saying, it’s going to be hard to make money.”

On Finding Your Thing and Getting Good At It

“It been over 10 years of me searching for this thing. I was just searching and searching. And I still don’t know what this will look like in 10 years. I think that you eventually learn that you have fall in love with not knowing what’s going to happen.”

“You don’t have to decide you’re entire life today, but you can decide what you’re going to do with your life right now and focus on that.”

“If you commit to something for long enough, you’re going to get good at it.”

“I think a commitment to improvement is key to [success].”

On Self-employment and Continually Improving

“If you aren’t question what you’re doing with your life, I think that you’ve gone into this lazy, lackadaisical, non-caring mode. And I think you need to question what you’re doing. Not to the extent of depression and anxiety, but to wake up in the morning and think, how am I feeling, how am I doing, how am portraying myself to my audience and is there anything I can improve on.”

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned over the past three years of working for myself is that you can work the burnout schedule, but eventually you hit a wall. So for me I had to learn how to recharge.”

“The whole idea of committing yourself to something for a long time has greatly influenced my current path of getting better at stuff.”

“Spend less time planning and more time doing stuff. And doing stuff publicly. Share the kind of things you’re making. It’s important to plan stuff out, but unless you starting doing stuff, you’re not going to get better at it.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Caleb. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

Min 35:54: As an indiepreneur, how do you figure out what “work” leads to money and what doesn’t?
Min 38: What it’s really like to to be self-employed.
Min 48:46: Where to start when you’re trying to create a content-based business.
Min 54:44: How do you know what to pursue when you enjoy many different things?
Min 62: How to constantly be improving.
Min 64:42: What are the biggest obsta

The Showdown: Top 5 Albums of 2014 with Noah Stokes

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 05:30:00 -0000

I'm a hardcore music lover and so is my friend Noah Stokes. We decided to do a fun episode where we thought we would play clips from our top five albums of the year and let the fighting ensue.

Turns out, our tastes in music are much more similar than we would have thought. This episode was a great break from the routine and if you're a music lover (and who isn't, really?), I think you'll enjoy it.

As always, I had a great time talking to Noah. Enjoy the show!

Noah's Top 5

Adam's Top 5

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

Noah & Adam's Links & Profiles

Noah on Rdio
Adam on Rdio
@motherfuton
@avclark

Donald Miller: Meaning, Purpose and Discovering What Truly Matters in Life

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 05:44:00 -0000

I remember when I first picked up Donald Miller's book, Blue Like Jazz, in a Barnes and Noble more than 10 years ago. It changed my life and he's since become one of my favorite authors of all time.

I was thrilled to be able to sit down with him at his office in Nashville and talk about writing, business, life and how to figure out what really matters in all of it.

To say I was excited would be an understatement. I can't even pick my favorite parts of this conversation because the whole thing was so good. But I'll do my best.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Writing and Work

“If there’s one thing I do it’s that I just try to communicate everything in a clear and compelling way.”

“Being a writer is very very difficult and I was just naive enough to *not* know I couldn’t do it.”

“Writing is a craft, as romantic as it is, it’s also the same kind of work that a plumber does. Just have to show up every day and do it well.”

“I was convinced the first book was gonna be a huge best-seller and it sold, like, 27 copies.”

“I emulated what I loved. Anne Lamott gave me courage and J.D. Salinger gave me a voice.

“You just have to do the work to write a really great book.”

“The year after the NYT best seller’s list was not an easy year. It was a hard year and somewhat depressing. Because I really thought that it would be Mecca, that it would be amazing. But when that happened it wasn’t as meaningful of an experience as I had hoped it would be. So I began to think about what am I looking for if it’s not success? What will feed me? what will validate me?”

“It took me another 10 years to get back to enjoying writing. I wrote books during that time, but they were labors. How are you going to produce your best work with the burden on your shoulders of your best work?”

On Goals

“I know now, it’s very dangerous to have a goal that you’re trying to reach. I like having a goal that I’m trying to pass through on the way to another goal. And that to me is much more helpful because you can celebrate passing through this goal and yet you still have something to do. We were designed in my opinion to stay in motion, to keep moving.”

“One of the most healing things you can do is have [work to do].

“I can’t remember the last time I was depressed because I wake up and have something to do and people who depend on me to do it. Who has to time to sit and reflect on the sadness of life? I’ve got stuff to do.”

“I’m not a big fan of ‘what now?’”

“If you don’t know what you’re doing with your life, then just try a bunch of stuff and see what lights you up.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Donald. Enjoy the show!

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

More About Donald

@donaldmiller
CreatingY

Derek Webb: Why You Should Be Your Own Patron and How to Adapt to a Constantly Changing Industry

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 04:21:00 -0000

Derek Webb has been one of my favorite musicians for as long as I can remember. He’s always managed to release albums that spoke to exactly whatever stage of life I was in at the time.

After a 20-year career, and dozens of albums (as a solo artist and with Caedmon’s Call), Derek has decided to move more into the business side of the music industry as the President of NoiseTrade, a company he founded in 2006.

We recorded this interview in person in Nashville a few months ago and I was amazed by how so many of his thoughts and experiences as a signer and songwriter applied to my life as an entrepreneur and online content maker.

I have to admit, I was a bit star-struck during this interview and just sat back and let Derek do the talking. Which, as it turns out, was a good thing because he has so many great things to say about business, the struggle, and what it takes to make it.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Career, Seasons and Success

“You’re not owed a career. It is incumbent upon artists, even great, talented artists, to also be smart and to also be tenacious and adaptive, and if you’re not you’re … you’re probably not going to make it”

“It used to be that the enemy was scarcity. Now the problem is obscurity.”

“20 years ago in the music business there was the professional class and the amateurs and there was no in-between. There was only one marketing plan and that was swim up stream into the head of the sales curve. But then suddenly, everybody could make records, everybody could distribute records … So, there’s finally a middle class. There’s finally a blue color living to be made as an artist. You’re not making a million dollars, you’re not a household name, but you can make a great living playing music. You just have to take it seriously and work hard.”

“If what you want is fame and fortune, that was never really real in the first place.”

On Change

“Achtung Baby is the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree” ~ Bono

“I love the idea, honestly, of 20 years on the music business being a footnote to a new season of entrepreneurial work for me.”

On Audience Building and Compromise

“I’m not trying to say anything to anybody. I don’t have any kind of agenda that way, because it constrains the art. Like for me to say, ‘I’m going try to so this to that group’, well now I’ve already put these narrow guardrails around and how can I now trust my creative instincts?”

“There’s nothing worse than being famous for something you don’t like. I’d rather fail at trusting my instincts completely than succeed at compromising them.”

“The job of any artist is to look at the world and tell us what you see.”

“If the only choice is to start making compromises on the actual art, in order to sell more records and draw more people to me, that’s just a line a couldn’t cross.”

On Being Your Own Patron

“I want to keep making records that I want to make and if I can’t make living from it, then I have to figure out something else to do, I have to figure out how to subsidize my own work.”

“I subsidize my ability to continue making the kind of records I want to make and not have to put the burden of making a living on it.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Derek. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

Min 24:44: Why trust and attention are the most important currency.

Corbett Barr: A Million Ways to Skin a Cat and Joining the Cult of Chase

Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:13:00 -0000

“Everything good that’s happened to me over the last five years is the result of starting a blog. Of putting my thoughts and words down on the page.” One of my favorite conversations so far, Corbett Barr (if that’s his real name) is the real deal.

Corbett and I spoke at length on this topic and it's one of my favorite conversations so far. I've wanted to get Corbett Barr (if that's his real name) on the show for a long time and when we finally made it happen, I didn't want to waste a minute of it. We really covered the gamut in this one, folks.

We talked about taking risks and pursuing our dreams, audience building (how to do it and how NOT to do it), product building, entrepreneurship as a lifestyle, what “success” really is and so much more.

Corbett is co-founder of Fizzle, a community and video training libraries for people working to become self-employed. He's also one of those guys who just exudes wisdom. It kind of pours our of him like sweat. So get read to get a little Corbett wisdom sweat on you.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On Creating Products and Success

“There are a million ways to win, you just have to be at the right place at the right time”

“You can only do so much to create a really great product and you never what thing is going to take off and what thing isn’t and a lot of times the solution is to buy more lottery tickets because each project is essentially a lottery ticket and you can’t get better at winning the lottery.”

“It may be that your thing just isn’t good enough.”

On Icky Marketing Tactics

“You owe it to yourself to examine every tactic your aware off and pick it apart and follow you’re own internal compass.”

“It is possible to create a really great product that goes nowhere if you’re not willing to promote it at all”

“When you say [these tactics] work, the problem is who do they work better on?”

For some who is using [these tactics], they might win the short term game of getting more subscribers or whatever, but what they lose is is the influence game, over time.”

“You do this sort of stuff long enough and you lose influence with the people that matter.”

The Importance of Influence

“Most people don’t think for themselves. They just look to the clues, the influencers, the reviews, the social proof. So maybe what matters is not reaching each individual person who comes to your site be reaching the people whose opinion matters because that’s how you’re going to grow an audience anyway.”

“Some of the people that are close to me and that I’ve worked hard to cultivate are worth 100,000 email subscribers.”

On Blogging, Career Desperation and Branding

“Everything good that’s happened to me over the last five years is the result of starting a blog. Of putting my thoughts and words down on the page.”

“I find that over time if put constraints on myself in terms of what the topic is, who I’m writing for and what goal it has to achieve, then I end up not enjoying the process so much and that’s where friction happens and that’s where a great project can sort of get stuck in the muck.”

“People can sense desperation in your career.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of if you commit to living your life in the meantime.”

“[Eventually] you learn that any sort of adversity is just another challenge and there’s always a way around it.”

“There’s no reason the an

Justin Jackson: Seinfeld vs Louis C.K., Product Creation and Professional Procrastination

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 17:25:00 -0000

Justin is a product-maker, interview and host of his own podcast, Product People (url) and one of the best thinkers about what makes products work and how to get inside the minds of your audience.

We talked about one of my favorite topics, Seinfeld, and how comedy relates to our work as content producers. We also dove into, music, film, Steve Jobs and whether genius is innate or if it can be learned.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

The Secret to Being a Great Writer

“I don’t think people really like my writing, but they just like the idea of what I right about.”

“I think that’s what I’m actually good at, is kind of identifying something deep inside people’s guts that they’ve felt, but never been able to verbalize.”

One Product Making and Psychology

“Time and attention is a form of currency and if you can figure out how to get people to spend their time and attention on something that you’ve created, there is a transaction that goes on there.”

“One of the problems I see people having is that they jump straight from doing nothing to trying to make something they could sell.”

“Making something for money is a lot harder than selling something for people’s time and attention.”

“If you haven’t learned the skills in terms of what it takes to give their time and attention, how are you actually going to convince them to take out their wallets.”

“It’s hard to convince people to do anything. It’s all about psychology. So if you haven’t practiced, you’re going to fail.”

“None of this is new. The problem is we’re not practiced … in knowing what people really care about”

On vulnerability in writing

“You expose that thing that no one ever expresses and other people feel relieved.”

“I think people know what they want when they see it, but they can’t articulate it.”

On others-centeredness and altruism

“Others-centeredness doesn’t always have to be altruistic. Sometimes it can just be, ‘I’m doing this for myself”, but acknowledging that it’s for other people. I’m doing this because it matches up with what other people desire.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Justin. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

Min 7: Seinfeld vs Louis C.K.
Min 23: Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my favorite film.
Min 28: How comedy relates to what we do as product makers and content producers.
Min 33: How to keep putting out great content.
Min 36: Why so many product maker’s fail.
Min 43: What people really care about.
Min 61: The key to the “why”.
Min 68: What I see everyone missing.

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

It's Hobbit Time

Sat, 20 Dec 2014 18:35:00 -0000

Many friends have told me I'm not promoting this show or my contest enough. I don't know what else to do, so I'm doing this. Hope you have a great weekend. Enjoy!

You Have To Jump Off The Cliff Before You Can Build Wings

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 05:39:00 -0000

This marks my first "solo" show ever. I had the content all planned out and then decided to change it up last minute.

In this "inbetweenisode" I talk about why it's important (and OK) to take big risks. In fact, it's necessary if you want to accomplish anything that matters.

Sure, you can play it safe and follow all the rules society has set on us, but that's the path that leads to regret, my friends. Often the most rewarding things you do in life are the ones that look like they simply can't be done.

Some wise words to get your juices flowing

"First you jump of the cliff and you build wings on the way down." ~ Ray Bradbury

"A ship in harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are for." ~ John A. Shedd

"It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever." ~ Philip Adams

"Before you can be creative, you must be courageous. Creativity is the destination, but courage is the journey." ~ Joey Reiman

Show Notes

Get in on the contest folks. Seriously.
If you have a question, ask it and I'll talk about it on the show.
I'd love your thoughts on the "inbetweenisodes". Let me know what you think.

Jason SurfrApp: Cultivating Creativity, Kicking Social Media Addiction and Finding Your Calvin and Hobbes

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:13:00 -0000

Two of my favorite topics of discussion are the over-connection world we live in and how to intentionally cultivate creativity in our lives. Jason and I dove headfirst into both of those topics as well as many others. And I couldn’t think of a better person which whom to have this particular discussion. Jason SurfrApp is hands-down one of the most brilliant people I know. I’m privileged to call him a friend and this conversation is definitely in my top 5 of the first 4 episodes of TGM. Wait…

Who knows what he really does at the Jason HQ, but officially, he’s a entrepreneur, best-selling author, creative thinker and a self-described “action taker and unconventional marketer”.

I loved Jason’s take on business, social media, finding balance and meaning on our lives and businesses.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

On being over-connected and addicted to social media

“There were so many big companies that came to me and wanted to give me thousands of dollars if I could just come with a creative way that we could work together and I couldn’t come up with singe idea, because my brain was so taxed.”

“You don’t need to be on Facebook and Twitter to grow a business. We all built businesses before social media.”

“Everything is cyclical. Facebook will not be around for ever. Something new will come along.”

“I really believe social media is the next addiction. It’s the next cigarette, the next alcohol. We are literally going to have an entire network of social media doctors and therapists trying to wean people off this stuff and we just don’t realize it because it’s so new. I don’t think people understand the dopamine releases when we constantly check our likes, comments, etc.”

On finding your “one true passion”

“So much of what I tried to do in the last year and half was, find my passion, find my purpose. I wanted this direction for myself and this *one thing* that I was so good at. But that’s the thing, I’m not that way. I’m not good at one thing. I’m good at a lot of random stuff … but it all cobbles together”

“I’m not going to worry about how all these things thread together perfectly. That’s kind of what everyone tells you, you need your thing, your niche. Ok, I agree. But for some people, you may not find that thing for 10 years.”

On cultivating creativity:

“When anyone can get themselves into a state where they’re not worried about the criticism of other people … [great things can happen].“

“If you feel the resistance to something that’s so strong that it’s like, there’s no way I can do this … you need it more than you know.”

“I think the first 5 to 15 minutes of your day is the most important part of your day. It’s when my best creative thinking happens.”

“Intentionally start your day with something that makes you happy.”

What’s really important in business

“Everyone should try things. Listen to your gut and try new things.”

“I throw the stick. There are a lot of people who hold the stick and stare at all the different directions and do know where to through it. I just throw the stick an go after it.”

“Every business needs two phases: preparation and then effort.”

“I want a much smaller list of incredibly high quality people. I was so obsessed with the numbers of things. I’ve realized that it really does not serve you. What you need is the high quality, the low-number

Chase Reeves: Rapid Listbuilding for Accelerated Hypergrowth

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:31:00 -0000

Whenever I talk to Chase Reeves it’s like two little rabbits hopping all over the place chasing a carrot through the world of philosophical meaning and existential angst. In a good way. ;)

Chase is a designer, educator and co-founder of Fizzle.co, which is hands-down the best online community for people who want to make a living doing something they love. Check out the contest to win a full year of Fizzle for FREE.

He’s a self-described “weird mix of business, design, marketing, tomfoolery, cocktails, marketing, design, flahoolick, and cocktails. Most of his friends say he’s the most indelicate person they know.”

Here are some of my favorite bits from the show:

Art vs. Artifice

“We live in a world of shit and yet we desire and dream of making something good. And in order to make something good we have to fool ourselves into trying, first of all, in a world where only shit things get big, and then if we really want that thing to have a change of getting big or to be seen by a lot of people, we have to wrap that good thing in shit and get it out there. And I can’t just wake up in the morning and feel like, I’m so grateful for what I have. It’s all about me me me, and everything fucked up and I don’t know where I’m going and yet I have is so good.”

“There’s artifice in everything. I don’t think there *is* a balance. The best we can do is try not to swing to pendulum to hard to the other side. That’s the game we’re in.”

Passion is still hard work

“You and I are dreaming about a thing that doesn’t feel like a job. But everything turns into a job in the end.”

On having enough

“What is big? What if what I have right now is enough.”

“Part of me feels like the whole secret to this thing is being satisfied, being grateful.”

As always, I had a great time talking to Chase. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes

12 mins: The best “that’s what she said” of all time.
20 mins: Is creative fulfillment in a career possible?
51 mins: The closest thing to a proven process for making something meaningful.
59 mins: How do you just decide to be satisfied? Hint: It’s not a decision, it’s a discovery.
68 mins: Is it possible to mix business and meaning?
74 mins: How do we do meaningful work?
90 mins: What makes our work feel meaningful and satisfying?
91 mins: What is legacy? How do I set myself up for legacy?

Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show

What to Expect From the New TGM and Some Exciting Announcements

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 09:14:00 -0000

It’s finally here, folks. The Gently Mad has been rebooted. I’m hoping it’s more of a J.J. Abrams style reboot than a George Lucas one, but only time will tell.

I did 59 episodes of the old show (which is still in iTunes if you want to peruse the back catalogue) and I’m super excited about relaunching and what’s to come.

In this episode, I dive into why I decided to reboot (despite being told it was a dumb move), what you can expect from the new show and how it will be different from the old one.

One of the biggest changes is that the new show is going to air three times a week. Monday and Wednesday will be interview shows and Friday will be my “experiment” day. Some Friday’s will be solo shows, some will be Q&As, who knows what’s going to happen. I’m going to be trying all sorts of things just for the fun of it and hopefully, your enjoyment as well.