Getting Work To Work

As a creative entrepreneur, do you have what it takes to last 40 years in pursuit of your dreams and goals? Michael e. Stern is today's guest on Getting Work To Work and he shares the secrets of his success as a photographer and documentary filmmaker for over 40 years. From self-love to resilience, Michael graciously shares his hard earned wisdom: smile and dial, go out and get it, don't put yourself in harm's way, story matters, have a point of view, love yourself, and keep moving forward.

Have you ever read one of those "Age Under Age" lists only to feel a string of regret and remorse because you're way past that "age"? Maybe you were on an "Age Under Age" list when you were younger, only to find yourself asking decades later: Do I still have it? I think about this need to validate creative visionaries often from the perspective of a mid-career professional: I'll never be on a list, I have optimal levels of ambition, my body and mind are still working, and I'm nowhere near retirement. But there are days where I still feel behind.

I have an important question to ask you: Are you afraid to make a dud? As creative entrepreneurs, this fear of the dud can cripple us from taking decisive action and putting our work out into the world. It can also keep us swirling around in the never-ending loop of feedback and refinement. What if there was a way to think about duds that freed you from the unrealistic expectations of perfection and avoiding judgment?

Have you ever wondered what's going on inside your brain? Well, Dr. Tara Swart has and she's on Getting Work To Work to share about what happens when we choose to be curious, disconnect from social media, seek permission, and struggle with imposter syndrome. We also discuss her latest book, The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain, and how both science and spirituality informed the journey of writing and living it.

Have you ever been told to stay in your lane? I really dislike that phrase. It makes sense when you're driving down the road. I talk to the cars around me all the time and tell them to stay in their lanes. Fortunately, they listen to me. However, when it comes to people, this one-size-fits-all strategy doesn't always work. Sometimes you need the person who thinks drastically different from everyone else—an outsider of curiosity—to solve the problem, finish the project, or even save the day.

Do you have what it takes to become a scientist of yourself in order to learn more about who you are? I was captivated by this phrase—"scientist of yourself"—while reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein and thought I'd explore a little more about what this means for our life and work.

How would you describe your best work that you not only need to start, but also finish? What is the cost of not doing your best work? Who are the people in your success packs? These are three questions that author Charlie Gilkey addresses in his latest book, Start Finishing. In this interview episode of Getting Work To Work, Charlie brings his background as a Joint Force Military Logistics Coordinator, PhD student, and entrepreneur to discuss what your best work is, the unified self, being creative giants, projects as mirrors and bridges, failure and success, and constructive creativity vs. creative destruction.

When was the last time you hit pause to make sure your efforts and relationships were aligned with your goals and values? This past week I was pursuing a path and something felt off. I couldn't quite identify what was off until I hit pause and started journaling what was going on inside. After writing down my goals, values, and thoughts, I realized the timing of walking down this path was way off. So I stopped going down the path. For now, of course. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I'm going to share a bit more about why it's important to hit pause and reflect on where you are and where you're heading.

I love questions. Especially ones that inspire thoughts to unfold and stories to emerge. But what about powerful questions that can lead to behavioral change? I hadn't really considered this type of question until I read the book Triggers and learned about the differences between passive and active questions. In today's episode of Getting Work To Work, I'm going to explore these types of questions and how you can use them to get started on what matters most to you.

What matters most to you and your business? How does this passion translate to your content marketing? These are a couple of questions that Lauren McGaha, Director of Content Strategy at Newfangled, asks her clients as they work together on a strategy that connects the content produced to their business objectives. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, Lauren shares her passion for communication and connection with people, how systems are crucial for effective content marketing, the difference between sales and marketing, why knowing your unique ability as an individual and as a business is important, and her favorite road in America.