Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever feel like you're taking life a little too seriously?

Wake up. Work. Hustle. Repeat. Somewhere along the way, we stopped playing—and started grinding through our days like machines.

We were taught that being serious means being responsible. That fun is a distraction. That joy is something we earn.

But let’s be real—seriousness without joy just leads to burnout.

Play is where creativity begins. It’s what makes challenges fun and failure less scary. It helps you breathe, think, connect, and feel again.

You already know how to play, you’ve just forgotten. But it’s still there, waiting.

So try it. Loosen the grip. Smile more. Make life a little less rigid and a lot more yours.

Until next time, stay curious, and stay in the game.

In this episode, I share how putting your creative work into the world—no matter how small—can lead to massive, unexpected impact. I open up about my early days as a self-taught photographer, the pain and joy of learning through film, and how a backpacking trip with my wife turned into the start of an unconventional creative career.

This is a syndicate episode from the B&H Photography Podcast, where I sit down with Derek, Jill, and Mike to trace the arc of my journey—from building the Best Camera app and pioneering mobile photography, to founding CreativeLive and finding purpose through community. We talk about the cost of taking creative risks, the billion-dollar idea that got away, and the deeper why behind making and sharing your art. If you’ve ever doubted whether your creative voice matters, this episode is for you.

Some highlights we explore:

• • Why you only need 20 people to support your work and make a living.

• WThe emotional cost—and wisdom—of losing out on the Instagram moment.
• What “the best camera is the one that’s with you” really means.
• The key mindset shift: You’re not promoting, you’re connecting people to something they need.

Enjoy!

Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever get a gut feeling—but second-guess it because it doesn’t “make sense”?

You’re not alone. From a young age, we’re taught to value logic over instinct. To follow the rules. To ignore the quiet signals coming from within.

But science shows that your body—especially your gut—is constantly processing more than your conscious mind ever could. That inner knowing? It’s real. And it’s powerful.

In this post, we’ll talk about why so many of us lost touch with our intuition—and how to start tuning back in, one small decision at a time.

Your gut knows. It always has. The question is: are you listening?

In this episode, Debbie Millman shares how to begin—even when you feel unready, unqualified, or full of doubt. Debbie is a designer, author, educator, and host of the pioneering podcast Design Matters. She's also the chair of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts and editorial director at Print magazine.

We talk about the creative risks Debbie took later in life, why fear and shame shaped her early path, and how she found fulfillment by making deeply personal work—without waiting for permission. From the grief of losing family to the joy of marrying at 57, this is a raw, powerful conversation about love, legacy, and the courage to start—even if you feel like a mess.

Some highlights we explore:

• The myth of readiness – Why waiting to feel “good enough” keeps us stuck in place.
• Failures that shaped the path – From rejected applications to bad jobs, how struggle created space for clarity.
• Creating without permission – Why Debbie’s most meaningful work began when she stopped waiting to be chosen.

Enjoy!

Hey friends, Chase here.

Emails. Deadlines. Chores. Repeat. Somewhere along the way, we traded play for productivity—and we’ve been tired ever since.

From a young age, we’re taught that play comes after the work is done. But here’s the catch: the work never ends. So we keep pushing joy to the sidelines.

Play isn’t just fun. It fuels creativity, lowers stress, and helps us feel alive. It’s not the opposite of work—it’s what makes work meaningful.

What if you danced while doing dishes? What if you made emails a game? What if you stopped calling it “work” and started calling it “life”?

It’s not about changing what you do. It’s about changing how you see it.

Play is your natural state. You don’t have to earn it—you just have to remember it.

So go ahead. Laugh more. Move your body. Get weird.

Play might just be the most important work you’ll ever do.

Until next time, keep it playful.

In this episode, Melissa Arnot Reid shares what it really takes to climb—not just the highest peaks on Earth, but the deepest valleys within ourselves. Melissa is a world-renowned mountaineer, professional mountain guide, and the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. She has spent years guiding others to the top of the world’s tallest mountains, but in this conversation, she opens up about an even greater challenge: facing the internal struggles that no summit can fix.

We dive deep into the difference between achievement and self-worth, the pressure of proving yourself, and what happens when success doesn’t bring the validation you expect. Melissa shares the raw, untold side of her journey—the failures, the doubts, the painful past she had to confront, and the losses that forced her to reevaluate everything. She also discusses her new book, Enough, a raw and powerful memoir about what it really means to be enough, when success isn’t and the truth is harder than the summit. .

Some highlights we explore:

• The fallacy of achievement – Why success doesn’t automatically bring happiness or contentment.
• "Am I good enough?" – The two questions that drove Melissa's biggest climbs—and biggest struggles.
• Lessons from the mountains – How extreme environments strip away who we pretend to be and reveal our true selves.
• The real hardest climb – The internal work of self-forgiveness, facing fear, and learning to let go of external validation.

Enjoy!

In this episode, Jenny Wood shares how to overcome fear and take bold action.

Jenny spent 18 years rising from entry-level to executive at Google, where she founded one of the company’s largest career programs. Now, she’s the author of Wild Courage, a book that flips the script on success by reclaiming nine so-called “negative” traits—like being reckless, nosy, or shameless—and showing how they can fuel massive growth.

We get into what it really takes to break through fear, bounce back from rejection, and build the kind of courage that moves your life and career forward. Jenny holds nothing back—sharing wins, stumbles, and the surprising moment she chased her now-husband off a subway car.

Some highlights we explore:

• The email rejection that made her lose sleep—and what she did next
• Why separating “truths from tales” is a life-changing tool for fear
• How to reframe being “shameless” as a leadership superpower
• What it means to be obsessed... in the healthiest, most productive way

Enjoy!

Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever had that gut feeling nudging you toward something bigger—only for fear to barge in with doubts?

• "What if I fail?"
• "What if this is the wrong move?"
• "What will people think?"

I’ve been there. When I walked away from the U.S. Olympic Development soccer program to pursue photography, people told me I was crazy. And honestly? I wondered if they were right. But there was another voice—quieter, but just slightly louder than my fear. That whisper was enough to take the leap.

Our brains are wired for survival, not fulfillment. That’s why fear kicks in the second we consider something uncertain. But think about it—how often have you regretted following your intuition? Probably never.

It’s simple: If it feels right in your gut, it probably is. If it feels wrong, it probably is. We spend so much energy ignoring what we know deep down. The moment you start listening, everything changes.

Trying to live by someone else’s playbook has an expiration date. It might feel safe, but eventually, you’ll realize you’re off course. The good news? You don’t have to wait to start. Take the first step—messy, awkward, scared. Just start.

Courage isn’t about eliminating fear; it’s about being just 1% braver than it. You will make mistakes, but none of it is wasted. Every misstep is just data that brings you closer to where you’re meant to be.

So when your intuition whispers—listen. The most fulfilled people do.

Until next time, trust yourself. You already have the answers.

In this episode, Amie McNee shares why the world desperately needs your art—and how to overcome the inner obstacles that keep so many creatives from stepping into their full potential.

Amie is an author, speaker, creative guide, and founder of the popular Instagram account @InspiredtoWrite. Known for her candid conversations about creativity and self-doubt, Amie has helped artists all over the world reclaim their creative power and build a sustainable, fulfilling practice. She’s also the author of We Need Your Art, a manifesto and practical guide for anyone seeking to live a more creative, authentic life.

In our conversation, we dive deep into what it means to choose yourself and stop waiting for permission to create. Amie talks about how she rewrote her story as a writer after being rejected by gatekeepers, turning her path around by embracing self-publishing and building a dedicated audience. We explore the tension between external validation and self-empowerment, why tiny steps are the secret to creative success, and the powerful mindset shift that allowed her to fully claim her identity as an artist.

• The moment Amie realized she didn’t need a publisher’s permission to call herself an author
• Why "tiny steps" are more powerful than bursts of inspiration in building a creative habit
• How relentless vulnerability helped Amie build an engaged online audience over 10 years
• The unexpected advice Amie received from established authors—and why she ignored it

Enjoy!

Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever had that gut feeling—the one whispering that you’re meant for something more? Maybe it nudged you toward a bold move, a creative dream, or a life change you couldn’t quite explain. But then, almost immediately, fear kicked in.

“That’s risky.” “What if I fail?” “What will people think?”

Here’s the truth: Your gut is rarely wrong. Fear, on the other hand, is loud, irrational, and loves to keep you small.

The world conditions us to play it safe—to follow the map, not the compass. We’re told there’s a “right” way to live: go to school, get a stable job, and avoid risks. But what if that map is outdated? What if following someone else’s plan is the real danger?

🔥 The difference between a map and a compass—Why external advice can only take you so far. 🔥 Why playing it safe is the riskiest thing you can do—And how to reframe fear as a sign of growth. 🔥 How to take small, actionable steps toward your dreams—Without overthinking yourself into paralysis.

Fear will always be there. But so will your inner knowing. The key is learning to tell the difference—and having the courage to follow through.

Until next time, trust yourself. You already have the answers.