Process with Marcella Chamorro: Creativity | Mindset | Mental Health

Welcome to episode #031 of Process!

While the last episode was great fun to put together, it's a bit of a relief to be back to our regular format here on Process: an interview!

I love talking to creative people from around the world and getting to know their journeys. On top of that, I love learning from them—and this episode is a great example of that. Because, to be honest, I know nothing about sales!

My guest on this episode is Jean Powell, master of sales! 

Jean is an old friend of mine, and I've asked her to come on the show to talk to us about how selling can be a creative endeavor—and something we don't have to shy away from! While she's currently VP of Sales at MiiR (which she loves), she's also a writer, and I'm excited to ask her all about her love for sales, her job, and her own creative process.

During the episode, we cover:

• How she fell in love with sales in the first place
• Why sales can lead to personal transformations
• How everyone can fall in love with sales (even if its a sore point for most creators)
• Her very different approach to managing a team
• The "Hell yes!" framework that helps her choose who to hire ... and who to date 😏
• How selling can be creative
• The system she uses to teach her team to think for themselves and improve their craft
• What she's creating and why she chooses to not publish some of it

I hope you enjoy hearing from Jean!

Listen to the episode

You can also listen on the go! → iTunes // Overcast // Stitcher

Show notes:

Connect with this episode's guest, Jean Powell:

- on her blog, jeanontap.com

- on Twitter at @jeanontap

Here are all the links mentioned during the episode:

- World Domination Summit (where I first met Jean)

- SxSW, a conference we've been to together a few times

- Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"When we have arrived at the question, the answer is already near."

- And my favorite thing Jean shared with us:

"Approach sales from the angle of 'This is an opportunity to interact with a person where there's a transaction that will happen.'"

Thanks for listening to episode #031!

I'd love to hear what you thought about this interview! Let me know on Twitter?

Also, if this episode resonated with you, I'd appreciate it so much if you could post an honest review over on iTunes. It would help me reach more people that may find these episodes valuable, too. 

You can leave a review by clicking the button below:

Leave a review on iTunes →

Also? Just a heads up that I won't be releasing a new episode next week. I'm going on vacation, w00t w00t! So I'll be back with a new episode the first week or April.

Until then! :-)

xo,
Marcella

Photo credit: Bench Accounting on Unsplash

Welcome to episode #030 of Process!

I can't believe it's already been 30 episodes. How did that even happen?! Time really does fly.

So, today's episode is very different from any I've recorded in the past. I decided to ask a bunch of my friends to share a short clip with us. Each of them tell me the following:

• What they're making
• What they're struggling with
• How they're managing that struggle

I hope you enjoy hearing from some of my favorite makers!

Listen to the episode

You can also listen on the go! → iTunes // Overcast // Stitcher

Show notes:

Below, you'll find everyone who contributed to this episode and a link to their Twitter account:

- Mario Callejas

- Natalie Hornsby

- Rick Manelius

- Jason Swett

- Sue Caulfield

- Helen Arceyut-Frixione

- Aldo Aguirre

Here are all the links mentioned during the episode:

- Mario Callejas's music over on Spotify

- Article on clearing friendships: 3 strange areas of my life that need tidying

- Caroline Kelso on episode #016 of Process

-  Quote by C.S. Lewis:

"Friendship has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”

- Aldo Aguirre on episode #005 of Process

- Quote by Cyril Connoly:

"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."

Thanks for listening to episode #030! I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode's different format: hit me up on Twitter and let me know?

Also, if this episode resonated with you, I'd appreciate it so much if you could post an honest review over on iTunes. It would help me reach more people that may find these episodes valuable, too. 

You can leave a review by clicking the button below:

SUBSCRIBE + REVIEW ON ITUNES →

Have an awesome week! :-)

xo,
Marcella

Welcome to episode #029 of Process!

This episode is actually a very special one.

Last summer, I was invited to Panama to give a talk during the Central American Entrepreneurship Forum. Being there was an honor—and so much fun, too! I loved sharing my talk with the 300 people who attended plus everyone who watched the livestream online (including my family back home)!

But I haven't given that talk ever again.

Until this episode.

For the first time, I'm going to share the talk all over again—in English, of course! Recording this episode was fun because I got to revisit the talk I prepared almost a year ago. I'm now able to see so clearly how this particular experience in Panama planted the seeds for this podcast (which launched just one month later).

Some of the topics covered in this episode include:

• The downsides of entrepreneurship
• Why every entrepreneur needs a therapist
• My entrepreneurial story—including how I absolutely failed and ended up hating myself
• Why creativity and peace of mind are more important than "success"
• The difference between external and internal development
• How to avoid burnout and stress
• The ridiculousness of worry and how to avoid it

Listen to the episode

You can also listen on the go! → iTunes // Overcast // Stitcher

Show notes:

Here are all the links mentioned during the episode:

- Panama's Entrepreneurship Week, where I gave this talk for the first time back in July 2015

- Jose Bolaños over at Centro del Lider

- David Cain on episode #03 of Process and his article How to stop your mind from talking all the time

Thanks for listening to episode #029! This talk is near and dear to my heart, so I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any comments or thoughts on it, hit me up on Twitter? 

Also, if this episode resonated with you, I'd appreciate it so much if you could post an honest review over on iTunes. It would help me reach more people that may find these episodes valuable, too. 

You can leave a review by clicking the button below:

Subscribe + Review on iTunes →

I'm curious to hear what you'd like me to cover on next week's episode? Tweet me your suggestions. :-)

xo,
Marcella

Welcome to Episode 28 of Process!

My guest on this episode is John Lynn of Startup Institute. Our conversation is geared toward a topic dear to my heart: education. Which I know you're interested in—because if you weren't, you wouldn't be listening to podcasts!

John and the team at Startup Institute work hard to give people the skills, mindset, and network to find a job they love, doing work that matters. Essentially, it's a full-time eight-week program that takes place in Boston, Chicago and New York City, all focused on helping students find awesome jobs and help startups build awesome teams.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why most startups fail
• The hardest part about building a business
• How his past projects influenced his current work at Startup Institute
• The bad habits we learn from our current education system
• How to learn all kinds of things to help serve your project better without having to become an expert at everything
• Why emotional intelligence is crucial to creating better

Listen to this episode

You can also listen on the go! → iTunes // Overcast // Stitcher

Show notes:

Here are all the links to mentioned during the episode:

- Connect with John: @jmlynn7 on Twitter / Startup Institute

- Aldo Aguirre on episode #005 of this podcast

- Ben Horowitz's book The Hard Thing About Hard Things

- Jane McGonigal's book Reality Is Broken

Thanks for listening to episode #028! I'd love it if you could leave an honest review over on iTunes, so just click below to do that:

Subscribe & Review on iTunes →

Until next week!

xo,
Marcella

Welcome to Episode 27 of Process!

This is another solo episode where I discuss the ups and downs of my own creative process.

Most episodes of this podcast are interviews with the makers and creative people I admire, but all of you listeners have spoken! You want me to talk about my own projects and what it feels like to create them...

Your wish is my command!

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why I'm going "pro" and what that means
• How I'm allocating my time to different projects
• The big branding change I've been looking forward to for months
• A progress update on my upcoming book
• Why I wrote a free email course called Mindfulness for Makers to promote the book

Listen to the episode

You can also listen on the go! → iTunes // Overcast // Stitcher

Show notes:

Here are all the links to mentioned during the episode:

- Michelle Armas on episode #008 of this podcast

- Michelle Armas's blog post On the Other Side

- Mindfulness for Makers

- Make, more details on the book

- Content audit episode of the Smart Passive Income Podcast

- The quote I love and read at the end of the episode:

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so." ― Mary Jean Irion

Thanks for listening to episode #027! I'd love it if you could leave an honest review over on iTunes, so just click below to do that:

Leave a review on iTunes →

Until next week!

xo,
Marcella

PS. Remember to head on over to MindfulnessforMakers.com to receive a totally free email series on why mindfulness matters to creatives and how to use it to help your creative process. :-)

This is the 26th episode of Process, and I'm so grateful you're tuning in!

Let's get to it...

In this episode

Listen on iTunes or below:

My guest today is Consuelo Reinitz of Pink Fries Paperie. She tells us her story: how she got into watercolors and art (a very unexpected hobby turned Etsy shop) and what it's like juggling her creative work with caring for her 9-month-old son Lucas.

I've known Consuelo since I was in diapers, but I never in a million years would've guessed she had an interest in art—and neither did she! I spend the majority of this interview digging into how she unsurfaced this love for watercolors and creativity.

During our conversation, we cover:

• How a joke turned into an Etsy shop
• What drives her watercolor aesthetic
• Finding the time and space to create, produce and market her work
• Discovering the reason for her past "laziness" and uncovering what she's passionate about
• Where she pulls her inspiration from and finding her unique artistic expression

My favorite moment is when Consuelo says:

"This isn't just about selling art on Etsy. This is about me and my journey and what I'm enjoying."

Show notes

Here's everything we mention during the show:

- Connect with Consuelo and Pink Fries Paperie: the Etsy shop / on Instagram

- Austin Kleon's book Steal Like An Artist

- Caroline Kelso's episode #016 of Process and her "You're more than your likes" artwork 

- David Rock's book Your Brain At Work

- Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic

Thanks for listening! And a huge thanks to Consuelo for joining me on this episode #026 of Process.

If you enjoyed this episode and Process, I'd be so grateful if you could take a moment to hop on over to iTunes to leave an honest review! Just click the button below:

Review & Subscribe on iTunes →

xo,
Marcella

PS. I'll be back next week with another solo episode—an update on my own creative process, the projects I'm working on, and everything that's going on in between. I love recording the raw solo episodes, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :-)

This is episode #025 of Process. Thanks for tuning in!

Let's get to it...

In this episode

Listen on iTunes or below:

My guest today is A.J. Leon, founder of Misfit, which he describes as the "coolest company on this beautiful planet." About eight years ago, A.J. left his prestigious job in finance in New York City to explore his love for travel, Shakespeare, and changing the world. Shortly thereafter, he founded Misfit, which started off as a boutique digital agency but now is also a conference, an incubator, a publishing house, a foundation, and more.

I mention A.J. on so many past episodes of this podcast because his influence on the creatives I surround myself with is just palpable. I'm so pumped to share this interview with you because A.J.'s creative defiance is contagious—consider yourself warned!

During our conversation, we cover:

• How he juggles all the projects he's involved in with Misfit
• Finding the intersection of money and passion
• Why he chooses to lose money on certain projects—his subsidy business model
• Pricing his conference to attract the right kind of person
• Going from starving to traveling / changing the world
• Turning the mirror on the town of Fargo
• Why he wakes up before the sun rises, and the morning routine that drives his day
• Working with his wife

My favorite moment is when A.J. shares this:

"My blog is called The Pursuit of Everything, so I'm not willing to leave anything on the table. If I want to do something, I'll figure out how to do it ... if something is very important to me."

And I love this other quote so much, as well:

"You're going to have days where you feel everything has been taken from you, but do not relinquish the last inch."

Show notes

Here's everything we mention during the show:

- Connect with A.J: on his blog / on Twitter / on Instagram

- Misfit, which is an agency / incubator / conference / foundation / publishing house + more

- Photos of Misfit Con 2013

- Greg from Fargo who is Fargo's best ambassador

- Galo Naranjo talks about the benefits of movement on episode #022

- James Clear talks about the importance of habits on episode #12

Thanks for listening! And a huge thanks to A.J. for joining me on this episode #025 of Process.

If you enjoyed this episode and Process, I'd be so grateful if you could take a moment to hop on over to iTunes to leave an honest review! Just click the button below:

Review + Subscribe on iTunes →

Until next week!

xo,
Marcella

This is episode #024 of Process, and it's a special one. 

Lately, I've gotten great feedback on my solo posts where I give a behind-the-scenes look at my creative process and record all by myself, instead of interviewing someone else.

So I've decided to include more solo episodes on the podcast every few weeks. And this one is the first of 2016!

Let's get to it...

In this episode

Listen on iTunes or below:

During this episode, I cover:

• A quick read-through of this week's article on doubt
• An update on how I'm decreasing self-doubt in my creative life
• The truth about my upcoming book Make
• Being enough versus always striving for something more

Show notes

Here's everything I mention throughout this episode:

- Previous solo episodes I've released: episode 14 and episode 19

- This week's article, "The revolutionary truth about self-doubt I didn't know until now"

- My upcoming book, Make

- Cal Newport's book, Deep Work

- A recent article, "I have no advice to give"

Thanks for listening! What do you think of these solo episodes? I'd love to hear! Hit me up on Twitter over at @marcinator?

If you enjoyed this episode and Process, would you consider helping me spread the word about this episode? You can tweet it here or give it ★★★★★ on iTunes.

Review & Subscribe on iTunes →

xo,
Marcella

Oh, and next week on the podcast...

Next week, I'll be back with an interview with the legendary A.J. Leon, founder of Misfit. You've probably heard me mention Misfit on so many episodes of this podcast, so this interview is absolutely momentous.

Can't wait to share it with you next Friday. :-)

This is episode #023 of Process. Thanks for tuning in!

Let's get to it...

In this episode

Listen on iTunes or below:

My guest today is Steve Kamb, founder of a fitness website called Nerd Fitness. Can you guess what it’s about? And who it’s for? … YUP! It’s a website that helps nerds learn about fitness. Over the past few years, Steve has grown Nerd Fitness to an incredible community of hundreds of thousands of people getting healthy and fit together. Nerd Fitness offers courses, a summer-camp like event and more—all dedicated to helping “nerds” get fit.

I invited Steve to be on the show because I’ve personally watched him grow from being a writer to being a boss and now an author. And Steve just published his book called Level Up Your Life!

During our conversation, we cover:

• When he decided to go from writing online to writing a properly published book
• What the creative process was like for him
• Why he chose fitness as a way to get people to level up their lives
• How he stays healthy and fit: being extremely disciplined or being leniently balanced?
• Why he considers exercise a “gateway drug” to everything awesome in life

My favorite moment is at around 29:25 where Steve shares a quote that impacted him:

"Screw motivation. Cultivate discipline."

Show notes

Here's everything we mention during the show:

- Steve's projects: NerdFitness / on Twitter / on Instagram

- Level Up Your Life, Steve's new book

- Camp Nerd Fitness 

- Question on Quora on motivation vs. discipline

Thanks for listening! And a huge thanks to Steve for joining me on this episode #023 of Process.

If you enjoyed this episode and Process, I'd love if you'd take a moment to leave a review on iTunes! Just click the button below:

Review & Subscribe on iTunes →

Until next week!

xo,
Marcella

Welcome back to another episode of Process! 

I hope your holidays were awesome! This episode (#22) is our first of 2016, so thanks for joining this year. I took a few weeks off for the holidays to spend time with the family (you can check out our adventures on Instagram), and I’m excited to be back on the podcast, speaking to all of you, and bringing you conversations with creators I admire.

Especially today’s creator, Galo.

I'll tell you why...

In this episode

Listen on iTunes or below:

My guest today is Galo Naranjo, who’s focused on one thing: movement. Galo subscribes to the philosophy that moving our bodies is the gateway drug to an amazing life, ultimately bridging the gap between mind and body. He describes movement as the cross-pollination of ideas and stories from many different areas of study—literature, anthropology, science, art, design, philosophy, history, psychology, and more.

Currently, Galo coaches CrossFit and documents his journey with movement at his website The Movement Project.

I’m excited to talk to Galo about the difference between fitness and movement, why that’s important and what teaching CrossFit has taught him about people and (most importantly) himself.

During our conversation, we cover:

• How to differentiate fitness and movement
• What struggles he's faced in moving from a career in finance toward a movement-based career
• Extrinsic versus intrinsic benefits and personal journeys
• How he's designed accountability into his day-to-day activities
• Why the "second follower" is so important to his movement around movement ;)
• Finding someone to work with through Instagram

Here's my favorite quote from our conversation:

"My job is to make people play, in any way, shape or form. If I can do that and open your mind in some way, shape or form, I'm happy."

Show notes

Here's everything we mention during the show:

- Galo around the web: The Movement Project / Instagram / Twitter

- MOTUS magazine: website / on Instagram

- Kinfolk, a magazine that Galo reads

- YouTube video of toddler leading a dance class

Thanks for listening! And a huge thanks to Galo for joining me on this episode #022 of Process.

If you enjoyed this episode and Process, I'd love if you'd take a moment to leave a review on iTunes! Just click the button below:

Review & Subscribe on iTunes →

Until next week!

xo,
Marcella