Getting Work To Work

Building upon the success of two books of interviews and a podcast, J. Blake Fichera is bringing his passion for horror film music to a new medium: a feature-length documentary called Scored To Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music. In this conversation, Blake shares how the project is a natural progression of experiences and relationships. With the first five interviews recorded, he is now putting together a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the film and a brand new cover album of horror themes. In addition to learning more about this project, Blake talks about a variety of things pertinent to all creative professionals working on projects: intentional decision-making, influences, the importance of relationships, and the value of asking.

Tom Hubler is a family business consultant who helps family businesses discover generational success by creating a shared family vision, building emotional equity, and developing a plan for the business and the family. In this conversation, Tom shares his wisdom regarding the emotional side of business. He also explains the four plans family businesses need, the last challenge of entrepreneurship, and why having a new dream is essential. Whether you have a family business or not, Tom has a lot to offer you as you contribute daily to the common good.

There always seems to be another excuse for "why not." Why I can't learn a new skill, explore a new technique, or start a new project? In the land of 1,000 excuses, the excuses keep me safe and secure from harm and change. But what happens when you leave the land of 1,000 excuses? That's what briefly happened when I worked a retail job for five months. Not only was I learning new things, but I was actually surprised by what I was able to do. I rewrote old stories about my capabilities day by day. In today's reflection, I'll share how I left the land of 1,000 excuses and how it is not a one-time deal but a daily practice.

How would you describe your relationship with health and fitness? Perhaps you're like me and you make extreme changes when your health gets worse than you want it to be. Or maybe you're like today's guest and you have a firm personal fitness identity built upon foundational lifestyle habits. Luke DePron is an online weight loss coach for busy entrepreneurs and the founder of the Live Great Lifestyle. In this conversation, he shares his passion for health first and fitness second. He tackles a wide range of topics from sleeps impact on productivity to mistakes entrepreneurs make with their health. Luke is a firm advocate for making decisions that will impact your life. I hope you'll find something in this conversation that will improve your own relationship with your health.

For the next month on Getting Work To Work, I will share several impactful experiences from working in a retail environment. Spending eight hours a day walking on concrete floors, helping customers, and making sure shelves are full, one tends to witness a multitude of experiences, both positive and negative. In today's monologue, I'm unpacking one of my most valuable learning opportunities: shutting out the world and getting to work. I wouldn't say I lacked focus before, but I was easily distracted by text messages, email, and social media, not to mention internal worries and concerns. I got a lot done by learning how to shut out the world and focus on the tasks at hand. Now, how to bring that back to my daily work where the temptations are all around?

Skye Rapson is an academic and ADHD coach who works with many employees and managers with ADHD. Her neurodiverse-run ADHD support service, Unconventional Organisation, combines researched articles and coaching to help people reduce overwhelm in their daily work lives. In this conversation, Skye shares how her ADHD diagnosis at the start of her doctoral program took her on a journey from academic tutor to entrepreneur. She talks about the different ways neurodiversity shows up in the workplace and how understanding ourselves and those around us is crucial. She also explains how the get-in-focus routine helps those with ADHD to get started on their work. Whether you have ADHD or not, there is a lot to learn about yourself and others in this conversation.

It's always a treat for me to spend an hour with gough from Beernuts Productions. In today's interview, he shares all that went into his latest film, The Kidnapping, including the inspiration for the film, where he bought some of the film's props, how he approached the script, and the importance of rehearsals. He gives many valuable tips for creatives on developing a repeatable process and asks one of the best creative questions: "Where can I take this next?" We also talk about his podcast and how he develops connections with fascinating people from all walks of life.

A funny thing happens when I talk to people: I hear amazing stories. I'm not sure where this ability comes from, but I can trace it back to a young age when I would listen to my parents and sisters talk about what they were going through. This ability to listen is excellent, but I've also learned to listen within for the question I really want to ask. And that's when the stories start pouring out. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I'll share a few ways to listen and five questions I love to ask that draw out stories from anyone. By the end of this episode, you will have the tools necessary to hear unbelievable stories of love, loss, success, and failure. You'll never know how it will impact your creative future.

It's been an interesting time of decline and I'm honestly enjoying it. I'm not talking about society, culture, or my business, but my artistic ambitions and connection with others. It all started when I read this phrase in a book by Eric Barker: "the right amount of weirdness." I'm a weird person, I'll admit it, but I've learned to hide it, so I could be accepted by as many people as possible. I've even shoved my weirdness aside when it demanded to be shared with others. What did I get for my conformity? Burnout and boredom with my creative pursuits. Fortunately, the way forward is clear to me: embrace the void so in obscurity my weirdness can thrive once again.

The first time I heard it, I took great offense. But I started to hear it more and more. From an older generation who remembers life as it once was and no longer is, of a singular expert worker who knew the answer to every question and the solution to any problem—even if no one said it aloud. "I guess this is what we get nowadays" is not an ideal way to start any engagement, but the perfect statement to reflect upon in today's episode of Getting Work To Work. Yes, technology and convenience have changed the world of work, but they have also changed our expectations as customers. How are we to respond as workers?