Getting Work To Work

It's been a week full of reminders of past loves. At times, I was reliving distant memories from the pre-pandemic days, and other times, seeing the echoes of dreams lost in the passage of time. From travel, chasing down photo opportunities in the desert of Arizona, and meeting my brother, to listening to everyday people telling stories about their lives and impacting the community through their service, I felt the rekindling fire of what I once loved to do. And it felt refreshing as I continue my creative journey into the future. What are the forgotten and forsaken loves you've left behind in your creative journey?

Have you ever asked yourself, "How do I use my time more effectively?" What about, "How can I be more efficient?" Paul Minors is a productivity consultant who helps his customers answers these questions and better understand the tools and systems that ultimately deliver more value to customers. In this conversation, he shares his tools of choice—Asana, Pipedrive, and Zapier—and much of his philosophy around automation and productivity. He also illuminates some fundamental concepts, including the source of truth, making time to work on your business, being his own client, and time blocking.

I've been thinking about two practices lately: making and discovering. At first, I thought they were two different ideas, but I've come to understand that they rely upon one another. The chance of being discovered increases as you create, and the more you make—especially something worth finding—the more likely it will be found. So many people I know want the right strategy before putting in the work, but I argue that the best approach is to work. In today's episode of Getting Work To Work, I will explore what it takes to make something worth finding and why discovery is the hidden skill of the 21st-century.

What are the questions and stories that fuel your curiosity and life's work? Dr. Tara T. Green is "a Black feminist community-engaged scholar, mentor, and university professor." Her latest books—Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson and See Me Naked: Black Women Defining Pleasure in the Interwar Era—provide the foundation of our conversation about storytelling and the impact of stories on the past, present, and future. From silence in storytelling to the role of memory in activism, Tara shares what she has learned in her career. She also talks about the importance of preserving and archiving stories.

Hello, my name is Chris Martin, and I have a confession to make: I am a hoarder. But not in the way you might be thinking. I am an aspirational hoarder. I collect all of the labels of who I want to be and what I want to do. From the earliest dreams to the weird, early-morning fantasies of living off the land, I don't want to eliminate anything that could define who I am. So, I call myself a multi-hyphenate and feel better about the fact that I can't let go of the past or accept that some dreams have run their course. Fortunately, I don't think I'm the only one.

"What's the point?" A great question from today's guest on Getting Work To Work, Jinny Uppal. Jinny is the author of In/Action: Rethinking the Path to Results, a growth executive, team builder, and thought(ful) leader. In this conversation, she shares how thoughtful pauses and strategic inaction help progress. Jinny also talks about the fine line between motivation and burnout, the importance of trusting the process, how goal setting fits into the mindset of inaction, why boredom is a good thing, and how learning to be okay with silence is a must to connect with the dynamism of life. Most importantly, she lets us know what horseback riding has to do with being more present in life and work.

I can't stop thinking about a concept I read in Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment by Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas. It's called the gradient ascent. Instead of looking at the destination and plowing straight ahead, no matter what, you proceed until you need to recalibrate your direction. And change accordingly. I'm not sure why this has freed my thinking this week, but something feels different. And that change is showing up in expected places, from my mind and body to my bookshelves and living space.

How do you shape the world the way you want to see it? Cbabi Bayoc is a visual artist and illustrator whose mission is "painting the world that he wants to see his and your children thrive in." In this conversation, Cbabi shares his drive to dig deeper in his art and be an artist who has something to say. Whether he is working on a canvas or a mural, he uses surprise, randomness, and perspective shifts to see new possibilities for his work. He talks about his process, philosophy of practice, how he feeds creativity, and the story behind his name.

As I reflect on life, business, and everything in-between, I recognize I've let too much head trash accumulate to the point of overflow. I've been raising the flag of surrender, talking with friends and professionals, and bringing in the bulldozers to make piles, sort and organize, off-load, and burn. Metaphorically, of course. Living a creative life, running a business, being a good person, all of these pursuits take a toll on each of us; that's why we need to learn to let go of the stories that are no longer serving us. In this episode, I'll share a few that I'm learning to let go of, hoping you can identify a few for you.

What does it take to get to simple in a world of complexity? What problems are you solving permanently? How can you better serve your customers? These three questions form the foundation of my conversation with John Wilker, the man behind the simplest biz. For 24 years, John has found a way to solve problems for his business and his customers' businesses and teach others how to do what he does. Whether you are looking for another revenue stream, time freedom, or a side business, John's wisdom will hopefully spark your curiosity and help you discover new opportunities.