Getting Work To Work

How much of your life do you spend trying to redeem every ounce of value in everything you consume? When you think of growth, what is the first thought that enters your mind? The answer to both of these questions is related. Growth is the result of not wasting any time and making sure that everything is valuable. While this sounds great and all, not everything is meant to be helpful today. Some things are not for immediate use. And that's what this episode is all about. As I unblock myself from a cycle of overthinking, I let the culmination of a 20-year story resolve in my mind. The tension melts away, and I recognize an underlying thought: If I only ever live for the moment in the shallow end of life, there will be nothing to reflect upon tomorrow as I wade into deeper waters.

What instantly enters your mind when you hear the phrase "slacking off"? How about "slacking off for fun and profit"? If you're anything like myself and many others, guilt, shame, laziness are right there, not to mention bonbons. Michael Arnold, the author of Slacking Off: A Successful Way to Work From Home, is today's guest on Getting Work To Work and he wants you to know that slacking off is a good thing for us. Not only does it boost our creativity, but it also increases our productivity. In this conversation, we talk about his entrepreneurial journey and relationship with working and slacking off, the importance of learning from failures, not just successes, why self-love matters, and the best gift he gives his readers: more time.

Did you know that your story matters and is worthy of sharing with others? If the first thing that enters your mind is doubt, represented by the insecure thought, "Even my story, Chris? You don't know!" The answer is yes, even your story. We live in a world that elevates a relatively small number of people when there is an abundance of beauty found in other's stories around the world. If there is a core value that fuels this show and a fundamental belief that gives my life meaning, it's the truth that every story matters. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I explore seven reasons people think their stories don't matter and how to see the truth.

How do you show up in your work? Do you create work that is true to who you are and what matters to you? These are two questions I've been reflecting on since talking with Ashwin Chacko, a seriously playful illustrator and storyteller based in Dublin, Ireland. Our conversation begins with Ashwin's curiosity about the social interactions that drive culture and the role artists play in our world. He then shares stories of his early years as a child of missionaries, learning critical adaptability skills and gaining new friends wherever he goes. We talk a lot about making sense of chaos, overcoming fear by telling it no, finding his purpose and calling, and why it's essential to separate yourself from your work. He also teaches us the 4Ds of unlocking any creative blocks you might be facing.

I've always been fascinated by work, leadership, and entrepreneurship. In many ways, I've become obsessed with my work, always working, even when resting. But lately, my eyes have been opening to the reality and necessity of self-care so I can live a more functional, beautiful, and glorious life. Your work ultimately won't work if your body, mind, and spirit don't work. And I learned this lesson most recently from a series of books. I know not surprising, but the book that had the most significant impact on my well-being might surprise you.

What good can you do in the world? A powerful question guiding the life and work of today's guests, De & John Ingles, the husband-wife team behind Smiley Graphix Studio and Wild Routed. Our conversation begins with the early days of playing outside and spending all day in adventure. From there, we join their entrepreneurial journey starting Smiley Graphix in 1997, losing a job of 31 years in 2019, going on a five-week road trip, and then creating a retail side project. Story after story, they talk about the memories and the people who have made a difference in their lives. By being open to what life has for them and sharing it with others, De & John have created a life worth living. Enjoy the conversation.

If there is a common thread of questioning that weaves all creative professionals and entrepreneurs together, it's pricing our work and offerings. At various stages of your entrepreneurial journey, you've probably asked all of these questions: How much should I charge? How should I price my work? How often should I change my prices? Essentially, what we really want to know is what is the right way to do it, so that we make money, avoid the plight of feast or famine, and be able to keep doing what we want to be doing. But did you ever stop to think about what actually goes into an hour of your time? I was surprised when I revealed a hidden habit of how I decided to charge for my hour.

My curiosity for today's guest began when I saw his simple M-shaped lightning bolt logo. From there, I read his story, engaged with his work, and quickly knew that I needed to talk with him. Dylan Menges of Menges Design is all about idea-driven, handcrafted design. With a passion and extensive experience in lettering, Dylan brings to his client work a desire for boldness and the courage to be seen and heard. Our conversation begins at the deep end of life, discussing eternity and the long-term impact of our work. But we don't stop there, as we talk a lot about setting and managing expectations, the need for experimentation and taking risks, and moving forward into the unknown future.

When it comes to your business, do you have tunnel vision? Tunnel vision keeps you focused on the work directly in front of you, passively waiting for people to choose you. It tells you to share content consistently with the hope that what you have to say will resonate with someone, anyone. Most importantly, it keeps you trapped alone in the dark, surrounded by imaginary monsters. Inspired by something I read recently in Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind) by Rebecca Seal, I'm going to talk about business tunnel vision and share seven ways to escape it.

You never know how much you have grown until you are in a situation where you see clearly who you once were and who you have become. For years, I wanted people to tell me who I should be. Then somewhere along my journey, I shifted to doing anything I could do to get what I needed. But to my recent surprise, I discovered that I have been focusing on what I actually want, and in the process, found clarity, peace, and an opportunity to help more people. Where are you on your creative journey? Are you living in the land of shoulds, needs, or wants?