Super Connectors

There are 3 types of content I'm focused on: Useful, Personal, and Promotional. The goal is to balance it as much as possible – and so this is a personal update on the 30 day challenge and what I've learned. Let's be real, life has ups and downs. It's normal. And creating every day is an ambitious project – one I'm definitely committed to for more than one reason. One surprising outcome for me is discovering how much this process revealed for me!

In This Episode:
00:00 Introduction and Personal Update
01:07 Content Strategy Insights
03:47 Reflections on the 30-Day Challenge
05:50 Editing and Production Learnings
10:27 Audio Quality and Future Plans
11:58 Final Thoughts and Overcoming Perfectionism

An important and powerful concept in marketing is the minimum viable audience – and I'm sure there are many interpretations about this. TBH, it's a conversation I'd love to expand on with others. In this episode of Super Connectors podcast, I'll share a few thoughts: How many people do you need to reach (as in, do you even need to grow an audience?), how to run a marketing campaign, and tools for managing contacts.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast (Resources links below)

In This Eposide:

• 00:00 Introduction to Minimum Viable Audience 
• 00:59 Understanding the Concept of Minimum Viable Audience 
• 07:12 Defining and Applying Marketing Campaigns 
• 14:26 Tools for Managing Your Audience 20:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources:

• 1,000 True Fans
• Seth Godin - Minimum Viable Audience
• Seth Godin - Smallest Viable Audience

Tools:

• ConvertKit
• Kitboard
• Folk
• Notion

There's a lot to say about the tools we use and how they shape our work – specifically the creative process. This is a reflection on the physical and digital tools available, and tips for knowing when it's time to practice vs. change tools.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast (Resources links below)

In This Episode:
00:00 Introduction to Super Connectors
00:51 Overcoming Perfectionism and Setting Goals
02:12 Exploring Physical Tools and Environments
05:18 The Power of Pen and Paper
09:00 Diving into Digital Tools
16:58 Discernment and Experimentation with Tools
22:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources: 

• Check out my favorite tools organized by category at https://buildwithmaple.com/maple-toolbox/ 

Let's quickly review why websites are such an important asset for connection. We'll define website strategy and outline what you'd need on a website even if you only had 10 minutes to work on it, and no website software.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast (Resources links below)

In This Episode
01:11 The Importance of Websites
07:02 Understanding Website Strategy
10:24 Building a Minimum Viable Website

Resources

• Minimum Viable Website (also mentioned in the last episode)
• Website Strategy Worksheet
• Free 10 minute website with Notion

This is an audio only episode in the efforts of simplifying! Let's explore why a creative project can become over-complicated – because sometimes something that seems like perfectionism is actually just a lack of planning and perspective. Here's a framework for keeping things simple and breaking big visions into stackable achievements.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast (Resources links below)

In This Episode:
01:56 The Joy of Visioning and Brainstorming
03:55 Embracing the Growth Mindset
06:13 The Minimum Viable Product Approach
09:04 Overcoming Perfectionism and Attachment
12:09 Taking Action and Simplifying

Resources:

• Book, The Mom Test 
• Minimum Viable Website

Hiring a photographer can feel like an expensive commitment – and it is... because when you hire the right person they will bring out the true you, and give your website visitors the chance to actually connect with YOU. This episode comes directly from the studio where I had my first headshot session with a pro, someone who coached me through the process. I share lessons learned from this session and how I've come to understand the use of photography on a website when working with clients.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast
(Handout links below)

In This Episode:
00:00 Introduction to the studio at Duluth Creative
01:54 The Importance of Working with a Photographer
04:08 How to Work with a Photographer
06:32 How to Choose the Right Photographer
08:13 Types of Photos for Your Website
16:28 Final Thoughts and Resources

Episode Resources:
- Photography Checklist: https://buildwithmaple.notion.site/Website-Photography-Checklist-22876be39eea4deab52f4c533af71233?pvs=4
- Jeska Jane Photography - https://jeskajanephotography.mypixieset.com/Headshots/

Clarified podcast intro!!! Okay, and the topic today (3 parts as promised) is about cultivating creativity – specifically by considering the structures, habits, support, and people that will support your ideas coming to fruition. Ultimately, our nature is creativity, so no wonder these concepts from nature align so well and appear so often in creativity studies.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast

In This Episode:
00:58 Reflecting on the Podcast Introduction (process)
03:36 Cultivating Creativity
12:00 Nothing is Wasted
20:31 Finding the Others

More resources: 

• Mr. Rogers Remixed, The Garden of Your Mind
• How ConvertKit is rebranding (courage to re-think) 
• Craft & Commerce (this is 2024 page, and you'll hear about the next one by joining Kit at https://buildwithmaple.com/convertkit
• Seth Godin - The Truth About Sunk Costs

This episode is a reflection on failure, inner critics, and using structure to support flow and improvisation.

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast

The field of "productivity" is often misunderstood... well, because of the name. But if you look close, it's really about creativity (at least that's how I've interpreted it). Here's how I got turned onto these ideas, what happened this week when I broke my streak and felt STUCK for 3 whole days – and a reflection on the role of structure to support improvisation.

In

This Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction and Confession
• 01:06 The Creative Process and Its Interruptions
• 03:16 Discovering Productivity and Creativity
• 05:49 Mind Like Water: Balancing Reactions
• 06:57 The Cycle of Collecting and Processing
• 09:05 Battling the Inner Critic
• 11:40 Structure vs. Improvisation in Music and Creativity
• 15:50 The Power of Threes
• 17:48 Conclusion and Invitation

Related Connections

• Old time music (video)
• Ready for Anything, by David Allen

In this short episode, I share a reflection on the concept of the 'messy middle' and how quickly it can set in. Understanding this has given me perspective and motivation to keep going on challenging creative projects, and I'm relying on it now to get this podcast started too. Let's navigate these ups and downs together!

Subscribe at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast

In This Episode
00:25The Messy Middle
01:54 Taking Breaks and Gaining Perspective
02:26 Reflecting on The Dip by Seth Godin
02:42 Emerging Themes and Resources
03:05 Encouragement for Creative Projects

Today I brought my kiddo shopping for a bicycle, which led me to buy a new skateboard. This episode is a reflection on being multi-passionate, and doing things for years without caring whether or not I'm particularly great at everything. You may have felt pressured to excel in just one thing – but there is another way, being multi-passionate!

Could we just be present and satisfied in what we do?

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://buildwithmaple.com/super-connectors-podcast (more links below)

In This Episode:

• 00:05 A Day Out with My Kid
• 00:28 Getting a New Skateboard
• 02:00 Feeling Foolish and Multi-Passionate
• 04:12 The Dip and Practice
• 07:50 Acceptance and Enjoying Hobbies
• 11:10 Community and Creative Life
• 12:29 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Mentioned in this episode

• The Dip, by Seth Godin
• The Practice, by Seth Godin
• Essentialism, and Effortless, by Greg Mckeown