Osayi Lasisi didn’t set out to launch a product line. She set out to find a brown plush doll for her daughter.

When that search came up empty, her daughter didn’t just get disappointed and move on. She said, let’s make them ourselves.

And that’s where everything started.

In this conversation, Osayi shares how Pocketlings was born, what it’s like to co-build a business with a 10-year-old, and the lessons that have emerged from just figuring things out as they go.

Highlights

Your idea doesn’t have to be brilliant.

Pocketlings didn’t start with a market analysis or a brand strategy.

It started with a kid who wanted something she couldn’t find.

“She couldn’t find brown plush dolls and she decided she wanted to start selling them.”

That’s it. That was the spark.

And it’s a good reminder that the ideas closest to our real lives, the ones rooted in genuine need, are often more powerful than the ones we manufacture trying to be clever.

Research is a skill.

Before anything was ordered or designed, Osayi asked her daughter to do the research: manufacturers, price points, competitors, and profit margins.

Not because she needed her daughter to do the work. But because she wanted her to build the skill.

“I asked her to research manufacturers and how much it would cost. She would find similar dolls and the pricing and then we’d discuss it.”

That’s real-world learning.

And it produced real-world results. Her daughter came back with data. They made decisions together. And the business became something they both owned.

You can’t learn everything before you start.

There’s a version of this story where they spent months researching the perfect doll size before placing any order.

They didn’t do that.

They started with the size her daughter wanted. And only after shipping real dolls to real customers did they realize a smaller size would have been easier to manage.

“There are some things that we understood better after we started.”

That sentence says it all.

Not everything can be researched in advance. Some knowledge only comes from doing the work.

Quitting can be a strategy but it must be intentional.

Osayi brought up Seth Godin’s concept of the dip:

The hardest moments are often the thing separating the people who figure it out from the ones who walk away before they get the chance.

“Quitting is always okay. My only thing is, if you’re going to quit, you want to decide to quit. Not because it’s hard. Because you’ve decided to quit.”

Decide with intention. Not with exhaustion.

Building in public means learning in public too.

One of the unexpected gifts of starting Pocketlings has been the conversations it opened up.

Other parents started asking how they could give their kids the same experience. That led Osayi and her daughter to libraries, to workshops, and to community entrepreneurship sessions for kids who want to build something of their own.

“We didn’t think we were going to be doing that when we were starting out with just dolls.”

That’s how it usually goes.

You start one thing and it opens a door to something you never planned for.

Closing Reflection

Osayi’s story isn’t just about dolls or books or tween period journals.

It’s about what happens when you take a child’s idea seriously.

When you let them research, make decisions, deal with real world problems, and experience what it means to build something from nothing.

And it started because a girl couldn’t find a doll that looked like her.

That’s the quiet truth running through my conversation with Hannah Cole. She’s a tax educator, an artist with over 20 years of experience, and the founder of Sunlight Tax.

We talk about why there’s no standard path for creatives, how the story you tell about your worth shapes everything, and why financial literacy might be the most underrated superpower in your business toolkit.

Highlights

There is no standard path. And that’s actually the point.

Creative careers don’t come with a rulebook and for a long time, that felt like a disadvantage.

But Hannah reframes it completely.

“Believing there should be a standard route stifles innovation and self-direction; embracing the openness enables more organic growth and resilience.”

When you stop waiting for someone to hand you the map, you start drawing your own. And that map tends to be more honest, more durable, and more you.

The story you tell about your work changes everything.

Marketing is hard for a lot of creatives. Not because they don’t have something valuable to offer. But because they haven’t fully claimed the value of what they do.

Hannah connects this directly to how we price, pitch, and show up.

“Valuing your authenticity and the unique perspective you bring makes marketing more genuine and attracts aligned clients.”

When you believe in what you bring to the table, you stop underselling and hedging. And you start speaking to the people who actually need what you have.

Money is just value wearing a different name.

So many creatives carry a complicated relationship with money. It feels awkward to charge and uncomfortable to negotiate. It’s like asking for money means somehow caring less about the art.

Hannah flips that story.

“By reframing the way we perceive money in relation to our creative work, we begin to see it not as a barrier but as a reflection of the value we provide. This mental shift cultivates confidence and legitimacy, making it easier to set fair prices and negotiate contracts.”

Money isn’t the opposite of meaning. It’s what happens when your work matters to someone else enough for them to exchange something for it.

Financial literacy is a creative superpower.

Most of us weren’t taught this. We got great art education, maybe. But no one sat us down and walked us through estimated taxes, deductions, or what self-employment actually costs.

And that gap creates unnecessary stress.

“Financial literacy empowers creative professionals to maximize deductions, reduce anxiety, and reinvest in their craft.”

The less time you spend in financial fog, the more you can put into the work.

Simple systems beat complicated intentions.

Hannah is a big advocate of this one. You don’t need a complicated accounting setup. You need something easy enough that you’ll actually do it.

“People are more likely to sustain beneficial habits that are effortless to maintain, leading to better long-term financial health.”

Things like creating a dedicated account for business expenses or building a habit of tracking can go a long way. Small sustainable things compound into real clarity over time.

You don’t have to do this alone.

One of the most powerful things Hannah talks about is collective action. The tax laws that have protected artists and creatives didn’t happen by accident. They happened because people organized, showed up, and made noise together.

“Building civic engagement and belonging to professional groups magnifies influence and creates systemic change.”

Your individual voice matters. But when you join it with others, the impact multiplies in ways that go far beyond your own studio or business.

The creative brain is built for entrepreneurship.

Hannah makes a case I think a lot of us need to hear.

Pattern recognition, lateral thinking, and standing out in a crowded room all make us good artists and writers. And those same skills can make for a remarkable entrepreneur.

“Recognizing their own superpowers can help artists and creators craft authentic, compelling brands and find underserved markets.”

You’ve been business skills your whole life. You just might not have called them that.

Closing Reflection

Hannah’s work is about more than tax tips.

It’s about helping creatives step into the full picture of what they’ve built. To stop treating money like a foreign language and start seeing it as part of the creative practice itself.

Because when you understand the financial side of your work, you protect it. You grow it. You give it staying power.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur figuring out the money side of your work, leave a comment and tell us where you’re at. Because this conversation is worth continuing.

Dr. Bailey Lang didn’t become a book coach and editor by accident.

Her path moves from hyperlexic child… to marketing professional… to PhD… to founder of The Writing Desk. And when you zoom out, none of it is random. Every season sharpened how she sees story, structure, mindset, and the humans behind the pages.

In this conversation, Bailey and I talk about creative writing beyond fiction, the realities of academia, the power of marginalized voices, and why standing out has less to do with tactics and more to do with telling the truth about who you are.

Highlights

Creativity processes are personal and they evolve

So many writers assume there is one correct way to be creative.

One correct routine.

One correct drafting method.

One correct productivity system.

And when their process doesn’t look like someone else’s, they assume they’re doing it wrong.

Bailey gently dismantles that myth.

“People kind of assume there’s one right way to do it. And that is where people get stuck. The same thing is true with our creative processes, right? The actual practice of showing up to write, I think people often assume, I’m supposed to do it this one specific way, right? And it’s, no, you can do it in infinite ways.”

Different seasons of your life require different approaches. Different projects demand different rhythms.

When you stop trying to copy someone else’s creative process, you free up energy to actually create.

Marginalized voices reveal universal habits of mind

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when Bailey talks about her dissertation research.

She studied women writers outside academic spaces and asked whether the same “habits of mind” celebrated in academia showed up in their reflections on craft.

“I was looking specifically at women writers who were not working in academic spaces... And do we see these same habits kind of showing up in how they’re reflecting on their own work... But the answer that I found in my dissertation was more or less, yeah.”

This is why diversity is a strength. Different lived experiences expand the creative toolbox for all of us. When we spotlight marginalized voices, we don’t narrow the conversation. We deepen it.

Mindset will make or break your progress

Craft matters.

But mindset is often the real bottleneck.

Bailey works as both a coach and an editor, and she sees how the inner critic shows up when revisions land in someone’s inbox.

It’s not just about fixing sentences. It’s about facing fear.

“Mindset is huge, particularly in coaching engagements, right? So I also do editing. At that point, a lot of mindset stuff is like dealing with how do you make revisions once I give them to you.”

Revision isn’t a verdict on your talent. It’s part of the creative loop.

If you can separate feedback from identity, you unlock growth.

Authenticity Over Visibility Tactics

There’s a difference between being loud and being aligned.

A lot of creatives think standing out means reaching more people. Bigger audience. More noise. More reach.

Bailey reframes that completely.

“Standing out isn’t about broadcasting to a broad audience but about amplifying your unique perspective and personal qualities. Genuine authenticity attracts the right audience organically.”

The right people are not found through volume. They’re found through clarity.

Value of Authentic Self-Representation

We copy because it feels safer.

If it worked for them, maybe it will work for me.

But that instinct slowly erodes the very thing that makes your work compelling.

“Your unique personality, perspective, and vulnerabilities are your strongest branding assets—cloning or copying successful models dilutes genuine appeal.”

The more you sound like you, the less competition you actually have.

Adaptation Is Essential for Success

There is no fixed formula for a creative life.

What works this year may not work next year. What worked for one book may not work for the next.

“Different seasons of your life, different seasons of the year, different projects, they can all require some adaptation and flexibility.”

Flexibility keeps you in motion.

Rigidity is what burns people out.

The creatives who last are not the ones who find the perfect system.

They’re the ones who adjust without abandoning themselves.

Community is not optional

There’s a myth of the solitary genius.

Bailey rejects it completely.

“Find your people, make a cool thing, and then show it to all of the people that you know who like cool things. It’s great.”

That’s it.

Community accelerates courage. It also keeps you sane when the work feels heavy.

Writing is solitary. A creative life doesn’t have to be.

Closing Reflection

Bailey’s story isn’t about choosing the perfect path.

It’s about noticing where your skills, values, and energy intersect… and building from there.

From hyperlexic kid to marketer to PhD to book coach, every chapter informs the next. Nothing is wasted.

If you need help building a creative business, writing a book, or trying to find your voice in a crowded world, sign up for a free call and we’ll figure out your best path forward.

If you liked this conversation or want to share your own insights. Drop a comment and tell us what you’re building.

Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to see.

Jennifer Locke helps people turn ideas into books.

Not someday books.

Real books that get written in the middle of family life, busy schedules, self-doubt, and the very normal fear of being seen.

In this conversation, Jennifer shares what it really looks like to follow through on a writing life, how nonfiction and fiction require completely different muscles, why marketing can’t be an afterthought, and why community might be the thing that keeps you going when motivation disappears.

Highlights

Mastery comes from consistency, not perfection

Jennifer offers one of the simplest, and hardest, truths about writing.

You don’t finish a book by waiting for the perfect conditions.

You finish it by showing up.

“Writing a little each day, even if it’s just 10 minutes, accumulates into a completed book. Consistency outpaces perfectionism in long-term growth.”

Ten minutes doesn’t sound impressive.

But it’s how books get built.

Your unique voice is your greatest differentiator

So many writers spend years trying to sound like someone else.

Jennifer gently pulls you back to what actually matters.

The thing that makes your work stand out is you.

“Focus on what makes you feel alive and true to yourself, because no one else can replicate your authenticity, making it your most powerful asset.”

Your voice is your advantage.

Rejections and revisions are part of the job

Jennifer doesn’t sugarcoat the creative process.

Books don’t come out fully formed.

Drafts get rejected and ideas get reshaped.

The people who finish don’t avoid setbacks, they learn from them.

“My experiences with multiple rejections led to stronger drafts. Setbacks often precede breakthroughs when approached with curiosity and resilience.”

Rejection isn’t the end.

Sometimes it’s the edit that makes the work better.

Marketing should start earlier than you want it to

This is the part writers love to avoid.

But Jennifer makes it clear: Marketing isn’t something you add on at the end.

It’s something you build alongside the writing.

“Identify where you enjoy showing up and dedicate your efforts there, instead of chasing every trend or platform.”

You don’t need to be everywhere.

You just need to be somewhere that’s enjoyable.

The core of a creative business is self-knowledge

Jennifer keeps coming back to alignment.

The writers who last are the ones who know what matters to them.

“Focusing inward, what excites and energizes you, rather than external metrics or comparisons, is the key to long-term differentiation.”

Your work grows when it’s rooted in who you actually are.

Creativity is meant to feel joyful

Revision doesn’t have to be misery.

Writing doesn’t have to be constant pressure.

Jennifer reframes the creative process as something that can still be playful even when it’s hard.

“Turning edit and revision into playful opportunities for discovery, not solely tasks to be endured, keeps the joy in crafting.”

Community makes the writing life possible

Jennifer pushes back against the myth of the lone genius writer.

Books are personal but writing doesn’t have to be lonely.

Feedback, support, and people matter.

“Critique groups and collaborative relationships foster resilience and inspire continuous improvement.”

Community keeps you going when your brain tells you to quit.

Closing Reflection

Jennifer Locke reminds us that writing a book is about building trust with your own voice, starting marketing earlier than feels comfortable, and surrounding yourself with people who understand what it means to create something from nothing.

If you need help bringing your book to life or balancing your endless to-do list, I want to help. Sign up for a free call where we get all those ideas out of your head and into the world.

Andy Hodges didn’t set out to follow a single creative lane. His path winds through anthropology, academia, fiction editing, and now novel writing, all held together by curiosity and a deep respect for story.

In this conversation, Andy and I talk about what it really means to balance structure and freedom in your creative work, why genre expectations matter more than many writers want to admit, and how building a sustainable creative life often requires letting go of the paths that once felt “safe.”

This episode is for writers who love the craft, feel pulled in multiple directions, and are trying to figure out how to make creativity fit into real life, not an idealized version of it.

Highlights

Creative freedom is intentional

Andy speaks candidly about choosing creative work because because it felt necessary. Writing fiction became a way to reclaim time and energy for the work that made him feel most alive.

“I just thought, well, you only live once. And I really, really want to spend some of the time that I have on this Earth doing this kind of creative work, like writing a novel, writing short stories, learning the craft of all of that.”

Genre tropes aren’t creative limits

Andy breaks down why understanding genre expectations isn’t selling out, it’s showing respect for your audience. Readers come to a book with emotional expectations, and ignoring that can break trust fast.

“There’s expected tropes when you’re writing for certain genres, especially, like you said, the mystery and the romance and people are expecting what they expect and that’s the reason they picked it and that’s reason that they like it.”

You can still surprise readers. Just don’t surprise them by giving them the wrong book.

There is no single “right” way to write

Andy pushes back hard on the idea that writers need to follow one approved process. His early fiction work was intuitive, unpolished, and deeply influenced by everyday life, and that wasn’t a weakness. It was the point.

“There’s no one right or wrong way of doing things. I think it’s important to lean into your intuition and do things in a way that just sits right with you.”

The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s system. It’s to build one that actually fits how your brain works.

Sustainability protects your creative work

Andy is clear that balancing editing, consulting, and writing wasn’t about diluting his passion. It was about protecting it. Financial stability gave his fiction room to grow instead of forcing it to perform.

“My route into that in a way that was sustainable for me was to strike a balance between doing this sort of academic editing and consulting work and the fiction stuff. The fiction stuff is the stuff I’m really passionate about.”

Originality comes from combination, not invention

Andy reminds us that no story exists in a vacuum. Every book is both familiar and new, shaped by what the writer loves, reads, and notices.

“Every new novel is not a completely novel invention. It’s very familiar in some way and it’s new in some way.”

Building an audience is about ownership, not platforms

After stepping away from social media, Andy refocused on what he could actually control. His takeaway is simple but powerful: your book doesn’t stand alone. It lives inside a bigger ecosystem.

“Your book is not just a book by itself, but it’s part of a wider platform that you cultivate.”

“Loads of people actually do make a decent living, not from the book by itself, but from the kind of ecosystem that they have linked to their book.”

Closing reflection

Andy’s journey is a reminder that creative careers are rarely neat or linear. They’re built through experimentation, financial recalibration, uncomfortable transitions, and a willingness to learn new skills without abandoning your core interests.

Whether you’re navigating publishing paths, trying to balance creativity with stability, or questioning how much structure you really need, I’m here to help you on your journey.

Sign up for a free consultation to see how we can build a better path creative path forward together.

In this episode, I talked with Julia Carmen, a curandera, spiritual healer, and founder of the School Without Walls. Julia has spent her life walking between the physical and non-physical worlds. Seeing, sensing, listening. Not as a party trick, but as a way of being.

Julia talks about presence, self-worth, grief, choice, and the courage it takes to listen to your soul in a very loud world.

Walking Between Worlds

Julia was born into a lineage of healers. Seeing spirits, hearing guides, sensing the unseen wasn’t something she learned. It was always there.

“I don’t know what it feels like not to see things.”

But walking in both the spiritual and physical worlds came with real challenges. Confusion. Fear. Being misunderstood. Learning how to stay grounded while holding what most people can’t see.

Actionable Insight:

You don’t need to escape the human experience to be spiritual. Take a moment that is especially chaotic and ground yourself.

Bonus:

Today, pause once. Put your feet on the floor and notice where you are.

The Container of Unconditional Love

At the heart of Julia’s work is one idea: the container of unconditional love.

Just hold space for yourself and for others.

This is the foundation of the School Without Walls, where learning happens through relationship, soul care, and deep listening rather than rigid systems.

Actionable Insight:

Growth requires a container. Ask yourself where you feel safe enough to tell the truth.

Bonus:

Identify one relationship or space where you can show up without performing.

Intuition vs. the Soul Self

One of my favorite moments in this conversation is when Julia separates intuition from the soul self.

Intuition, she says, is human.

The soul self is eternal.

Your brain matters. Logic matters. But so does the quiet voice underneath all of it.

“Shhh. Be still. Get quiet.”

That’s where clarity lives.

Actionable Insight:

Stop asking for louder signs. Start listening more carefully.

Bonus:

Before making one decision this week, sit in silence for two minutes.

Self-Worth, Creativity, and Value

Toward the end of the conversation, Julia drops something creatives especially need to hear.

Your work has value.

Your presence has value.

You don’t need to give yourself away to be worthy.

Self-worth is quiet. Steady. Rooted.

Actionable Insight:

Stop underpricing your energy, time, or creativity.

Bonus:

Ask yourself where you’re overgiving to earn belonging.

Key Takeaways

1. Being present is a spiritual practice
2. You can walk both worlds and still be human
3. Healing requires unconditional love
4. Intuition is human, the soul self is eternal
5. Grief can deepen, not derail, your growth
6. Self-worth is something you practice daily
7. Your creative work deserves respect and care

Closing Reflection

Julia didn’t set out to build a brand. She chose herself over and over again.

If you’re a creative or writer who knows there’s more in you, but you’ve been second-guessing your voice, your value, or whether your work even “fits” anywhere… you’re not broken. You just need the right container.

That’s where I come in.

I help authors and creatives get clear on their message, build visibility in a way that actually feels like them, and turn their work into something sustainable.

If you’re ready to stop circling the same questions and start moving with intention, let’s talk. You can book a free, low-pressure clarity call at The Standout Creatives.

Leigh Carron, author of Fat Girl and other body positive romance novels, didn’t set out to follow trends, chase algorithms, or fit neatly into what the publishing world expects. She set out to tell her truth. And in doing so, she’s built stories centered on body diversity, biracial identity, desire, and authenticity, even when it felt risky or uncomfortable.

In this conversation, Leigh opens up about choosing self-publishing, navigating imposter syndrome, writing spicy romance that centers fat and marginalized bodies, and learning how to market without losing herself in the process.

Highlights

Diversity in writing as lived experience

For Leigh, diversity is personal. Her stories are shaped by who she is and who her readers are, and she writes with the intention of reflecting real bodies and real identities on the page.

“I write spicy, diverse, body positive romance. That’s sort of my niche, my brand, and I love doing that, bringing body diversity and racial diversity to my stories. I want them to reflect me and the people that read my books.”

Empowerment through characters who take up space

Leigh is intentional about who gets centered in her stories. Her characters aren’t there to support someone else’s arc. They get to be seen, desired, and fully human.

“I want to show fat characters being loved on, being desired, feeling good about themselves, not being the side characters in stories, but being their own leads.”

Choosing the indie path without a roadmap

Traditional publishing wasn’t the only option, and Leigh chose to take the leap without having everything figured out. What mattered more was resonance and momentum.

“I decided I’ll just venture out into this wild world of indie publishing. And I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but… it sort of resonated.”

Marketing as an ongoing experiment

Marketing isn’t something you master once and move on from. Leigh talks honestly about the trial-and-error nature of showing up, learning, and staying curious without burning out.

“You have to be your own marketer and you have to figure that out... I’m still learning those things. Why do some posts hit? Why do some books resonate and others don’t?”

Writing authentically even when it feels risky

Chasing trends might feel safer, but Leigh chose alignment instead. That decision comes with risk, but it also comes with clarity.

“I have stayed true to what I want to tell and haven’t followed what’s popular in tropes, and I know that can also be a risk.”

Writing through cultural and racial identity

Leigh shares how early experiences shaped her understanding of identity and belonging, and how those experiences continue to influence her storytelling today.

“I learned very quickly that being biracial was not a good thing then. Like that was not something to be proud of. That was something to be worried about and to fear what people would think.”

Balancing creativity with real life

Writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Leigh balances her creative work with a demanding professional career, and some days are harder than others.

“It’s a challenge some days, especially because I’m a change management consultant. So I work with companies in helping them kind of reframe their culture.”

Reader connection over perfection

Not every conversation has to end in agreement. For Leigh, the value comes from connection, curiosity, and dialogue.

“I love the reader interaction, even if we’re not on the same page with things, just learning and having that conversation, I think, is great.”

Advice that leaves room for both art and strategy

Leigh encourages writers to stay grounded in their creative vision while still acknowledging the realities of publishing and marketing.

“Write the story that you want to tell and make that your focus. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be mindful of the marketing and all of those pieces.”

Authenticity is what lasts

At the core of everything, Leigh believes readers respond to honesty more than polish.

“It comes down to authenticity, of being true to yourself. I think that’s what people will see. That’s what will resonate, that authenticity that people can relate to.”

Closing reflection

Leigh’s story shows us that our most resonate work comes from honesty. We just need to trust our voice and keep writing, even when it feels vulnerable.

If you’re an author navigating visibility, representation, or the pressure to do things the “right” way, this conversation is for you.

You might be sitting on a story that the world has been waiting to hear, so let’s share it.

If that sounds like you, leave a comment about your journey in the comments.

Rachel Lee is a brand stylist and designer who built her business by doing the opposite of what she thought “serious” creatives were supposed to do. From growing up as an imaginative art kid to hiding parts of herself in traditional design roles, Rachel spent years trying to fit in before realizing that belonging to herself mattered more.

In this conversation, she shares what happened when she quit a stable job, stopped performing professionalism, and let her real personality lead, cat ears and all.

From Art Kid to Self-Trust

Rachel’s story starts the way many creative stories do: curiosity, imagination, and a slow drift away from those instincts in order to be accepted. The farther she moved from herself, the harder it became to feel fulfilled.

“I spent so long thinking that fitting in was the safer option, but over time I realized it was costing me way more than it was giving me.”

That realization didn’t arrive all at once. It came through frustration, burnout, and the quiet feeling that something was off.

Actionable Insight: Pay attention to where your work feels heavier than it should.

Bonus: Name one part of yourself you’ve been muting to feel more legitimate.

Choosing Alignment Over Safety

Rachel left a steady job because she refused to keep living out of alignment. She talks openly about fear, family expectations, and learning business without a roadmap.

“Walking away from something stable was terrifying, but staying would’ve meant ignoring the part of me that knew this wasn’t it.”

Actionable Insight: You don’t need certainty to move forward, just clarity on what you’re done carrying.

Bonus: Identify one small step toward work that feels more like you.

Personal Branding That Feels Human

For Rachel, personal branding stopped being about aesthetics the moment she stopped pretending. Her brand worked when she did.

“Personal branding isn’t about looking polished or put together. It’s about letting people see who you actually are when you’re not performing.”

The cat ears weren’t a tactic. They were a signal. And people remembered her because she felt real.

Actionable Insight: Make your brand feel like you.

Bonus: Ask yourself where you’re trying to sound like someone else.

Attracting the Right People by Being Clear

When Rachel showed up as herself, the right clients leaned in and the wrong ones drifted away.

“The moment I stopped trying to appeal to everyone was the moment the right people started finding me.”

That clarity made everything simpler.

Actionable Insight: You’re allowed to be specific, even if it means being less universal.

Bonus: Remove one message from your site or bio that feels watered down.

Staying Human in a Noisy World

As Rachel moves into content creation, her focus stays the same. Connection over polish. Practice over perfection.

“With everything becoming faster and more automated, the thing people are craving most is something that feels human.”

Let yourself evolve without abandoning who you are.

Actionable Insight: Growth comes from repetition, not reinvention.

Bonus: Show up once this week without overthinking the outcome.

Key Takeaways

1. Fitting in costs more than it gives.
2. Your quirks are signals.
3. Personal branding starts with self-trust.
4. Art and business don’t have to compete.
5. Standing out begins with letting yourself be seen.

Closing Reflection

Rachel didn't want to fit in. She wanted to be memorable by telling the truth.

Remember, the people you’re meant to reach are looking for you, not a generic version of you.

If you want support marketing your book or creative business that showcases the real you, I’m here to help. Sign up for a free consultation at TheStandoutCreatives.com.

Let’s amplify your work in a way that is fun for you.

Marc Cordon and I had a great conversation about the upcoming Book Summit. It will be a creative space built for writers, not-yet-writers, and anyone who feels a tug to put their story into the world. If you’ve ever felt like your experiences aren’t “big enough,” or you’re nervous about sharing something personal, this conversation might shift something for you.

We talk about why storytelling is such a powerful form of liberation, how writing in community can dissolve fear, and why personal stories, especially the ones about transition, liminality, and rebirth, resonate universally.

We also dig into the anthology we’re creating together, the therapeutic nature of writing, and the collaborative energy that makes this summit feel different from anything else.

This episode is an invitation to stop waiting for permission and start exploring the story that’s already living inside you.

If you are interested in coming to the Book Summit. It is this Saturday December 13th at 1pm ET. You can read all about it here.

Highlights

Stories are a form of freedom

Writing isn’t just an art. It’s a way to reclaim your voice.

“Books, storytelling… that’s the new form of freedom and liberation.”

Everyone is a storyteller (even if you don’t believe it yet)

You don’t need a title to begin. You only need curiosity.

“Everybody is a writer and a storyteller.”

Community makes your writing stronger

When you share in a circle, something shifts in you and in the people listening.

“The fact that we can all hear and experience these stories together is what really makes it powerful.”

Feedback forms connection

When people lean in to your story, you can feel it.

“It’s really cool to see people at the edge of their seats leaning forward when it comes to you and your story.”

Specific stories create universal resonance

The more personal you get, the more people see themselves in your words.

“The more specific you are… the more people will say, I see myself in your story.”

Creation is a transformation

Something magical happens when you start with nothing and end with something only you could have made.

“There’s an ebullience that happens when you leave with something you created.”

Closing Reflection

If you’ve been telling yourself you’re not a writer… consider this your gentle interruption.

You don’t need a polished story.

You don’t need a plan.

You just need a spark.

And if you’re feeling that nudge, the Book Summit and the Story Circle are the places to explore it. These spaces are designed to help you uncover your voice, shape your story, and feel supported every step of the way.

If you’re curious about writing a book someday… come.

If you want to share a personal story but don’t know where to start… come.

If you want community, feedback, and a little creative courage… come.

You don’t have to do this alone.

Let’s see what unfolds when you step into a room where your story is already welcome.

Links

Book Summit

Marc Cordon

In this special conversation, I sit down with Aicila from the Business as Unusual, where we talked about what it’s like to build a business as an introvert. If you’ve ever felt drained by networking, overwhelmed by visibility, or unsure how to show up without feeling fake… this one will feel like a deep exhale.

We talk about what it really means to be an introverted creative in a world that wants you to be “on” all the time. The pressure. The awkwardness. The energy dips.

But also the parts we don’t talk about enough: the power of authenticity, the ease that comes from true connection, and how collaboration can actually give introverts energy when it’s rooted in trust.

This episode is an invitation to stop forcing yourself into strategies that don’t fit, and to start building your creative business in a way that feels like you.

Highlights

You’re not broken — you’re wired differently, and that’s a strength

Many creatives are introverts, and the business world wasn’t built with you in mind.

“Creatives are often introverts.” — Aicila

Authenticity makes networking tolerable — even enjoyable

When you stop performing, conversations get easier.

“Authenticity leads to genuine connections.” — Aicila

Relationships matter more than the transaction

Networking isn’t a sales funnel — it’s a human one.

“Networking isn't just about sales.” — Kevin

Energy awareness is a form of self-trust

You get to honor your limits without apologizing for them.

“Energy management is crucial.” — Aicila

Collaboration doesn’t have to drain you

When you’re with the right people, co-creation feels nourishing.

“Co-creation fulfills introverts.” — Aicila

Your lived experience is your creative advantage

AI can help, but it can’t replace your perspective.

“AI lacks the human touch.” — Kevin

Authenticity lands because it’s human

When you show up as yourself, your work resonates more deeply.

“Presence enhances creative impact.” — Kevin

Real success is built on reciprocity

Positive, generous relationships carry you further than any strategy.

“Positive relationships drive success.” — Kevin

Closing Reflection

If you’ve ever felt like you had to push, perform, or “be more extroverted” to succeed… this conversation is your permission slip to stop.

You just need to learn how you work best and build from there.

If you want support creating a book or creative business that honors your energy, I'm here to help. Sign up for a free consultation at TheStandoutCreatives.com.

Let’s build something that feels true to you.

Heidi Weiland is a holistic business coach and strategist who went from burned-out freelance web designer to someone helping entrepreneurs blend smart strategy with real self-care.

Her work sits at the intersection of nervous system support, authentic marketing, and human-centered business.

In this episode, she shares the turning points, hard lessons, and gentle reminders that helped her rebuild her business from the inside out.

From Burnout to Real Balance

Heidi’s story starts where so many creative businesses hit a wall: doing everything, being everything, and pretending it’s fine until it isn’t. Burnout pushed her into yoga, deep self-care, and eventually a whole new way of supporting clients.

“I got to a point where I was just so burned out. I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

Try this: Check in with your body before you check in with your to-do list.

Bonus: List three tasks draining your energy right now. What can be paused, delegated, or simplified?

Human-Centered Business Isn’t Optional

For Heidi, business work is human work. Your energy, your nervous system, your values are all the foundations.

“Business should be human-centered. We are the foundation of everything we do.”

Try this: Before taking on a new project, ask: Does this support the version of me I’m becoming?

Bonus: Rewrite one boundary that needs strengthening in your business.

Authenticity as the Strategy

One of my favorite things about Heidi is how simple she makes authenticity feel. It's not a branding exercise or a persona. It's just… you.

“I’m me and that’s enough. That’s great, actually.”

Try this: Notice a moment today where you filtered yourself. How would it feel to soften that filter?

Bonus: Share something real with your audience this week: a story, a lesson, a moment.

Blending Smart Strategy with Nervous System Support

Heidi’s approach is part intuitive, part tactical. She’ll talk funnels, then ask what your body is telling you. She’ll map your plan, then help you regulate so you can actually follow through.

“Blend strategy with nervous system support.”

Try this: Before planning your week, take three deep breaths and let your shoulders drop.

Bonus: Choose one strategic task and break it into the smallest next step. Your body will thank you.

Energy + Task Alignment

This is where so many creatives get stuck. You can do the work. But should you?

“What is sucking your energy? Are there tasks outside your zone of genius that we can shift?”

Try this: Highlight everything in your business: green for energizing, yellow for neutral, red for draining.

Bonus: Delegate or delete just one red task this week.

Relationships, Referrals, and Being a Real Human

Heidi builds her business the same way she lives her life—through genuine connection.

“Referrals are just what I call being in the world.”

Try this: Reach out to one person you appreciate in your creative circle.

Bonus: Share your work in one community space where you already feel comfortable.

Key Takeaways

• Burnout is often the doorway to a more honest business.
• Human-centered business leads to sustainable growth.
• Authenticity is your greatest marketing strategy.
• Your nervous system matters as much as your strategy.
• Alignment comes from knowing what energizes you.
• Relationships build stronger businesses than algorithms ever will.

Ready to Grow Your Business Without Burning Out?

Heidi’s journey is such a good reminder that you don’t have to choose between success and self-care. You can build something meaningful, aligned, and fully yours without sacrificing your wellbeing.

If you’re ready to grow your creative business with more clarity and ease, book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com. Let’s make your business feel more like you.

Britta Buchanan is the founder of Aligned and Undefined, where she helps spiritually conscious creatives reconnect with their authentic voice and creative flow.

After leaving her career as an elementary school teacher, Britta began guiding others through Human Design and the Akashic Records, helping them align with their soul’s blueprint and create from a place of authenticity and ease.

In this episode, Britta shares her journey of transition, transformation, and learning to trust her intuition—plus what it means to see creativity not just as something you do, but as a way of being.

The Power of Transition and Transformation

Britta talks about leaving behind a career that no longer fit and stepping into entrepreneurship with an open heart. For her, it wasn’t a sudden leap—it was a series of small, honest realizations.

“I always knew it wasn’t going to be a lifelong thing for me.”

Try this: Reflect on an area of your life or business that feels like it’s shifting. What truth are you ready to admit to yourself?

Bonus idea: Write down one small step that would bring you closer to what feels more aligned.

Creativity as a Way of Being

Britta believes creativity isn’t limited to art—it’s how we think, connect, and move through life.

“Creativity is a way of being, it’s a way of thinking.”

Try this: Approach your next decision or conversation like an act of creation. What’s possible if you treat it as a canvas?

Bonus idea: Start a short daily ritual—five minutes to sketch, write, or simply imagine freely.

Aligning with Your Soul’s Blueprint

Using Human Design and the Akashic Records, Britta helps people understand who they are at their core.

“Human Design is really great for that, but so are the records.”

Try this: Look up your Human Design type or journal about what alignment feels like in your body.

Bonus idea: When something feels off, pause and ask, “What would feel lighter right now?”

Living with Authenticity

At the heart of Britta’s work is the belief that when you show up as yourself, you naturally attract what—and who—is meant for you.

“When you show up as you, you attract the people that are for you.”

Try this: Notice moments where you filter yourself out of fear. What would it look like to speak or create from full authenticity instead?

Bonus idea: Reach out to someone who sees the real you and thank them for holding that space.

Quick Recap

• Change starts with honesty and self-trust.
• Creativity isn’t something you do—it’s something you are.
• Alignment begins when you listen to your own energy.
• Authenticity attracts the right people and opportunities.

Ready to Explore Your Own Alignment?

Britta shows that your creative path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You just need to come home to yourself and create from there.

If you’re ready to take your own creative business to the next level—without losing yourself along the way—book a free strategy session with me.

Let’s make your next chapter feel aligned, grounded, and uniquely yours.

As the co-founder of Reny, a certified B Corp agency, Ben Rennie has built his career around using design as a force for impact. The agency now works with global brands like Patagonia, Google, and Nike. But that wasn’t the starting line.

Ben started as a self-taught designer, shaping his craft over time while developing a worldview anchored in responsibility, sustainability, and community.

From Grassroots to Global Reach

What began as a personal practice turned into a studio and eventually, a full-scale agency operating on a global level. Reny didn’t grow because it chased trends. It grew because it stayed grounded in purpose, credibility, and long-term thinking.

Ben learned early on that visibility matters but alignment matters more. The work had to stand for something.

“Design should make you feel something or change something.”

Actionable Insight: Start with a clear vision, but be willing to evolve. Consistency over time is what creates traction in creative businesses.

Bonus: Spend 10 minutes today identifying one small creative habit you can repeat weekly. Pick something so simple you can’t avoid doing it.

Creative Control as a Business Strategy

A big part of Reny’s staying power comes from creative autonomy. Instead of relying on outside permission or gatekeepers, Ben built the platform around ownership: of ideas, of impact, and of the process itself.

That choice wasn’t just aesthetic. It was strategic.

“Design isn’t just about things that look good. It’s about the impact they make.”

When you control the work, you control the integrity.

Actionable Insight: Identify one area of your creative process where you can step into full ownership even if it makes you uncomfortable.

Bonus: Look up one independent designer or creative studio you admire and note how they control their platform.

Building a Brand People Notice

Work this intentional doesn’t spread by accident. Rennie put in the reps through strategic marketing, community-building, positioning, storytelling, and showing up where the right audience gathers.

Actionable Insight: Commit to being visible. Start small: post, publish, share, and see what resonates.

Bonus: Engage with at least 5 people in your audience this week. Not “posting at them” but actually interacting with them.

Balancing Work While Building the Vision

None of this happened overnight. There were years where the agency grew in the margins — nights, early mornings, pockets of time between responsibilities. Creative entrepreneurship is a long game, and Ben understood that early.

“It’s a long-ass marathon, not a sprint.”

That mindset of patience + forward motion became their competitive advantage.

Actionable Insight: Block out a small, consistent window of creation each week.

Bonus: Use a single 20–30 minute session to plan your one creative priority for the week.

What Ben’s Journey Teaches Us

• Passion might start the work, but persistence finishes it.
• Design is both a craft and a lever for change.
• Creative control requires boundaries and leadership.
• Brand recognition is earned through consistency and clarity.
• Growth comes from being visible, not waiting to be discovered.

Bringing It All Together

Ben didn’t wait for permission. He built his own lane — project by project, conversation by conversation, collaboration by collaboration. His story is proof that you don’t have to jump early to land big. You just have to stay committed long enough for your work to matter.

Want help growing your own creative business?

If you’ve been sitting on an idea: a creative project, a business, a new direction, but don't know where to start, I'm offering a free strategy session to help get you on track.

Just sign up at TheStandoutCreative.com

Felicia Iyamu’s creative journey has taken her from architecture and economics to Google, burnout, and back into the arms of poetry. Along the way, she’s been reflecting, writing, and reimagining what it means to live and work with purpose.

Her latest work, Poetry in Eden, explores identity, healing, and the unseen forces shaping our lives. In this episode, we talk about creativity, burnout, self-publishing, marketing, and what it really takes to share your work with the world in a way that feels true to you.

From Burnout to Breakthrough

Felicia didn’t set out to be a poet. She started in architecture. Fell in love with economics. Landed at Google. Then hit a wall.

Her doctor in Germany told her to stop working immediately. Burnout, officially recognized as a medical issue, forced her to pause.

That moment cracked something open. And was followed by a deep return to creativity guided by questions of identity, culture, and healing.

Try this: Revisit a creative idea you set aside. What if it’s ready now?

Bonus idea: Share that idea with a friend or write down a tiny first step you could take today.

Making Art Personal and Professional

Poetry isn’t just a passion project for Felicia. It’s her career.

She walks us through the steps, and surprises, of self-publishing, why she’s eyeing traditional publishing next, and how she thinks about the business side of creativity.

She’s not just writing for herself. She’s building work that connects personal insight with universal ideas. Felicia also talks about marketing with intention, community, and without waiting to be discovered.

Try this: What’s one thing you could do this week to share your creative work more boldly?

Bonus idea: Make a list of 3 people you could reach out to about your creative project—collaboration, feedback, or just a cheerleader.

The Power of Saying Yes

At the end of our chat, Felicia shares a challenge: say yes to invitations for two weeks. Not just social invites but creative ones too.

Because the unexpected paths often bring you back to yourself.

Try this: Say yes to something today you’d usually overthink.

Bonus idea: Keep a little ‘yes journal’ and track what you said yes to and what happened because of it.

Quick Recap

• Burnout can be the beginning of something new.
• Your creative work can hold personal meaning and professional ambition.
• Marketing = connection, not cringe.
• Saying yes opens doors you didn’t see before.
• You don’t need to wait for a perfect moment to begin.

Want to Bring Your Creative Work Into the Spotlight?

Felicia’s reminds us that your voice matters and there’s room for all of it.

If you’re building a creative business and ready to stand out (without selling out), let’s chat.

Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com

Spots are limited, so grab yours while they’re open.

Let’s make your creativity impossible to ignore.

That’s how this Substack Live with Heather Vickery started.

Heather’s a Joy Warrior: coach, retreat host, and professional permission-giver for anyone tired of living by other people’s rules. We talked about what it means to lead with joy, why curating your circle matters, and how trusting your gut can lead you places your brain never would’ve approved of.

It was a great conversation even with the tech hiccup in the middle.

Finding Clarity in Creative Spaces

We dove into the power of community and collaboration. Heather calls it the “collective mind” — drawing on the energy and ideas of others can spark some of your most innovative work.

But we did agreed that having too many ideas without a filter can be overwhelming. Boundaries aren’t just nice to have. They’re essential for clarity and focus.

Heather: “I take intentional pauses to reflect on what truly serves me.”

Me: And I realized that I do the same thing, but in a different way — sifting through inspiration, holding onto the ideas that really line up with my goals, and letting the rest fall away.

Try this: Notice one idea or opportunity you’ve been juggling. Which one actually lights you up? Which feels like busywork?

Bonus idea: Give yourself permission to drop the rest, even temporarily. Creativity isn’t a sprint.

Vulnerability, Leadership, and Showing Up

One thread that kept coming up was vulnerability and how stepping away from the need to always “lead” opens space for listening, growth, and deeper connection.

Heather and I talked about the energy shift that happens when you let go of perfection, or the pressure to have all the answers:

“Joy isn’t a reward at the end of the journey,” Heather reminded me. “It’s the fuel that gets you there.”

I shared my own experiences with creative retreats and live conversations — feeling energized, humbled, and reminded that showing up authentically often leads to the richest insights.

Try this: Reflect on one area where you feel pressured to perform or lead. How could leaning into vulnerability actually make the experience richer?

Bonus idea: Take a small action this week that’s just for the joy of it, without any expectation.

Embracing Uncertainty and Rule-Breaking

We also explored the “messy middle” — the uncertainty that comes with growth, creativity, and breaking rules that no longer serve you.

Whether it’s stepping into a new project, a retreat, or just saying yes to curiosity, Heather reminded me that growth often lives in that uncomfortable space.

“Just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should do it all.”

Try this: Look at one area where you’re following a rule just because “that’s how it’s done.” What would happen if you rewrote it for yourself?

Bonus idea: Journal about what your ideal day, project, or connection would look like if you removed the pressure to perform.

Listen In

This Substack Live was full of gentle nudges:

• Joy is your compass.
• Connection is a creative practice.
• Boundaries and reflection are part of the process.
• Trusting your gut and embracing uncertainty can spark your best ideas.

So whether you’re navigating your own creative projects, curating your circle, or just figuring out how to live with more ease, Heather and I unpacked ideas that remind us to start with joy, trust the process, and lean into what energizes us.

Closing Reflection

What would shift if you let joy lead the way instead of waiting for it?

If that resonates, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment, share a reflection, or just sit with the question for a moment.

If you want to explore how leading with joy and authenticity could shape your life or work, I’ve got a few spots open.

Book a free session and we can unpack what’s waiting on the other side of the “rules”.

Just straight into the good stuff — the conversations.

Because honestly? The production side was slowing me down.

And I’ve got too many amazing people to talk to.

This new format means:

• Faster episode releases.
• More creative stories.
• Easier to share on YouTube.

Over the summer, I’ve been deep in three big projects:

• Moving to Costa Rica — adjusting to new rhythms and finding inspiration in everyday life.
• The Creativity Summit — bringing together creative minds from around the world.
• The Global Zine Project — a beautiful collaboration with artists everywhere.

I’ll be sharing conversations with some of the folks behind those projects soon.

Plus, I’ve started a new series called Standout Authors Unbound — interviewing 100 authors through Substack Lives and written Q&As. It’s all about spotlighting writers whose voices deserve to be heard.

And somewhere in between it all, I’ve been thinking…

Maybe my move story wants to become something more — a book, a play, a TV script? Who knows.

So yeah — things are changing.

More curiosity, more conversations, and way more creativity.

Heather Black is here to show you how.

She’s the founder of Phoenix Collaborations and has spent 25 years in the event world, helping solopreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits turn events and speaking gigs into meaningful, money-making opportunities.

In this episode, Heather shares her signature S.O.P. method for event planning, breaks down what it really takes to host events that work, and gives practical advice for those of us who are already feeling maxed out. If you’ve ever wanted to share your message on a bigger stage—but the logistics have held you back—this is your starting point.

From Chaos to Clarity

Heather knows how easy it is to get lost in the weeds of event planning. With so many moving parts, it's no wonder people give up before they even start. But she believes events don’t have to be chaotic. With a clear strategy and a plan that fits your goals, events can become a major part of your business growth.

“Event planning is easy if you give yourself the right runway. But if you try to take a Boeing 747 off on a runway for a Cessna 180, it will not be pretty.”

Try this: Map out what a successful event looks like for you—what would you want people to walk away with?

Bonus idea: Write down your biggest fear about hosting or speaking. Then write a plan to work around it.

The S.O.P. Method

Heather’s signature approach helps mission-driven entrepreneurs move from idea to action using three key steps:

• Strategic – Align the event with your goals and create a clear plan.
• Organized – Use checklists and timelines so you know exactly what to do and when.
• Profitable – Make sure it’s actually worth your time and energy by tracking expenses and revenue.

Try this: Think of your next event idea. What would make it feel more doable?

Bonus idea: Break it into phases—planning, promotion, delivery—and focus on just one at a time.

The Power of 1:Many

Whether it’s hosting your own event or speaking on someone else’s stage, Heather is a big believer in the power of connecting with many people at once. It’s a visibility tool, a trust-builder, and a major income generator when done well.

“When it comes to being a speaker, I kind of break the speaking engagement down into three phases: the spark phase, the flame phase, and the ember phase.”

Try this: Make a list of 3 topics you’d love to speak about. These can turn into workshops, talks, or even content for an event.

Bonus idea: Reach out to one podcast, community, or group you’d love to speak to. Just start the conversation.

Why Events (Still) Matter

In a world where we’re all glued to screens, events offer something different—connection, presence, and real-time transformation. But it doesn’t have to be fancy. Heather reminds us that even small, focused gatherings can make a huge impact.

“Just be your authentic, fun self, whatever that looks like. Don’t get in that box that says we have to do it this way.”

Try this: Think small. What’s one micro-event you could host—online or off?

Bonus idea: Invite 3–5 people to a mini workshop or Q&A. Keep it simple, and focus on connection.

Quick Recap:

• Events don’t have to be overwhelming when they’re aligned with your goals.
• Strategy, organization, and profitability are the keys to making events work.
• The power of 1:Many helps you expand your reach without burning out.
• Small, focused events can have a big impact.
• A clear plan beats a big production every time.
• You don’t need to do it all—you just need to do what matters.

Ready to Bring Your Event Idea to Life?

Heather’s story is a reminder that events and speaking don’t have to feel stressful or out of reach. With the right support, they can be the thing that unlocks the next level of your business.

If you’re ready to get clear, organized, and actually follow through on that event or speaking idea—let’s talk.

Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com.

We’ll figure out where to start and how to make it feel like you.

In this episode, I’m talking directly to you—the creative soul who sometimes wonders

Am I on the right path? Or worse, Am I behind?

Spoiler alert: you’re exactly where you need to be.

We’ll explore what it means to create intentionally, how to stop spinning your wheels, and how to start steering toward the life and work you actually want. I share my own turning point—the moment I realized moving to Costa Rica wasn’t just a random whim but a signal to step into who I really want to be.

This isn’t about vague “woo-woo” stuff (although I'm into that too). It’s about practical, purposeful action. If you have a creative dream quietly tugging at you, this episode is for you.

Why Intentionality Matters

Not all busy work is progress. I break down how to spot what’s worth your time and energy, and why you have to align your actions with your values.

Becoming Who You Want to Be

It’s less about checking off tasks — although there's plenty of that —and more about evolving your identity. I also talk about how tiny shifts in what you do daily connect to your bigger vision.

Reading the Signals

That recurring idea or dream isn’t random. It’s your creative compass. I share how I recognized my own signal and used it to navigate my real-life move.

Taking Action Without Overwhelm

I’ll walk you through how to lean into your calling without burning out, plus some mindset shifts to help you move forward.

You’re Not Alone

Creative work can feel lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. I touch on the power of community and support along the journey.

Try this:

• Reflect: What’s the one creative idea or dream that keeps coming back to you? Could it be a signal to act?
• Shift: What’s one small action you can take this week that aligns with who you want to become?
• Reach out: Need a sounding board? I’m here. Book a free strategy session or send me a DM on Instagram.

Your creative journey is uniquely yours. But with intention and a little support, it can be the most fulfilling thing you ever do.

Resources Mentioned

• Instagram: @standoutcreativebusiness
• Substack: standoutcreativebusiness.substack.com
• Coaching & brainstorming sessions: standoutcreativebusiness.com

I started thinking about what I’m grateful for, so I wanted to bring back the idea of my gratitude journal to celebrate.

Here are 40 things I’m deeply grateful for, broken down into themes that matter the most to me.

Personal Relationships

This is where everything starts.

• My wife, Anita — she’s my favorite person, a creative sounding board, and my biggest cheerleader.
• My dog, Pookie — he never lets me down, is a master of napping, and the cutest thing you’ll ever see.
• My family — laid the foundation for my growth and let me dream about weird, wonderful, things.
• My Friends — people who’ve cheered me on, created with me, and cared about me.
• Creative business friends who just get it — it’s a special kind of magic when people speak the same language.'
• Jeff Wirth, Matt Moeller, Lauren Morris — for introducing me to improv, and creating amazing spaces to explore creative storytelling.
• All my collaborators — whether we made a zine, recorded a podcast, or just worked on fun creative projects. And a special shoutout to Marc Cordon, my Creativity Parties partner in crime.
• The Central Florida Fruit Society — for turning me into someone who geeks out about pineapples and permaculture.
• Jacques Ho and Stephanie Graham — Amazing accountability partners, wildly creative humans, and even better friends.

Creative Work & Expression

The stuff that lights me up from the inside.

• My podcast — and everyone who’s tuned in, shared it, or sat down to record. Your creativity inspires me.
• Captivate + Riverside — two platforms that make it possible to connect with people from across the world.
• My Substack — and the beautiful weirdos who read along, reply, and remind me why I write in the first place.
• That spark when an idea turns real — from random scribbles to something I can share with the world.
• Helping other creatives launch — it’s such a gift to help someone spread their joy and creativity with the world.
• Discovering new ideas on the fly — some of my best breakthroughs didn’t come from thinking harder, just from thinking out loud.
• Past-me, who quit but never gave up — even when things got hard, you still kept the spark alive.
• My notebooks — half-thoughts, doodles, dreams, and reminders that messy is magic.

Vision & Life Goals

Zooming out a bit and get a bird’s eye view.

• This slow-building path to Costa Rica — for teaching me how to follow a dream step by step.
• The idea of mountain life — simpler, slower, closer to the Earth and living among the plants.
• Creating a life driven by curiosity, not just productivity — this one’s a work in progress, but it feels good.
• Freedom to try things — even if they don’t "make sense" on paper.
• Designing a business that feels like me — something real. Not some copy and paste formula like everyone else.
• Non-hustle income streams — because I love creative work, but I don’t want to live in burnout mode anymore.

Tools, Tech & Tiny Miracles

A love letter to the behind-the-scenes magic.

• The internet — for letting me meet people who change my life without leaving my desk.
• Notion and ChatGPT — my digital brains that keep track of everything.
• Zoom — for all the deep, soul-filling chats that happened in tiny boxes.
• Podcasts — as a medium, an art form, and the great equalizer in media.
• TidyCal — the unsung sidekick that makes creative connections happen on time.
• Spotify playlists — music that holds my focus, lifts my moods, and fills the blank spaces.

Learning & Growth

Because learning doesn’t end when you finish school. It’s a lifelong pursuit.

30. Valuing the power of “I don’t know yet” — I follow curiosity wherever it leads me.

• Finding strength in my quiet voice — because louder doesn't always mean right.
• Embracing depth over expansion — go deeper instead of wider with your ideas and exploration.
• Seeing failure as a rough draft — failure is a step in the process, not the end.
• Not needing to prove myself — creation itself is often its own reward. Don’t let others tell you otherwise.
• Celebrating creativity’s quirks — every medium can be a canvas to explore. Let’s have fun with it.
• Geeking out on marketing — it’s really about the art of connection. Don’t sweat it so much.
• Recognizing rest as a strategy — rest is essential fuel for the creative mind.

The Little Joys in Life

Tiny things and big feelings.

• Every delicious thing I’ve eaten recently — I could write a second list just about food.
• That first sip of coffee in the morning — it’s still one of the greatest joys in life.
• And you — yes you, reading this right now. Thanks for being part of this journey.

That’s all 40. I could keep going because gratitude has no end.

But I’ll try to remember this list when things get tough. It’ll remind me why I do what I do.

Thanks for sticking with me. I’m grateful you’re along this ride with me.

What would be on YOUR gratitude list?

I'd love to hear about the people, moments, or tiny miracles that light you up. Drop a comment or send me a message. Let's celebrate what matters!

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Cynthia Morris is a writer, artist, and certified coach who has spent over two decades helping creatives finally get their ideas out of their heads and onto the page. As the founder of Original Impulse, she's guided countless writers to focus, follow through, and finish their books without burning out.

In this episode, Cynthia talks about how to stay committed to your writing, why accountability is key, how to handle rejection without losing your spark, and what it really takes to finish your book.

The Vulnerability of Writing

Cynthia talks openly about the vulnerability involved in writing. She believes that writing requires a deep level of self-expression, and sometimes, the best stories come from embracing our imperfections. "Writing is an act of generosity," she says. It’s about sharing your story with others, even when it feels scary.

Try this: Write without worrying about how it will turn out. Just let the words flow.

Bonus idea: Reflect on a moment where you felt vulnerable in your own work. What did you learn from it?

The Role of Accountability in Writing

When it comes to staying on track with your writing projects, accountability is a game-changer. Cynthia shares how having the right support system, whether through coaching or writing groups, has helped her stay focused and motivated. "You can’t do anything alone," she says, underscoring the importance of collaboration in the creative process.

Try this: Find someone to check in with on your writing goals. Whether it’s a coach or a fellow writer, accountability helps you stay committed.

Bonus idea: Join a writing group or community where you can share your progress and get feedback.

Embracing Rejection and Building Confidence

Rejection is a part of every creative’s journey, and Cynthia opens up about how it has shaped her growth. You have to try and lot of things and be unafraid of rejection. "You never know what’s going to happen," she says, because big risks can lead to big rewards.

Try this: Reframe rejection as part of the learning process. What can you take from each "no"?

Bonus idea: Make a list of past rejections that later led to something better. You might be surprised by what you uncover.

The Art of Writing a Novel

Cynthia’s journey to writing her first novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach, took 12 years and 17 drafts. But for her, it was more than just the end product. It was about the growth that happened along the way. "Writing a book is quite the thing," Cynthia says. It’s a slow, humbling process that requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to fail.

Try this: Break your writing into smaller tasks. What’s one scene or chapter you can focus on today?

Bonus idea: Set a timer for 15 minutes and write freely, without editing. Let go of perfection.

Marketing Your Book: A Continuous Journey

Writing a book is one thing. Getting it out into the world? That’s a whole other challenge. Cynthia talks about the importance of ongoing marketing efforts, and how it’s not just about pushing your book at launch time. "Marketing is an ongoing effort," she says. It’s about building relationships and staying consistent over time.

Try this: Think about how you can build relationships with your readers. What’s one new way you could engage with your audience?

Bonus idea: Write a blog post, share an insight, or connect with readers on social media. Start building your community today.

Success Stories and the Generosity of Writing

Through her coaching work, Cynthia has seen firsthand how embracing vulnerability and authenticity in writing leads to profound transformations. "Writing is an act of generosity," she says. It’s about sharing your truth with others, and in the process, you can help someone else find theirs.

Try this: Think about a story you’ve always wanted to share. What’s stopping you from writing it?

Bonus idea: Reach out to someone who has inspired you through their writing. Let them know how their work has impacted you.

Quick Recap:

• Writing is about embracing vulnerability and imperfection.
• Accountability helps you stay committed to your creative projects.
• Rejection is part of the journey, and it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
• Writing is a slow, humbling process, but it’s worth every step.
• Marketing your book is a long-term commitment, not just a one-time push.
• Writing is an act of generosity that can transform both the writer and the reader.

Ready to Unleash Your Creativity?

Cynthia’s story is a reminder that every creative journey is different, but it’s also filled with opportunities for growth and self-expression. If you’re ready to take your writing, and your creative business, to the next level, I’d love to help.

Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com. Let’s dive into your creative journey and make it even more fulfilling. Spots are limited, so grab yours while they’re open.

Bob Baker didn’t start out with a perfect plan or a polished resume. He was a former musician and “non-traditional” marketer who slowly found his groove by helping creatives find confidence, consistency, and clarity—without needing to go viral or wait for permission.

This episode originally aired on Cracking Creativity back in 2017, but the wisdom still hits today. Especially if you're feeling behind, overwhelmed, or unsure how your creativity fits into your life (or business) right now.

From Self-Doubt to Self-Published

Bob didn’t wait to feel ready—he just got started. One book turned into several. One small action led to a creative career helping artists, writers, and performers believe in their work and get it out into the world.

“You don’t have to wait for someone to choose you. You can choose yourself.”

This convo is a reminder that you don’t need a giant audience or fancy credentials. You just need to care enough to keep showing up—and to share what you’re learning along the way.

Try this: Think of one tiny project you’ve been putting off. Could you take one step toward it today?

Bonus idea: What’s one way you could “choose yourself” this week—without waiting for anyone else’s permission?

The Real Talk Behind Building a Creative Career

There’s no one path. Bob talks about how he followed curiosity, stayed consistent, and built a sustainable creative business that’s helped thousands of artists over the years.

“I didn’t feel qualified at all. But I kept doing it anyway.”

We talk about fear, procrastination, and why so many creatives get stuck in their heads instead of sharing their work. Bob doesn’t sugarcoat it—but he does make it feel doable.

Try this: Instead of waiting to feel ready, try doing something before you feel ready.

Bonus idea: Write a list of 3 things you have done creatively. Let that momentum fuel your next step.

How to Stay Consistent Without Burning Out

Spoiler: it’s not about grinding harder. It’s about making your creative practice feel like a natural, enjoyable part of your life—not a chore.

“It’s okay to start small and imperfect. The key is to keep going.”

Bob shares how he approaches writing, marketing, and showing up online in a way that feels aligned—not exhausting. Perfect if you’ve been spinning your wheels or stuck in perfectionism mode.

Try this: Set a 10-minute timer and do something creative—without pressure, expectations, or goals.

Bonus idea: Let yourself be a beginner again. Pick something you’ve never tried and just play.

Quick Recap

• You don’t need to be an expert to get started.
• Sharing your creativity can open unexpected doors.
• Small steps lead to big changes—especially when you stay consistent.
• Permission doesn’t come from outside. It comes from you.

Ready to Start Messy and Make Progress Anyway?

Bob’s story is proof that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Just take the next small step.

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start sharing your creative work with more ease, let’s talk.

Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com

Spots are limited—grab yours while they’re open.

Let’s get you moving again.

Steven Light, known as SLART, walked away from art for two decades. A single blog post reignited his passion, sparking a journey of artistic self-discovery, personal branding, and creative business growth.

Now, he's sharing the lessons he's learned about self-publishing, collaboration, and balancing art with commerce while navigating social anxiety and the ever-evolving role of technology in creativity.

From Creative Hiatus to Artistic Revival

After 20 years away from art, SLART found his way back through an unexpected spark of inspiration. His journey proves that creativity never truly disappears it just waits for the right moment to resurface.

"I just bought some pen and ink from Amazon." A simple act that reopened the door to artistic expression and self-discovery.

That return to creativity wasn't just about making art again. It was about finding new ways to navigate the challenges of an art career mentorship, community, and financial sustainability.

Actionable Insight: Creativity is always there. If you've stepped away, find a small action today to reignite it.

Bonus: Set aside 15 minutes to explore an old passion without judgment.

The Art of Balancing Creativity and Commerce

Making art is one thing. Making a living from it? That's a whole different challenge. SLART has wrestled with the tension between creative expression and financial stability, finding ways to sustain his work without compromising his vision.

"It's a real internal struggle." Every artist faces the push-and-pull of passion vs. profitability.

The solution? Diversifying income streams, building an engaged audience, and treating art like a business without losing the love for it.

Actionable Insight: Think beyond galleries explore self-publishing, commissions, or digital products as income streams.

Bonus: Identify one new way to monetize your art without sacrificing creativity.

The Power of Mentorship and Community

Success in the creative world doesn't happen in isolation. SLART credits much of his growth to mentorship and surrounding himself with like-minded artists.

"We're not alone as artists."

By seeking guidance and supporting others, artists can build momentum, stay motivated, and expand their opportunities. Whether through formal mentorship or organic connections, having a creative community makes the journey more fulfilling.

Actionable Insight: Reach out to one fellow artist today whether for advice, collaboration, or just to connect.

Bonus: Join an online or local artist community to surround yourself with creative energy.

Experimentation, Technology & The Role of AI in Art

AI is shaking up the creative world. Some fear it, some embrace it but SLART believes it's just another tool in an artist's arsenal.

"There's no rules in art."

The key? Use technology to enhance your creative process rather than replace it. Experiment, adapt, and stay ahead of the curve.

"We need to embrace AI."

Whether it's automation, digital tools, or new ways of reaching audiences, technology can empower artists rather than hinder them.

Actionable Insight: Try a new creative tool or technique this week whether AI-powered or not.

Bonus: Research an artist who's successfully integrated technology into their work.

Key Takeaways

• Creativity never dies it just waits for the right spark.
• Balancing art and commerce is possible with the right mindset.
• Community and mentorship make the artist's journey easier.
• Technology is a tool use it to your advantage.
• Putting your work out there opens unexpected doors.
• 
  

Ready to Take Your Art to the Next Level?

SLART's journey proves that artistic growth isn't about waiting for the perfect moment it's about taking action, experimenting, and embracing the process.

If you're looking for ways to grow your creative business and build a sustainable art career, start today.

Want help navigating your own creative path? Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com.

Spots are limited, so grab yours before they fill up!

Dominique Jones is a senior designer at Dutton Penguin Random House and president of Blk + Brwn Book Designers. She turned her passion for graphic design into a powerful movement of representation in the publishing industry.

In this episode, Dominique shares her creative journey, showing how she turned a passion into a mission. She takes us behind the scenes of book design, unpacking the challenges of representation, the power of community, and the art of visual storytelling.

From Passion to Purpose

Since Dominique was a child, she had a passion for books and book cover design. But once she was in the industry, she wasn’t satisfied with her own success. She wanted to help other designers of color get into the industry too.

Through Blk + Brwn Book Designers she was able to create a space for designers of color in an industry that’s often closed off to them. She built something bigger than herself and something that’s reshaping the landscape of book design.

Actionable Insight: Your creative passion can be a pathway to meaningful change. Start by looking for opportunities to make space for others in your field.

Bonus: Spend 10 minutes today researching communities that support diverse creative professionals. The right community can change everything.

Building a Creative Community

Dominique didn’t just succeed on her own. She created Blk + Brwn Book Designers, a group that goes far beyond basic networking. It’s about building genuine relationships that open doors for designers who might not have access to traditional resources.

"We all love graphic design and books," she says. This group isn’t just a space for advice. It’s a home for creatives seeking mentorship and support. It’s about connection, not just business.

Actionable Insight: Community is your greatest asset. Look for groups that align with your values and creative goals. Real connections are everything.

Bonus: Reach out to one person in your creative field this week for a meaningful conversation. You never know where a single connection can lead.

The Realities of Creative Careers

Dominique’s journey shows that creative success isn’t just about raw talent. It’s about resilience. Feedback, rest, and continual growth are crucial elements that helped her along the way.

"Taking breaks is important," she shares. "It helps my brain get a rest."

From internships to the professional world, Dominique’s story is a reminder that creative careers are about learning, adapting, and, most importantly, staying energized.

Actionable Insight: Embrace feedback as a tool for growth. Use criticism to fuel improvement, not discourage you.

Bonus: Create a simple system for collecting and processing constructive feedback in your creative work. It can be a game-changer for growth.

Designing with Purpose

Dominique’s design philosophy goes beyond making things “look good.” It’s about understanding the deeper meaning behind every project. Storytelling, representation, and crafting experiences that resonate with people are all important elements of good design.

Her approach shows that great design doesn’t just communicate. It connects. It’s about creating something that leaves a lasting impact.

Actionable Insight: Your creative work is more than just a product. It’s a form of communication. Bring more intention to your next project.

Bonus: Challenge yourself to add a layer of intentionality to your next creative project. How can you make it more meaningful?

Key Takeaways

• Community can transform individual potential.
• Taking breaks = creative renewal.
• Diversity in design matters. Representation is everything.
• Being intentional drives creative success.

Turning Your Creative Vision into Reality

Dominique didn’t wait for permission. She built her path, one design at a time. Her success isn’t about luck. It’s about persistence, community, and staying true to her vision.

If you’ve been feeling stuck or wondering how to make your mark in the creative world, this is your sign to start.

Want help growing your creative career? Let’s talk.

Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com. Spots are limited, so grab yours before they fill up!

Brian Perry's journey is a testament to transformation, moving from struggling with depression and feeling like an outsider to becoming a communication coach, singer, and songwriter. Through his music and coaching, he's found a way to bridge creativity and personal growth, while helping others do the same.

His path wasn't linear. Critical moments, personal setbacks, and the constant tension between art and business shaped a powerful philosophy:

"The value of creating is its own unreasonable reward."

Brian now shares the hard-earned lessons that helped him find his true voice and how you can embrace yours.

Creativity as a Sacred Space

For Brian, music was more than a hobby; it was a lifeline. It provided a way to process emotions, connect with others, and build the foundation of his coaching practice.

"I just picked up a guitar and started writing songs."

"It was like going home."

This act of creation became more than self-expression; it transformed into a tool for service, helping others find clarity and meaning in their own stories.

Actionable Insight: Treat creativity as a sacred space, not just a means to an end. Protect your creative time without the pressure of monetization.

Bonus: Spend 10 minutes journaling about why you create. What draws you to your art?

Creativity, Courage, and Finding Your True Voice

Brian believes the most impactful creativity emerges from a place of truth. The more personal the work, the more universal it becomes.

"Authenticity is being you unabashedly, unapologetically."

By embracing his unique path, including neurodiversity, he discovered that discomfort is part of the process. Creativity is about navigating uncertainty and reframing setbacks as integral parts of the journey.

Actionable Insight: Instead of trying to fit into an existing mold, lean into what makes you different. That's your greatest asset.

Bonus: Identify one aspect of your creative process that feels uniquely you and amplify it.

Balancing Art and Business Without Losing Your Soul

The intersection of creativity and business is complex. Many artists fear selling their work might compromise their integrity.

Brian's perspective? Stop trying to sell. Focus on serving.

When creating with the intent to serve, marketing becomes about connection rather than pushing a product.

Actionable Insight: Shift your mindset from selling to serving. Who benefits from your work? How can you show up for them?

Bonus: Write down three ways your creative work has positively impacted someone else.

Creating Space for Quiet Reflection

In a noisy world, Brian emphasizes the importance of stillness. Your deepest yearnings are directing you toward your greatest joys, but only if you take the time to listen.

"Create room for quiet. Our deepest yearnings are guiding us."

In moments of uncertainty, instead of forcing answers, allow yourself the space to hear them.

Actionable Insight: Make space for creative silence. Whether it's meditation, long walks, or simply stepping away from distractions, quiet moments allow your best ideas to emerge.

Bonus: Try a "silent session"—30 minutes of intentional quiet before diving into your creative work.

Key Takeaways

• Creativity should be nurtured, not pressured to generate income.
• Courage and self-expression lead to deeper connections.
• Your unique path is your greatest asset—embrace it.
• Serve through your art instead of focusing on selling.
• Create space for quiet reflection to strengthen your creative voice.

Step Into Your Creative Truth

Brian Perry's journey proves that courage, self-expression, and service can transform not just your art but your entire life. If you've been wrestling with self-doubt or feeling lost in your creative journey, this is your reminder:

Your story matters. Your voice matters. And the world needs what you have to offer.

Ready to take the next step? Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com and unlock your creative potential.

The world is waiting for what only you can create.

Armani Salado and Eric Martinez started Forbidden Origins as a childhood passion project. Through sci-fi storytelling, collaboration, and strategic brand-building, they transformed it into a growing multimedia company spanning books, comics, and potential animated adaptations of The Old Universe.

But success didn’t happen overnight. Years of indie publishing, creative entrepreneurship, and relentless dedication—while juggling full-time jobs—taught them invaluable lessons about creative control, audience growth, and turning passion into a business.

Now, they’re sharing the wins, struggles, and key insights that helped them build Forbidden Origins from the ground up.

From Passion Project to Growing Business

What started as two friends creating stories has turned into a full-fledged multimedia venture. Their first book series, The Old Universe, explores themes of father-son relationships while setting the foundation for an expanding storytelling universe.

At one point, they realized they had so much content. Then they went viral for the first time and thought, "Let’s just see what happens!"

That moment wasn’t luck—it was the result of years of creative work, strategic marketing, and a willingness to take risks.

Actionable Insight: Start with a clear vision but stay adaptable. Consistency over time builds momentum in creative businesses.

Bonus: Spend 10 minutes today identifying a small, consistent habit that can push your creative project forward.

The Power of Creative Control in Indie Publishing

By choosing self-publishing, they maintained complete creative control over their stories and business decisions. They built their own platform, ensuring that contributing writers receive 100% of their royalties while fostering a collaborative creative environment.

"Those writers get paid 100% for their work." They’ve made it a priority to create an “official look” while keeping full ownership of the creative process.

Actionable Insight: Creative control means more responsibility. Identify one area where you can take full ownership of your creative work.

Bonus: Research an indie creator who successfully built their audience through strategic engagement.

Building a Brand & Expanding an Audience

Success isn’t just about creating—it’s about getting seen. Through targeted social media strategies, understanding algorithms, and consistent engagement, Forbidden Origins steadily grew its fanbase.

"Brand recognition is key!" It takes strategy and investment—"You got to spend money to make money!"

That investment—whether in marketing, design, or community-building—helped them gain visibility and traction.

Actionable Insight: Your audience won’t find you unless you put yourself out there. Post consistently and track what resonates.

Bonus: Set a goal to engage with 10 potential audience members this week across different platforms.

Balancing Day Jobs and Passion Projects

Turning a creative dream into a sustainable business requires sacrifice. The team behind Forbidden Origins juggles full-time jobs while dedicating every spare moment to growing their vision, proving that creative entrepreneurship is a long-term game.

"It’s a long-ass marathon, not a sprint." Building something meaningful takes time and certain sacrifices.

From late nights to reinvesting earnings back into the business, success is built on delayed gratification and long-term vision.

Actionable Insight: Don’t let a busy schedule kill your creative momentum. Block out dedicated time each week to focus on your project.

Bonus: Try the "Sunday Night Strategy Session"—spend 30 minutes planning your creative priorities for the week ahead.

Key Takeaways

• "Everything has to be intentional!"
• "You have to think like a business!"
• Passion fuels creativity, but persistence builds success.
• Indie publishing provides freedom and creative control.
• Brand recognition requires consistent, intentional effort.
• Social media and community engagement are crucial for growth.
• Creative projects demand sacrifice and business-minded thinking.

Turn Your Creative Vision into Reality

Armani and Eric didn’t wait for permission—they built their own path, one story at a time. Their success wasn’t about luck; it was about taking action, learning as they went, and staying committed to their vision.

If you’ve been sitting on an idea, wondering how to turn it into something bigger, this is your sign to start.

Want help growing your own creative business? Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com.

📌 Spots are limited, so grab yours before they fill up!

Melissa Dinwiddie started her creative journey as a calligrapher and ketubah artist. But she didn’t stop there. By following her curiosity and embracing play, she unlocked new creative paths that she never saw coming. Now, as a corporate creativity consultant, she helps others break free from perfectionism and create with confidence.

With years of experience in creativity training, Melissa helps individuals and teams rediscover the power of play to overcome perfectionism, spark innovation, and build a sustainable creative practice.

Rediscovering Play in Creativity

After a 15-year creative hiatus, Melissa reignited her artistic spark while planning her wedding. She realized that creativity thrives in a playful, low-pressure environment.

Actionable Insight: If perfectionism is holding you back, set aside time for low-stakes creative play. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

Bonus: Work on a five-minute improvisational exercise today. Try something like doodling, free-writing, or playing with a new artistic medium.

Creative Confidence in Corporate Spaces

Melissa didn’t just reclaim her creativity. She built a business around helping others do the same. She now works with corporate teams to integrate play, improvisation, and communication techniques to build an environment for innovation.

Actionable Insight: Creativity isn’t just for artists. Identify one way you can introduce more curiosity or experimentation into your daily work.

Bonus: Research one company known for its creativity and innovation. What strategies do they use that you could apply in your own practice?

Overcoming Perfectionism & Creative Blocks

When confronting a blank slate, making a mark, any mark, can be the hardest step. Melissa’s philosophy, The Creative Sandbox Way, encourages exploration over perfection. This method helps creatives and professionals alike break free from creative paralysis.

Actionable Insight: Set up a dedicated “sacred creative time” each week where the goal is to create without judgment or expectation.

Bonus: Make a list of your top three creative roadblocks and brainstorm one playful way to challenge each one.

The Intersection of Art, Business & Self-Expression

Melissa’s work bridges the gap between art and business. She's proven that creative expression can be personally fulfilling AND professionally valuable. Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or corporate leader, embracing your unique strengths is the key to standing out.

Actionable Insight: What creative strengths do you overlook because they come easily to you? Leverage them instead of dismissing them.

Bonus: Write down one way you can turn a perceived weakness into a creative advantage.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Play is essential for sustained creativity.

✅ Perfectionism kills innovation. Embrace exploration instead.

✅ Creativity is a business asset, not just a personal practice.

✅ Willpower isn’t the answer. Structured play is.

✅ Your unique strengths are what make your work stand out.

Transform Your Creative Barriers into Breakthroughs

As Melissa reminds us, the journey to uncovering your creative power is through play, curiosity, and the courage to defy perfectionism.

Want to transform your creative blocks into stepping stones.

Visit TheStandoutCreatives.com to book your free strategy session.

📌 I keep these sessions limited so I can give each person my full attention—so don’t wait too long!

In this episode, we dive into the intersection of creativity, AI, and the mindset shift needed to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Finding the Right Creative Path

How do you know when it’s time to make a change in your creative career? For Kenny, shifting from photography to video production in 2013 was a game-changer. By leveraging Yelp for advertising, he built a thriving business and discovered the power of strategic marketing.

Actionable Insight: If you’re feeling stuck, experiment with a new creative format or platform and see how it feels.

Bonus: Identify one area of your creative work that you want to change and outline three small steps to test it.

Use AI to Increase Efficiency

AI is reshaping the creative industry by enhancing efficiency and idea generation. But it also raises questions about originality, sustainability, and the future of creative work. Kenny shares how AI has transformed his workflow and why creatives must learn to work with technology, not against it.

Actionable Insight: Identify one AI tool that could streamline your creative process and test it for a week.

Bonus: Research the energy impact of AI tools in your industry and explore ways to balance efficiency with sustainability.

Standing Out in a Crowded Market

What separates thriving creatives from those struggling to get noticed? Quality, presentation, and strategy. Kenny emphasizes the importance of professionalism in your work. Whether it's your website, portfolio, or client interactions, small details can make a huge difference in perception.

Actionable Insight: Look at all elements of your online presence (website, social media, portfolio). Does it communicate professionalism and clarity?

Bonus: Find three standout creatives in your field and analyze what makes their branding and presentation exceptional.

Creativity as a Strategic Business Approach

Kenny’s biggest lesson? Creativity alone isn’t enough. Success comes from understanding marketing, pricing, and building relationships. You also need to stop treating your work as a hobby and approach it like a real business.

Actionable Insight: Shift your mindset from "I make art" to "I run a creative business." What’s one habit you can change to reflect that shift?

Bonus: Write a one-sentence statement defining what your creative business offers and who it helps.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Experimentation creates new opportunities

✅ Learn how to use AI wisely

✅ Professional presentation sets you apart

✅ Success requires a business mindset

✅ Adaptability is key to long-term growth

Build a Thriving Creative Business

Want to stand out, adapt to the evolving creative landscape, and turn your creativity into a sustainable business? Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com to take the next step.

📌 I keep these sessions limited so I can give each person my full attention—so don’t wait too long!

In this episode, I’m sharing The Standout Creatives Manifesto—a call to artists, writers, and indie creators who refuse to follow the crowd. This isn’t just a poem. It’s a rallying cry.

Listen in and if it sparks a fire in you, let's connect.

Explore Creativity Parties, tune into The Standout Creatives Podcast, and all my projects at StandoutCreativeBusiness.com.

You don’t have to do this out alone. Let’s build something that stands out—together.

From Passion to Profit: Making Art Work for You

When does hobby art become a viable business? For Lizzie, the breakthrough came by reimagining her collage work as repeating patterns, ultimately finding her niche in surface pattern design.

Actionable Insight: Look at your current creative work through an entrepreneurial lens. Could your existing art live in multiple formats or markets?

Bonus: Research three brands or retailers that license artwork similar to your style and explore their submission guidelines.

Find Creative Freedom Through Diversification

Building a sustainable creative career isn't just about creating multiple income streams—it's about creative autonomy. Lizzie has strategically built her career by exploring various artistic opportunities and revenue channels.

Actionable Insight: Brainstorm potential ways to sell your creative work. What unexplored avenues might complement your current practice?

Bonus: Identify one new revenue stream (such as licensing, teaching, or collaborations) and outline three steps to start testing it.

Overcome Creative Blocks & Burnout

Creative roadblocks are universal. Lizzie’s approach involves strategic disengagement, seeking inspiration in unexpected places, and maintaining artistic flexibility.

Actionable Insight: Recognize when you need a creative reset. Design personal strategies for reconnection and inspiration.

Bonus: Create a "creativity restoration" toolkit with five things that help you recharge—whether it’s a playlist, nature walks, or a different artistic medium.

How to Navigate Copyright, Art Theft, and AI

Our digital world is changing rapidly so it's essential to understand intellectual property. Lizzie shares pragmatic insights about protecting her creative work in a complex and evolving landscape.

Actionable Insight: Proactively research and implement digital protection strategies for your work.

Bonus: Learn about one legal tool (like watermarks or copyright registration) that can help protect your art.

Align Your Art & Business with Purpose

Understanding what motivates you creatively provides a lot of clarity. Lizzie emphasizes aligning your business practices with your artistic values.

Actionable Insight: Talk about the deeper purpose behind your creative practice.

Bonus: Write a one-sentence mission statement that captures why you create and share it with your audience.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Creative careers evolve through adaptability

✅ Diversification enables artistic freedom

✅ Strategic breaks prevent creative exhaustion

✅ Intellectual property protection is essential

✅ Authentic motivation sustains creative work

Turn Your Creativity into a Thriving Business

Want to make your art work for you? Book a free strategy session at TheStandoutCreatives.com to take the next step.

📌 Note: I keep these sessions limited so I can give each person my full attention—so don't wait too long!

But his story? It's not just about writing books. It’s about crafting experiences that stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

From Ordinary Moments to Narrative Gold

What if our most powerful stories are hiding in the moments we overlook? Douglas believes your life is a treasure trove of storytelling potential. From a random conversation with a stranger to a missed train, every moment has the potential to inspire extraordinary stories.

Actionable Tip: Start a story collection journal. For the next week, write down one unexpected moment each day. What made it unique? What emotions did it stir?

Bonus: Choose one of these moments and write a 500-word scene exploring its emotional core. Don't worry about perfection. Just dive in and see what emerges.

Breaking Free from Creative Paralysis

Most writers get stuck because they're chasing some mythical "perfect story." Instead of waiting for the right moment, Doug embraces the messy, real, and raw. Your first draft doesn't need to be a masterpiece. It needs to be honest.

Actionable Tip: Set a timer for 20 minutes. Write without stopping, without editing. Let your story spill out onto the page in its most raw form.

Bonus: Read your unedited writing out loud. What surprises you? What feels most authentic?

Navigating the Small Press Landscape

The publishing world isn't just about big publishers. Douglas has carved a path through small presses that celebrate unique voices. These publishers aren't looking for cookie-cutter books—they're looking for stories with heart.

Actionable Tip: Research three small presses in your genre. What makes them different? How do they support emerging writers?

Bonus: Reach out to one small press. Ask a genuine question about their publishing approach. Build a relationship, not just a submission strategy.

Writing in the Age of AI: Staying Human

AI can generate text, but it can't generate soul. Douglas sees AI as a tool, not a replacement. Your lived experiences and unique perspective are what make stories shine.

Actionable Tip: Use AI for brainstorming, but write your actual story in your voice. Compare the AI-generated ideas with your authentic story.

Bonus: Write a scene both with AI and on your own. Which feels more alive?

The Vulnerability Advantage

Don't be afraid to share your most vulnerable moments. They're the ones that connect most deeply with readers and make the best stories.

Actionable Tip: Write about a moment you've been hesitant to explore. What makes it uncomfortable? What does it reveal?

Bonus: Share this writing with a trusted friend and ask for input. Sometimes an outside perspective helps us see our story's true power.

Marketing Your Work Without Selling Your Soul

Douglas believes in building genuine connections to sell his books. Your marketing should feel like an invitation to connect, not a sales pitch.

Actionable Tip: Instead of just sharing links to your book on your newsletter, share your writing journey. What's happening behind the scenes?

Bonus: Host a small online writing workshop or class. Give value before asking for anything in return.

Key Takeaways:

• Your life experiences are your greatest storytelling resource
• Embrace imperfection in your writing process
• Small presses can be powerful platforms for unique voices
• AI is a tool, not a storytelling replacement
• Vulnerability creates the deepest connections

Your Story Deserves to Be Told

If you've been holding back in your writing, now's the time to take action. The world needs more stories with heart. Yours could be one of them.

Ready to Level Up Your Creative Career?

Visit TheStandoutCreatives.com to book your free strategy session.

📌 Note: I keep these sessions limited so I can give each person my full attention—so don't wait too long!

Recommended Books:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and On Writing by Stephen King

Conquer Perfectionism

Why Imperfect Writing Wins Every Time

Perfectionism can be a creativity killer. Russell’s game-changing approach? Treat your first draft as raw material, not your masterpiece. Perfectionism becomes your superpower when combined with radical self-compassion and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Actionable Tip: This week, aim for messy but meaningful progress: draft 1,000 words in one sitting without editing.

Bonus: Pick one chapter you've been stuck on and finish it within the next week, imperfections and all.

Build Your Community

How to Network Like a Pro

Self-publishing doesn’t mean going it alone. Russell emphasizes the power of building a community of fellow writers, beta readers, and a supportive network that amplifies your reach and credibility.

Actionable Tip: Join one writing group or online community specific to your genre. Contribute meaningful feedback to at least three other authors this month to build genuine connections.

Bonus: Propose a cross-promotion with an author in your niche. Think joint newsletter or shared promotional event.

Amplify Your Unique Voice

The Secret Weapon for Self-Published Success

In a sea of endless books, your unique voice is your greatest asset. Whether you write niche sci-fi, unconventional memoirs, or genre-bending fiction, your perspective will attract dedicated readers.

Actionable Tip: Identify the three most unique elements of your writing style or story that set you apart in your genre.

Bonus: Share a provocative social media post showcasing your unique angle. Invite readers to engage with your story’s world.

Monetize Your Writing

Earn More While Staying True to Your Vision

Authors have more monetization options than ever before. Russell’s approach focuses on creating multiple revenue streams. Having multiple revenue streams allows you to support your creative vision, not compromise it.

Actionable Tip: Audit your existing work. Could you bundle books, offer special editions, or create bonus content for your readers?

Bonus: Develop one additional product related to your book: a workbook, online course, or exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Share Your Authentic Story

Build Reader Trust by Sharing Your Journey

Your most vulnerable stories are often your most powerful. Being transparent about your writing journey can forge deep connections with readers.

Actionable Tip: Share one behind-the-scenes moment from your writing process. It can be a challenge, breakthrough, personal struggle, or something similar.

Bonus: Create content that showcases your authenticity. Share your inspirations, writing rituals, or the spark behind your story.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace imperfection as part of the creative process.
• Build a supportive community around your writing.
• Leverage your unique voice as a marketing tool.
• Create multiple revenue streams from your writing.
• Connect authentically with your readers.

Your Career Transformation Starts Now

It’s time to turn your passion into a profession. The world is waiting for your unique voice.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Visit The Standout Creatives to book your free one-on-one strategy session today.

Note: Don't wait. I limit the number of strategy sessions to ensure I can give my full attention to each person.

Links referenced in this episode:

• Theauthorstack.com
• Writer MBA
• Substack

Fitting in was my survival strategy—until I realized it was suffocating my creative potential.

In high school, I could morph myself into any group. In college, I went to parties even though I hated big groups of people. As an adult, I put on a "professional" face even when all I want to do is have fun.

I thought, If I can just be smooth enough, normal enough, I'll finally belong.

Spoiler: It never worked.

The Moment of Insight

During a conversation with my friend Bridget Baker—a former professional dancer turned branding expert—she said something that hit me hard: What if the parts of your story you're afraid to share are actually your greatest creative asset?

I've often thought about how to share my moments of failure without people thinking "He has no idea what he's talking about. Why should I listen to him?" But what I realized when talking to Bridget was, we are not our failures.

Failures are just a part of our journey. They can make us stronger if we lean into the lessons they are trying to teach us.

The Unexpected Power of Your "Too Much"

Let's talk about those moments you've labeled as "too much."

For me, it was improv. I love improv. It taught me so much about creativity, problem-solving, and staying present. But for the longest time, I kept that part of me under wraps. I worried people wouldn't take me seriously. I thought they'd hear "improviser" and assume, Oh, he's just a guy who makes jokes.

Then I said, "Eff it. Who cares if people think it's weird?"

When I started sharing lessons I learned from improv, something magical happened. My audience loved it. People who had never done improv said things like, "Wow, I could never do that!" It struck a chord because it wasn't just about improv—it was about creative courage.

The Vulnerability Advantage

A few years ago, I was working on multiple projects to help artists market their work. I poured my heart into it—hundreds of blog posts, nearly 100 podcast episodes, hours of connecting with my audience.

When I finally offered my services, I was met with crickets. Not a single reply or hint of interest.

It was devastating. I had done everything the "experts" said: build trust, provide value, connect authentically. But nothing worked.

So, I took a break. I let go of the dream for years, feeling like I had failed.

Fast forward to now: I've returned to this work with fresh energy and a deeper understanding of what creatives like you need. And you know what? That failure wasn't the end of my story. It was the middle.

Sharing this with you isn't easy. But I've learned that the more open and honest we are, the more deeply we connect with our audience. People lean in when they see themselves in your story.

Turning Your Quirks into Your Brand's Superpower

Here's your challenge:

• List three ways you're different (not "wrong").
• Identify one story you've been afraid to tell.
• Create one offer that reflects your entire, messy journey.

The Wild Truth About Authenticity

I used to think being a fan of anime, superheroes, or cartoons made me weird. When I was younger, everyone watched cartoons. But as we got older, I'd hear things like, "Eww, you still watch that?"

So I hid those parts of me. I didn't tell people I watched Dragon Ball Z every afternoon. I kept quiet about the mini blogs I built for South Park and Rurouni Kenshin.

It wasn't until years later that I realized how mainstream those interests had become. There were conventions, toy shops, and even streaming platforms dedicated to anime.

The lesson? It doesn't matter if other people think you're weird. What matters is that the right people get you.

What This Means for Your Writing Journey

With so many distractions out in the world, you're not only competing against other books, blogs, and emails. You're also competing against everything else people can being doing: watching Netflix, scrolling through Instagram, watching Youtube, doing things out in the real world.

There are an endless source of distraction and ideas that can pull people away from your writing. So the best way to stand out and grab people's attention is being your weird, authentic self.

People don't just buy from you because your work is good. They buy from you because of the way it connects with them. The more you can find those tiny details people can relate to, the more they will follow you and your work.

Standout Creative Business for Authors is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Final Thoughts

Ready to transform your quirks into your greatest writing advantage? Let's do this.

The world doesn't need another carbon copy. It needs your wild, wonderful, perfectly imperfect stories. By embracing the unique aspects of your writing voice and experiences, you can create work that truly stands out.

• What story have you been avoiding telling because it feels too vulnerable or 'unprofessional'?
• How can your personal story differentiate your book or work in a crowded market?
• What painful experience transformed you as a writer in a way most people don't see?

If you're ready to embrace your creative journey and stand out in a crowded marketplace, I'm offering a limited-time, personalized consultation for self-published authors. In this session, we'll uncover the unique aspects of your writing voice, learn how to market your book authentically, and break free from traditional publishing expectations.

Spots are extremely limited, so sign up now if you want to be one of the first five authors to receive a bonus 30-minute strategy session.

Visit The Standout Creatives to book your spot.

From Adversity to Innovation

Let’s start with something Vince knows deeply: How the hardest moments in your life can become the foundation for your greatest strengths. Vince’s journey, shaped by a challenging childhood, is a masterclass in turning adversity into opportunity. He shows us that every experience—no matter how difficult—can fuel your creativity and business growth.

Actionable Tip: Reflect on a tough moment in your life and how it’s shaped your unique perspective. How can you use that insight to serve your audience better?

Bonus: Create a “story map” of your life. Divide it into challenges, turning points, and triumphs. Use this as the basis for your content or brand narrative.

Your Story is Your Superpower

Vince believes your authentic story is your most valuable asset in business. It’s not about looking perfect—it’s about showing up as yourself and building trust through vulnerability.

• Your audience connects with the real you, not a polished facade.
• Sharing your struggles creates a bridge of trust that no marketing hack can replicate.

Actionable Tip: Think of a time when you faced a challenge in your business, but it led to a breakthrough. Share that experience in a quick, unscripted video or voice note. The raw, realness is what will resonate most.

Bonus: Create a "vulnerability post" on your social media or blog. Share a moment when things didn’t go according to plan but how it shaped who you are today. Invite your audience to share their stories too, creating a space for connection.

The Creative Edge

Creativity isn’t just about your art or product—it’s how you approach your entire business. Vince reveals how innovation can help you stand out:

• Embrace new tools like AI to free up time for your creative work.
• Experiment with unconventional strategies to find what feels true to you.

Actionable Tip: Pick one task that drains your energy and explore a tech solution to automate it.

Bonus: Use the extra time to brainstorm a bold, creative idea that excites you—and take one small step toward making it happen.

Relationships Over Transactions

Vince reminds us that success isn’t about playing the numbers game—it’s about building genuine relationships. By focusing on adding value and being authentic, you open the door to unexpected opportunities.

Actionable Tip: Instead of focusing on what you can sell, reach out to someone in your network with an offer of support—whether it’s advice, resources, or just a kind word. The goal is to serve, not sell.

Bonus: Organize a small virtual gathering or group discussion where people can share their challenges and victories. Make it less about promoting your work and more about connecting on a human level.

Key Takeaways:

• Your past is an asset. Every challenge and triumph can shape your brand and connect you with your audience.
• Vulnerability is a strength. Share the imperfect parts of your story—they’re what make you relatable.
• Creativity extends beyond your craft. Innovate in all areas of your business.
• Relationships matter. Focus on building genuine connections, not just transactions.

About Vince Warnock

Vince is a multi-passionate creative, blending neuromarketing expertise with a deep understanding of storytelling to help entrepreneurs thrive. As a coach and author, he’s on a mission to empower others—especially neurodivergent creators—to share their voices authentically.

• Website: Vincewarnock.com
• Podcast: Chasing the Insights

Ready to Stand Out?

If you’re a creative entrepreneur looking to elevate your business and connect with your audience on a deeper level, now’s the time to take action. Visit The Standout Creatives and book a call today.

Let’s turn your unique story into a standout brand that captures hearts and builds lasting relationships. Spots are limited, so don’t wait—secure your session now and make your next move unforgettable.

From Center Stage to Centering Your Narrative

Now, let’s talk about something that might feel a little uncomfortable at first: What if the quirks and odd moments you try to hide are actually your greatest asset? Bridget believes your branding should be a dance, and the steps you take, however unconventional, are what will make you stand out. Those moments in your life? That’s the heart of your story.

• Actionable Tip: Start small. Take a moment to reflect on your own journey. Are there parts of it you’ve been avoiding, fearing they might not “fit” with the brand you’re trying to create? Those might be the moments that resonate most with the people who truly get you.
• Bonus: Write down one personal story—something you’ve never shared before. It might feel vulnerable, but consider how that story could connect with your audience, even if you don’t see how just yet. This could be the bridge to people who really understand your message.

Breaking Free from Creative Conformity

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong in the mainstream or traditional marketing world, Bridget’s got your back. Most creatives fall into the trap of trying to look like everyone else, but Bridget’s advice is clear: Your differences aren’t a flaw, they’re your superpower. Your unique story doesn’t need to fit into a mold, and it sure doesn’t need to apologize for being different. Your story is the melody, and the world needs to hear it.

• Actionable Tip: Grab a notebook and jot down three ways your background makes you different. Be specific. These are the things you don’t want to hide anymore.
• Bonus: Write a brand statement that feels like you, not what you think you should be. Make it bold, honest, and unapologetic. And above all, make it real—the world’s tired of “polished” and wants to hear you.

Redefining Your Creative Value

It’s time to face the hard truth: if you’ve been underpricing your services or products, you’re not doing your talents justice. Bridget’s approach challenges creatives to see that everything in their journey, every skill, every lesson learned, is valuable. Your past and your experience are what give you the authority to charge what you’re truly worth.

• Actionable Tip: Take a deep dive into your own skills and experiences. What unique value do you bring to the table? How do those talents serve your audience in a way no one else can?
• Bonus: Create a “premium” offering that reflects the richness of your expertise. It’s not just about asking for more money—it’s about showing people just how much depth you bring to the table. Think about how to package your knowledge in a way that makes your audience see its true worth.

The Vulnerability Advantage

Okay, here’s the kicker: your vulnerability is your secret weapon. The stories you’re afraid to share, the ones where you feel imperfect or misunderstood, are often the very stories that create powerful connections with your audience. You’re not alone in your fears, and your audience will feel your authenticity when you let down the walls.

• Actionable Tip: Think about one moment from your creative journey that’s tough to share but feels like an important piece of your story. What would it feel like to let that moment come through, even if it’s just a small part of your narrative? How could this open up a deeper connection with your audience?
• Bonus: Create content that shares the emotional side of a challenge you’ve faced, don’t just focus on the “how-to.” Your audience craves the human side of your journey, the struggles, the lessons, the growth. That’s where the connection lives.

Building a Community, Not Just a Brand

Finally, branding isn’t just about getting people to notice you, it’s about creating relationships. Bridget’s approach is all about building a genuine community, not just a following. She encourages you to invite your audience in, get to know them, and create a space for real conversations.

• Actionable Tip: Think about how you can engage in a more personal, human way with your audience. Could you offer a Q&A, behind-the-scenes peek, or a direct communication channel where your people can interact with you more personally?
• Bonus: Try hosting a small, intimate virtual or in-person event where your community can ask questions, share stories, and connect with you. It doesn’t have to be a huge crowd, just a few like-minded people who really want to hear from you.

Key Takeaways:

1. Your unique story is your greatest asset. Embrace the quirks and let them guide your brand.
2. Vulnerability creates powerful connections. Don’t shy away from sharing the “imperfections” that make you human.
3. Your differences are your brand’s superpower. Lean into them and let them shine.
4. Pricing should reflect your entire creative journey. Stop underselling yourself and start charging what your expertise is worth.
5. Authenticity trumps perfection every single time. Be yourself, and let everything else fall into place.

Bridget Baker has shown us that authentic branding isn’t just about looking good, it’s about being real, embracing your quirks, and letting your story shine. When you show up as yourself, you build stronger connections and stand out in ways you never thought possible.

Ready to turn your unique story into a standout brand?

If you’re a creative business owner ready to elevate your brand and launch your next big project, whether it's a book, a product, or anything in between, let’s make it happen. Just visit The Standout Creatives and book a call. I’m here to help you bring your vision to life in a way that feels authentic and impactful.

Spots are limited, so if you're ready to dive into a conversation about your next big idea, don't wait. Secure your spot today and let’s create something that sets you apart for good.

Here are the 3 biggest insights from our conversation that can help your creative business thrive:

1. Your Story is Your Superpower

Your story isn’t just nice-to-have—it’s the reason people will trust and choose YOU. When you share your journey, you create emotional connections that no marketing hack can replicate.

➡️ Action Step: Map out a few key life or business moments. Pick one and share it with your audience this week.

2. Networking is About Real Connection

It’s not about knowing everyone—it’s about showing up for the people who matter most. A thoughtful gesture, like a handwritten note, can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

➡️ Action Step: Reach out to one person you admire in your network. Be specific about why their work matters to you.

3. Growth Comes From Staying Curious, Not Perfect

Creativity isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about learning, adapting, and growing through the process. Curiosity is your edge.

➡️ Action Step: Set aside 30 minutes to explore a book, podcast, or course that inspires you to think differently.

✨ If you found any of these insights helpful, I highly recommend checking out the interview I had with Kent Sanders. It really was a great conversation.

🚀 Are you an author, writer, or creative business owner who wants help standing out, or need support for your next book or product launch? Let’s chat. Visit The Standout Creatives to book a spot. But heads up, spots are limited, so grab yours while you can!

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The Myth of “Go Big or Go Home”: Why starting small can actually lead to success.
• The Power of Early Supporters: How to attract the right people who will champion your work and become your first superfans.
• Small Wins, Big Momentum: Real-world examples of creatives who turned small audiences into thriving businesses.
• Your Action Plan: A simple, repeatable process for launching small while building confidence and connection.

You don’t need a massive following to create something amazing. You just need to take the first step—and I’ll help you make it happen.

Who This Episode is For

• Creative entrepreneurs feeling overwhelmed by the idea of launching to a small audience.
• Digital product and course creators who have a small but passionate fan base.
• Anyone who’s tired of chasing vanity metrics and ready to focus on authentic, meaningful results.

Key Takeaways:

• Start small, think big: The most successful launches often come from starting with the resources and audience you have now.
• Engage early fans: Focus on people who already know, like, and trust your work—they’ll be the foundation for your future growth.
• Momentum matters: Celebrate the small wins because they’re the stepping stones to your standout business.

Resources & Next Steps:

• 💡 Schedule a free standout business discovery call: Let’s brainstorm how you can take your first small step toward a standout creative business.
• ✍️ Grab your copy of We Are All Creative: Fuel your inspiration with 52 quotes and prompts designed for creative entrepreneurs.
• 🎧 Subscribe to The Standout Creatives podcast: Don’t miss future episodes filled with actionable tips to grow your creative business without sacrificing your sanity.

Final Thought:

Big success doesn’t require a big start. It just needs a small, intentional step forward—and the right people to walk alongside you. Ready to take yours?

If your story isn’t reaching people, what’s getting lost in translation? Is it the message? The delivery? Or maybe, it’s just missing that human touch.

Your story is the bridge between you and your audience. If you fail to connect, you’re not just missing an opportunity—you’re letting relationships, impact, and trust slip through your fingers. But the good news? When you get storytelling right, it transforms everything.

In this episode, Kent takes us on his journey from college professor to ghostwriting powerhouse, revealing how storytelling goes way beyond just putting words on a page. It’s about digging deep, building connection, and translating someone’s vision into a narrative that lands exactly the way they dreamed it would.

Three Big Takeaways and Actionable Steps

1. The Power of Understanding: Get Inside Their Story

Ghostwriting (or any kind of storytelling) isn’t about slapping words together—it’s about understanding the person behind the story. You’re not just writing; you’re capturing their essence.

• Actionable Tip: Ask deeper questions before starting a project. Not just, “What’s the story you want to tell?” but, “Why does this matter to you?” and “What do you want your audience to feel?”
• Bonus: Try mapping out key moments of your journey to see the bigger picture. This "story map" becomes your roadmap for building a narrative that sticks.

2. Real Connections Beat Surface-Level Networking Every Time

Networking is about relationships, not resumes. Forget the business cards and LinkedIn requests. It’s the small, thoughtful gestures that build trust and open doors you didn’t even know existed.

• Actionable Tip: This week, send a quick, personal note to someone you admire—a handwritten letter, a voice memo, or a thoughtful email. Be specific about what you love about their work.
• Bonus: Make a habit of checking in with your network regularly—especially when you’re not asking for anything. Think of it as planting seeds for future growth.

3. Stay Curious, Stay Open, Stay Moving

The creative journey isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Every failure is a chance to refine your craft. The most successful creatives? They’re the ones who embrace learning, even when it’s uncomfortable.

• Actionable Tip: Set aside 30 minutes this week to dive into something new—a book, podcast, or course that challenges how you think.
• Bonus: Reflect on a recent mistake. Write down what it taught you and how you’re using that lesson to grow.

Kent Sanders reminds us that storytelling isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower. Done right, it can transform your business, strengthen your relationships, and amplify your impact. The question is: Are you ready to take your story to the next level?

Need Help with Your Creative Business?

If you’re a creative entrepreneur ready to make your business stand out, visit The Standout Creatives. Whether you're launching your next book, podcast, course, or digital product, I’d love to help you turn your vision into something extraordinary.

Spots are limited, so if you’re ready to chat about your next big idea, don’t wait—sign up now to grab your spot before they’re gone! Let’s make your next launch the one that truly sets you apart.

In this episode, I’ll take you behind the scenes:

• The Cracking Creativity journey: Lessons I learned from inspiring interviews and how they shaped my perspective.
• Burnout and breakthroughs: How stepping back helped me reevaluate and refocus on what matters most.
• Why the rebrand matters: My mission to bring you practical strategies for turning creative passion into sustainable success.
• What to expect going forward: Actionable advice, authentic stories, and insightful interviews with creative business owners who’ve been where you are.

If balancing creativity with running a business feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. This podcast is your guide to standing out, scaling up, and thriving—without burning out.

Ready to take the next step?

Book one of my limited one-on-one strategy calls, where we’ll craft a custom plan to grow your creative business with clarity and confidence. Let’s build something amazing together!

During a snowy day in NYC, a girl brought him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and showed him artifacts, furniture, and other interesting things in the museum. This changed Nick’s perception of what a museum tour could be. That’s when he started frequenting the MET, and learned to love museums.

The first time Nick charged for a museum tour, he even tried to give money back to the people who took it. He had so much fun with the tour that he thought he shouldn’t charge people for it.

“The first tour that I actually charged money for, it was a Sunday morning tour at 11 in the morning, and I was like ‘Alright I’ll just see if I can charge money. I’ll charge them $20. See if they come.’ And everyone gave me their cash, and I gave them the tour. And I had so much fun Kevin, I had so much fun, that at the end of the tour, I think I freaked everybody out because I gave them all of their money back. And they were like ‘Why are you giving us… is this Candid Camera or something?’ and I was like “No, I had so much fun. It feels dirty for me to take your money, to do something that I love, something that I’m having so much fun with.’ So for me that was the first time I experimented, but it didn’t really go so well.”

Before Nick started Musuem Hack he was a salesman of flat screen monitors. But the success of his initial tours, and the experience he gained as a salesman, allowed him to turn his passion project into a business.

“What I think is special about what I’ve done with Museum Hack that your listeners might find fascinating, is that I took something that was a passion project, something that I just did for a hobby, for fun, and I was able to convert it and make it into a business. And my time selling these screens really taught me the importance of marketing and sales and dollar value of creating premium experiences. So for me that was really helpful.”

The thing that makes Museum Hack different from other museum tours is what Nick likes to dub the 3 G’s. While most other tours are zigging, Museum Hack is zagging.

“The three Gs. These are the three things that makes Museum Hack completely different from most museum tours. Three Gs. Number one, guides. Number two, games. and number three gossip. So it’s the tour guides that are so engaging, that are actors and educators, and science teachers, and musicians who write their own tours who are so special. That’s the guides. The games means that the tours are so fast paced. They’re ultra fast paced. They’re two to three times as fast as most museum tours. And we also do selfie challenges. We takes shots of espresso or drink some wine. And then the gossip, that’s the juicy back story. The cool stuff about the art that we like to talk about.”

Instead of trying to find people who are knowledgeable in history and museums, Nick hires guides who are good with people. Anyone can learn about art, but not everyone is good at connecting with people.

“The number one thing we look for is someone’s ability to be a good host. How is their body language? How comfortable to they make people? Do they make us laugh? That’s the most important thing. It’s not about their knowledge. It’s not about how much they know about the art history. It’s about how do they make the guests feel. Because that’s what we’re trying to do, right? We’re trying to make people comfortable and we’re trying to get them to warm up inside the space. So that’s really what we hire for first and foremost. And then we can teach them about the art. We can teach them about the museum… We hire folks that are really good with people.”

He also gives his guides the freedom to create their own tours. When you are building something yourself, you become passionate about it. So, Nick gives them the freedom to come up with their own tours and write their own scripts.

“We think that having our tour guides write their own tours is so powerful because the guests and the visitors can hear that excitement and that passion, and you can hear me talk right now, right? I’m excited. I’m pumped up. I’m jazzed to talk about my business with you, and that’s because I’m not going off a script. No one is telling me what to do. Our tour guides have to be the same way, so we let them explore the whole museum, come up with their own tours, stuff that they’re excited about and they write their own scripts.”

One would think that competing with instant gratification culture would be a detriment to Museum Hack, but it isn’t. Nick tells his guides to embrace people’s attention spans and work it into their tours.

“We’re dealing with an increasingly ADD generation. These are people that are like me that are on their phones every two or three minutes. I mean, it’s not just millenials. It’s people of all ages that have a short attention span, and we try to teach our museum friends ways to engage with that type of audience. Make it personal. Keep it fast. Don’t be afraid of smart phones. Encourage people to take selfies and pictures. Things like that.”

In a world where museums can seem stale and uninteresting, Nick has captured people’s imaginations. That sort of innovation requires curiosity, risks, and failures, and that’s exactly what he has done with Museum Hack.

“Figuring out like you did, people who have that curiosity, and people who are willing to troubleshoot and make failures, and I’m guessing the podcast hasn’t been perfect since day one, would that be a correct assumption?… That willingness to make mistakes and resourcefulness to figure things out. Those are two key things we look for.”

Read more shownotes from episode 92

Read more shownotes from episode 91 with Erik Young

One day his friend asked Chalky if he wanted to go skiing. By saying yes to his friend’s request, Chalky unknowingly changed his life. Even though he wasn’t very good at skiing on that first trip, he was hooked.

A year after that first ski trip Chalky went to Andorra and decided to become a ski instructor. When he ran out of money, he went back to Britain to become an encyclopedia salesman just so he could go back to Andorra.

After a series of tests in Andorra, and failed attempts to become a licensed instructor, Chalky went to New Zealand to get certified. Chalky was constantly told he was never going to be good enough to be an instructor, but through persistence and his system of What If? questions, Chalky was finally able to gain his certification.

Chalky not only became a certified instructor. He also wrote his own book on skiing and became a motivational speaker through it all.

In this episode, Chalky talks about asking yourself what if, being persistent, and why continuing to try leads to success.

Here are three things you can learn from Chalky:

Many of us give up at the first sign of failure. We let our lack of success define and shape us. What if it didn’t have to be this way? What if we could continue on despite our doubts?

That’s why Chalky developed his what if factor questions. These questions help him decide whether or not he should pursue his goals, despite his doubts.

“The big dream came true because I never, never quit, and it all happened… because I got the semblance of something I now use in my speech, “How to say nay to your naysayers and have the last laugh,” which I call my What if factor. “What if I don’t continue on with this? What if I don’t follow through? What are the consequences of that?” Of course when you ask yourself that sort of question, you really don’t like the answers at all. In fact, you sort of despise and hate them, but they’re enough to stimulate you to want to be asked the opposite question. “What if I do continue on? What can be the repercussions and consequences of that?” And of course you really like your answers to that.”

The benefit of constantly asking yourself positive what if questions is that they make you want to continue on. They help to push you forward instead of falling back or giving up.

“By keeping on asking yourself those questions, the negatives and the positives of the What If? factor, it tends to make you want to go on and on and on. And that’s really the premise of my speech.”

Chalky believes these what if questions helped him publish his book. They helped him get past his biggest naysayer, himself. They have helped guide him through many things in life.

“If I hadn’t asked myself those What If? questions, I’m not sure that I would have followed through and published that book. So by making myself not listen to a naysayer… it tends to translate into… self-doubt. Doubting yourself can obviously be the biggest naysayer of all. So by following through and continually asking myself those What If? questions, I actually was successful. And that’s basically what I’ve done with very many things through my life.”

There are many things that help you sustain a long career as an artist. Talent and luck help a lot, but one thing is often overlooked. It’s something we can all control. That thing is persistence.

Most of us give up after the first sign of failure. We give up when things are looking grim. We give up when things don’t go our way. We give up when someone says no. But we can’t let those setbacks stop us dead in our tracks. We must go on despite our doubts.

Chalky doesn’t believe no means no forever. He follows up with people until he gets a yes.

“Every time somebody says no to you, that you can’t do something, or says no I don’t want to buy that, it gets you closer to the big yes. So in other words you get “No I don’t want it, no I don’t want it…” then… because you kept following through, he says yes, and that big yes, if you’re a salesperson… could end up being the biggest sale of the year for the company.”

We need to constantly push ourselves, especially when we are down. It’s easy to lose morale when things aren’t going your way, but if you really want to achieve your goals, you have to be persistent.

Sometimes we just need that extra push to keep us going. That’s why Chalky constantly asks himself what if. If you don’t like the answer to those what if questions, you have no choice but to keep going.

“It’s no good just asking yourself that question once, you’ve got to keep with those questions. You have to keep on asking, sometimes several times a day… Because those questions can really help to keep your morale up because when someone keeps saying no to you all the time, it’s very easy for your morale to go completely down the toilet, and if it’s a dream or a goal that you really really want to achieve, you’ve got to find a way of not allowing yourself to quit.”

If you want something bad enough, you will put all your effort into it. You will do everything you can to succeed.

That’s often the thing that separates people who eventually succeed and those who don’t. Some people just can’t handle the constant grind, the constant rejections, the constant failure.

Failure never stopped Chalky from achieving his dreams. He kept attempting his exams even after multiple failures. He became an instructor despite the doubters. He wrote a book even though people told him he shouldn’t. There’s something inside him that told him to keep going.

“Some people just can’t be bothered. There are those out there who go “Who really cares?” But then there are others that really want it, but sometimes the fear of failure stops them, there’s no doubt about it. When I was trying to go through those exams where I kept failing and failing and failing, I was very scared that I wasn’t going to actually get there. There’s no doubt about that. But there was just something inside me that just kept saying “You’ve go to keep going,”

When you want something bad enough, you will go on no matter what happens. Chalky uses his system of what if questions to help him stay persistent.

“In my opinion, if it’s the right dream for you or the right goal for you, you will find a way to keep going, and the What If? factor is just a way of helping that effort and determination to go on and on and on, whatever happens.”

I know it’s scary to put yourself out there. Rejections and failures get to everyone, but think of the alternative. Think of all those people who had great things to share with the world, but were too scared to overcome their fears. Do you want to let your great ideas go to the grave with you?

“I’m sure there’s all kinds of people who’ve invented great things and written great things, and are great entertainers, and on and on… but didn’t actually get their things out in front of the public just because they couldn’t be bothered, they were scared, and were too afraid maybe to try and overcome that fear. As has been said in the past, the only thing to fear very often is fear itself.”

Read more shownotes from episode 90 with Chalky White

Even though he didn't have any experience in design or user research, Victor found that he was a good fit for the job. His background in psychology and research allowed him to make the transition from researching zoos to researching user experience design.

The biggest obstacle Victor faced didn't have anything to do with his new job. While everything in his professional life was going well, his battle with alcohol was not. Victor's problem with drinking was interfering with his relationship and productivity. So he sought counseling and made a vow of sobriety. Since his pledge of sobriety, Victor has accomplished many things from articles to writing a book.

In this episode, Victor talks about why your message should change based on your platform, the importance of a support system, and the power of creating an effective website, among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Victor:

One thing artists often fail to realize is that the way you communicate with your audience can make a huge difference. You wouldn't communicate with people the same in person as you would online. The same applies to how you present information on your website.

When you talk to someone in person, you can take your time and gain rapport. But when someone comes to your website, you only have a limited amount of time to capture their attention.

"If you take that into the digital world, we know people have such short attention spans, and you are somewhat forced through a screen to project your message immediately... what it is they should be doing and why? So looking at what makes sense for your product... What key messages should you try to get across to people in that three seconds that you have?... You have to draw somebody's attention and you have to show them immediately why they should be there."

Something we can do as artists is start filtering what we show people on our websites. Instead of trying to show all of our art to people when they land on our homepage, we should share a curated selection of the type of work we do.

To get this point across, Victor points to the example of restaurants with a lot of items on their menus. When you give people a lot of choices at once, you make it hard for them to make a decision.

"When you were speaking earlier... and you used the word filtering, I really like that word because it's an important concept in psychology especially in persuasion, which there is such a thing as information overload and even too much of a good thing. An example is when you go to a restaurant and they hand you a menu, and there are eighty five things on there and they all sound good, that it's very hard to make a decision."

One of the best things you can do with your website is use ideas you see on other sites. For example, you can provide recommendations for people. This creates a more curated and focused experience for people who are interested in your art.

"Provide people with recommendations because they're on your site because they like your work or they trust you and think that your recommendation is going to hold weight. So really filtering is something that helps people process information in a lot better way then just providing 'Oh, here's everything. Do what you will with it."

As artists, we believe we need to do everything ourselves. We don't want to rely on anybody else. We want to work as independent creators.

But this way of thinking often backfires on us. We become stressed out. We take on too many projects. We can't handle all the things coming at us.

That's why it's so important to have a support system. This is especially true if you going through struggles with drugs or alchol like Victor was.

"I say to everybody who feels like they might have an issue like drugs or alcohol... that one of the first steps that I found to be helpful was finding support. I don't know how I would have been able to do it."

You might think asking for help is a sign of weakness, but it's not. People want to help you through struggles because they care. Asking for support is a strength, not a weakness.

"Definitely when I was drinking, I thought asking for support was just an admission of being weak... and what I found was the exact opposite. Through AA, through my counselors, through my family members when I would talk to them about what I was going through. That I found support and I found people who wanted me to succeed."

Having a support system was critical to Victor's development and growth. He believes it was one of the most important things he did to change his behaviors.

"Asking for and getting support around what you want to accomplish I think is critical. And then if you are trying to change I behavior, I think you need to insert some other behavior."

There are a few simple ways you can make your website better for potential and returning customers. Your website is the best representation of your work online. So it should be as positive of an experience as possible.

One of the first ways to do this is by showing people that your website is secure and sells what people are looking for.

"People need to believe that using your product is a positive thing that will lead to the outcome they want and again you can address that through telling them 'Buying through my site is safe and secure but also showing them through different ways of displaying information that their information is secure using your site or that the products you have on your site are unique to you, and so that influences the behavioral belief that using your site is a good thing to get the products that you're selling."

Another thing you can do to convince people to buy your art is by showing that other people trust you. It's easier for people to buy when they see other people already trust you and like your work.

"Then there's also social norms that people need to understand that other people think that using your product or your website is a good thing. Can you display testimonials? Can you have people like or rate your product? So that it shows that other people have been there and used it and that it's a good thing for people too."

If you want to convince people to buy from you, the best thing you can do is show them how it will affect their lives. It's great that you love your art and want to sell it, but that doesn't mean other people will automatically want to buy it.

You have to show them how your art can make a positive impact on their lives. You have to show them how their life will change when they buy your work.

"When it comes to persuasion, one of the biggest things you can do is making sure people understand why what you're doing and why what your product is, is relevant to their life. So that's about how you display information and how you do capture people's attention immediately to say 'How does using my website make my life better? How does making sure that I purchase my art through you make my life better? What are some opportunities that you have to show people this immediately or make the experience so usable that they realize using your product saves them time, saves them effort that they wouldn't want to go a competitor to do that, or they wouldn't want to choose not to buy your product because your site, they don't understand how to use it, therefore they don't see how it's relevant to accomplishing the task they are trying to accomplish?"

Read more shownotes from episode 89

His dad told him he should get a "real job" instead of pursuing his dreams. The thought was, you could only be a professional artist if you went to an art institute, or learned at Disney. Like most people who grow up in difficult financial situations, Shawn's dad didn't want Shawn to grow up with the same hardships he had to go through.

Shawn hit his first break when he met Kris Wilson of Cyanhide and Happiness through MySpace. Kris liked Shawn's work so much, that he invited him to work on the C&H team.

Cyanide and Happiness provided Shawn enough financial stability to start his own clothing company, Any Means Necessary. One of the clothing company's campaigns, Inktober, brought an influx of fans and attention.

This brings Shawn to a an exciting but difficult crossroads. Should he go all-in on his company or keep it as a side hustle.

In this episode, Shawn talks about why there's no formula for becoming a popular artist, defining success on your own terms, and why running an art business is such hard work, among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Shawn:

When we see other artists living out their dreams, we often wonder how they achieved success. We want to know exactly what they did so we can copy their path.

The problem is, there is no secret formula for becoming a popular artist. There's no shortcut for gaining raving fans. Sometimes all it takes is a little luck. Here's how Shawn explains his break in the art world.

"When people ask me 'How did I do it?' I always tell them 'Look, I was just super lucky.' I've been gifted this ability to draw well enough to where other people, large masses, appreciate it, but the chances of someone like Kris Wilson, someone of his caliber, having a company that popular, finding me, was just a needle in a haystack. He could have messaged anyone else he wanted... but at that moment he messaged me. And that kind of changed my life."

One thing you can do to keep your sanity is, stop chasing the idea of being a popular artist. Popularity comes when people appreciate your art. It's not something you can manufacture.

"I'll have other artists message me, and be like 'How do I become a popular artist?' Well that's your first mistake, because you're trying to be a popular artist. I never pursued the popular art, I just did artwork and unfortunately, not everyone gets to do it."

Success is such a subjective thing. My version of success is different from yours, which is why it's so hard for artists to define what success means.

We all think that once we "make it", everything will get easier. But as Shawn explains, there's no such thing as making it. There's only re-defining your goals.

"There is no making it as an artist. You make it to a point, but there's always another point. There's always a next level to get to or achieve to."

One of the problems many of us encounter as artists is the ups and downs of being a creative. One day everything is going great and everyone loves your work. The next day there's radio silence.

That's the problem with riding the wave of social media success. We have no control over who sees our posts. We are at the whims of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

"It's definitely a weird emotional ride because some days you're riding cloud nine and everything's awesome, and then maybe in a week or two, there's nothing happening. You're not getting the accolades that you're used to and I feel like social media has a lot to blame on this because I feel we are programmed in a way... to chase these likes and these shares and all these accolades on social media that really have no weight to anything."

Social media provides that jolt of endorphins we all crave. But what do these likes and hearts really mean? When it comes to our success as artists, they feel great, but they don't really mean anything. They don't help our businesses. They don't build our fan base. They are just vanity metrics.

We need to stop chasing the shallow feeling of success social media provides us. We need to redefine our goals based on tangible success instead of our social media stats.

"How do I get that, how do I chase that back? I feel like that's been a huge issue. That happiness we get, a lot of it is being fueled by social media, and a lot of these new artists are wanting that notoriety on social media, but it's such a shallow feeling."

Many of us fantasize about growing our art hobby into a business, but there's a lot that goes into making a business work. You are going to face hardships and low moments. So the best way to deal with it is to grow a thick skin.

"Grow a thick f*cking skin. I think that's a good one because there's going to be a lot of down times, a lot of hardships you're going to go through. I thought there were a lot more downs than there were ups initially and that weeds out a lot of people. And then giving yourself time to figure out 'How long will I pursue this before I say, okay, this isn't going to happen," and I think being honest with yourself is one of the hardest things to do."

At some point in our journeys we will question whether or not we should continue pursuing art as a career. The reality is, not everyone can make it as an artist. Not everyone is going to find success. Sometimes we have to be brutally honest with ourselves.

"You just have to say 'Do I really want to keep pursuing this to make it successful, or in reality, is this going to be successful? Maybe it's not going to be successful, maybe it's not going to.' And maybe I'm wrong to say that as an artist who is successful, but again, not everyone is going to be successful. That's the reality of it. Otherwise we'd all be rich. We'd all be doing it. and some people can do it, and some people can't."

Running a sustainable art business takes a lot of work. It's not for everyone. Don't think just because you are doing what you love that everything will go smoothly. Be prepared to put in the work.

"It's not a popular thing because I don't think a lot of artists like to discourage other artists, but it's a hard thing. It's a lot of work. I tell artists I work more doing this than I've ever worked any nine to five job. I'm working day in and day out... and it doesn't bother me but it's definitely not for the weak who want to draw a picture once every couple of weeks and sit on their laurels."

If you fantasize about resting on your laurels as an artist, you might want to reconsider your path. Just because you make art for a living doesn't mean you get to just create for a few hours and call it a day. There's a business involved too, and running a business takes hard work.

"People think as an artist I draw a piece of art and I just get to hang out all day. I'm working so much all the time... There's a lot of work involved... No, there's a business in there too. I think that's where you get that separation of people who get it and people who don't. They see the fantasy of it and then you get people who actually understand that's there's actually hard work involved."

Read more shownotes from episode 88

While he was in college, and a few years afterward, Derek was part of a small metal band and also ran a small music blog. He was also a part of a non-profit to help artists turn their passion into full-time jobs.

All that experience in the art world helped Derek run three successful Kickstarter campaigns at Cyanide and Happiness. Instead of treating Kickstarter like another crowdfunding tool, he treated each campaign like its own event.

After three successful Kicstarter campaigns and constantly being approached by creatives about crowdfunding, Derek decided to write a book on the topic. This led to the creation of his book Six Figure Crowdfunding.

In this episode, Derek talks about why you need to keep your creative momentum, the power of a positive mindset, and not getting down on yourself, among many other things.

Here are three lesson you can learn from Derek:

As someone interested in creativity, you have probably felt the urge to do something, anything, to get your idea out there. The problem is, a lot of times, we feel that creative urge, but never take action on it.

Derek believes movement is the most important thing about creation. Creative people suffer when they stop creating. So remember to always leave time for your own creative projects.

“The act of creation is very important for intellectual growth and happiness. I really think the most important thing about creation is movement. And the movement of creating it forces you to make decisions, figure out what’s important to you and what’s not, and what kind of emotion, what kind of world you’re trying to create. So any time I’d be overwhelmed with too many projects or something, it came down to I had to drop a project to give myself breathing room to create, because… the process of creation improves all other aspects of your life because it teaches you to generate ideas.”

The problem many of us have is, we bog ourselves down with too many projects. We feel the need to occupy all our time to stay busy, but we don’t leave enough time to work on creative projects of our own.

That’s why Derek advocates for coming up with, and more importantly, executing your ideas.

“Everything you do is ideas and executing ideas. That’s the basic equation for getting anything done… It’s been very important, and any time I’ve jumped in the deep end too much with too many projects, it made my performance suffer and everything, if I didn’t have time to be creative.”

Just remember creativity is not a binary thing. There’s no such thing as being creative or not creative. Creativity is a process.

“It seems a lot of people view creativity like you are or you are not. That’s a weird way to do it. Oh, you’re either healthy or you’re not. No. It is a process. It’s a process of self-care. It is a process of development. It’s a process of just using your brain and stretching it. It’s not something you are or are not. It’s either you are behaving in creative ways or not creating. It’s not a binary thing. It’s not just Oh I’m creative so that part of my life is handled.”

Many of us believe talent and luck are the things holding us back from finding success. Luckily for us, that usually isn’t the case. The thing that most holds us back is our mindset.

You can have all the talent in the world and still find failure if you have the wrong mindset. That’s why Derek believes in the power of a positive mindset.

“The biggest thing holding most anyone back, myself included, it’s mindset, it’s behaviors, it’s the strategies you use. Those are the thing that hold you back more than in-born talent or whatever aptitude you’re born with. It’s the mindsets and strategies you use and the way you’re able to push past the uncomfort that makes you good.”

One of the most helpful mindsets you can develop is one of an experimenter. Don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from trying things out. After all, trial and error is one of the best teachers you can have.

“I like the test and failing mindset because again, that gives you the right mindset to focus on the fact that, yes some things you do are going to suck, no matter what. There’s no artist that I can think of, regardless of context, that has not put out one or two bombs… That’s the process of learning and figuring out what your art is. You’re going to bomb. Just learn. Every time you bomb, learn from it.”

Just remember that failure isn’t final. It is is our ability to dust ourselves off after failures that allows us to grow and become better.

“A failure now doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t turn out being something fantastic a couple years down the line.”

No matter how much success we have, we will inevitably face some failure. That’s why you should never let yourself get too wrapped up in your own success or failure. Celebrate your success, but also keep in mind failure could be just around the corner.

“Even when there’s a lot of public facing ‘Oh, this is going great.’ Again, struggle, and difficulty, and uncomfortableness, it’s a constant in life.”

The thing to remember is to not let your struggles get to you. Most people don’t see your struggles. If you are creating great work, most people will actually like your work. Don’t let negativity drag you down. Know that there are people who will be behind you, no matter how much you don’t like it yourself.

“It’s very easy to get down on yourself and focused on the moment of ‘This thing is bad right now.’ But when it comes down to it, the majority of people watching anything or any piece of art you do are not going to know and see all the struggle… A majority of the audience won’t notice that, and the few of them that do, that’s fine. You put a piece of art out there. Nothing’s perfect, but you put a piece of art out there that makes people happy.”

After finishing school with a degree in education and a minor in Spanish, Katie and her husband moved to Mexico as missionaries. While in Mexico she worked at a Bible college and local mission college.

But one of the most pivotal decisions in her life was deciding to home school her children. This was the moment she realized that other parents in Mexico had no resources for home schooling their children.

So, to supplement her income and help out parents who wanted to home school their children, Katie and her husband started a home school blog. Katie realized their was a massive whole in the market for home schooling in Spanish, so she filled that gap.

Her home schooling blog became so successful that bloggers started approaching her asking how she grew her business. Katie now helps teach bloggers from all over the world how to grow their blogs and businesses.

In this episode Katie talks about sharing your gifts with the world, respecting everyone even if they don't deserve it, and defining what  success means to you.

Here are three things you can learn from Katie:

One of the things that many creatives take for granted is their ability to change the world through their art. We are so concerned with creating our art that we overlook how much of an impact our work has on everyone else.

Katie believes we should share our message with the world, and the best way to do that is by working for ourselves. "Working for yourself is so much more fun. It's something that you offer. There's a couple different analogies. When you have a message to gift to the world, when you have something to offer to the world, your vision and your passion come out as the answer to 'What does the world need?" If you can answer that question, then you know where your passion lies and what it is you have to offer. The world just needs that, and you can offer it to them, and that can get you excited about it and excited enough to get up early and work on it before you go to your job or to state up late... and things like that."

One of our biggest fears as artists and creatives is not being good enough. We think that our work isn't good enough. We fall into the comparison trap.

Katie's solution to that problem is focusing on our unique message. Sure, other people may do the same thing as you, but no one does it exactly like you do. Embrace that advantage.

"Working for yourself, you're getting that message out there... I deal with a lot of bloggers who are afraid of comparison. I'm doing the same thing as somebody else. Either I don't want to compete or I'm not doing it as well. I just tell it. You have to stop comparing. You're going to reach people with your own unique message. Yours is different because your life is different. Your life experiences are different. Your training is different. The people who are drawn to you is different than the people who are drawn to that other person. And there's going to be people you can reach with this message that those people would never reach. And if you don't give that message, then those people who you were going to reach are going to go without. If you don't bring this dish to the table, there's somebody on the other side that's going to go hungry because you didn't do your part. And that is a big motivator."

It's up to us to share our message with other people. Our gifts can help people who are trying to succeed. All we can do is try to share our message with the world. It's up to others to decide whether or not they want to listen to you.

"When you have that knowledge or when you have that experience that can help other people, and when you have that message that's going to change someone else's life, it's your job to give it. Whether the person on the receiving end takes it or refuses it is not a reflection on you, but it's your job to offer."

Sometimes working with potential customers makes you want to tear your hair out. But the thing is, you should always put your best foot forward.

It's easy to become angry or frustrated when dealing with tough customers, but as the face of your business, you need to always be your best self.

Katie believes this means doing the right thing no matter what.

"Those messages of 'Do it right no matter what it costs you, and do it right even if someone looks down on you for it,' and the messages of respect them because they are a person and treat them right even if they act in a way that doesn't deserve it. All of those messages have been huge with us building our business."

These interactions are all important because business is all about connections. It's about connecting with your customers and potential customers too.

You don't want to lose future business because one person was unprofessional to you. We need to treat each and every person we encounter in our business with respect because our relationships form the foundation of our businesses.

"It's the connections that matter... and it is the people. If it wasn't for people, there would be no business, so the relationships are huge."

When we start our creative journeys, we often forget to define what success means to us. We know we want to be successful, but we rarely define what success actually means.

Katie is a huge proponent of defining what success means to us. While most of us have a general idea of what success is, our definitions of success probably vary a lot. Success to you might be quitting your full-time job to work on your art, but my version of success might be traveling the world while practicing my creativity.

Before you do anything else, you should define success for yourself.

"If you want to begin building your own online presence, number one you need to know what your goal is and what your definition of success is. So your goal for building an online business might be different from mine or the next guy's, and that' okay, but you need to know what it is or you're not going to be able to make good decisions about how to get there and then to know what your definition of success is: How are you going to know? How are you going to evaluate if what you are doing is working? How are you going to know if you've reached success?"

Although your definition of success might not be making a lot of money, you still need to make money to support your creative practice. The only way to make enough money is by educating yourself on marketing. This is especially true if you are trying to do everything by yourself.

Once you know how to effectively communicate with your audience, connecting with them will become much easier, and you will have an easier time selling to them.

"You need to educate yourself well... because if your business is online, you're competing in words a lot, and so you need to learn marketing and you need to learn copywriting. Learn how to sell, how to formulate your story, how to communicate and connect with people in a way that's meaningful and memorable so that you can compete in the different areas that you are present in with your business."

Read more shownotes from episode 86

Instead of following his passion for film, he followed his interest in business. Ron’s first endeavor in business was attempting to buy and sell businesses with his cousin. Although this idea did not work out, it gave him a taste of the business world.

After failing to launch his business buying venture, and graduating with a business degree from UC Berkley, Ron got a job at Screen Play Systems. After some time there, he later moved up to become a business manager at Intuit.

While working for these different businesses, Ron was also working as a wedding videographer on the side. This was a pivotal crossroads for him. He could either continue with his six-figure salary, or he could venture out on his own. Instead of continuing to work at a high paying job he didn’t love, he chose to do a job he did love, making films.

In this episode Ron talks about the power of storytelling, putting in the work, and learning on the fly among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Ron:

Tell Stories with Your Work One of the things that sets artists apart is their ability to tell a great story. Stories give your work meaning. They impact your audience in a way that your work can’t do on its own.

Ron believes his ability to tell a story set his work apart from other wedding videographers. Instead of just documenting the wedding, he got to the emotional truth of the moment.

“There is a documented truth in the images that you capture because this is what happened on that day, but I would argue that it’s not an emotional truth of what happened, but then you take those same emotions… and you kind of reduce them down to their core essence and you edit it in a way that flows like a story… and instead of an entire 60 minute Catholic ceremony… you just have the poignant parts of it and all those kinds of things that punch the emotion and you show that in such a way that anyone who watches it will be moved… then that has a more ringing of emotional truth.”

The ability to tell a good story allows you to connect with anyone, even if they aren’t naturally connected to what’s happening on camera. Ron realized that anyone can document an event, but not everyone can tell a story that makes an impact.

“The emotional truth of the day is that this is a day that moved people to tears or to laughter or to whatnot, and the best way to capture that and instill that in people who are not that emotionally connected naturally is through storytelling and music and the kind of things that filmmakers have used for a hundred years in order to tell stories.”

Being able to tell a story through your art makes a huge difference. It allows you to connect directly to the moment.

“It makes a huge difference the way that you deliver and tell a story in terms of being able to communicate a message or like I said, an emotional truth.”

Put in the Work Before You Think You’re Ready I’ve talked a lot about how the perfect moment does not exist. It’s a lie we tell ourselves so we don’t have to put in the effort. But you will never get anywhere if you continue to wait for the perfect moment. You just have to walk through that open door when the opportunity presents itself.

“As you do projects like that, ideas come up and the industry evolves, opportunities and doors are opened, and so it’s about doing that kind of stuff, and being mindful of the doors that open, and walking through them when you have the opportunity to do so.”

Don’t wait until you have the right amount of money or equipment for the job. There is no right formula. The perfect moment doesn’t exist. Get started where you are with what you have.

“I think a lot of creatives want to wait… until they have all the money that they need or they want to wait until they have all the equipment that hey need. They’re always waiting for just the right time or just the right formula and you can’t wait. You just have to start working on it.”

The best way to make progress with your business is by building momentum and learning by doing. Don’t make excuses. Just do the work.

“You need to actually get the momentum and start doing the thing you want to do, and then start learning along the way. But it’s the momentum of doing it, because you can always find excuses as to why you can’t or shouldn’t.”

Learn and Do We’re all guilty of placing blame for why we haven’t found success as artists. One excuse we like to use is saying we don’t know enough. “I don’t know how to do that” is a phrase commonly heard among artists.

The only way to learn is by doing. You have to put yourself out there. Like Ron says, if you want to be a filmmaker, start making films.

“Always be learning anyway, but going back to that Pressfield quote about putting your ass where your heart wants to be, go out and start doing it. If you want to be a filmmaker, start shooting, start making films. This is going to be the number one piece of advice any filmmaker is going to tell you… if you want to be a filmmaker, start making films.”

I know everyone wants to be prepared before they get started. But you can’t prepare for everything. There are some things you can only learn by doing. You have to learn as you go.

“Start making something and learning how to make it and kind of learn as you go. Don’t feel like you have to learn everything at once.”

The point is that you have everything at your disposal to become a successful creative. Stop making excuses for why you can’t do something. If you truly want something, you have to put in the effort to achieve it.

“It’s so easy with all the tools at our disposal to do any kind of creative endeavor online now or offline. There’s no excuse whatsoever. Price is not an excuse. Time is not an excuse. There is no excuse to not just get out and start doing whatever it is you that you want to do.”

Read more shownotes from episode 85 with Ron Dawson

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Here are three things you can learn from Colin:

Big Risks Don’t Need to Be Made with Snap Judgments Just because you are doing something drastic or daring, doesn’t mean you have to do it on a whim. Before Colin thought about quitting his job, he saved up enough money to make the jump. He lined up his finances so he would have the freedom to work on his project without worrying about how he was going to pay for things.

If you want to take a risk, don’t make it a blind risk. Make sure you have everything lined up and planned out. Get all your ducks in a row before taking that leap.

Break Things Down Into Small Steps Instead of approaching projects like this great big thing you need to tackle, approach them like many small tasks that can be conquered. When you are trying to accomplish any goal, figure out what the next small task is.

When you keep tasks small, your brain can focus on the task at hand. Otherwise, you can get bogged down by the enormity of it. Break each task into bite sized pieces. This allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment as you make your way towards your goal.

Believing in Yourself is the Best Way to Self-Improvement Self-improvement is all about your beliefs. Before you can better yourself, you must believe in yourself. Your beliefs are not accidental, they are the result of everything you do.

If you want to make improvements in your life, you have to believe you are capable of making them. Once you do, everything becomes easier. We may not be conscious of it, but our beliefs shape who we are and how we approach each day.

During that time, his family went into debt, so he couldn't afford to go to film school. He also had to work at a call center just to support himself.

After some introspective thinking, Brett decided he wanted to pursue his dream of film making. So he worked a year at the call center so he could afford to go to film school. With the help of his parents and a scholarship, he was able to finish with a degree in film production.

Although Brett wanted to major in directing, he was forced to get his degree in film production. This ended up being a stroke of luck because this experience with production helped him land a contract with M-Net, the HBO of South Africa.

With the help of M-Net, Brett was able to work on his novel, Rachel Weeping, and his movie Sink, at the same time. Both the novel and movie were met with critical acclaim, which has allowed him to continue work doing the thing he loves, making films

In this episode Brett talks about adapting to your situation, why mentorship is powerful, and not letting fear get the best of you.

Here are three things you can learn from Brett:

Many of us feel stuck in our jobs or our careers. We believe it's way too late to change. Should haves flood our thoughts.

I should have started earlier. I should have taken a different path. I should have taken more chances.

If your mind is filled with should haves, I have good news for you. It's not too late. Stop dwelling on the past. Everything you've done up to this point will help you moving forward.

"I think nothing is wasted. A lot of people may switch a degree or change jobs or careers in their forties and feel that everything that led up to that point now has been wasted because they take a sharp right, but actually, it all feeds into that thing that you're doing. Now I'm appreciative of it, but when I was in the midst of it all, it completely overwhelmed me."

The most most important thing you have at your disposal is your ability to adapt. Human beings have adapted and evolved many times over millennia. Brett was able to adapt to his surroundings. You can too.

"I think if I look at myself, it's that flexibility of not saying this is the only way it's going to be done and if I don't it won't work out. If it doesn't work out this way, it's a failure. But to now see that as with water, I've just got to find the grooves that are in the landscape and the career landscape that's happening around me, and just keep going at it."

All you have to do is be like water. Even when things get in its way, water learns to maneuver through the gaps.

"Just keep being creative and to just move like water through that space. I'm able to find success and see something happen not according to my own plan."

Artists often overlook one of the most beneficial relationships they can be a part of, mentorship. Before the industrial revolution, that's how most occupations worked. You would work under the tutelage of a master. You learned directly from someone who was skilled in the craft.

Nowadays we try to do everything ourselves. We aren't interested in learning from others. Brett believes we can greatly benefit from having a mentor.

"A lot of guys disregard what someone with thirty years of experience could teach them. And for me it's that curiosity of learning from those who have gone before even though market is changing drastically and how we do things changes, there's just something incredible about just the emotional intelligence of someone who's done it before is able to impart to you."

The only problem is mentors have to be willing to take you on. They must want to impart their wisdom on the upcoming generation.

"The reality is it comes from his side, someone who is older actually seeing that they want to father or mentor a younger creative. And it is as it is in life... Babies don't bring themselves into existence... It's the parents who make them and father them and choose to impart knowledge into their lives."

Brett's goal is to become skilled enough to impart his wisdom on others. He wants to pass down wisdom so future generations can find success like he has.

"Hopefully when I get to the point where I can teach someone something, I will see that that young filmmaker who just needs someone as a sounding board, to be there for them."

One of the biggest reasons artists don't have successful careers is that they let fear control them. Instead of going out and doing the things they dream of, they do nothing. They give in to insecurity and fear.

"If I look at a lot of my peers who are wanting to do stuff, who are single with nothing standing in their way, the biggest thing that holds them back is insecurity and fear, and I don't have that side to myself when it comes to pursuing a career."

Another problem many artists have is one of perfectionism. They wait for the right moment of perfect opportunity. But there's no such thing as the perfect moment.

You can't wait for permission. You can't wait for some imaginary benevolent patron. You just have to go out and seize things yourself.

"I know a few artists who really, they don't want to do anything because, if it can't be done perfectly, they don't want to attempt it at all, and I think that's a mistake to make. It's a thing of starting to do it and not waiting for someone to pay you to do it either... If you have a job that enables you to do the stuff that stuff for free, don't try and make it so that you have to... make a career out of it. That can come later. Just do it on your own dollar."

Stop waiting to be discovered. That rarely happens. Most artists who are discovered have worked many years at their craft. They worked relentlessly at their craft with an obsessive passion.

"I think there's a big discovery kind of fairy tale that's fed by your idols or... if someone just discovers that I can tell or write a story and they'll pay me to do it, then I'll do it. That's absolute B.S. Firstly those people who are discovered... have been doing it for years and it's just the way these shows work... that's not real. It's a scene that we love because in our own heads it means that someone can wave a magic wand and our lives can be transformed in a creative lotto, where suddenly we get to do this. But some of the best artists in the world never received a dollar for the paintings that they made or the poems that they wrote. They were just obsessed with this thing and they did it. I think that's a healthier approach to how we do things."

Read more shownotes from episode 84

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Natalie Kim is an actress, writer, and artist. She also hosted It’s a Draw With Natalie Kim, where she interviewed comedians and cartoonist while they drew. On this episode, Natalie talks about why you need to work on your own projects, lessons she’s learned from stand-up and improv, and why vulnerability helps with acting and in life.

Here are three things you can learn from Natalie:

For a while, Natalie listened to what other people told her. She let her manager and others decide what roles she would appear in, which led to burning out.

It was only when she went back and worked on her own projects that she was able to find happiness in her work.

Don’t let other people tell you what you should be working on. Decide for yourself. If you don’t like the projects that people are offering you, work on your own projects instead.

Natalie has learned that being being vulnerable and open not only helps you with acting, it also helps you in life. By being more open, it allowed her to be more human and to experience things more fully.

We often go through life trying not to show too much emotion, but the thing is, people are more trusting when we are open. It is much easier for people to empathize with you when you are being honest with them. This mutual honesty and trust allows you to build a strong connection with each other.

As a stand-up and improv performer, Natalie has learned to deal with different reactions from the audience. Some nights people will laugh, others it will be silent. The only way to deal with this is to realize that not everyone will have the same reaction to your work. Instead of worrying about it or letting it get to you, learn to move on. Don’t let what others think dictate what you think about yourself.

You just have to hone your craft and be so good people can’t ignore you. The difference between professionals and amateurs is the ability to deal with criticism and the reaction of your audience.

This is when Cebo started to shift his focus from athletics to academics. He was always creative, but it wasn't until his teacher encouraged him to major in writing that he truly started to focus on it. When you're a football player, your teammates shun you for being smart, so Cebo always tried to hide that part of his life. But after winning a writing competition as a freshman, he realized there was something there, so he ran with it.

After graduating and spending a short stint on the west coast, Cebo moved back to Florida and worked at a hotel. While working at the hotel, he convinced the owner to let him work on the hotel's website. This would be the second big shift in his life.

Cebo became interested in everything he could accomplish with website design and writing. So much so that he went to a conference centered around it. That's where he met AJ Leon. Cebo and AJ hit it off immediately. This fateful meeting ended up being the beginning of a great friendship, and eventually a job as the creative director of Misfit Inc.

In this episode, Cebo talks about why you should put your all into your work, why you should take your time, and why you should always strive to be the best.

Here are three things you can learn from Cebo:

Something Cebo believes in is the power of pouring yourself into your work. Most people believe talent is the ultimate predictor of great work, but Cebo believes great work is the result of being completely present when you're creating.

"When it comes to what is good... that whole measure, I don't think measure exists in your talent. I think the measure is in how much of you are you allowing into be present in the work that you do. Can I see it? Can I feel it?"

One of the things that prevents most of us from putting ourselves into our work is that when you make something personal, you open yourself up to criticism. But Cebo doesn't let that criticism stop him.

"The minute that you allow yourself to be into the work that you created, you open yourself up to criticism and I have no fear of criticism."

That's the problem many creatives have. They are afraid to expose themselves to criticism from the world, so they play it safe.

"That's true of a lot of creatives. They're afraid of being exposed, and so they do just enough as opposed to letting it all hang out."

And that's what separates Cebo's remarkable work and distinct style from most creators. He is willing to put everything into his work, even if it means opening himself up to vulnerability. If you want to make an impact with your work, you have to be willing to accept and embrace views from the outside world.

One of the burdens of being an artist is knowing when one of our pieces is ready for the world. Sometimes we toil over it for days, and other times we try to get it out as quickly as possible.

Cebo believes we shouldn't be in such a hurry to release our work. We need to own it and chisel it until it's ready.

"Not everything has to be shipped so fast. Not everything has to get out the door. Not everything has to be expedited. Start. Control it. Own it. Make it the way you want it to be. Chisel it if it needs to be chiseled. That's just how I look at it... I don't want to be here today, gone tomorrow."

Our necessity to get things out quickly is especially true of people who work in the digital space.

"We have a tendency, in particular with the web, any digital interface, to time stamp it to the trends of today."

Cebo doesn't believe in following today's trends. He wants his work to stand the test of time.

"I am very particular about my art. The same way I was very particular about playing sports... When it comes to art, I have no problem saying it's not ready."

Even though much of his work lives on the web, Cebo doesn't treat projects like one and dones. He doesn't let other people dictate his work. He treats everything he does like a piece of art.

"If it's not ready, it's just not ready. I hold to that because I think in the end it's art. If you abide by the rules that other people are imposing on both time and completion, then it's not your art anymore."

That's the way we should all consider approaching our work. Whether you're a writer, musician, or painter. You should treat each piece like a work of art you can be proud of.

Often times we will settle for good enough. We work so long on a project that it starts to feel like a burden. We want to get it out of our hands so we can stop worrying about it.

This mindset often holds us back from achieving greatness in our work. But if we want to create our best work, we need to trust ourselves and stop holding back.

"I believe wholeheartedly that you have to trust your talent... and there's so many people that I work with, where you can feel them holding back. You can feel it. You can see it in the work, where they're just holding back, holding back, holding back because they're afraid their skill set doesn't allow them to go further. But I will tell anyone, when I do design workshops, don't let up. What you don't know now, you'll learn. You have everything you need to do everything you want so just keep at it and you'll get where you want to go."

Always doing your best can be a challenge, but no one ever said being an artist would be easy. Anyone can create art, but very few people can create great art.

"I think it's a challenge, and it's not just a challenge to art. it's a challenge to us as humans to be the best that you can be. Take it there... If it's not where you think it should be, hold onto it."

Cebo doesn't settle for good enough. He puts everything into his work. Even though he knows he might not be the best at everything, that doesn't stop him from doing his best. That's the attitude he wants everyone to pursue, not just with their art but in everything they do.

"It's only the best that I know. It doesn't mean I'm going to be better than every person in the world. I just want to realize the potential that I feel that I have, and I think individually as a pursuit for everyone, not just in art, but in their lives just go out with intention and purpose. Take yourself seriously."

Read more shownotes from episode 83

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Kim Nicol teaches meditations and mindfulness and has helped thousands of people find calm in everyday moments. In this episode Kim talks about how she went from marketing, to being a lawyer, to becoming a mindfulness and meditations teacher. She also talks about how to relate to others and the many different ways she helps bring mindfulness into people’s everyday lives.

Here are three things you can learn from Kim:

Your journey doesn’t need to be linear Many people settle for their lot in life. They went to college, got a job, and are stuck there. At least that’s the thought. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Many people think of life as a singular path, but it’s much more complicated than that. Kim’s path took her from marketing and branding, to being a lawyer, and finally to her calling as a mindfulness and meditation teacher.

If you feel like you can’t do anything about your job, think again. Look at Kim as an example, and remember, many other people are finding their way too.

How high powered people can overcome stress People in positions of power often get stressed because they can’t control everything. They lived most of their lives getting what they wanted, but when things don’t go exactly as planned, they stress out over it.

The best way to overcome this stress is to shift your perspective. It doesn’t do any good to get angry over something you can’t control.

Instead take a breath and decide from a place of calmness. Explore your options and shift your relationships, choices, and momentum so you aren’t burning energy.

Advice on getting started with meditation When people here meditation, they often think of monks sitting on the floor chanting to themselves. This often turns people away because they are daunted by how intense it can be.

The good news is, meditation comes in many forms. It doesn’t need to be that intense or intimidating.

If you want to get started with a mindfulness or meditation practice, Kim advocates starting small. People often give up because they start off trying to meditate for 20 minutes. Instead, start with a 3 minute meditation and increase the amount of time as you become more comfortable with it.

Kim also advocates approaching your practice with a sense of curiosity and adventure. Don’t worry about getting it right. See how you can make it fun.

So he tried to build businesses that let him live that lifestyle. His first attempt was a local freelance network, which fizzled out. He also tried to create web directories for physical therapists, gyms, and models, but those never gained traction either. He describes all of these unsuccessful projects as his "graveyard of domains" because of all the sites he tried and failed to build.

These failures taught him a valuable lesson. When he started out, his main goal was trying to make a lot of money while working as few hours as possible. But over time, he discovered he was focusing on the wrong thing.

Luckily for Erik, our failures often lead to our greatest success. His success came in the form of Better Man, a site dedicated to helping men change their behaviors to become more productive, habit driven, and successful. This project has grown into a thriving community of like-minded men driven to make the most out of life.

In this episode Erik talks about the lessons we can learn from failure, why you should let your principles guide you, and the importance of creating value for your audience.

Here are three things you can learn from Erik:

We are all afraid of failure. No matter what level you've reached, how much money you've made, or how much success you've achieved, there's still something in the back of our minds that's deathly afraid of failure. It's a part of human nature.

The difference between those who continue to find success and those who give up is that successful people learn from their failures. Erik failed many times before hitting on Better Man, but these failures taught him valuable skills.

"When I look back, it's really embarrassing to talk about them, but they taught me incredibly valuable skills, to the point where Better Man is what it is because of the digital skills that I built up during all these horrendous sites."

Your moments of failure might seem frustrating in the moment, but they can also teach you valuable lessons.

"It's always nice to look back and know that you've gone through all these things and at the time you might be frustrated and looking back you might think of them as failures, but they actually taught you so much."

The biggest lesson Erik learned was changing his mindset. When he started, he was enamored with lifestyle design and let that dictate his decisions. But once he shifted his effort towards something he was passionate about everything changed.

"Probably the biggest mistake that I made, and I don't want to say I regret it, but I wish my mindset was a bit different, is that, during that same time lifestyle design became this buzz word and everyone was flocking to this idea of building a business while working extremely few hours a week and being able to just run around and do other things the rest of the time and I got really hooked by that idea, and I wish I didn't. I wish I'd just stuck to working hard and not fell into the trap of wanting to put in as few hours as I can, but trying to get maximum results from it... A big deal with what I teach is that you want to put in as little effort as possible for maximum return but it doesn't mean you're not still working ten hours. It just means those ten hours are more focused and working on the correct things and not just things that are keeping you busy."

Often times our biggest challenge isn't that we don't know what to do. It's that we forget what we stand for. We stop letting our principles guide us in the right direction. We follow those shiny objects hoping that this new tool or technique will help us break through. But shortcuts rarely work.

What we need are some principles to guide us. Better Man's guiding principle is to take responsibility for your life.

"I think what we all just want is that magic wand... that's just going to figure out everything for us, but you have to go back and actually start taking responsibility for your life, and once you start doing that, then... things start falling into place because you start designing your life around the responsibility that you take. So, I guess if I had to say the number one value... of Better Man, it would be to take responsibility for your life. And to not just sit back and wait for life to happen to you, but to go out and to say 'This is what I want in life and I'm going to make it happen. It's going to be up to me.'"

Being productive, building habits, and changing your behaviors are wonderful tools for becoming better people, but those changes are possible if you don't take responsibility for yourself and your actions.

"The rest of the things that we speak about, productivity, world power, habits, behavior change, none of that is possible without you saying 'I'm showing up today. I'm getting out of bed and I'm going to kick some ass.' So I would guess that would be number one for me, the number one principle."

People are always trying to jump ahead in the process, but the only way to build something sustainable is by doing it step by step.

"People want to shortcut the process. The effort that it takes to get there. The grind, and the hustle, and the pain, and the days and weeks of feeling like you're not getting anywhere... you want to shortcut it, and I completely get it, but ultimately there's only one way to really get anywhere. And that's brick by brick, step by step. That's the only way you can build something significantly."

We are constantly bombarded with lists telling us what to do. "Here are five hacks for this" or "Ten ways to do that" but these lists are rarely helpful. They rehash the same tired information.

Erik believes these lists are extremely unhelpful. There's nothing tangible you can actually implement from them.

"One of the things that quite irritates me the most is the five life hacks that will make you successful... and then you go and read these articles and it's the same stuff that's been rehashed over and over and over, and they give you this one thing and they give you one supplemental thing to fill it up, and it just means nothing. There's nothing you can grab onto and that you're going to implement in your life and it's going to take you further."

There's so much information out there that it becomes hard to distinguish what's useful and what's not. That's why Erik likes to distill his ideas for his audience. He knows they're busy. He knows they wants something that works. So he does all the heavy lifting for them.

"I think that's one of the big problems we have at the moment is that there's so much out there in the world. You literally have millions of sites at your fingertips, and if you're just getting started in self-development, it can be so overwhelming to go and search and sift through all these blogs and to find good quality content. And then you think you've found something, and the next thing you read completely contradicts it. So, what do you believe? And what I'm trying to do is say to people 'I've already put in the effort and the time to make sure this is good information that I'm giving to you, and I've put my filter over it. My Better Man filter over it... and this is what I've come up with."

Another thing Erik realized is we aren't going to be the right fit for everyone. We need to concentrate our efforts on people who will get the most out of what we have to say.

"At some point you just have to realize that no matter what you create, it's never going to be for everyone. And the quicker you can get to that point, the quicker you can start serving the people that you will do an excellent job of serving."

So stop trying to create for everyone. Stop worrying about your unsubscribes. And focus on your loyal audience instead.

"I think what happened for me is I just realized there's so many other things I need to focus on instead of my unsubscribes. I need to focus on people who remained and who said I want more of what you have. Like, why not put your energy and effort into those people?"

Read more shownotes from episode 82 with Erik Kruger

So she branched out and started working for a social networking company, which was the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. While working there she realized the major difference between the way men and women approached entrepreneurship. This led her to start a group called Wild Women Entrepreneurs, which grew to 55 chapters in nine months.

After a stint running her own companies, Ja-Nae realized other people probably needed help with their own entrepreneurial journeys too, which is why she wrote The Startup Equation, a book that helps owners throughout their business journeys.

In this episode, Ja-Nae talks about how vulnerability leads to great work, why you need to stay in touch with your creativity, and why your mindset is so important.

Here are three things you can learn from Ja-Nae:

When it comes to our art, many of us take the easy road. We work on things that come easily to us. We work within our comfort zone. We work on things we think will be popular.

But the truth is, our best work comes when we open ourselves up to vulnerability. Our best work comes when we dive deep and create something personal. Our best work comes out when we feel anxious about it, but put it out there anyways.

That’s exactly what Ja-nae discovered about her greatest work.

“Whenever I start to feel anxious about something that I’m putting out, particularly something that’s creative, because when we’re creating something it’s usually personal. And what I find the more personal that you can get in all of your work, and that can be professionally, that can be in stuff that you’re doing artistically, but the more that you can actually gear it into diving deep and really getting it close and under your skin, and then exposing it to the world, almost like ripping off a Band-aid and just exposing that sort of flesh to the world, that’s really where vulnerability and fear can be drivers, and that’s usually what our best work is.”

Ja-nae feels like our work is concentrates too much on the surface level. She feels like a lot of people are creating just to put stuff out there. She believes we are creating too much fluff.

Ja-nae believes our best work gets to the heart of humanity. It explores boundaries. It helps us connect with other people. It transforms the way we live.

“I find that many people are just putting stuff out there to just put stuff out there, but if we’re not actually getting to the heart of humanity, what’s the point? If we’re not really exploring the boundaries of what life is, and what it could be, and how we can interact with one another, and how we can transform in the way that we live and breathe and create, that’s interesting. Everything else is just fluff and noise in my book.”

Ja-nae began her career as an opera singer, but later transitioned into marketing after realizing how unsustainable being an opera singer was. She found a lot of success in marketing and even created her own marketing company. What she didn’t realize was that she was becoming depressed because she lost touch with her creativity.

“You know, I actually think there was a little bit of depression in there… You know, I knew something was wrong. I knew something was off for years and I didn’t necessarily know exactly what it was. And it wasn’t all of this, but it was a large part of this. And what I found was, I was the least happiest when I was known as a marketer, and I was viewing that as my primary living and running that company… I liked the challenge and I love strategies, so those two things fueled at least my brain, but there was nothing that really intersected with my heart. And I think that emptiness was really something that stuck out more than I knew. And sometimes when you live in it so long, or with something for so long… you almost forget that it’s there or life could be without it.”

Ja-nae forgot what drove her. She was so concentrated on her business and being successful that she lost sight of something that made her happy. So she decided to bring creativity back into into her life.

“I realized how far I had gotten from my roots, we’ll say, and how much that had affected me, and so that’s actually one of the things that I have really started to bring back into my life.”

What she discovered was that sometimes we need other people to point out the obvious. With the help of her husband, Ja-nae was able to get back on track with her creativity.

“I find that that type of reaction is something that, unless we have people to call us out on it or unless we are super self-aware all the time, that we fall in to the patterns, and we sometimes forget our potential and the potential of what life could be.”

That’s why Ja-nae advocates surrounding yourself with the right types of people. We need people who will help push us. Sure, you could rest on your laurels, but when you have people pushing you, you tend to create your best work.

“I am truly a firm believer in surrounding myself with people who will push me. Who won’t just allow me to sit idly by rest on my laurels but will really say… ‘Are you good with this? Is this what you want or do you feel like there’s more that you can do here say in the project or in life? I noticed this pattern.’ To me you have to surround yourself with people that won’t just allow you to go idly through life but will really be your… companions to help you to thrive, so that you get the most out of it.”

Often times the hardest thing we have to overcome to be successful is the way we think. We hear things all the time that sound right, but are actually a deterrence to our success: We need to be thrifty. We are not good enough. We are stuck in our current situation.

One of the things Ja-nae had to overcome was growing up poor. She started off believing she had to horde her resources, but what she realized was that giving lead to great success.

“When a person grows up poor or has a lack of resources it becomes very easy to horde those resources and keep things close to you because you’re afraid that they’re going to go away if you don’t. And the thing is, it’s the exact opposite. If you’re looking for things and for more resources, being that connector and opening yourself up, and whether or not you’re volunteering time or you’re connecting people with one another or even if you’re offering up a bit of expertise to people… Being in a state of giving is one of the first things that I would say to people.”

But the most important thing Ja-nae did, was changing her negative self-talk. Instead of looking at things in a defeatist way, she looked at ways she could solve her problems.

“The other thing I would say… and this was huge for me. This would actually be number one is change your self-talk. So instead of I can’t or the world’s against me or I don’t have enough. Just switch that slightly to I will find a way. I have what I need for today. What are the ways that we can push this forward? Just change it to… it doesn’t have to be fluffy… but if you do change it to this almost problem solving verbiage instead of this defeatist verbiage, then it allows your brain to start to compare and contrast different ways, and find a solution.”

Another thing Ja-nae found helpful was surrounding herself with the right type of people. The people around you can have an immense impact on the way you think. So if you often find yourself in a negative mood, see if the people around you are affecting the way you think.

“If you’re looking for a change… you’re just not happy with where you are, then I would take a close look at who you’re surrounding yourself with and listen to how they talk to you, how they talk to one another. What is their work ethic? How do they contribute to the world? Are they in a constant state of giving? You know, we are the average of the five people we surround ourselves with the most.”

One of the biggest positive changes we can make in our lives is surrounding ourselves with people who push us to do our best.

“If you are unhappy with where you are, change your environment. Change the game, and surround yourself with people that you don’t feel deserve to be around or you feel like an impostor. Because again, that fear… will force you to be a little more vulnerable but will also open up more doors.”

Read more shownotes from episode 81 with Ja-Nae Duane 

Angela continued that creative streak in college where she studied studio art and painting. After college, she moved to Portland, Maine and started working at a restaurant. While working as a waitress, Angela forged relationships with the restaurant owners and patrons. After a while, Angela was able to quit her job as a waitress to work on her art full-time.

For some, having a successful business as an artist would be enough, but that wasn’t the case for Angela. One day while doing yoga,  she had a vision about a dog doing yoga. This would eventually turn into her first children’s book Digger’s Daily Routine. Even with three completed books and a newly released podcast, it still feels like Angela has more creativity to share with the world.

In this episode Angela talks about believing in yourself, having fun, and how struggles can lead to success.

Here are three things you can learn from Angela:

When we are first starting out in our creative careers, a lot of self-doubt creeps in. “I’m not a professional artist, why would anyone buy from me?” we ask ourselves. We believe in our work, but don’t believe in ourselves.

That’s why it’s so important to believe in who you are and what you are doing. That’s what Angela did when she went from being a painter to also being a writer.

“A big part of it too was I was afraid of the impostor syndrome, especially transitioning from painter to writer. I was afraid to call myself a writer, and therefore I was afraid to promote myself as a writer. Once I got established painting, I liked being called a painter. I liked that being part of my identity, but it was a little harder when I was unpublished or before I launched a podcast, calling myself a podcaster. It’s hard to almost validate yourself when you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished anything. But then I realized the action of doing it is what makes me a writer. The action of recording and creating episodes is what made me a podcaster.”

The only way you can overcome the impostor syndrome is by believing in what you do. You have to own it.

“Once I started being kinda comfortable with myself and saying yes, I do belong in this space, and I can put myself out there, not just my work, but myself into my work, and that’s now part of my identity.”

Many of us believe we just have to reach our goals and we’ll have “made it.” The truth is, there’s no such thing as making it. The bar is constantly moving. You have to evolve with that sliding scale.

“You never really arrive. You’re always going to be growing in this creative space. You’re always going to be evolving in staying current in your field. So once you start that initial page in the book, you now are a writer. The more you say to yourself, “I am this. I am doing this.” Then it kind of positively reinforces and motivates you to say “I need to follow through because this is now part of who I am.”

Most creative people discover their love for art early in life because they had a blast while creating. We enjoyed every moment of the creative process from dipping the brush into the paints to wrapping up a finished painting.

But along the way, we lose sight of that fun and joy. We let the business side of creativity distract us. We become discouraged when we don’t see immediate results. Angela found a way around this by making sure everything she does is fun.

“For me, I don’t like doing something if it’s not fun. I like to have fun and it’s everything from cooking to working out, once I find a method of ‘Oh, this is a creative way I can do this. This works for me.”

This was especially true for the way she approached marketing. She found a way to make marketing fun.

“My approach to marketing, I knew it’s necessary and it feeds into that big picture goal I have of ‘Okay, I want to tell stories. That’s my big goal.’ So I start telling stories when I market. I find really fun images to use when I create campaigns for social media. And starting a podcast was a way I could promote myself in an authentic way or I could use my voice and speak directly to people. I knew that was something I could have fun with for marketing.”

Sure there are some tedious elements to starting and maintaining a business, but the best way to get around the tedium is to have fun with it.

“The business side, yeah there are definitely some tedious things that are hard to do, but once you learn something, you can find a way to have fun with it because the learning part of it is definitely I think the hard part of any part of a business.”

We’ve all faced struggles in our creative careers. It’s why the term “starving artist” exists. No one said living a fulfilling creative life would be easy. You will face ups and downs. You will soar to the highest highs and hit rock bottom. That’s just how the uncertain life of a creative goes.

Those same struggles are also what makes success so sweet. We might dread them in the moment, but when we look back, we are usually glad we found our way through them. That’s exactly what happened to Angela when she went from being a painter to being a writer too.

“A lot of times I look back and things that felt like struggles or hardships, I look back and think, ‘Oh thank goodness that happened.’ I mean, I’ve had a lot of rejection and failure… starting out as a painter and going and working my way up as a writer. Any time I’m submitting a piece I’d get feedback that, a lot of times I just didn’t feel like I could do it. I didn’t realize I had it in me.”

Those struggles push us to achieve more. They help us determine determine if we want to forge on. They help us ask ourselves the right questions. They help keep us honest.

“So those struggles, they definitely push me. They definitely make me check in and say ‘Do I want this enough? Is this what I want?’ And the answer has always been yes. So I’ve always had to push through by again asking the questions. Keep that goal in mind. I do have a lot of visual images in my work space… Those kinds of things are those kind of reminders that really help push me forward when I’m going through an area where I just don’t think I can do it.”

Read more shownotes from episode 80 with Angela Ferrari

This all changed the summer he joined Teach First. The two years he spent here, changed his thoughts on the education system and his role in the world.

After his time at Teach First, and a short stint at Procter & Gamble, Henry took a trip to Colombia through Teach Colombia and fell in love with the country. But he also heard horrible stories about the public schools there.

These were the driving forces that pulled him to leave everything he knew in London and to start CoSchool in Colombia.

In this episode Henry talks about why well respected jobs aren't always right for us, why good ideas take time to develop, and why you need to stop waiting and put your ideas into action.

If you ask most people what they want out of life, one thing they will mention is a good career. They want a safe job at a well established company. They want stability and security. But that doesn't mean a job at a well respected company is right for everyone.

That's exactly what Henry found out while working at Procter & Gamble. While most people would be overjoyed to have a job at a company like P&G, Henry found it frustrating.

"It was such a different world from this real life, hard hitting world of being a teacher in a school in South London. To then be found in an office talking about selling razor blades, nappies, shampoo. I just couldn't connect with the deeper purpose. I really respect an organization like Procter & Gamble for the success that they've had, for the benefit that they bring to the world... however I found it very frustrating to see so many intelligent, capable, caring people there who were using all of that talent and all of that brilliance to sell 1% more shampoo than their rivals."

Just because a company is a good business, that doesn't mean it's the right fit for everyone. Sometimes our hearts just aren't into it.

"Ultimately that's the bottom line in an organization like that. They do a great job of developing people, and growing leaders, and making some fantastic business people, but I was a mismatch in terms of where my heart was."

In the modern age, we want things to happen instantaneously. We have been conditioned to expect instant gratification. But sometimes good ideas take time develop. Sometimes we need to think things over before they can become a reality.

That's exactly what happened to Henry. His dual passions for Huracan FC and CoSchool were on completely different journeys, but after thinking about it for a few months, the ideas converged.

"They were separate dots on... different journeys of my life that didn't make a connection immediately. There wasn't intentions. It took a process of reflection and iteration, and three or four months initially of thinking 'Am I going to focus on the Huracan foundation? Is that my thing? Is that what I am going to do? And eventually CoSchool was born out of this process of stopping."

We're always in such a rush to get our ideas off the ground that we don't give them time to breath. That's why Henry advises aspiring entrepreneurs to spend some time thinking about their ideas.

"I think that if there's something that I learned from that, there's something I share with other people, with friends who are thinking about doing something entrepreneurial, the value of stopping and stepping outside of the white water, not just for a day or for a week, I mean I did it for three months. I gave myself the time and space to think, to explore, to consider, to evaluate, to analyze. I think out of that space, was the birth of probably my greatest moment of creativity."

After a few years working in design, her interest in art was reignited. Her job allowed her to work on her art while also working in design, which fueled her interest in paintings and drawing. Her passion for art grew so much that it even led to creating her own painting workshops.

In this episode, Kristen talks about letting go of your perfectionism, the power of play, and following your intuition.

Here are three things you can learn from Kristen:

One thing that plagues many creatives is the idea of perfectionism. We spend all of our time worrying about making things just right, that we are petrified to make mistakes.

Kristen believes we need to stop worrying about making things perfect and just let go. "Just keep letting go. Just keep letting what happens, happen on the canvas. Paint dries. You can paint over it. You can always change the outcome... and that's the same in life. You can always change the outcome. You can always do something different. Try something different. And that is so much more empowering and so much more exciting to me than being perfect."

The way we let go of our perfectionism is by taking on the mindset of a beginner. Beginners aren't afraid to screw up. They go into things head on without the fear of doing something wrong.

When you are a beginner, things are exciting and new. You get to experience things for the first time. Instead of worrying about how everything that can go wrong, look at how exciting it can be.

"You have to be a beginner. You have to allow yourself to be a beginner. And by being a beginner, then all of these wonderful things happen. If you just came in and knew how to do something right away, there you go, it's done, what fun is in that? What did you really learn in that journey? What things did you take away in the end? Nothing. You just came in, created it, then you're done."

So stop creating unrealistic expectations for yourself. The harder the struggle, the more fulfilling and unexpected it will be.

"So I feel like it's within those struggles that the reward is even greater and you feel like you were really able to express yourself in a way you didn't even imagine because you didn't come in with any expectation of what you were gonna do. You just let it happen."

One of the things that prevents many people from being truly creative, is their unwillingness to let go of their inhibitions and just play. As children, we let our imaginations run wild. We embrace the impossible. That all changes when we begin to grow up.

Kristen believes we need to let go of these imaginary restrictions and learn to just play again.

"As we get older... the world becomes labeled more with this and that, and good and bad, and right and wrong. And it becomes really difficult to remember that childlike wonder, and I think play is where that really brings you back."

Kristen believes the symbolism of the paintbrush prevents many people from getting started. Instead of embracing the canvas, they are let the paintbrush and canvas intimidate them.

"You can almost finish an entire painting without picking up a paintbrush, and that kind of gets people out of that mind. It's like when they pick up that paintbrush they get really nervous."

When she removes the formality of the paintbrush people begin to let go.

"If you're just playing with bubble wrap or you're playing with tissue paper or all of these random items, you don't really know what that outcome is, so you can kind of let go of it a little bit more."

Once people figure this out, it becomes much easier to play. Instead of worrying about making the wrong choices, her students are able to embrace their choices. When they learn to trust their own intuition, it leads to some amazing results.

"You just figure things out... As you go, as you play, you just start to figure things out on the canvas. And I think in the long run, you start to build a... trust of yourself because you're not worried about 'Oh, I'm gonna make the wrong choice.' You go 'I'm just gonna make this choice and I'm gonna do it. If I don't like it, I can paint over it... And other times you go 'Wow, what did I just make? That's amazing.' And now you have this whole new feeling of trusting your intuition and that I can do this on my own. And you don't have to show me every step. I can just play and see where this leads."

Early in our creative careers it's easy to take every job that comes our way. We want to gain exposure and we want to open ourselves up to as many opportunities as possible.

But as we grow, and demand for our services grow, it becomes much harder to decide what we should work on. Kristen has solved this dilemma by relying on her intuition.

"You have to know what your mission is and not get too distracted. And I think the work on my intuition over the past two years with my painting practice has made it easier for me to feel like when something is right, or maybe something is a little bit off. And feeling a little nervous when you say yes to something is one thing, but if you feel sick... you should say no."

Listening to your intuition is easier said than done. Some opportunities sound good on the surface, but they might also drive us crazy. In the end, it all comes down to being in touch with yourself.

"It really comes back to working on your intuition and being in touch with yourself, however that means for you... and when other things arise, you can say 'Is this a feel good nervous yes or is this a uhh this sounds terrible,' And really be able to tap into that and listen to yourself."

It's all about listening to what your mind and body are telling you. And just like other skills you want to perfect, honing your intuition takes practice.

"When you're not practicing your intuition or you're not in touch with it, sometimes it's hard to tell. I think when you give yourself that space of self-care and all those things that allow you to make those choices when stuff comes up, because you can really listen to what it is your body is telling you."

More shownotes from episode 78 with Kristen Fagan

After graduating, David got a job as a journalist, but felt his creativity was being stifled. He was given assignments, and was given very little leeway in how he could apply his creativity.

So he saved up a few months rent and moved to San Francisco. This turned out to be the pivotal moment in David's career. It was here that he got his first taste of marketing while working for a startup.

At the startup David honed his marketing and community building skills. The lessons he learned here allowed him to start his own marketing firm called Art Map Inc.

In this episode, David talks about taking small incremental steps, the importance of community, and why you shouldn't hold yourself back.

Here are three things you can learn from David:

Many artists want to run before they even learn to crawl. They want to be a well-known, successful, artist, without figuring out what steps will help them get there.

If you've had trouble reaching your goals, that's a sign you might need to slow down. Instead of trying to tackle your tasks full speed, you need to break your goal down into smaller, more manageable, parts.

David believes everyone should work at their own speed. "Everyone moves at their own pace and whatever their age is irrelevant."

He believes we need to position ourselves to make giant leaps by taking incremental steps. "You have to do a million of these incremental steps to even be in a position to make the leap, whatever the leap is."

So, no matter what stage in life you're in, you can make strides towards your goal. You just need to be patient and practical about it.

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of a successful creative career is finding your tribe or community. As artists, many of us would prefer to work alone or in isolation, but we can't do everything ourselves. The most successful artists have a community they can count on in their moments of need.

David believes community engagement is much more important than vanity metrics like likes. An small active community around your work can make the world of a difference.

"One hundred likes aren't worth as much as one comment. Someone else actually contributing and being a part of it is always been more meaningful to me."

David owes the growth of his agency and publications to the community he's built around them.

"Really a lot of the initial growth, from the beginning, I owe to the community."

It has allowed him to grow his following from zero to tens of thousands of subscribers. It is how he built his business.

One thing that holds artists back from growing their audience is holding work to themselves. If you have a tendency to hold yourself back when sharing your art, you are doing your fans a disservice.

"If you're a good artist, you're probably doing a lot more than you're putting online, and you're probably more interesting to look at your actual work and talk to you then it is to browse and search for you on the internet. So closing that identity gap is a lot of where I would start with."

David also believes you should share your work before it's even finished. It allows people to see your process while you're in the act of creation.

"I would also say that a major barrier that I see is that people being scared to put things out there before they're what they would call finished. You know, it's very acceptable and good marketing to put out there the process that you're doing, while you're doing it."

Don't wait for your work to end up in a gallery, or in the hands of your customer, to share it. Be proactive with sharing your art.

"You shouldn't wait to finish a painting, get it in a gallery, get it sold, and wait for that customer to put the painting online. You don't have to do that to market your art."

What many artists fail to realize is that your work is interesting to other people. People are interested in your process and how you create. Share that with them and you will start to build a community around your work.

"There are so many things around what you're doing that's interesting content to other people, that will create your audience and community."

Read more shownotes from episode 77 with David Smooke

Even a stint as a dance student at Julliard, a prestigious performing arts school, didn't convince her to stick with her creative inclinations. Instead, she went to school for cultural studies and even attempted to get her PhD.

While trying to fill out her PhD application, she was filled with fear. Her body was telling her something wasn't right. It was telling her to be more creative.

This integral moment in her life brought her back to creativity. It led her to create a business around designing ketubahs, and eventually led her to creating her blog Living a Creative Life.

In this episode Melissa talks about being happy with your self and your work, making time for your goals and creativity, and sharing your work without expectations, among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Melissa:

One of the misconceptions we develop early in life is believing that people can create great things with little to no effort. We wonder why we struggle so much while those around us create amazing things.

The truth is, most people don't have an innate talent. Most people go through the same struggles we do. We just don't see it. So we just assume everyone else is great and we aren't.

Making this discovery changed the way Melissa viewed her art.

"Part of me still believed... that if it were truly possible, if I were truly talented, if I were a genius, than I would instantaneously be able to do all this stuff. I used to looked at people's finished pieces and, without realizing it, I would assume that they just picked up a pen, picked up a brush, and went to town, and booms there's this incredible finished piece that in fact, in reality... was planned out and designed, and took them fifty-two hours or something... so I think that I knew that I must be getting better and there must be hope for improvement."

That doesn't mean she wasn't envious of people who created great work. She decided that her self-worth shouldn't be tied to whether or not she was a genius. She realized that it was okay to be a normal person.

"I used to flip through the pages of the premier lettering arts journal, Letter Arts Review, and I would cry because I knew my work was never going to be that good. And God, my ego was so tied up in , I think I believed on some level... that in order to be okay, in order to be worthy and a loveable person, I needed to be a genius. You know, out of this world amazing, out of this world outstanding, remarkable, and one of the really wonderful things about getting older is that... I have let myself off the hook and essentially forgiving myself for being a regular person, and life is a lot better on this side."

After years of worrying about being the best, Melissa realized that happiness is more important than the constant need to feel validated.

"The younger me might look at the older me and think, 'My God, you just let yourself go, you've given up,' and on this side of it, I see it really differently. I see it as, 'Yeah, but my life is so much happier.' Back then I didn't care about happiness. I wanted to be great. Why did I want to be great? I guess I thought it would give me happiness."

One of the most overused phrases we all use as creatives is I don't have enough time. We blame our lack of time for our lack of progress or success. But the truth is, time is just a convenient excuse. "If you can't put fifteen minutes a day into your art, you're making an excuse."

Melissa used time as an excuse for ten years. She said she didn't have the time, but in actuality, she was paralyzed by fear.

"I've been making an excuse for ten years, saying 'I don't have time, I don't have time, I don't have time...' It wasn't about the time. It was about fear. It was about perfectionism. It was about comparison trap. It was self-doubt. It was all those things getting in my way, but time was this really convenient excuse."

If you are having trouble making room for your creative work, just dedicate a little bit of time to it every day. By spending fifteen minutes a day on her creativity, Melissa was able to keep her creative juices flowing.

"When I spend just a little bit of time every day, it keeps my toe in the creative stream. So I constantly feel like I am immersed in my creativity. Whereas, imagine if I were to spend two hours once a week, which is actually more than fifteen minutes a day for seven days. But two hours once a week would not have that sense of keeping my toe in the creative stream, but just a little bit every day, does. Plus the hardest part is starting, and when the commitment is tiny... it gets you past the starting friction."

If there's anything we can learn from Melissa it's that we need to stop using time as an excuse. If you really want to get something done, you have to find the time for it. You have to prioritize your time and make room for it on your schedule.

"It's really not a matter of finding the time. It's a matter of making the time. You have to schedule it in. And like I said, I'm a big believer in scheduling it earlier in the day, because then you have less time for monkey wrenches to get thrown into the works... that tiny little bit of time. It's amazing baby steps will get you anywhere if you do enough of them."

More often than not, there is one critic in particular that prevents us from achieving our goals. This critic knows exactly what to say to keep us down. That critic is ourselves.

We are so afraid that others will see the flaws in our work that we become paralyzed by it. But others don't see the flaws we see. And realizing that was one of the most empowering lessons Melissa has learned.

"We're all so afraid to share our work because we're afraid people are going to see what we see. They're going to see what's not living up, where it's lacking, and they don't see that. But we're afraid they're going to and we're afraid to be humiliated, and we're afraid to be so horrified and embarrassed... My experience has been, when I just put my work out there... no comment, no apologies... just put it out there and then watch and see what happens... that has been so empowering."

Even when we don't think our work is good or worthy, we can never predict how others will react to it. The work Melissa feels the least comfortable with is often the work that people appreciate the most.

"I can't tell you how many times I put something out there and think 'Ugh, that wasn't my best effort... I'm embarrassed to share this but I'm going to because I'm doing this practice. I'm practicing putting things out there and that's the thing that I'm embarrassed by.' I'm cringing because I'm pushing the publish button or whatever. But that's the thing that gets a bazillion likes, that gets somebody emailing me and saying, 'Oh my god, I needed to hear that today."

That's not to say you should seek validation from others. What we really need to do is publish our work and see what comes from it.

"We definitely don't want to get caught up in seeking validation from other people. That's never useful... but when I can put my work out there and let go of the outcome, and just observe... it's very liberating and it's very empowering."

Read more shownotes from episode 76 with Melissa Dinwiddie

Kerry's story starts like a lot of our stories. We have a kernel of an idea that sits in our heads. Sometimes we act on it, but more often than not, we let it sit. Then, something pushes us to act on it. Kerry's push came twenty years later in the form of her time in Marie Forleo's B School.

Kerry was working on a blog called Handmade Success, which helps people sell their work on Etsy, when her kernel of an idea crept back in her head. The only difference was, this time, instead of pushing the idea away again, Kerry decided to pull the trigger.

She asked women of all different ages and sizes to come over for a photo shoot. And with the help of a photographer friend, she began the first shoot of what became Kerry Magazine. She was finally doing her part in making all women feel beautiful. What started off as a small idea in her head has evolved into a full-blown magazine with three issues under its belt.

In this episode, Kerry talks about letting your younger self guide you, learning to say no, and shifting your mindset, among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Kerry:

We all have ambitious ideas when we're young and naive, before life gets in the way. We believe the whole world is our stage. We believe we can do anything.

Most of the time we let those ideas go and we lose our way. Just like Kerry did. "I feel like we have things about ourselves when we're younger that could guide us as we get older, you know, for what we want to do in the world, the changes we would see and everything, but sometimes... you can get really way off track. And that definitely happened to me."

While most of us never act on those ideas. Some of us do. All it takes is listening to what your inner voice is telling you to do. Because if you do it right, executing your ideas can change your life. "Sometimes I think it is kinda important to get back in touch with your younger self and see if you can remember what some of those ideals were and see if some ideas pop up... because since I've been working on this, it's been awesome and amazing and so fun, and it's not even anything I was thinking about over the last twenty years and there's some stuff that we knew when we were younger that I think we've forgotten."

One of the things that plagues many people is our discomfort with saying no. When people ask us to do something, it feels uncomfortable saying no them. But that's exactly what Kerry did.

Instead of agreeing to lead a class for kids' yoga, she decided it was best to say no. Because once that door was open, she was afraid she would be known as someone teaches kids' yoga. "I didn't want that to be what I'm known for, and it's not what I do. So it was interesting to have to come and figure out who do I want to help, what do I want to be doing, and to say no to things that don't go with that."

Kerry was afraid that she would fill up all her time with things she didn't want to do. Instead, she asked herself who she wanted to help and who she wanted to align with. Doing this would help clear her path forward. "I felt like I could have filled myself up so that when something did come along, I would have been like I don't have time for it. Right? And that would have been hard, you need to find where you need to be aligned , who you need to be aligned with... I started adding to what I say to myself in the morning... in the beginning of the day to say 'Please allow the people who are going to light my path to easily show up in my life today.' And when I read that, I said I need to start saying that every morning. Open myself up to allow the right people to come in that will help you see the path of you where you want to go forward."

One of the keys to Kerry's creative breakthrough was changing her mindset. Like most creatives, she used to have a mindset of fear and scarcity. After all, doing nothing is much easier than doing something. But once she re-framed her mindset, things started to work in her favor.

"I feel like there's a lot I've learned. That you have to come from a place of being open to receive instead of fear of that scarcity. Like I'm not going to be able to figure it out or people aren't going to want to do it. That's just an easier place, your thoughts just go there easier, and again I just started coming up with re-framing those types of thoughts and repeating it... a lot and saying 'It's all going to work out. It's all going to come together.' And... when I do that regularly, it works."

The biggest mindset shift comes from looking at things in a positive light. When you expect good things to happen, they really do start to happen. "Really, if you can switch to being open and expecting to receive good to come your way... it's almost like a light switch. It can really start to shift things."

Read more shownotes from episode 75 with Kerry Burki

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Mike Roy is the creator of Artist Myth, a site dedicated to helping artists overcome the things that hold them back. In this episode, Mike talks about the common myths artists believe, what people can do to overcome those myths, and how to find work you love.

Here are three things you can learn from Mike:

Artists who want to make a career out of their art must first overcome the ideas that hold them back. According to Mike, the best way to do this is to ask questions.

Far too often we let others influence our beliefs. If you truly want to become an empowered and inspired artist, you must discover it for yourself. Don’t believe everything you hear.

How do you do this? First you must ask why, then you must follow up and find out why. This allows you to make your own informed and educated opinions.

Many people want to live a creative and fulfilling life, but don’t know where to start. If you are in this boat, you can follow Mike’s three spotlight method for finding the work you love.

First comes your passion. If you want to live an inspired life, you must find out what gets you excited.

Second is your talents. What are you good at? How can you use these things to fulfill your creative purpose?

Last, you must find your market. Discover those who want what you have to offer. They are your tribe.

When you are able to combine these three things, you can begin to build a business around them.

It’s very hard to combine your passion, talent, and market. If you already know them, you are ahead of most people, and now it’s time for you to take action.

This is where many people fall off the wagon. They can pin point everything they need, but they find it hard to do the work. But that is the most important, and most difficult part.

You do this by putting your work out their and getting validation from it. If you want to know if people will buy your work, you must put it out there.

Doing this will give you valuable feedback on what people like and don’t like about your work. You can use this to grow your business and become a better artist.

Read more shownotes with Mike Roy

After going to school for art and graphic design, Dave had two separate stints as an art director, but was laid off both times. He also spent time as a author, podcaster, and creator of Fresh Rag, which helped artists sell their work.

After years of feeling unfulfilled, Dave finally decided to put everything else on hiatus to pursue his art full-time.

In this episode, Dave talks about the importance of connecting with others, some of his keys to building a creative business, and getting started.

Here are three things you can learn from Dave:

One of the most important things we can do as artists and creatives is building a strong connection with other people. When Dave hosted the Fresh Rag show, people listened to it because his conversations felt deep and meaningful.

His conversations felt fresh and different because he didn’t try to force conversations with people just because they were famous. He just tried to build a report with his guests so they would have great conversations. “The most important factor for me is having a really good conversation, rather than just two people that might not know each other very well, talking about it, and the conversation is happening, but it’s kinda weird because there’s no real relationship built up. It’s just two people talking about it. And I want to have people that I know on so that we can have good conversations about it. And their experience level is less important to me than how charismatic they are in that conversation.”

The best way to build up to those great conversations is by building and fostering relationships with people. You are much more likely to have a great conversation with someone if there is a mutual trust and respect for each other. “It really comes down to having and building relationships with people over time. I mean, the people I’m going to have on the show are people that I’ve known, sometimes for a few months, and sometimes for years.”

Dave is a believer that there are a couple of keys to building your creative business. The first is building a brand that people love. The problem with branding is many creatives don’t know what their brand is. They believe good branding is just selling great products. But having a good product is not enough. “If you’re building up a brand that people love and adore, they follow you, not because of your product. I mean you make good products, that’s just important to make great products, but they’re not… on the edge of their seat waiting for your next Instagram post because your products are good. It’s because you are telling good stories and you… have good customer interaction and you have these relationships built.”

Another important factor for creative businesses is getting over your fears. Dave helped his audience get over their fears by having them participate in thirty day challenges. These challenges helped to change people’s mindsets from one of fear to one of action. “In my opinion, mindset is very important to how we do the things we do and so the idea was to create this thirty day challenge where you do a certain thing every day, or every single time you pick up a new challenge, whether it’s daily, weekly, or whatever. You pick up this challenge and do this thing, and it helps you kinda grow as an artist and grow as a maker. And whether its super actionable things you can do to… change your marketing program or it’s something you do in your head, getting outside of fear, the very first action is very fear based… fighting fear.”

One of the most easily overlooked, but incredibly important, aspects of creative work is just getting started. This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but often times we wait too long before taking action. We are so worried about failure that we instead of releasing something imperfect, we release nothing at all.

Dave believes we need to stop worrying so much and just get started. “Let’s say somebody wants to sell their photographic art prints… Figure out where you want to sell it and then just go put that stuff up there. Don’t worry about failing. Don’t worry about getting it wrong. Don’t worry about who’s going to see it because chances are nobody’s going to see it at first. Don’t worry about making sure you get your logo just so… don’t worry about any of that. Just get out there and post that thing up and then repeat the process, and then tweak as you go.”

Something that holds many creatives back, including myself, is the desire for perfection. But perfection is not only elusive, it’s impossible. You can’t wait for the stars to align because they never will. There is no better time than now. Remember, you can always start now and tweak later. “It’s less important for you to get it right and more important for you to get it out there and fix and tweak later because that makes all the difference. The ones that who take the action today, right now, are the ones who are going to win. The ones who are sitting back thinking ‘I don’t know. I’ll launch my show next month when I have everything just perfect,’ or ‘I’m going to buy that new microphone,’ or ‘I’m going to start my blog when I have enough money to get the really great theme that I need.’ Forget it man, just go.”

Read more shownotes from episode 74 with Dave Conrey

While in college, Logan saw the changes that were happening in journalism. So he changed his major to advertising. This led to his internship at an advertising agency.

His internship turned into a full-time job, where he worked on numerous projects. It was during this time that a revelation came to him. While making short videos for clients, he was having a hard time finding music for his videos. So he decided to use his own music.

Inspired by stock photography sites like Death to Stock and Unsplash, Logan decided to take all the music he created, and started his own stock site. The only difference was his stock site would for music. Thus, Music For Makers was born.

In this episode, Logan talks about why marketing has gotten such a bad rap, the most essential element for finding your audience, and how we can use psychology to our advantage.

Here are three things you can learn from Logan:

Many artists and creatives believe marketing is a spammy tool to sell things, but that's far from the truth. Logan believes marketing gets a bad rap. "I think there's a perception out there to market yourself and your work, it's icky and you're like this salesman, you know, almost like the car salesman type. I think it's really just a lack of understanding of really it doesn't have to be that way."

Logan believes people just have a false notion of what marketing is. Marketing is often thought of as a bad thing, but it isn't. "I think it's just, mostly people have this preconceived notion of what selling your art or what marketing your art is, and... it doesn't have to be gross or pushy or whatever."

Marketing, in its essence is getting your product out in front of an audience. The problem is, most marketers are still trying to do it the old-fashioned way where they just spam their audiences. This is what artists think about when they hear the word marketing. That's why they think marketing is selling out. "There's a lot of artists that think that to try to push your art out as a business is kinda selling out. I think it's kind of a misunderstanding of the process really."

If you still think marketing means selling out, I urge you to listen to Logan, and discover for yourself what marketing really is.

One of the biggest troubles artists and creatives have is figuring out who our audience is. This is one of the most important, and often times most difficult, things an artist has to do.

The problem is, we usually go about it the wrong way. We believe everyone is our audience, and that is simply not true. Figuring out who your audience is involves finding people who are actually interested in your work as a starting point. "I think it just starts off with a basic critical thinking of... who's the most basic version of the person who is interested in this, and then kinda putting it out there, and then just revising and reiterating until you find the right audience."

It doesn't end there either. You can't just rely on your initial hunch of who your audience is. Knowing your audience is a continuous process. Your audience evolves as you do. That's why it's crucial for you to constantly reevaluate who your audience is. "I would say it's kind of a continuous process where you reevaluate to see whether... this is still the primary audience or are there other audiences out there who would love their product that don't have any idea that they exist... So the research is ongoing I would say."

One point that consistently came up during my conversation with Logan was the book Influence by Robert Cialdini. In the book, Cialdini talks about all the ways we are influenced by psychology.

One of these points is one of commitment. When we commit to things, we are more likely to follow through on them. So start small, and work your way up from there. "When we commit to something, we are a lot more likely to be consistent... If you can get somebody to commit to a small thing, you can then later convince them to commit to a bigger thing like buying your product."

Another thing we talked about was the idea of accountability. Accountability nudges us to do things we commit ourselves to. It helps motivate you when you don't feel like doing something. It helps get you to the finish line. It gives you compelling reason to do something. "It's about this idea about accountability. Kinda announcing that you're going to do this or whatever and using that as a motivator to make you actually follow through and finish... I think it's a critical piece to let people know and... ideally let there be some consequence if you don't follow through. It makes a more compelling reason to do the thing you're wanting to do."

In its simplest form, it is about survival. We aren't necessarily in physical danger, but those basic instincts that helped our ancestors survive can help us thrive. "All these kinds of psychological triggers and just the way we think, I find it really interesting because it all really goes back to human survival. That idea of... the punishment is more important to us than the reward is just basic survival that we as humans have kind of learned over years and years of trying to survive."

Read more shownotes from episode 73 with Logan Nickleson

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Lee Moyer is a polymath and illustrator who has been working for over 35 years. He has worked with book publishers, theaters, and game developers among many other things. In this episode, we talk about a lot of topics including learning from others, how to handle criticism and information overload, and his Kickstarter project The Doom that Came to Atlantic City.

Here are three things you can learn from Lee:

Lee is a big believer in learning from those who came before you. He never had a traditional art education and doesn’t think it is necessary to become a great artist.

In order to become a better artist, he studied under other artists and absorbed their knowledge. This allowed him to learn under the best and the brightest instead of going into debt by going to art school.

He is also a big believer in joining forums and learning from artists on the internet. These avenues make it easier than ever to become a better, more refined artist.

Lee believes criticism is an important part of becoming a better artist. Instead of letting criticism get to you, learn from what others are trying to tell you.

People who critique your work are using their own time and energy to give you constructive feedback. Listen to what they they have to say and instead of taking it personally. If people didn’t like you, they wouldn’t bother to critique you.

Everyone must deal with impostor syndrome. Even the late, great B.B. King was not immune from it. In order to overcome your feeling of not being good enough, you have to know and believe your work will turn out well.

Even when you feel like nothing is coming together, you have to work through it. You need to be stubborn enough to work through the lulls in order to create something great. Just keep working and you will be fine.

Read more shownotes from episode 27 with Lee Moyer.

During her senior year of high school Amy started having stomach pains. When she went into surgery to fix it, her stomach shot out of her body and she went into a coma for months. She spent years and many surgeries in hospitals trying to reach some semblance of normalcy.

During this trying time, Amy turned to creativity to help keep her busy. She started painting and she even developed her own one person play based on all of her troubles and overcoming adversity.

With one play in the books, and another on the way, Amy is the prime example of what it means to persevere.

In this episode, Amy talks about being a detourist, being more capable than we think we are, and how our creativity benefits from taking small risks.

Here are three things you can learn from Amy:

As we go through life, we often face obstacles that push us past our comfort zones. We face obstacles that scare us. Amy believes we need to force ourselves to take risks, to push past the comfortable. “Unfortunately I think we all get something that pushes us sooner or later but obviously, to prepare ourselves, I think we have to look for the scary… We have to take the risk. We have to go inside and ask that question… ‘If I could not fail, I would do this.'”

Amy believes we need to follow our curiosity. We need to stop feeling so comfortable and safe. We need to embrace the risk even in the face of the unknown. “My TEDx talk was about being a detourist, and for me, a detourist is someone who at least shows up and has this curiosity. I think that’s the best thing we can do with anything in life even if life seems settled and okay. Be curious like what if, ‘What if I went in this alternate direction?’… The truth is, it’s not so hard for adversity to find us but I think sometimes we do feel comfortable and safe. We do have to really go inside and ask ourselves ‘What is a risk I can take in this moment?’ And the truth is if it’s not, even if you’re not in a comfortable place, I say start with a gratitude list. That’s what I tell anyone.”

Being a detourist requires knowing yourself. And one of the best ways to get to know yourself is by creating a gratitude list. Your gratitude list will reveal what’s important to you, even if it scares you. “Those gratitude items on my list… were actually my values. And the more I did those lists, the more I realized what was important to me. So the reason I think anyone should start with that is, you’ll realize what’s really important to you and what you need to go for, even if you’ve been scared of it.”

One of the things that you might realize over time is that we have the capacity to do great things. Even if you don’t know exactly what you are doing, you can create beautiful results. That’s exactly what Amy did when she got back into acting after all her surgeries. “It’s fake it til you make it. I feel like, just by acting, I was the actress back at work with the director. I felt like my mind was in such a better place.”

Don’t let your lack of experience prevent you from doing something you believe in. With the fake it til you make it attitude and the willingness to embark on new adventures you can make the impossible come true. “The truth is, I booked a theater in New York when I still had tubes and bags on me and I had never even touched professional theater after the hospital. So it was a big risk and it was an investment. So I think we were all very nervous cause I had never done anything like this in my sick or healthy life.”

Amy did not let her lack of professional experience dissuade her. She did not let the financial risk or her own nervousness get in the way. She went after what she wanted, regardless of the obstacles she faced.

That is why we sometimes need to force ourselves into uncomfortable situations. We need to push ourselves to the limits to see what we are truly capable of. “Sometimes you need to light a fire under you to get yourself in gear. You know why I don’t ever feel like a victim is because I think we are always more capable than I think we are or than other people perceive us as. And sometimes it takes saying ‘You know what, I’m going to fail,’ to see that we don’t fail.”

We often believe risk is a huge commitment or step in our lives that will change our whole perspective on the world, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Even the smallest risks can take you in the right direction. “I like to ask myself ‘What is the smallest micro-movement I could take? If I were an amoeba… what is the tiniest thing I could do?”

That’s because risks aren’t an all or nothing proposition. Risks lie on a spectrum. You don’t have to quit your job to take a risk. Risk can be almost anything. “Risk is not an all or nothing thing. There are a spectrum of risks we can take. It doesn’t have to be quit my job and become a performance artist. It could be I’m going to make myself sit and write that opening paragraph I’ve been putting off… and I think that’s what makes it a little bit easier to start with. Not I’m going to paint a canvas. I’m going to take a crayon and draw a stick figure. So, there’s no excuse.”

One important lesson we can learn about creativity and risk can be learned from kids. Kids aren’t worried about embarrassing themselves or making mistakes. They embrace it in the name of creativity. “Creativity can feel really superfluous, you know, like why I have this to do or that to do. But kids own it. You see that it’s a priority to them.”

If we just allow ourselves to take risks and look at the world from a child’s mind, we can slowly create a world where risk isn’t such a big deal.

Read more shownotes from episode 72 with Amy Oestreicher

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Katy Walker and Joel Mejia are the co-directors of the Time is Art documentary, a film that follow’s Jennifer Palmer’s journey after her aunt’s death and her exploration of synchronicity. They are also the minds behind Things Are Changing Productions, a creative collective that produces youth media programs, indie films, and music videos. In this episode we explore what you must do to take action, why you should work with limitations, and the benefits of empowering others.

Here are three things you can learn from Katy and Joel:

Looking inward is one of the most empowering things people can do. Many of us go days without taking the time to look within ourselves for answers. We are so busy trying to be productive that we forget to think things through.

Most of the time, the answer we are looking for is already within us. The next time you are stuck looking for answers, pause and look inside yourself. You might be surprised by what you discover.

Big budget blockbusters have an almost an unlimited amount of money to work with. They are given every resource they may need, which might be the reason so many of them fall flat.

Joel believes the best way to get the most out of an artist is to give that artist some limitations. When you are up against a wall, you are forced to come up with a creative solution, which often lead to the best results.

Most of us believe the more free you are, the easier it is to be creative. The problem is, this gives you t oo many options. The next time you are stuck, give yourself some limitations. You may be surprised by the results.

Katy and Joel are big believers in empowering other people. They believe apprenticeships are a powerful form of teaching. When someone becomes your apprentice, they are not being forced to learn. They are looking for long term value and a longer term education.

They are also running a series of workshops along with the film. This encourages people to engage and collaborate with others, which leads to a more powerful experience. They want people to connect through the film and the workshops and create long terms connections from it.

Read more shownotes from episode 26 with Katie and Joel

After college, Cassia abandoned her artistic pursuits and got a job as an editor at a trade magazine. It was during this time that Cassia realized she wanted to become a full-time artist. So she picked up a few odd jobs to support her painting business.

Before her daughter was born, Cassia was featured in a magazine as a rising star in water color. But after her daughter's birth, she stopped painting as frequently.

It wasn't until after her second child was born that Cassia got serious about art again. The same art magazine wanted to follow up with her to see what she had done in the past five years. This was the call to action she needed to get serious about art again.

In this episode, Cassia talks about why we need to be open to new ideas, the importance of avoiding complacency and being consistent, and the art of simplification, among many other things.

Here are three things you can learn from Cassia:

One of the things that holds artists back from reaching their full potential is being too closed minded. Many artists only want to learn about one specific thing. They are not open to exploring new ideas.

Cassia used to have these closed minded ideas about art, but after a while, she started believing art can be enhanced by everything around us. "Art is everywhere and can be anything, and to limit it to something like a painting or a sculpture, I was really missing out at that time seeing work. And when I do think when you do say 'I do this' or 'I do that', you're missing out as well."

Many artists are afraid of exploring something new. We like the safety and comfort of the known. Cassia believes this mindset is holding us back. "That entire new world can be kinda scary, right? The unknown is scary. What we know is safe and it's easy and it's comfortable, but you're not growing or shifting or changing or learning."

During our conversation, Cassia realized that she wasn't just an artist. She realized she was a learner and explorer. "Having this conversation right now, maybe even more than being an artist, I am a learner... I am the consummate student. I just love information and I love figuring things out, and I love coming to the next eureka phenomena until two minutes later when something else kind of hits me. There's nothing that excites me more and maybe the creative process or making artwork is what keeps me in that state of openness that allows me to keep receiving new information again and again and again."

A lot of times, we try to do things the same way, even though they don't work. We repeat the same mistakes because it's easier than trying to forge a new path for ourselves.

Cassia believes we should stop being satisfied with the status quo. Instead, we need to try something new. "I think a lot of people hit a wall and they aren't satisfied but... they think they need to go through it, right, instead figuring out that they can build something to go over it or carve a path go around it, or heck let's burrow a tunnel to go under it. There are a number of people who reach that point and I think it's very comfortable and it's fine and wow, that would be awesome."

Another thing holding artists back is their failure to develop a routine behind their work. Instead of learning how to create work consistently, we try to work when we feel inspired. But routine is essential to becoming a better artist. It's the reason Cassia become a more creative and productive artist. "You reach this point where I have wanted to buck routine my entire life, and now I'm like so much more productive and creative and just a better person when I kinda have my systems and processes and routines and frameworks in place because I'm not wasting all this energy on trying to figure out the world around me."

One of the things that plagues most people, especially artists, is our tendency complicate things unnecessarily. Often times we do so much planning and thinking that we over complicate things.

But the best solution is often the simplest one. Cassia's art is the result of simplifying the things around her. "Art making for me is distilling my experience. It's removing the non-essential from the world around me through the process of making, and maybe that's expressed on the page, maybe I just experience it in the process, but it's about simplification."

That is why she relies on routine and consistency. When we create routines, we are able to be more productive. We are able to maximize our time because we are no longer wasting our time on the unnecessary. "In a perfect world, I do find in my perfect world, that routine and consistency just leads to far greater... productivity because I'm not wasting my time on all the other stuff."

Read more shownotes from episode 71 with Cassia Cogger

After working in the ministry for a few years, he decided he wanted to go back to school to teach. He wanted to challenge himself by doing something new.

While finishing up his master’s degree, a realization dawned on him. He realized he could combine his two passions for art and religion. So he became a professor at a religious college where has taught everything from technology, to art, and film.

In this episode, Kent talks about why breaks are important, some of the biggest things holding us back, and changing our mindsets about money.

Here are three things you can learn from Kent:

One of the things that plagues many workers today is our pull to always be working. Society has led us to believe that we must work all the time in order to be successful. Kent believes it’s not about the number of hours you work, but how effective you are in the hours you do work. “The more that you work, the more people tend to look on that as a good thing. Where ‘Oh, this person has worked so much. They haven’t taken a vacation in so many years, and they’re working 60, 70, 80 hours a week, and that’s such a great thing, and they’re so devoted.’ We kind of have a messed up culture, I think, in the Western world in that regard. Where we believe that the more you work, the more effective you are, and that’s not true at all. It’s not necessarily about the number of hours, it’s about how effective you are, how you are using your time, and are you focusing in on the right things?”

Instead, Kent believes we need to set healthy boundaries for for how much we work. “We kind of have to set these limits four ourselves so that we can have some healthy boundaries.”

Because when we work so many hours, we can become distracted. We tend to lose focus. Half the time we are working and half the time we aren’t. Kent believes we can prevent this by setting up times to complete different tasks. “Sometimes we operate in that space where we’re kind of working, we’re kind of not working… to me it’s much better to set a clear, delineated line. And have specific times for things. That can be a real struggle because we can work any time and anywhere. To me it requires more self-discipline and more clear boundaries that we have to set because other people are not setting them for us.”

One of the false perceptions people have about creativity is that restraints are a bad thing. Many artists believe restraints hold us back from doing our best work. Kent believes restraints can be helpful in our creative work.

An example of this is how Kent uses timers when working. Instead of giving yourself unlimited amounts of time, you should set time limits for your work. “Actually if you set a timer and you only focus intently on that one thing, it’s amazing how fast you can get something done. The problem is that it requires a lot of focus and mental energy, and sometimes we don’t want to spend that mental energy because it’s hard. It’s really hard to focus on one thing for even ten minutes or a half hour. So that’s something that has been helpful to me, just placing that limit on yourself. But also, I think, other kinds of limits can be helpful too… because you’re forced to find other solutions to get something done.”

Kent also believes our resources are not holding us back. What we are missing is a tenacious spirit. “To me the issue is not do I have enough time to get something done or do I have enough money to get something done. To me the issue is, am I going to figure out a way to get it done no matter what, and that to me seems to be the single biggest key to success for almost anything. It’s not about the talents or gifts that you have. It’s not about how much money you have or how much time you have. It’s about having that really tenacious spirit where you say ‘I’m going to get this done no matter what. I’m going to find a way to make it happen.’ It may take longer than I want. It may not exactly be the way I wanted or it may not get done the exact way that I envision it, but I’m going to make it happen. And that to me is the most critical thing of all. You’re willing to kinda plow through the obstacles and figure out creative ways to get things done and just make it happen.”

After talking to many artists, I’ve come to realize that many artists struggle with the idea of making money from their art. They believe marketing is a necessary evil instead of a tool to help progress their careers.

Kent also had these same struggles until he realized that giving doesn’t pay the bills. “I just like to give. That’s just part of who I am, but giving doesn’t pay the bills. You gotta charge for things at some point. And once I kinda got past that initial discomfort, I think my mindset began to shift a lot on just what it means to sell things and to think more in terms of business.”

This is often times the biggest obstacle artists face. So changing your mindset can make a huge difference. “Once you understand selling things isn’t bad, that selling things is actually good, then your whole mindset kinda changes because you have to support your family. You should be compensated for the work that you do. But it’s really not about you getting paid. It’s really about doing the best for the person who you’re selling to.”

The best way to look at it is by realizing how much value your work has. When you don’t charge for your work, you devalue it. What Kent realized was that if you want customers to get real value from your work, you have to charge for it. “People just don’t tend to emotionally value things that they have not personally invested in. So really the best thing we can do for people sometimes is to charge them for what we do because then that person is going to value it more. They’ll probably be a lot more likely to follow through with what they have bought, whether it’s a book or a course or something. So I think once you get past this idea that making money from something is bad, you know, you’ve got to kinda ditch that idea and understand that making money from something can be a really good thing because when you have money, it lets you do more good in the world.”

Read more shownotes from episode 70 with Kent Sanders

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Tim Lawrence is a copy editor, writer and adversity researcher. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barclays Center, and Lincoln Center, and has copyedited for New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling authors. In this episode, Tim talks about growing through adversity, the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, and the power of listening.

Here are three lessons you can learn from Tim:

When we grow up, we do everything we can to make life easier on ourselves. We are taught to seek comfort instead of adversity. While this may lead to an easier life, you will also stagnate.

Challenging yourself is the only way to grow as a person. It forces you to be in the moment. You become more aware of you body and mind, and grow outside of your comfort zone.

Otherwise you will be left unfulfilled and bored. Instead of running from adverse circumstances, confront them. That is the only way to grow.

One of the great revelations Tim had was the power of owning less. When he was making a lot of money, he also owned a lot of stuff, and was still unhappy. Now that he is making a lot less, he also owns less, which has made him a happier person.

What he has come to realize is that by owning less, you are able to serve people more effectively. You have less distractions and you are able to focus on what is truly important.

Instead of owning more things, he recommends saving money so you can have experiences. When you travel, you come face to face with cultures that are different from our own. And you realize that things like possessions, status, and power are valued a lot less than they are in the Western world.

Early in life, Tim discovered that listening was a very important aspect of connecting with other people. When people were going through tragedy, they would come to him because he knew how to be a good listener.

He now uses this skill to help both people who are going through adverse circumstances, and those who are trying to share their message with the world. It has been crucial in his work with successful people.

Through listening he is able to dive into other people’s worlds. He allows people to expose themselves for who they are without judgement. This had led to strong relationships that can last a lifetime.

Read more shownotes from episode 23 with Tim Lawrence

Since that first publication he has expanded his interests well beyond a local music magazine. He has dabbled with writing, painting, and creating courses for aspiring artists. He even got into stand-up and improv comedy.

Bob has not let the starving artist mentality prevent him from making a career out of his creativity. In fact, he has thrived as an artist and creative.

In this episode, Bob talks about doing things that interest you, why you need to be persistent, and what separates successful artists from unsuccessful artists.

Here are three things you can learn from Bob:

Many of us have this fear of pursuing our creative careers. We are afraid that we will crash and burn, and never recover from our failures.

Bob takes a different approach to his creative interests. He doesn’t play it safe. He explores the things he thinks are fun. “I had this philosophy early on where, if something seemed liked it was fun to do, I was like, I want to take some action… I want to experience that and see what it’s like sooner rather than later. So, you know, a lot of people play it safe, or they wait til they know everything about a topic or they think everything’s perfect… before they dive into doing something. And I was just like, ‘I want to see what that’s like. That looks like fun.’ So I did that with comedy, with improv, with publishing a newspaper.”

It all started with creating his local music publication and has blossomed from there. Bob has never let his lack of experience stop him, and neither should you. “I published a local music newspaper and I had no business doing that whatsoever because I had no previous experience. Never wrote for the school paper, never really took journalism classes. You know, had just written on my own, had a passion for music. So I said I want to combine these two long standing passions, and just started publishing a local newspaper. And it was ugly. There were typos. People pointed things out. And I eventually learned just from doing and getting things out there to make it better.”

There are no guarantees that you will ever make a living from your creative career. Not everyone is cut out for it. But there is something to be said for doing something you are passionate about.

That’s why Bob believes persistence is crucial if you want to make a career out of your art. You need to pursue it regardless of the outcome. “There are no guarantees. The world does not owe you a living. So even if you are persistent and keep your nose to the grindstone for years on end, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to make it, whatever make it means to you. However, I guess what I encourage is if you’re meant to do that thing, to express yourself in that way… You should do it regardless of the outcome. You should do it for the joy of it, however, at the same time, you could be strategic in doing it and learning the things that will move you to toward that greater potential of maybe supporting yourself some day. But hopefully it’s something that even if you don’t make a living at it or you don’t reach that point, that you’ll still do it for the joy.”

Bob recommends creating goals you can work your way towards so you can see the progress you’ve made. The key is to be strategic when you move towards your goal. “Making sure that your financial needs are met first just takes the pressure off to do your art more free flowingly I guess. And I kinda like that approach. But you can still be strategic in moving toward that goal if you have one of sustaining yourself like I did. It’s just… it may not happen on your time table… and that’s where the persistence comes in I guess. Yeah, if the payoff is not there in a month or two, are you willing to stick with it? And that’s another thing… that not everyone will, which is why not everyone succeeds because all of these rare… traits have to come together to make for a successful life.”

There are always people who will find success and those who won’t. There’s a fine line between success and failure.

Bob believes one of the things that separates success from failure is seeing thing through to completion. “There are tons of people that want to write a book. There’s tons of people that have started writing books. There’s tons of people who have even finished the first draft of a manuscript of a book. But there’s a very small percentage who actually follow it through to get the darn thing published. So there’s this seeing it concept, and I don’t know what quality that is, but it’s like, when you start on a project, make a commitment to chip away at it and to see it through to completion.”

Bob also sees another trait from many creative people: the need to jump from one project to the next. But you can’t always chase the shiny new object. You need discipline. “Another thing creative people are excited about new fresh things, and that’s cool, but you also have to follow through on the things that you’ve already started that may not be as exciting as they were those early weeks that you’re working on them. And that’s just a discipline I suppose and a personal commitment to stuff.”

Another thing Bob recommends is re-framing the way you look at marketing. Artists need to stop looking at marketing as a necessary evil and approach it as something that is creative. “To me the marketing thing, the necessary evil, is all about an attitude toward it. If you re-frame and realize that all you’re doing is just sharing your work with people who are going to resonate with it, that’s not painful, you know. You just gotta do it in a more strategic way. So get on friendly terms with marketing and don’t lump a lot of things into this “business” category.”

Read more shownotes from episode 69 with Bob Baker

After working for a while in the corporate world, she decided she had had enough. So, she set herself up to leave her corporate job and started a web design company.

This career move allowed her to work with people who embraced creativity, and eventually led her into coaching for artists and creatives.

In this episode Kym talks about creating plans, why you should know your audience, and how artists can change the world.

Here are three things you can learn from Kym:

As artists, we tend to do things on a whim. We want to live a free-spirited life. We want the freedom to choose our own destinies. But this line of thinking often hurts us instead of helping us.

We should be planning our way to success instead. Kym didn't walk away from her job immediately. She decided what steps needed to be taken and she took them. "It wasn't instant. It wasn't, you know, I walked out that day and that's the end of the story. I created a plan for myself. And the plan was, I'm going to start working on my business and I'm going to actually have my business be able to generate enough money that I can afford my cost of living. And then I literally went out and did that."

Many artists believe in the starving artist mentality so they give up on their dreams. But what they really need is a plan of action. Kym believes a plan of action can help us overcome our negative mentality. "I think that part of it is that a lot of people... don't see that if they actually plan things out, and if they actually take actions that they need to take, that the starving artist thing is just whatever it is. It's something we've bought into. It's something that everybody's told us. It's something we've bought into. It's just kind of another BS that we fall for."

One of the mistakes that artists make when trying to selling their work is not knowing who they are selling to. Instead of figuring out who wants to buy their art, they try to sell it to everyone.

Unfortunately, that strategy does not work. Kym believes it is vital for us, especially in the beginning, to focus on finding people who want our work. "There is a market that's dying for your particular work and if you don't focus on that market, at least in the beginning, then the frustration is really high, if nothing else. Obviously the frustration becomes very high and your bank account stays pretty low."

That's why Kym believes we have two choices. We either need to find the people who want the art we are already creating or we need to create art for the audience we have. "If you really want to create that kind of art, then there is a particular person that wants that. Go find those people... It's one thing or the other. Either if you really want that kind of audience, then produce the art that that audience wants or if you really want to produce this kind of art and sell it, then go find that audience."

If you an artist that wants to create for your own self expression, that is awesome, but if you want to sell your art, you need to learn the game. "There are tons of artists... [that] create for their own self-expression. They have no interest in selling their art at all... and that's fabulous, but for those artists who really do want to make a living off of it, then there is a game afoot."

One of the things that artists fail to realize is how much of an impact they can have on the world. While many artists start creating to satisfy their own creative needs, most don't realize how big of an impact they can make.

Kym believes artists can make a difference once they are ready to move to the next level. "If you really had it inside of you to alter some of the things on this planet, that we could totally do it through art, and I think a lot of artists are up to that... They move beyond the 'I just create for me,' and they... actually admit 'No, I actually want to make a difference with my art.' Right? It's not just for me.... I think that that's kind of the next level."

It all begins with thinking and knowing you can make a difference. "It's beyond I just create because I have to create. Now it's move to I can take what I create and make a statement, make a difference on the planet with it. But even those artists sometimes resist the conversation about making money off of it."

In order to get to that level, you have to change your mindset. You have to be able to produce work when you want to, not when the Muse hits you. You have to call on the Muse yourself. "I think that's one of those things too, by the way, that I see that the artists that do actually build success and continue to build success for themselves is that they really know, that they can actually sit down, and they can create, and they can produce what they need to produce, whenever that is... and it's not waiting for the moon to be in a certain phase, and them to be in a certain space, and their environment to look in a certain way. It's like, okay, I can harness this and I can pull it forward, and I can put it to work right this second because I have everything it takes to do that."

Read more shownotes for episode 68 with Kym Dolcimascolo 

Sarah Jackson is the founder of Casa de Paz, a hospitality home for families affected by immigrant detention. She is also the founder ofVolleyball Latino, a year-round indoor volleyball league that raises money for Casa de Paz. In this episode, Sarah talks about why she started Casa de Paz and Volleyball Latino, the importance of taking small steps, and why you need to take action if you want to achieve your goals.

Here are three things you can learn from Sarah:

Sarah was working at a church when she received an email that would change her life. The email was an invitation to the pastors of her church to visit Mexico and learn about immigration. The pastors couldn’t attend, so she volunteered to go to represent the church.

Before going, Sarah had never thought of immigration or its affect on people. She just thought it would nice to take a free trip to Mexico. Little did she know, the trip would radically affect her life.

While there, she learned that there are families who want to be together but can’t be. Since her family was so important to her, she wanted to help other families be together.

From that moment on, Sarah has spent most of her energy trying to figure out how to help the families of immigrant detainees. This led to the formation of Casa de Paz and Volleyball Latino.

There are days we all feel overwhelmed. We have so many tasks on our to-do list. That giant project looms over us. Instead of panicking and worrying about everything you need to accomplish, focus on the next thing on your list.

Sarah gives the example of cleaning her house. Even though she knows exactly what she needs to do, it can be overwhelming thinking of all the things that need to be done. Instead of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, she makes a list of everything that needs to get done.

“Even though I know in my head what needs to be done to clean the house, I still write it down.” This allows her to measure her progress. She can see that what she’s doing is making a difference. “It makes me feel better and it keeps me motivated.”

Whenever you feel like your task list is becoming overwhelming, just focus on the one thing you should work on next. This allows you to break down giant tasks into much more manageable ones, and you are also able to see the progress you are making.

We all have lofty goals, but how often do we act on them? We badly want to change the world, but we rarely ever take that chance.

We are afraid to fail. We let the enormity of the task overwhelm us. One piece of advice Sarah got was to just do something, even if it is something small. Just get started, and the path ahead will reveal itself before you.

When she first started, Sarah was intimidated and embarrassed about her idea of creating a hospitality home. Her thoughts were clouded by all the what ifs. Her fears overwhelmed her, but then she decided to just do it. She started with something small. It created momentum. “One thing led to another and now it’s it’s own apartment.”

Sarah believes you shouldn’t let your pride, your fear, or the embarrassment of being a failure “prevent you from starting something you know that you need to do.” It might not end up being the right thing for you, but you will never know until you try.

Find people who will support and respect your crazy ideas. Find someone who has done something similar and ask them for advice. You need to understand what your part is and just go after it.

Shownotes for episode 44 with Sarah Jackson

She only recognized her true calling of writing, photography, and technology after running her web design business. Through these mediums she is able to help people tap into the serenity and enjoyment they crave.

In this episode, Marcella talks about letting go of your ego, getting into creative flow, and becoming more mindful.

Here are three things you can learn from Marcella:

Let go of your ego

One of the problems we face as creatives is letting our ego get in the way of creating something truly great. Often times we tie our self worth to our achievements or the amount of money we make.

Marcella believes those things fed directly into her ego. "The main thing that I had realized was that for a long time, I had been attached to my self worth, to my achievement, and to my ability to make money. And that was feeding my ego so much. Like I made this much this month or I landed X client, or whatever."

When Marcella decided to close down her web design business, she was prepared for the blow it would make on her ego. She knew she wouldn't be making any money, but she also believed it would help her peace of mind. "It was more of a blow to my ego and one that I was looking forward to. So I knew it was going to be an adjustment and I knew the area in my life where I needed the most growth... That's kinda what I felt was holding me back from peace of mind... So I decided, you know what, you think that you're cool cause you make money, how about you make no money and see how that feels."

Our egos often get in the way of being at peace with ourselves. We let it control what we do. We let it drive our ambitions and our lives. But if we are willing to let go of our egos, we open ourselves up to greater possibilities.

Getting into creative flow

One of the problems we often face as creative people is tapping into our creative flow. We know that energy, or spark of ideas, lies within us, we just don't know how to tap into it when we need it.

Marcella believes discipline is the key to tapping into that creativity. "For me it's a lot about discipline. It's a lot about repeating routines over and over, and just kind of triggering that in my brain, and say 'Oh yeah, it's time to write now,' and not having to use a ton of willpower when it's become kind of like a system... In my experience, if I plan things in advance, there's not creative flow."

Another important thing we need to get into flow is working on things that matter to us. We need to choose topics that really speak to us. We need to let it come to us and let go of our ego when creating. "I need to really be feeling a certain topic to... really get into that creative flow. So for me, it's kind of spontaneous and... it definitely has a lot to do with letting go of the ego."

Become more mindful

When you work in a creative field, your mind often wanders. Your head is filled with so many ideas that it becomes hard to concentrate. That's why it is important that you build a mindfulness practice.

A Mindfulness practice allows you to clear your head. It allows you to live in the present moment instead of always living in your head. Marcella's practices mindfulness by concentrating on her senses. "The main mindfulness practice for me are my five senses. I use my five senses to just reconnect with what is instead of what I'm thinking about. So either I'll stretch and feel my body... one of my favorite ones, just because it's so easy, is to just sit and hear everything. So really listen to all the sounds that I'm ignoring the majority of the time."

Marcella believes taking breaks helps her get back into creative flow. She believes those breaks, even if they only last ten seconds, help her get through lulls in her productivity. "I try and really check back in to my surroundings via what I'm hearing, what I'm listening to, and then I get back to work. And it could be 10 seconds, but I realized when I did that that I got through that hour of writing or that email or whatever, however long it took, and I felt kind of energized and not depleted."

Read more shownotes for episode 67 with Marcella Chamorro

From that moment on, she knew she wanted to be a musician. She knew she wanted to spend her life creating that magical feeling for other people. And at the age of 18 Charlotte moved to London to pursue her dream. Since that moment, she has released several albums, toured all over Europe, and has published three books.

In this episode, Charlotte talks about facing obstacles, knowing yourself and your fans, and the importance of knowing your why.

Here are three things you can learn from Charlotte:

Everyone Faces Obstacles

Many of us have this false assumption about people who are successful. We think they don't encounter obstacles just because they're successful. But that's far from the truth. The reality is everyone faces obstacles and challenges along the way, no matter how successful they are.

That's why Charlotte recommends finding heroes who face obstacles and overcomes them. "A hero is not someone who sets out to achieve his dreams and achieves them with no obstacles. A hero is someone who has a dream and everything is working against him. He is running up hill, and it's tough and hard, and no one might believe in him but he makes it to the top anyways. And I'm saying that the hero stands on the top and people only see the glory of him standing up and praise him, but they don't see he had tears in his eyes and he's out of breath and clearly worn out, but he made it."

Charlotte believes these obstacles make us stronger. "It's not about achieving everything you want without any obstacles. It's about having so many obstacles, but pushing through them and learning something in a way that matters."

Know Yourself and Your Fans

A lot of artists and creatives try to build their businesses by selling their work to everyone. They believe the more people they appeal to, the easier it will be to sell their work. But that is the exact opposite of what you want to do.

If you want to build a successful business as an artist, you need to know exactly who you are appealing to. Charlotte believes that begins by knowing who you are as an artist first. Once you know that your audience will become apparent. "Just knowing what you're actually about. Knowing your story, knowing what you're about, knowing your statements, what you want people think about when they hear your name. If you know these things, it will be quite clear who these people are too."

But your work doesn't end there. In order to build and maintain a passionate fanbase, you must build deep connections with your audience. "That's also one thing why I like having really deep connections with fans, because if there are these wide but shallow audiences, they will rarely go and tell their friends that they have found the next amazing thing... but if you build something really really deep, that person will feel such a personal connection and they will go out and tell the rest of their friends too."

This is exactly how Charlotte built her audience. She started with a small and passionate fanbase and grew from there. "I think that's... the best way to start, is to just build something small but really passionate and then let it grow from there."

Know Your Why

Similar to knowing yourself is knowing your why. Knowing your why might be the most important thing you learn in your journey towards building a thriving and successful business. It is the reason you do what you do. Without your why, you lose direction, you lose focus, you stop working on the right things.

Charlotte believes it is absolutely crucial to know your why. They are the reason she does what she does. "For me, everything I'm doing is always about my why, just creating these moments for people, creating belonging, creating community of inspirations. And personally, everything I do I base on the decision of how I want to spend my day to day life. And so everything I do has to match with my values and... I think it all just goes back to knowing why you are doing what you are doing and knowing how you want to spend your life."

She credits knowing her why for keeping her on track. Without her why, she wouldn't be where she is today. "I would never have been able to get to where I am if I didn't know why I did what I did. Embarking on a mission, no matter what you are doing, creating your own business, it's tough, and it's hard, and it's a lot of work, and you will have to go places you didn't want to go, and you will not have time to be with people you might want to be with, and there's a lot of sacrifice. So if you don't have such a deep why, you know exactly why you want this, I don't think you're going to work as hard as you need to work to be able to make it."

Read more shownotes from episode 66 with Charlotte Eriksson

Here are three things I learned by talking with Ryan:

If you look around at all the wonderful things people are able to accomplish, you might believe they were meant to do it. For them, things go off without a hitch. Their work sells like hot cakes. They look calm, composed, and confident all the time.

What you don’t see is how they got there. You didn’t see them struggling. You didn’t see them speak timidly about their work. You didn’t see how they doubted themselves.

We all have this mistaken belief that other people are special. Ryan believes everything starts off as an experiment. “When you create something, it’s almost always… it’s is a bit of an experiment really. You’re never really sure how it’s going to turn out.”

That’s the exact conclusion I’ve come to by interviewing and talking to a lot of people. Everything starts off as an experiment. No one really knows what they are doing when they start. The key is getting started. Find the thing you want to create and start experimenting.

One of the things that is often overlooked when we try to make something great is focusing too much on ourselves. Most of the time, we try to see how something will benefit us, but the real moments of magic happen when we put other people before ourselves.

That’s exactly what happened when Ryan decided to make a podcast. He could have been selfish and kept that knowledge to himself, but he didn’t. He chose to share the valuable lessons from other creators with his Marker’s Journey audience.

Ryan feels that when you add value to other people’s lives, wonderful and unexpected things happen. “I think when you create something that’s of value to a lot of people, opportunities come back to you, and you never really know what they’re going to be until it comes, but when you create something, you’re giving a gift. You get to provide value to a lot of different people.”

My favorite part about chatting with Ryan was when he talked about starting his TEDx event. Ryan started the event because he wanted to do something cool, but he didn’t have a plan for it.

He thought throwing the event would act as proof for his ability to manage and run something. He also believed it would help build a network of interesting and successful people.

What he realized was, you can accomplish things much bigger than yourself if you ask for help. “It kind of showed me that it’s possible to do something that’s really really big, and that’s larger than yourself if you give yourself enough time to do it, and… if you’re willing to ask people for help.”

When Ryan started preparing for the event, he was the only one on the team. Things started slowly. His grew his list, but only had a handful of volunteers. That’s when the impostor syndrome crept into his mind. Would he be able to run a successful event? What if he couldn’t get good guests?

But then things started to change. His volunteer team grew from two people after one month to fifty people after three months. He had everyone from graphic designers to speaker liasons on the team.

What Ryan realized was, in order to achieve something big, you have to find the right people to help you. “It’s very possible to do something that’s that big if you are willing to ask the right people for help, really, and keep working at it, even when you have zero volunteers and your email list is ten people.”

Read more shownotes from episode 65 with Ryan Hildebrandt

The tipping point came when they took a sabbatical to wine regions around the world. That’s when something struck Charine. She believed they could build a business around wine and travel. So they built up enough run way to quit their jobs and started their journey as the Exotic Wine Travelers.

In this episode, learn why experiences are better than having things, why you should invest in yourself, and why communication is the most important skill you can learn.

Here are three things you can learn from Matt and Charine:

One of the things people learn over time is accumulating possessions is not as fulfilling as having great experiences. While many of us start off wanting to buy fancy things to keep up with the Joneses, few of us realize that buying stuff is a never ending cycle. It is experiences that truly light us up. “When we started to step away and travel, when we started to focus on experiences, we realized stuff is all on the periphery. It’s nice, but it’s a want, not a need. Life is all about defining what you need, number one, and then what you want.”

While many of us begin to internalize that idea, we can still get stuck in the trap because we want to fit in. “It’s funny because both of us pride ourselves, we really value experience over possession all along, for the past couple of years that we’re together. But, as much as we know that intellectually, and we can relate to that thinking, we still fell into the trap of possession or consumerism. And looking at things broadly, I don’t think it’s just consumerism. It’s just that human beings, we are wired to belong. And when we’re in a group, community, or society, you want to fit in, and… all of us will be influenced by our environment and people around us.”

Charine believes you can truly discover this for yourself once you have the power to possess things. “It’s only after you have the power to possess things or when you have the power to achieve all those things, and that’s when you start asking yourself whether you really want it or not. We are lucky we got to step out of the environment that we’re in and we get a clear choice of whether we really enjoy those experiences or not.”

Charine and Matt both believe the best investment you can make is in yourself. While most people believe investing in high value stocks is the best way to become wealthy, they believe investing in yourself is far more valuable. “When you invest in yourself, it will always pay itself back and a lot of the times, it can be the best investment that you can make.”

What they found is that most people are afraid of growth. People are afraid of both the success and failure of personal growth, so they choose to do nothing instead. “It’s not that people don’t want to invest money in growing. Most people don’t want to grow. Growing is scary, it’s hard, and it’s difficult, and that’s the reason most people don’t want to do it.”

While they understand people’s aversion to growth, it’s still baffling that people choose to invest in everything but themselves. “It baffles me when people pick all sorts of investments to do, yet they don’t invest in themselves because you are the safest investment. Is there any risk at all? There’s no risk. There’s only growth.”

That’s why they are on this journey of traveling and tasting wines. They see it as an investment in personal growth.

People often wonder what skills set them apart from everyone else. Matt believes the most valuable skill you can learn is communication. “When you can communicate and articulate your ideas, you move into the top 1% of humanity. When you can actually get up and speak in front of a large group of people, you move into another top 1%. If you can speak and inspire somebody to move, you move into another top 1%. So I think that’s a skill that everybody should learn to do.”

While most creatives try to improve skills within their craft, top performing artists are ones that know how to communicate with their audience. That’s why Matt recommends improving your communication skills. “I would recommend that skill (communication) to anybody because if you can communicate and articulate your ideas, that’s when you can really get things done.”

Read more shownotes from episode 64 with Dr. Matthew Horkey and Charine Tan

World of Warcraft became his escape from life. He played so much that he was one of the top players in the entire game. That is until he was faced with a tough decision. He could either continue to pursue his video game career on his own or receive his parents' help and go to college. He chose college.

It was at this point that Nicolas took the principles from gaming and applied them to fitness. He went from less than 100 pounds to 170 pounds by gamifying his workout routines. He also wrote about his fitness routines and his journey on Quora and became one of its top writers.

In this episode find out why you should learn from everything you do, why you should help others, and why marketing is not your enemy.

Here are three things you can learn from Nicolas:

One of the biggest lessons Nicolas learned was applying knowledge he learned from one industry and applying it to another. That's exactly what happened when he started to pursue fitness. He took the lessons from World of Warcraft and used them to become fit.

Nicolas believes this is what separates the most creative people from everyone else. "If you look at the most creative people out there, they are the people who are most open to that question. They're okay looking at every single thing, every single industry, different, the same, all over the board, and asking the question, 'What can I learn from this?'"

It's also the difference between people who are innovative and those who aren't. "True innovation is really at that intersection between almost conflicting, but somewhat parallel industries. And it's really the intersection between art and marketing."

He believes artists can benefit the most from this concept. "Even if you're an artist, it's not just about your art in your industry because your art in your industry might seem the same as it's always been done, and you'll never stand out. But if you bring it to a different space, you could be the most innovative person on the planet."

One of the things Nicolas learned was you don't have to be special to stand out. Many people have this misguided idea that those who succeed are special, but they aren't.

Nicolas points to himself as an example. "That's the whole story you want to share with people is I wasn't special. I was the farthest thing from special. And I can't tell you how many people told me that I was crazy."

Nicolas gained about eighty pounds of muscle over a few years, not because he was special, but because he was persistent and someone helped show him the way.

Nicolas believes this guidance was crucial to his journey and thinks people who get help should also pay it forward. "When you have someone do that for you, it's really important, I think, to then, you go back and you do it for the next person. And whether it's a one on one situation or whether it's just 'I'm going to take everything I learned, and I'm going to put it out, I'm going to make it accessible, and I'm going to try and reach the largest audience possible', either way, it's important for that kid to know that's it's not about being special. It's not about 'I was gifted and you're not.' It's just you make the decision that you're going to make this happen, and here, 'I've learned these lessons the hard way, I'm going to pass them on to you so you don't have to learn them the hard way. And then just follow the path that I took and you'll hit the same results.'"

Nicolas believes whether you do it yourself or get help you should give back. "It's one of those things too that, if you do have to do it yourself, it kind of gives you a different skin, but at the same time, I think it's also important to go back and help the next kid."

Artists are notorious for their resistance to marketing. Nicolas believes it isn't about being pushy. It's about getting yourself out there and fighting to be seen in this noisy world. "I think that when you're an artist... when you're creating something that is your own, from scratch, it's a very different sort of place energetically than when you're extroverted, and you're trying to get people to pay attention to it. And so I think a lot of people will see those as conflict. They see those two sides as almost working against each other. And that's why a lot of artists are not big on wanting to learn marketing or understanding how it works, but when you really step into it, and this is something I learned first hand, is that marketing is an art in itself. It is an art to get people to listen to what you have to say, especially in 2016 when there are so many social media channels, and so many ways to communicate with people. It's a very noisy world. So, getting heard through all of that, is an art."

This lesson is something he had to learn first hand. And the way that he did it, like he does everything else, is by re-framing it. "Again it goes back to the re-frame. You could be the artist that is insanely creative, but you see marketing as a burden. And you fight it and you're the victim and nobody understands, and you're super creative, and I shouldn't have to market this. Okay, that is a road, and you're fully allowed to take that road if you like, but if you re-frame it, and you realize you now have more control than ever to expand your art, and now your art isn't just what people listen to or read or see, but it's also how they get there and how they see it. And the process of after they've consumed your art,,How do they stay in touch with you? What about you learn about yourself outside of your art?... There's so much more that you can do for yourself as an artist when you see the whole thing as art. You see it all as working pieces. And you realize that when you just put a couple of pieces in play that will allow you to make money, okay, there's nothing wrong with that. But taking ownership and having the confidence to step into that challenge and realize that it's all an art. The end product is art and how people got there in the first place is art."

Read more shownotes from episode 63 with Nicolas Cole

Monica worked for years in international affairs, and even though she loved her job, she still felt something was lacking. She saw that people weren't creatively fulfilled at their jobs and knew she wanted to help them. She knew she could fulfill that gap, so she started up Innovators Box.

In this episode learn why you should think link an outsider, the importance of asking questions, and how self-awareness can improve your problem solving.

Here are three things you can learn from Monica:

One of the things that has helped Monica build Innovators Box is the fact that she didn't have prior experience in business. Too often, when we are well versed in an industry, we have trouble thinking outside of the box.

Instead of relying on tried and true advice, Monica was able to try new and innovative ideas. "The big part of the business element that has worked the most effectively, were the creative and new approaches that I took."

That's why bringing in a fresh perspective into any industry can be helpful if you want to be different. When you don't know what's "right" and "wrong" you are able to think differently.

So, the next time you want to bring creativity into your work, try looking at industries outside of your own. That curiosity can make a world of a difference. "It's critical to be willing to learn different domains because you're going to have that naive curiosity of wanting to understand and less fear of being judged because you really don't know."

Have you ever held back a question back you were afraid of looking dumb? Do you carefully consider seeking advice because you want people to think you are smart and have it all figured out?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may want to reconsider the way you approach problems. Most successful people are not afraid to ask questions. In fact, they embrace it.

Monica believes every business starts because someone was curious and asked a question. "Essentially all businesses started because of a challenge they wanted to solve and opportunities come out of it. Innovators are people who, when they see a problem, they see a challenge... and ask questions."

Successful people are open minded and curious about the world around them. They are unafraid to ask questions. It is this trait that allows them to learn and grow. "When you start asking questions and have an open mind and you're willing to learn, you're permitting yourself to actually grow and expand your comfort zone, and always... find there is unlimited possibility."

One of the problems we all encounter is trying to disconnect from our digital lives. We are constantly bombarded with emails, text messages, and social media notifications, that it can be hard to detach ourselves from our screens.

Monica believes this has affected the way we approach problems. They have gotten in the ways of responding when something goes wrong. "Sadly, we're so used to staring at screens... and along that point, we're so used to acting and responding when something happens, and not knowing what to do when something doesn't happen, that we forget to be actually thinking through what's happening and being fully aware."

She believes that we need to take breaks and become more aware of our surroundings. Doing this will make us much more effective during challenging situations. "Notice all these details so that you are being more fully present and being aware. and when you do that more regularly, that really trickles down into everything else you do. And so when you do face challenging situations, instead of feeling like 'Ah, I don't know what to do,' you're like 'Hey, this is not great, what can I do? How do I feel about this? When do I want to tackle this?' And you start breaking it down."

What can you do to bring presence into your daily life? Try taking a walk or a five minute break, and see how your thought process improves. "Just take a silent walk and let yourself go for a bit. And I think that initial practice of pausing and giving yourself space is important. That's would recommend the next time you're feeling this. And if you're feeling this right now, I recommend taking a five minute break. It's not going to change, make a difference, you actually feeling a little more rested and more centered is going to help you make the right decisions instead of you feeling stressed. And I think that's essential even as someone who's creative... who's trying to make important decisions."

Read more shownotes from episode 62 with Monica Kang