Getting Work To Work

I'm fifteen years into my business journey, and there is so much I still do not know. It seems like every day there is something new to learn. Not only about my business and the people I serve, but about myself. How I am wired; the future I want to create. The past I can't seem to shake. In today's episode of Getting Work To Work, I'm going to dive into a few lessons that I'm learning about business. It's all about solidifying and creating a future that not only works for me but inspires other business owners to dig deep and go further than they thought possible. Business isn't easy, so why make it harder on yourself than it already is?

There is something special about moments in life where the worlds of fiction and reality align. Earlier this year, a good friend recommended "The Sweeney Sisters" by Lian Dolan. It's a book about families and the impact of secrets, and as you'll learn in this conversation, something I've been working through the past year. Not only is Lian a writer and speaker, but along with her four sisters, she co-hosts a top-rated podcast for women called Satellite Sisters. In this conversation, we begin with her early days of coming to the dinner table with a story to tell her nine family members and end by discussing the healing nature of fiction and how writing mirrors her reality. Throughout, Lian shares stories and wisdom for any creative to apply to their life, work, and craft.

What does it mean to trust yourself? Inspired by a quote from Seth Godin's book, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, I'm exploring what it means to trust yourself and how trust connects to your passion. For most of my business, I found it easier to trust someone else's interpretation of me rather than trust my thoughts, desires, and feelings. But as I consider what it means to trust myself and do the work connected to that trust, I see an interesting new path forward. To outsiders, it looks a lot like where I've been before. But to me, it feels so much different.

Do you know what your strengths are? More importantly, do you know why that even matters? Today, I'm talking with Micah Lorenc, a Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths Coach, about all-things strengths. From his curiosity about people and a fascination with understanding what makes us unique, Micah shares his journey to understand not just what we do but who we are. Throughout this conversation, we explore our strengths and connect them to our work. Micah talks about the common misconceptions between strengths and weaknesses as well as fixed and growth mindset. In addition, he also shares how both teams and relationships would benefit from understanding the dynamics between one another's strengths.

How much time do you spend thinking about hypothetical scenarios, and how will you respond to them? If you're anything like me, more time than you'd like to admit. After all, you're proactive and responsible, but there is a fine line between planning and procrastinating. I recently realized that the more time I spend planning for problems that may or may not exist, the less time I spend producing work, improving my craft, and connecting with others. In today's episode of Getting Work To Work, I'm going to explore several theoretical problems, why they are distractions, and how to keep moving forward.

If you could cast any spell, what would it do? For today's guest on Getting Work To Work, her spell would spread kindness. Holly Hatam is a New York Times Bestselling illustrator, kid-lit author fascinated with animation, imagination, nature, and magic. In this conversation, we talk about her obsession with unicorns and art, how she approaches her work, and how sensitivity is her superpower. She also shares the struggles she encounters when sharing work on social media. Most importantly, she explains how weird is a side effect of awesome.

If I were to summarize a common phrase I read, it would go something like this: "You are unique; the world needs your voice." Every time I take that in, I nod along in agreement, but then another part of me starts questioning it. "Yes, I believe in the state of uniqueness, but with over 7.9 billion people in the world, not everyone needs my voice." These feelings compound as I consider the way society takes the complexity of personalities and uniqueness and simplify them according to categorization, you know, putting people in boxes. Some groups are deemed worthy of speaking and being heard; others are silenced and shoved aside. Before I know it, a phrase meant to empower becomes something that overwhelms and quiets my soul. In today's episode of Getting Work To Work, I'm going to explore what it means to share your unique voice for yourself and those around you.

Being someone who obsessively listens for and seeks out intriguing questions, it’s fascinating when a simple question presents itself: why not? Matt Wood is in the business of making “why not?” happen through the creation of a unique type of visual language for brands looking for a competitive edge: brand illustration systems. In this conversation, […]

To what lengths will you go to make sure you get the laugh? How much money will you spend on a 10-second cutaway? Today’s guest will not only answer those questions but also share all the juicy behind-the-scenes details about his latest film, Book Club, released on BeernutsProductions.com. Gough is a legally blind filmmaker from […]

As a leader, how would you describe your relationships with your followers? As a follower, what about your relationship with your boss? Today's guest is exploring relationships between leaders and followers from a scientific standpoint and intentional relationship building. Sherri Malouf is here to share what she has learned in pursuit of a Ph.D. as well as in writing a book called Science and the Leader-Follower Relationship: The Implicit Social Elements® Explained. She talks about how our brain operates in relationships and the systems and models used to understand ourselves better and find common ground with others.