When it comes to career trajectories, Jack Conte is my brotha from anotha mothA !!  Our paths could not be more similar.... He started his career as a musician, was a YouTuber making videos, and turned tech entrepreneur by co-founding Patreon, an incredible tool for artists to get paid directly by their fans (just like Beethoven used to…) You are going to love this conversation. Jack’s career — be it in music, videos, or business, has been forged by embracing that there’s a *different* way to do it all. Today more than ever before, there are a million ways to win at anything your heart desires.  The road less traveled isn’t a well lit path... you are bound to fall on your face a few times, BUT those who do find success will largely have done it THEIR OWN WAY.  In Jack’s words, “If you’re questioning whether to keep going or if it’s time to give up, keep going…”  and in turn, give this episode a listen to the end- you’ll be glad you did. In this episode: Imposter syndrome exists in even the most successful people in the most glamorous of professions. We are all just trying to figure this life/business/art thing out.  We cover some VERY SPECIFIC remedies for this You cannot prevent failure. The best creators, CEO’s, whatever - just like the best humans-- recognize that growth and progress comes from making the wrong moves, failing, falling down and getting back up with enthusiasm time and time again. You don’t have to do things the traditional way. There aren’t blueprints and models and specific checklists that will lead you to success. The best successes are born from going against the grain and forging unique paths. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

If you don’t know Brandon, you definitely know his work. Brandon is the creator of Humans of New York which has accumulated over 20 million followers worldwide and turned into two NYT-bestselling books (Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories). It has also spawned an entire genre of similar blogs. Hundreds of aspiring documentarians have followed in HONY’s footsteps, telling the stories of countries, cities, and communities across the world. During a PhotoWeek session we had at CreativeLive, Brandon shared his story from getting fired at a job he hated to selling everything to move to New York to try to be a photographer. Brandon shares what he has learned along the journey of interviewing thousands of people and how they have shaped his storytelling. If you love this episode, you might also want to check out the video version of this talk to see some of the photos he shares during his talk. You can do that by logging onto creativelive.com and searching “Brandon Stanton”. In today's episode: There’s a subtle but crucial mind shift that needs to happen if you want mental freedom. You need to consciously decide what you’re going to spend your brain power on and consciously decide what you’re not. Focus on the things that make you feel the way you want to feel and do the things you want to be doing. You can plan all you want, but you won’t know if your plan works until you start executing it. The original Humans of New York plan looks nothing like what the project has turned into today. Choosing the work that you do is a better goal than not working at all. Following your dreams is hard work, but success is getting to spend every day doing what you want to be doing. Worth it. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.  

Don’t make what “everyone” will like or do what “everyone” else is doing. Instead, make/do/follow/lead/create things you love. In this episode, As a social being, it’s natural for you to want everyone to like you and your work. Reject that natural feeling. There’s a 3 step process for finding success as a creative. 1: Create what you love. 2: Relentlessly share the work that you create. 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2. If your work is priced appropriately, you don’t need 10,000 people to love your work. You can make a living from 10, or 20, or 100 paying customers. Focus on getting people to fall in love with your work, one person at a time. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.  

Danielle Krysa is the author of Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk, Creative Block, and Collage, all published by Chronicle Books. She is also the creator of the contemporary art blog The Jealous Curator. Danielle gave a talk at the CreativeLive studios on the Inner Critic, and shares a particular story that I think many of us can relate to. We all deal with the voice in our life that tells us what what we’re creating is not good, will never amount to anything, or how we’ll never make any money from it. This talk is a huge inspiration for anyone who’s suffered a creative block and battled critics (internal or external). I know you will love Danielle’s vulnerability and break through your creative battles with the tactics she has garnered from her personal struggle and prolific creators, alike. She references her keynote a bit through this talk, so if you want a bit more context be sure to watch the full episode in full living color on CreativeLive https://cr8.lv/2vsQg8d In this episode, Your inner critic is a lazy bully. There are only 4 techniques that it has to put you down, and you can fight each one of them with the right tools. The three techniques professional artists use to fight their inner critic: they dedicate specific energy towards creating whether the work for the day ends up in the Met or in the trash, they create time and space for their work, and they learn to trust their inner voice to guide them towards their best work. Why you need to translate and rewrite your inner critic’s script from phrases like “you’re going to fail, so don’t bother trying” to “I’m going to fail like all the prolific geniuses before me have failed.” Onward. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.  

You know Gregory Heisler, or at the very least, you've seen his work. Gregory is a prolific photographer best known for his 70 cover portraits for TIME Magazine and has graced the pages of Life, Esquire, Fortune, GQ, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and The New York Times Magazine.  We recently had the pleasure of hosting Gregory in our CreativeLive studios to present his talk on embracing one’s own uniqueness. Now, I attend a lot of keynotes, speeches, and presentations. Not often do I stand in the audience yelling “PREACH!” like I was during Gregory’s presentation. His thoughts on prioritizing the expression of your own voice, vision and style over technique is spot on and follows the career path of so many professional and prolific creators in my circle. Listen in, take heed, and let me know what you think. If you'd like to see the video version of this talk, you can watch it for FREE here: https://cr8.lv/2v39iS2 A few topics from this episode, * Making what you can’t help but make is how you find your own unique style and it helps you get paid for your art. It’ll be easy because you can’t help but make it anyways, it’ll be your best work because it’s what comes naturally to you, and people will hire you to make more of what you can’t help but make anyways. * The three main components of making art are vision, technique, and style. Too many of us get hung up on the technique, but vision and style is what differentiates you from the rest of the pack. Lean into your own vision and develop confidence in your style. * If you want to be a professional creative, you’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Making art is an uncertain path and there will be days where you may not be able to pay the rent or even make a good photograph, but trust and own the process. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

This week on the show we’ve got serial entrepreneur, marketer extraordinaire and SEO genius Rand Fishkin. Among other things, the guy is an online content legend, having built the legendary MOZ, one of the first online resources / communities helping creators optimize for SEO (yes search engine optimization...aka if you make content, it's helping your people find you on the internet) and now he’s got a new company you’ve gotta know about, and a new BOOK, called Lost & Founder - aimed at helping all of us creators and entrepreneurs find our way.  SUCH A USEFUL BOOK.  But even more than the “what” Rand does…it’s the HOW he does it that I find completely extraordinary.  Everything, it seems, has been non-traditional.  From college dropout to serial entrepreneur.  Join us on this conversational journey as we dispel startup culture tropes, ‘best practices' and fight back against “traditional” wisdom. A few topics from this episode: * There are three key components to building successful and enjoyable content: build on a medium that you are passionate about, create something of unique value, and put the content where your audience actually hangs out.  Sounds easy, but Rand is unapologetic and VERY helpful in guiding us you understand just how to get this right... * It’s been a recurring theme on this show that taking care of yourself with good habits- sleep, exercise, and not overworking yourself actually lead to your best work. The idea that overworking yourself will lead to success and happiness is misguided at best.  Rand has solutions for you. * The most important things to be tracking from potential clients and followers are not Twitter or Instagram followers. It’s not likes or shares. It’s something else that is a leading indicator to be in control of your business growth on your own terms… the answer?  Listen and find out ;) Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Today’s episode is a little subdued. Stripped down. Straight talk. Just you and me. We’re going deep into one of the biggest secrets I’ve learned about photography (or really ANY craft). If you’re looking to stand out, innovate, or generally get new and fresh ideas, this episode is for you. In this episode: * Take your art to the next level by adding something outside of its inherent form. An example would be if you’re a photographer, try adding text like stories or poetry that helps connect with your image. * Use Edward de Bono’s design technique to harness creativity on demand by taking elements from a completely disparate subject and injecting it into your art. * If you don’t want to be treated like a commodity, don’t act like one. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Meet Jordy, a 23 year old soccer player and student, who’s trying to find his way and figure out what to shoot for after college and how to get there. He’s optimistic, excited, and at a crossroads in his life. He’s just like I was at his age, and is probably just like you are now or have been in the past. In this raw, gritty, intimate, and windy 28 minute conversation we talk about what it takes to create success through chasing your dreams. We talk about the importance of checking in with yourself to make sure you’re still chasing what’s important to you. And we talk about the importance of taking action. Audio purists beware: This is recorded outside on Jordy's iPhone. There’s wind noise and it takes over at times, but ultimately we decided to release this because I’m interested in providing access to more personal, raw, deep authentic conversations like this.  In this episode:  * Having a variety of interests is great, but if you’re trying to build an audience, you need to narrow your focus of what you’re sharing. * Your goal should not be to become an influencer. Becoming an influencer happens organically from building cool stuff and sharing your story and process. The formula for becoming an influencer is to make cool stuff and then share it with a community. * You cannot find your thing from thinking. You cannot find the best process from thinking. You must do. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Summer is in full swing (or winter snow season for my southern friends) and you’re busy, I get it. That’s why this week I’m hooking you up with a powerhouse of short and sweet creative guidance from my man, Austin Kleon up on the podcast today. If you're not familiar with Austin's work, definitely check out some of his best-selling books like Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work! Austin is a full spectrum mentor when it comes to harnessing creativity and this week we are chatting about the next important step in your creative process: sharing that work.  In this episode: * Sharing your work keeps you honest to yourself and to your audience. There is outer accountability baked in to the process of sharing your work which forces you to continue creating more work. * Sharing your work and sharing your process is the most authentic promotion of what you’re making. You are putting in the time to create the art.. Finish the job by hitting “publish”. * Community is a natural byproduct of sharing your work. If you give openly, you’ll receive feedback and inspiration in return and very likely much more. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

I have always believed in the notion that there’s a creator in all of us, and that includes those in engineering, coding, and literally every other discipline. Today I’m bringing you another exciting guest from the technology field, Ryan Carson. Not only is Ryan “in technology”, but Ryan is the Founder and CEO of Treehouse, whose mission is to help people get great jobs by teaching them how to code. Ryan and I talk about how he got started, and like many of us it has been a path of exploration, failure, and self-discovery. His grassroots efforts started with small actions in community building which grew to a worldwide network all while working as a developer. He shares how he’s used skills learned and earned along the way and has some great mindset shifts and tactical advice for your creative career - all the way from how to find your WHY to getting your first sale. In this episode, * Nothing is big right away. If you want to start a movement or create a successful product, start by solving a problem you care about and help people who care about the same thing. This will make the sales process a lot easier. * If you’re afraid to start because you think your first attempts won’t be good, just go back and watch anyone’s first YouTube videos. They are sure to be awful. Let yourself be awful, especially in the beginning while nobody is watching. * If you’re not sure if you’re on the right path, ask yourself “what if I died doing this right now. Would it feel like my life was worth living?” If the answer is no, it’s time to shift gears. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of CreativeLive students attending a special week of programming in our Seattle studios. This conversation was never intended to be published, but after listening to this intimate conversation with some fellow creators, I had to share it. One of the things I really love about having students in the studio is 1:1 interaction and that non-tangible exchange that happens when a group of people gets together. I mean let's face it, the internet can be a mixed bag. It’s sometimes hard to ask important questions. It’s been hugely beneficial for me to seek out and find safe communities where I can learn, explore, and ask questions that I might otherwise be afraid to ask, and this is something I recommend all of you find, too. In this conversation we explore: * To find your niche and truly differentiate yourself, you need to make art that no one else can make. Show the world how you see the world. * If you want to make money with your art but don’t enjoy the business side of it, you have two good options: either partner with someone who enjoys the business side or figure out exactly how much you need to comfortably live, and reverse engineer what it would take to make just that much without having to do too much of the stuff you hate. * To build a community, first start by giving and asking nothing in return. If you want likes, comments, and shares on your photos, first give likes, comments and shares to others. Participate. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Nigel Barker is an internationally renowned photographer, model, entrepreneur, TV star and author. You’ve seen him as a judge and photographer for 18 seasons on America’s Next Top Model, starring alongside Naomi Campbell on The Face, and as the host of Top Photographer. His entrepreneurial pursuits include having his own furniture line with Art Van Furniture, being the Artistic Director of the menswear brand Flag & Anthem, and co-founding the NYC gym, The Dog Pound. Oh yeah, and he’s published two books- The Beauty Equation and the New York Times best seller, Models of Influence. The dude stays busy. In our conversation, Nigel shares a few great stories of how he used the resources he had access to to get his career off the ground, how he thinks about the progression of his career, and how he stays passionate about every day of work. You’re going to love it. In this episode, * Nigel didn’t get a degree in photography; he looked outside of photography and outside of fashion for inspiration and career guidance. This helped him build creativity into the DNA of his career and say yes to growth opportunities that seemed risky at the time. * Nigel leveraged his experience of being a model into being the photographer he would have wanted to work with. He deconstructed every set that he worked on and built everything he learned into his workflow. * As a creative, you get paid to execute on a vision, regardless of how many quirks you introduce into your process. * The ingredients to Nigel’s success were learning his craft, having passion for it, and being compassionate to himself. He lives the value of doing his best, regardless of how it compares to how others are doing. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

We’re now heading into almost 100 episodes of the podcast, that’s a crazy amount to learn from. So I figured there wasn't a better time to share a short convo I had with my good bud Tim Ferriss on his method for rapidly learning any skill. Tim’s got mad skills in breaking down big subjects and making them digestible which he does for us here, in all of his best selling books- 4 Hour Workweek, 4 Hour Body, 4 Hour Chef, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors- as well as on his podcast The Tim Ferriss Show. Hosting this podcast is one of my greatest joys. Of course I love to interact with the amazing guests we have on the show, but what gives me real joy is hearing how it has impacted you, the listener. So give this episode a listen and let me know how you’re putting it into practice. In this episode: * Tim has mastered the art of learning with four steps, acronymized as DSSS. Deconstructing the goal, Selecting where to focus your efforts to get the best results, Sequencing what order to approach tasks, and setting Stakes. * When choosing people to learn from, choose those who have natural attributes working against them but still succeed. This indicates their training methods are good enough to make up for their natural shortcomings. * Even the most trivial amounts of money are often times enough to keep you accountable to your goal. Want to get in shape? Put $1 on the line. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times. 

Elle is an artist and author and just a genuinely amazing human. You’ve seen her design work on Medium, Uber, and many other recognizable brands as she came out the legendary design firm, IDEO. She was part of the 30 Days of Genius series on this podcast where we took a deep dive into finding our calling with the help of her breakthrough book, The Crossroads of Should And Must. I’ve personally found the idea of Should vs Must as a powerful tool that helps explore the tension between the expectations that parents, friends, and culture put on us versus who we are and what we know to be true. In this conversation, we get into a project I really love, the 100 day project and how powerful daily action can unlock the biggest ah ha moments. We are also joined by Susie Herrick, co-author of their new book Your Story Is Your Power; Free Your Feminine Voice, which really helps pull the curtain back of the importance of personal connection, relationships, and how powerful our own personal story is in everything we do. When you connect with your story and your voice, you can … as Elle calls it, live life in full color. In this episode, Gurdjieff says the first thing a prisoner needs to do to get out of prison is to recognize they are in a prison. Many of us are imprisoned by the things we “should” be doing. Here are the three questions to ask yourself to break down your shoulds- Where did I first hear this? Are you true for me? Do I want to keep holding on to you? Small actions taken regularly can create huge results. Join the100daychallenge to push yourself to publish something creative every day for 100 days. Regardless of if you’re a woman or not, you have a feminine voice and you have power in that feminine voice. The world will be a better, stronger, kinder place as we all empower our femininity, inclusivity, and community. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

This week, I feel lucky enough to bring you not one, not two, but three masters of inspiration into the hot seat. Join me in this LIVE conversation from the WeWork Creator Awards where I was joined on stage by serial entrepreneur and investor Kevin Rose, interior designer Kelly Wearstler, and star of Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’ & fashion designer Tan France. All three of our panelists are built a life doing the things that they love, but like all of us, there were a lot of twists and turns. In this episode, they share stories of inspiration, overcoming challenges, as well as some super solid business advice.  In this episode: Next time the fear of failure strikes you, remember this. Only 1 out of every 12 investments in venture capital are successful. Give yourself the grace to fail 92% of the time. You’ve got to surround yourself with the best people you can. Whether you’re mastering your craft, building a team, or looking for your first clients, you’d be a fool to discredit those closest to you. Passion is what made long, hard days worth it. We talk about how to use passion to overcome fear, failure, and getting stuck.  Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Today on the podcast we’re answering one of the most popular questions I receive: “how do I find my passion”. Yeah, not an easy one. Super tough! And if you’ve struggled with this or are struggling right now, this episode will help you find your way. In fact, my good friend Chris Guillebeau has spent years researching this exact topic and shares a formula that can help you unlock some missing pieces from his book called Born For This. This super short episode packs such a huge punch, I’m so pumped to share it with you! In this episode: Most people find their dream jobs and make dream careers by going down multiple paths and making lots of mistakes along the way. Don’t be afraid of taking a nonlinear path. You have two roles in life. Role #1: Find out what you love to do. Role #2: do that thing. You can find all the ways that you can make a career doing what you love at the intersection of joy, money, and flow. If you’re thinking about giving up on what you’re working on, you must listen to Chris’ bonus tip at the very end. He challenges the ideas that winners never quit, when in actuality, winners quit all the time. Super powerful and helpful set of questions to help you get some answers Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Today on the podcast, the tables are turned. I'm in the hot seat on my pal Lewis Howes' podcast, The School of Greatness.  I’m sure you are familiar with Lewis - he’s an entrepreneur, high performance business coach, keynote speaker, and author of the best selling book School of Greatness.  In this episode, we discuss: The people who wrote the rules were no smarter than you. We talk about confidence to go against the grain, breaking rules and writing your own script. I share a few of my favorite techniques for getting over creative blocks. How to visualize and set intentions as part of your daily routine. Building things with the end in mind will get you clearer on your goals and help you achieve them faster. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Sally Kohn is the author of the fantastic book, The Opposite of Hate. which explores how we can bridge our differences and speak respectfully with those we passionately disagree with. She has has been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and delivered multiple TED Talks on emotional correctness, clickbait, and correcting the culture of hate. In this episode we go deep into what it means to fight hate. Sally shares how to use our creativity and vulnerability to bridge tough topics. Whether you’re tired of internet trolls or losing friends to political differences, Sally Kohn’s insights helps us find common ground. A few of my favorite takeaways: * The act of being vulnerable is a major component of what makes artists powerful. As a creative, you have the opportunity to shift your audience’s views by showing your own vulnerability. * It’s natural to bond with others around what we dislike and even hate. But hating things together is still backwards movement. How do we move each other forward and be part of the solution? The answer, whether we’re talking about a one on one conversation with a loved one or communicating your world view through your art, is connection. Get outside of your own little bubble and getting to know “the other side”. * If you want people to change, you have to give them the hope, the reason, the opportunity and the challenge to change. Being hateful, pointing fingers, and telling someone they are wrong has never been an effective way to get anyone to see things your way. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

There are two things that I love sharing more than anything else. Margaritas and answers to your creative questions. I couldn’t figure out how to get margaritas into your ears this week, but we’ve got some fantastic questions from The Daily Creative (my YouTube show where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative) and some of my favorite answers from the show. In this episode: * Ian wants to know how to transition from a traditional career to a “more risky” creative one. * Fritz is looking at how to stop trading his time for money and start scaling his photography business. I share four of my favorite methods for diversifying your creative income. * I talk to Brendan about how to kick social media jealousy to the curb with a few attitude shifts. These tips won’t just make you feel better, they’ll likely help you land more clients. * Eric asks one of my favorite questions; how to raise your rates. We talk about the mindset around breaking up your work into different buckets and determining your creative fee. Crucial info for creatives looking to make money long term. Crucial. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

You guys know how much I love Brené. She’s been the show multiple times-- in fact, I think she holds the record for most number of times on the show. Her philosophies on fear, vulnerability, and courage are so so powerful and when you realize how these things are acting in your life, you can unlock a whole new level of understanding around the things that have been holding you back. Today I’m going into the archives to share her first ever conversation with me on the show three years ago. It’s not available here on the podcast and it’s so valuable I wanted you could take this talk on the go. If you’ve heard this before, you already know re-listening to Brené is never a bad thing. So many ah ha moments in this talk and we waste no time getting into it. In this episode, * Brené talks about how as a culture we’re raised to believe that vulnerability is weakness and so acting brave is being strong. As a society, this attitude creates a bravado - a sort of “postering, fake bravery”. * Brené shared something that, for me, has stuck with me all these years and that’s, as creatives, we need to and get to decide whose opinions matter and whose don’t. She pulls out a short list of the people whose opinions matter to her, literally from her wallet. * We talk about how you heal when someone kicks you while you’re down, and Brené talks a lot about building a support structure, whether that’s a therapist, coach, or your community. Your support team is a huge resource, even your greatest heroes relied on their communities to find and maintain success. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Today you’re joining me in Jamaica where I gave a keynote to rising stars; part of Richard Branson’s Center for Entrepreneurship. What I love about this talk, and really engaging with the community at large is -- whether you are an entrepreneur, artist, or really pursuing anything, we all face the same challenges - fear, doubt, and finding our way. I share some of those things from my journey, but even more interesting and fun is getting to hear from 3 different entrepreneurs on stage with the goal of unlocking some of their biggest challenges. And I know without a doubt, the challenges they have are similar to ones you face or will face. Please enjoy our business therapy session. You’ll also be inspired to know that: * Failure is one of the best learning opportunities. Rather than letting failure scare you away from trying again, let it teach you what to do next time.  * You’ve got to periodically look at your business model to see where your money is coming from vs where you’re spending your time. If you’re not making the most money from where you’re spending the most time, you need to fix it fast.  * Stories are an integral part of succeeding at business. Telling your own story well can move your business across the globe. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got to get really honest regarding the stories you’re telling yourself about what’s holding you back. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Today I’m reaching into my quiver of keynotes  to share a talk I gave at CreativeMornings here in Seattle. If you’re not aware of CreativeMornings it’s a breakfast lecture series for the creative community started by my good friend Tina Roth Eisenberg. These talks are hosted in hundreds of cities around the globe and a great way to connect with your local community. There are thousands of talks on their website, creativemornings.com. The theme of this talk was bravery, so I talk about my own experience and my take on how Ansel Adams and Macklemore have used bravery and vulnerability to propel their careers by making things that only they could make. I showed some videos during the talk, and if you want to see them you can find the whole talk on my YouTube channel or on the CreativeMornings site. In this episode, * We really explore this idea of “the art of more”. The act of creating, and putting more work out there, despite our fear and it’s imperfections. * At the core of this talk is bravery. I dig into why personal work, for me, has been a great vehicle to getting out there and when I look back on my career, it’s been the greatest lever that has lead to my biggest accomplishments. * Finally, we end with audience questions which is always my favorite part of any talk. We get into how to break into a creative community, how to deal with “no”, and some of my biggest failures. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Thomas Middleditch is an actor and comedian best known for his starring role on HBO’s Silicon Valley where he plays Richard, the struggling startup founder. He started his career doing improv theater for the likes of Second City and UCB, and certainly showed off his improv skills during our conversation. Silicon Valley is the only TV show that I watch religiously, due largely in part to its authentic portrayal of the startup world that I have one foot in the door of. Thomas lives the same authenticity, and isn’t one to shy away from removing the glamour from working in Hollywood. Whether you’re founding a startup, working your way up the rungs as a comedian, or trying to double your client base, you better remember to enjoy what you’re doing to get through the tough days. In this episode, * You can’t be passive! If you want things to be happening around you, you have to make them happen. * If you want to be a good artist, you have to experience life. * Pursuing your happiness is worth the arduousness, the struggle, the inconveniences, and the trolls. Treat all adversity and every challenge like it’s a buzzer beater shot. Welcome it. Embrace it. Step up. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Melissa Arnot Reid is a mountain guide, speaker, and founder of the nonprofit organization, The Juniper Fund. She was the first American woman to summit and descent Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and also holds the record for summiting the tallest peak in the world more times than any other western woman with a total of 6 ascents. She’s a certifiable bone crushing badass with a lot of life experience to share from her years of sacrificing for her passions.   In this episode, you’ll learn that it wasn’t the final, most strenuous 250 feet of summiting Everest that got Melissa to be the first female to summit and descent the highest peak in the world without supplemental oxygen. It was every single step since the first mountain she had ever stepped on that got her there. The key to summiting Everest is taking small steps towards your bigger goals. If you liked that metaphor, brace yourself for another 942 of them that will help you be bold, find what calls you, and dig deep to make it all happen. In this episode, * You don’t have to see the summit to make the first step. You don’t even have to know what the summit looks like. * If you’re asking yourself if what you’re doing is your passion, then it isn’t. * Let yourself grow and change as a person as you have new experiences and learn more about yourself. Failure is a good thing and it makes life exciting! Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

David Heinemeier Hansson is a programmer, writer, and entrepreneur. He changed the future of technology with Ruby on Rails, has influenced the way businesses are being built and run with his books; Getting Real, Rework, and Remote; Office Not Required, and has helped many businesses (including my own photo studio) stay organized and productive with the integrated project management solution, Basecamp. David is passionate about finding alternative ways to do things. He loves looking at the status quo, ripping it apart and putting back together only the elements that make the most sense. In our conversation, David helps budding entrepreneurs cross the bridge from wantrepreneur to taking first steps as well as offers some animated anecdotes and mind shifts for how to make your existing businesses and teams ultra productive, passionate, and value driven. In today's episode, * If you want to build a successful business, try integrating existing ideas and tools rather than creating a new standalone tool. * You don’t have to be a genius, nor do you have to outwork everyone to be an entrepreneur. You can build a profitable business starting with 10 hours a week and existing business models. * Take control of the things that you decide are important and make sense to you. Whether you’re on your own or a manager of a team, it’s critical to assess how you’re most productive and happiest when creating the structure of your work-life. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Eugene Mirman is a stand up comedian, actor, and writer. You’ve heard his voice as “Gene” from Bob’s Burgers, seen his face on Comedy Central, Netflix, and Flight of the Conchords and recently found his podcast on Audible, Hold On. From the outside, Eugene has lived what we may think of as the typical struggling comedian’s career. It took him six years of failing before got a bit of traction. Most people quit well before the 6 year mark. How did he persevere through those years of struggle? He never considered not being a comedian. He didn’t give himself a backup plan. He made the conscious decision to keep trying new things until things started to stick. Eugene is a living lesson of perseverance and tenacity, and his mindset is one that will help you thrive long term, regardless of what you’re creating. Listen to this episode if you want to laugh while getting a schooling on how to make sacrifices that pay off. In this episode: * If you have a skill, service, or product that serves someone’s need, your audience is out there looking for you as hard as you are looking for them. * No one is stopping you from making the thing that you want to make. Go make it and then find 5 ways to get that thing out there. Then do it again. * Focus on your one big goal and work on it every day. It’s a long slow grind, but if you stick with it for 10 to 15 years, Eugene is betting that you’ll be a success. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Todd Henry is a creator for creators. He makes tools and resources that help creatives succeed, personally and professionally. His four books, The Accidental Creative, Louder Than Words, Die Empty, and his newest Herding Tigers, cover all angles of succeeding as a creative; from finding your voice, to being creative on demand, to managing teams of creatives. He’s an arms dealer for the creative revolution. Whether you’re just starting a project and aren’t sure how to structure your days, weeks, and deliverables or you manage an entire team of creatives, Todd shares insights, tools, and tactics on how to ensure you cross the finish line being proud of the body of work you created. In today's episode, * If you want to be a creative who is prolific for years to come, then creating habits that prioritize your longevity as a creator is mission critical. * We are bad at judging our own work, so it’s important to surround yourself with people who will speak the truth. * You’ve got to be very intentional about planning your time and then acting on your plans if you’re going to pursue your own vision instead of someone else’s. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

No one has single-handedly given me better insight about the business side of art than the New York Times bestselling author, Ramit Sethi. He’s a business savant, mindset master, habit king, and money maker. Ramit is a regular on the show by now, and this episode is the first one we did together. It was such a hit and I still get so much positive feedback on how powerful his advice is that we had to share it with you on the podcast. Our conversation is packed full of both mindset shifts as well as tried and true tactical advice so you can earn more money. And we’re not talking nickels more. We’re talking 10x more. Give it a listen and give the techniques a try. In this episode: * If you can learn to understand your client, find solutions they need, and communicate in their language, price becomes a triviality.  Show your future clients you’ve done the work by using “the briefcase technique.” * We talk about negotiating. If you’re a freelancer, are you getting paid by the hour? We need to change that to value-based pay… * Ramit shares how to, step by step, land your next pitch, freelance gig, double your rates, make more money.  I’ve always felt very competent in this world, but Ramit’s knowledge helped me drive a step change into my growth around the business of creativity. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

We all have fear. The question is: Is fear holding you back? In today's show, we're mixing it up with my friends Tim Ferriss, Brené Brown, Daymond John, Mel Robbins, and Neil Strauss. We take a look back at how they think about fear, some strategies to deal with it, and how we can play through it. In this episode, Fear isn’t all bad. There's a healthy level of fear, and Daymond John shares how it's helped motivate him in business.   My man Tim Ferriss talks what he does to deflate his biggest fears by imagining the “worst case scenario”  The best way to overcome your fear is by risking failure. Every time you choose to get in the arena and battle your fear, you grow stronger and more confident.  As Neil Strauss says, “Uncertainty is a very confident place to be.” Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

You’re stuck. You’ve plateaued. You’re making great work but nobody is seeing it and you’re asking yourself “how do I get noticed?” How did the blowout successes of YouTube and Instagram get to their million+ followers? The answer: they created community. Whether you're an individual, a hustler, an artist, a creator, an entrepreneur, or you represent a company, the fundamental principle is that making something great and promoting it is only 50% of the work, and that the other 50% (the community) is the part that makes the difference to ongoing and repeated success. In today’s episode: What building a community means. Why building a community is the path to your success. How to build your community. (step by step instructions) Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, speaker, entrepreneur, photographer, author… He’s a hyphen through and through. But what he’s obsessed with these days is using technology to retrain and improve the use of our human brains, using it even to treat ADHD and other mental conditions. Now more than ever before the world is moving at a pace faster than our 2 million year old brains can catch up. Adam says that as a species our brains aren’t evolving quickly enough so we’re experiencing a cognition crisis and the fallout of this crisis are attention deficit disorders. Through the application of treatments involving video games and mindfulness practices, we can not only be more productive in our life, but also feel more fulfilled in our lives. We talk about how to build our minds to increase our attention, expand our perception, improve our decision making, and better regulate our emotions. In today’s episode: The brain is a muscle - it’s trainable. We may soon be entering a time where doctors prescribe digital medicine - video games as medication for ADHD. Even if you don’t have ADHD or another attention deficit disorder, you can still benefit from training your brain. You can use monotasking and mindfulness to fight anxiety and be more productive. The world needs wisdom. Part of the wisdom is the development of our intuition and internal awareness. It’s the foundation of how we approach all things and each other. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Austin Kleon is a writer who draws. He’s the best selling author of three illustrated books; Newspaper Blackout, Steal Like An Artist, and Show Your Work. Using his own words and borrowed (stolen) words alike, Austin articulates better than anyone how to find your own style and vision and then what to do with your work. He’s been featured on NPR, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and this is quickly becoming a regular here on cjLIVE. This interview is from a few years ago, but I’ve been itching to share it again because it still packs such a heavy punch. Austin, the quote factory, Kleon seems to have a quote that perfectly encapsulates every topic we touch on. We go from tip to toe on the creative process; how to draw inspiration for your work, how to hone your style while growing an audience, and how to ship your work. In today’s episode: Boring life = best art. Schedules, habits, daily routines make you more productive and more creative. If you aren’t sharing your work, you’re missing out on half of the artistic experience. The person who experiences your art is just as important as you are in the process. Sharing your work is also a tool to attract more people who are interested in what you’re interested in. Side projects and hobbies are critical components in defining what your next best work will be. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Daymond John is the CEO and founder of the iconic lifestyle brand, FUBU, which he started by selling handmade hats on the street and went on to have more than $6 billion in sales. You’ve seen him as the “snake in the grass” star on ABC’s Shark Tank, which is currently in its tenth season of filming. He released his first NY Times best selling book, Power of Broke, in 2016, and is just about to drop his second, Rise and Grind. This is Daymond’s second time bringing his buttery soft hands and understated wisdom on the show and somehow we had even more fun than last time. Between jokes and anecdotes, Daymond drops some serious wisdom on how to keep your goals, habits, and pursuit of your dream life simple and effective. In today’s episode: While writing Rise and Grind, Daymond found some killer recurring themes for living your most productive and best life. Most of them you’ve heard on the show before- meditation, importance of sleep, exercise- but he drops some new shared habits and techniques on prioritization and goal setting. Entrepreneurship is simple. It’s just figuring out each roadblock, each problem, one at a time and not getting comfortable with it. If you can’t answer why you want the success that you claim to, you probably won’t have the fortitude to keep going when the going gets tough. There’s power in defining exactly why you want the things you do, and revisiting your goals regularly to make sure you still want them. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

December is generally a slow time- a lot of businesses shut down or slow down, people tend to spend time with family and loved ones, and it’s traditionally a time that offers us time and space. I love using this time of year and the traits that it bears to its full advantage to slow down, strategize, and synthesize my intentions. Whether it’s end of the year, beginning of a year, or the cusp of any time in your life, we unwrap the mindset of dreaming big, setting goals, and taking action. In today’s episode, Declaring your intention for yourself and where you want to go should be one of your first steps in setting your goals. Verbalizing your intentions is a signal to the universe that you’re ready to take the necessary action. How to use a playbook to creatively attack your goals and turn your intentions into actions. I have 7 habits that I use to feed my creativity. Use my playbook or start your own. Making your goals specific and quantifiable and then tracking them is incredibly important if you want to succeed in achieving them. There’s power in specificity; “I want to get my business off the ground” vs “I want to have 4 new clients by March 1st, 2018”.

Gary Vaynerchuk and I gave a co-keynote in NYC at Photo Plus Expo. My background is as a creator turned entrepreneur, and Gary’s a born entrepreneur and then realized that creativity was how he was going to take his business to the next level. Unsurprisingly, we both ended up in roughly the same space. Instead of delivering a keynote that showed my own pictures or videos or stories like I’ve done at PhotoPlus in the past, we decided to co-host a Q&A and answer 3 audience members’ biggest current struggles. I’ve been getting a ton of great feedback on the Q&A style keynotes I’ve been doing, so I’m pumped to share another one with you. In today's episode, Jason has a growing portrait business in Chicago, but seems to have plateaued on the money that he’s able to make using his current strategies. We let him leave the stage only after offering a new blueprint for how to set his prices to make the kind of money he dreams of. Niki has been hustling like crazy shooting volume to grow her brand, but now she’s getting antsy not making money even though she’s so busy. She seemed to know all the answers before asking, but needed to hear from us. Patience and the power of intention will take you as far as you want to go if you’re willing to stay in the game long enough. Richard has been grinding at his podcast for 11 years, trying to make enough money to support his craft. We find that with all the experience that he has, he’s certainly got options, but hasn’t gotten creative enough about his strategy. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Ryan Hoover is most notably known as the founder of the website that brings you all the world’s newest products and technologies, Product Hunt. He’s also a writer and founder of his new VC firm, Weekend Fund which he admits he started because he’s constantly chasing the warm fuzzy feelings he gets from helping other people. Some call him Silicon Valley’s “resident nice guy” and it won’t take you long to figure out why. Ryan sees more product launches than perhaps anyone else in the world and knows how to do it well and how to do it poorly. He shares his insights for his path of launching (and continuing to launch) Product Hunt and what he notices in the 100’s of launches that make it to his virtual doorstep, daily. In today's episode, If you want to start something and stick with it for the long haul, scratch your own itch. Product Hunt was built out of Ryan’s own curiosity and drive to share new products with his friends. Building community>building products. Successful products are rarely built in a dark dungeon and then released to the world, perfect and ready to go viral. Before you launch anything, it’s crucial to build a community of people who care about what you’re building and seek their feedback every step of the way. You’re one decision away from an entirely different life. We talk about how to resist the urge to take the easy route and make a path to living a life that you want to live. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

By popular demand, this week’s show is another microshow compiling some of the most popular + impactful questions from The Daily Creative (my YouTube show where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative). In this episode: Joe wants to know how to overcome ego and self-doubt. I borrow from some powerful tools from Tony Robbins, Debbie Millman, and Brené Brown that creates a framework on how to program the brain to work for you. Winston asks about how to create when severe depression degrades motivation and energy. If you’re experiencing depression, a medical professional is always suggested to better understand what’s happening. I’ve personal experienced levels of depression and I share my habits and mindset that has helped me to keep deep lulls from my mental and physical state. Issac lives in a place where his passion isn’t abundant. I discuss some strategies to get started where you are, and finding/connecting to the community. Jon wants to know the when, how, and why of connecting with an agent or manager.  Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

If there’s anyone qualified to lay out the blueprint for dreaming big, living life on your own terms and turning your passions into your career, it’s the iconic Sir Richard Branson. He’s fearlessly and boldly disrupted one industry after another as the founder of the Virgin Group, from publishing to airlines to creating Virgin Galactic (the world’s first commercial spaceliner), building an empire of more than 100 companies and 60,000 employees in over 50 countries. Drawing threads from his new book, Finding My Virginity, we talk about some of his recent projects as well as the steps he took to get from one stepping stone to the next. Sit down with Sir Richard and I as he uses stories to break down prioritizing your life, setting goals, and how to choose what to pursue. In today's episode, It’s time to spin the nasty term “dyslexia” into a positive; let’s start calling it “alternative thinker.” Richard actually credits his alternative thinking to shape him into a master delegator, a skill that he credits much of his success to. The recipe for a successful business boils down to this: spend lots of time on the things you care about, pay attention to what annoys you about how others are doing things, find a way to do it better. The best leaders treat those they lead like family. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Glennon Doyle is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Love Warrior, and Carry On, Warrior. Glennon is also the founder of Momastery an online community reaching millions each week, and Together Rising—a non-profit organization that has raised seven million dollars for families around the world through its Love Flash Mobs, which have revolutionized online giving. Prepare your ears for a healthy dose of honesty, as that’s what Glennon does best. She says things that others aren’t comfortable saying and does what she believes is true and beautiful, even under threat of career suicide. We talk about how perseverance, integrity and trust in her community made her a ten year overnight success and I know there’s some nuggets in here that’ll help you as you mine for the gold of life. In today’s episode: Glennon started writing every day. First to her friends, then on her blog. She talks about getting up at 4 am to write in her closet and hitting publish every day by 6. So many takeaways and about sharing before you have time to judge your work (and thusly not release it) and making creativity a habit. Glennon has this saying I love, “And both”. This idea that life is not black and white. She says … Life is brutal. But it’s also beautiful. It’s Brutiful. Life’s brutal and beautiful are woven together so tightly that they can’t be separated. If you reject the brutal, you’re rejecting the beauty, too. We talk about technology and social media and our constant need to check our phones. She tells the story of her son (also named Chase) and how he’s always on his phone, which she fears will prevent him from finding his interests. It’s a conversation I think so many of us are having, and refreshing to hear her take on it. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

In speaking with people all over the world, I’ve found hearing other people’s struggles is a fascinating way to helping ourselves breakthrough. This week’s episode is my keynote from CreativeLive’s PhotoWeek. On stage, I sit down with four brave volunteers to discuss some of their biggest pain points, fears, and blind spots blocking us from living, and working toward our dreams. In this episode, we discuss: Defining your dream. Many creatives haven’t defined what they actually want. If you don’t know what you want it will be hard for you to get it. Understanding your why. When the going gets tough, and it will, your WHY is what will separate you from those who don’t want it as bad as you. I share some tactical steps to building a client base and portfolio that supports the work you want to be hired for. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Ryan Holiday is an author and media strategist. His career in marketing started at age 19, where he dropped out of college to work with Robert Green. He soon found his way as the director of marketing for American Apparel, then went on to start his own creative agency, Brass Check, who advises the likes of Google, Tim Ferriss, and Tony Robbins. He’s quite the writer, making the New York Times bestseller list with multiple of the 6 books he’s released in the last 5 years. Ryan is a master marketer and what you’ll find at the core of his marketing principles are his personal principles. He applies a Stoic philosophy to everything he does and this episode is overflowing with philosophies, self directed questions, and stories that has helped him make work that stands the test of time, and will help you do the same. In today's episode we discuss: Good marketing isn’t taking pictures or writing copy that sell shoes anymore. It’s just as much about making work that starts a discussion. You’re going to get a little crash course on Stoic philosophy and how to use your own mindset to propel your creative endeavors in three simple but challenging steps. Control your perception, take action, and look forward to the transformation that hardship brings. The two questions you should be asking yourself before starting any creative project are “who is this for?” and “what does this do for them?” If you think long term about the impact that you want to make, it will help you persevere when the going gets tough. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast.  This episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.  

Mel Robbins is the most booked female speaker in the world, an American on-air CNN commentator and television host, contributing editor for Success magazine and author of The 5-Second Rule. Her TED Talk around the 5-second Rule is a simple framework to turn inaction into action and has garnered over 10 million views. What I love about Mel is her hard-hitting, no bullshit real talk. You won’t get any sugar coating here. She calls herself the fucked up friend that figured things out and has become wise. Now, she doesn’t want us to make the same mistakes she did. She’s done the hard work and the research, science of habit, science of confidence, the way self-doubt works. She’s on a mission to share everything she’s learned. In this episode: We talk a lot about anxiety. Mel says she was born a worrier, and around age 21, the panic attacks started becoming paralyzing. Not everyone has dealt with depression and anxiety, but we’ve all had gone through hard times. And the open & thoughtful tools Mel shares are useful for everyone. Mel says “you don’t have to think the way you have to think.” The basis of her book is the 5-second rule, which is taking the world by storm. There is a connection between our wellbeing and our thoughts. Mel and I go deep into her technique the 5-second rule to change habits. We also get a sneak peek of a technique Mel is currently researching that works every time to help you find your passion, make choices, and audit your life. I cannot wait for you to hear it. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast.  This episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Charlie Hoehn is the best-selling author of one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read, Play It Away, and just released his new beautiful book Play For A Living. He’s a marketing guru, who has helped the likes of Tim Ferriss, Ramit Sethi, and Gary V reach the #1 spot on major bestseller lists. He also brings the distilled wisdom of your favorite authors to you on his podcast, Author Hour Podcast. This interview has been a long time coming. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ve probably heard me mention Charlie’s book, Play It Away. It has certainly changed my life and it’s why PLAY is one of the 10 habits I do every day for a happy and more creative life. It was great to reconnect with Charlie and I can’t wait to hear how this episode inspires more play in your life. In today’s episode: The safe path seemed too risky for post-grad Charlie. He shares exactly how he got the attention of his dream employers after repeatedly failing with job boards and careerbuilder.com. Play is an essential ingredient to life. You can go your whole life without psychologically needing to work, but your brain needs to play. If you suffer from depression or anxiety, try adding play to your life. If you struggle with even knowing where to start playing, taking a look into your play history may help. What did you do for fun when you were a kid? Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast.  This episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Jeff, like many of us, has had a winding path to his art. He’s a best-selling author of FIVE books including The Art of Work and his latest, Real Artists Don’t Starve. As a youth, he never claimed being a writer, but it was always something that lingered in the back of his mind. From joining a band to lingering at a comfortable job, he was just waiting for his mid-life crisis to push him into gear and start taking action. Our conversation is chock full of actionable, tangible, you-can-and-should-do-them nuggets about how to go from starving to thriving as an artist. Perhaps the biggest nugget revolves around something I’ve been suggesting to you for years- don’t quit your day job while pursuing your side hustle. Keep your side hustle where it belongs, on the side, until it has enough traction to support you. Today on the podcast, We go back into Jeff’s journey and unpack the curiosity, intuition, soul-searching, and grit to travel a winding road to his calling. There is no school or method to finding out who we are. Jeff drops some valuable tactical gems we can all use to find out way. Jeff’s curiosity lead him to discover more stories of artists and entrepreneurs. What he heard was “I can’t do that, because there’s no money in that”. We talk a lot about the idea of a starving artist explore what has enabled artists who are killing it to overcome that mindset. There’s no such thing as a solitary genius. We talk about how to use community and network to build collaborative partnerships that elevates your work. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast.  This episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Jessica is a lettering artist, entrepreneur, designer, speaker and author who’s worked with clients like Penguin Books and Wes Anderson and recently published a book called “In Progress” which is an incredibly detailed look at her process from sketch to final deliverables - definitely a must-read for any of you lettering fanatics out there. She’s also got this amazing library of side projects like Daily Drop Cap (exactly what it sounds like), a site called Don’t Fear The Internet which teaches HTML and CSS to designers, ShouldIWorkForFree.com - a flow chart which answers that exact question - and literally 10 more. Insanely prolific. Today on the podcast, * Some rarely-discussed characteristics and strengths of creatives * Why constraints are a creative’s best friend. *The habits that make her as ultra-productive as she is - my favorite is her concept of “admin Mondays” Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast.  It's also brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Today's podcast is inspired by a question I received on Twitter about setting rates. The question was: "How do you figure out what a person CAN charge for commercial photography in their industry?" In this episode, I talk about: So many of us are terrible about asking for money for our work. Luckily, positioning, negotiating, and pricing are all skills. I provide some resources as well as some hard earned truths about pricing your work. How the alchemy to pricing your work is a balance of what people expect and what someone is willing to pay for your work.  The value of your work must also consider the impact it will have on the ability to change a brand, sell product, or solve a problem Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

By popular demand, this week's show is another microshow compiling some of the most popular + impactful questions from The Daily Creative (my YouTube show where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative). In this episode: Megan recently started a day job she loves, but is starting to feel disconnected from her side hustle. I give her some pointers on balancing both, and some ways she can flip the script. Natasha is a published photog looking to get her work in bigger publications. I give her the blueprint that can be used to get published, hired, or noticed.  I talk with Xavier, who wants to get started in concert photography. If you're looking to jump into any new industry, here's how to start. Tommy, is a working photographer growing his business. He's excited to have paying clients who are covering the bills but wants to get new clients for an area of photography he's particularly passionate in.  If you like what you hear, subscribe to my YouTube channel to make sure you don’t miss an episode, and if you want to have YOUR question answered, just call me at +1-802-962-4357 and leave your question at the beep. Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Scott Belsky is one of those guests where I couldn’t possibly do justice to their resume - but here’s the short version: He’s currently the Executive Chairmen of the professional referral platform Prefer, was the founder of Behance, the creative portfolio platform that I’m sure many of you use, VP at Adobe, and author of the bestselling book “Making Ideas Happen.” I’m leaving out a ton - such as his time at Goldman Sachs, Benchmark, and as an early investor in Pinterest, Uber, and Periscope among others - but you get the idea - incredibly accomplished entrepreneur and passionate advocate for creativity. Today on the podcast, * He has an amazing term called “the messy middle,” which essentially refers to all the stuff between the start of a company and the flashy exit or spectacular failure  * He is also militant about the critical importance of, well, doing shit - of focusing on execution over plans or ideas * We also riff on the value of focus and prioritizing, another common weak point for creators and entrepreneurs Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Freshbooks - sign up for your free trial at http://freshbooks.com/chase It's also brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.