The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Like many young people, Nick Reese was wildly ambitious. While that ambition became the driving force of his entrepreneurial efforts, matters of the heart interfered. What started was a radical shift from maximizing income to maximizing impact. 

• Starting a t-shirt company from a college dorm room
• Learning to recover from the failure of a business 
• Having the audacity to go for what you really want
• Why Nick tied his self worth to making money 
• A pivotal moment that caused Nick to change his path
• Looking at a difficult parental relationship with a father
• Handling significant amounts of adversity in order to grow
• The 30 day cold shower challenge 
• The importance of being able to tolerate uncomfortable situations
• Developing a confident internal narrative to go after what you want 
• How to improve your map of the world my modeling great ones
• Why reading non-business books is incredibly useful 
• Creating the awareness necessary to know you're in an identity crisis
• Why relationships matter more than anything in the world
• An incredible story of love, heart problems, and what matters in life  
• Battling with credbility vampires 

Nick Reese is on a mission to help people learn the skills to live an uncommonly good life. You can learn more about his work at NicholasReese.com and Broadbandnow.com

Resources and People Mentioned

The Pillars of the Earth

The Neursocience of Flow with Steven Kotler

The Making of Super Size me with Alex Jamieson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Janelle Hanchett returned to motherhood after being separated from her children, she started to wonder about the way the parenting experience is portrayed in the media. It brought up a very basic question about the experience. Was she the only who wasn't seeing it the way it was portrayed? That was the start of renegade mothering, a fight against meaningful parenting advice. 

Here are the highlights from our chat: 

• Why having no audience is great for practice your writing
• Learning to approach your writing as if there is no audience 
• Growing up with Jesus and LSD side by side 
• The start of Janelle's journey into motherhood
• Revealing the truth of what it is like to actually be a parent
• A harsh look at failure, alcoholism, and drug addiction
• Reaching a point where you have nothing left to prove
• Learning to be completely ok with failure 
• Living life through the lens of an impostor syndrome
• How music influenced Janelle's writing efforts
• Reaching a point where you don't have a next move
• Moving towards the most painful realities of who we are
• Dealing what happens when we discover that the worst is true
• The part of you that dies when you become a parent 

Janelle Hanchett is a mother of questionable disposition to three children aged 11, 7, and 2. She lives in northern California with those kids and a husband who thinks “getting dressed up” means shaving his forearm tattoo. If you want, you can join her in the fight against helpful parenting advice at www.renegademothering.com.

Resources and People Mentioned

Dear Son, I hope you stay Soft

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this backstage episode we have a discussion about the role that technology is playing in our creativity, and the quality of our lives.

Here are some of the highlights from our chat:

• Why Srini has returned to pen and paper for writing 
• The point of diminishing returns with everything in our lives
• Understanding that technology is designed to change your habits
• Learning to control technology instead of letting it control us
• The energy shift that happens when you declutter your digital life
• Why Greg doesn’t use many techologies for personal use
• The various forms of detox in all parts of our lives
• How similar are our lives are to the way they were in the 1950’s

People and Resources Mentioned

The Neuroscience of Flow and The Rise of Superman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Gryphon has climbed the ranks of the film industry over the last several years. Right at what appeared to be the pinnacle of her career, she was diagnosed with cancer. In response to her diagnosis she decided to create the film What the F*ck is Cancer? In this interview she talks to me about the process of fearless film making and fighting cancer. 

• Lessons from climbing the ladder in the film industry
• Hidden opportunities for people at the beginning 
• Navigating the complex process of film making 
• Why you can't skip the middle and go to the top 
• Why we must learn to slow the pace of what we do
• Learning to recognize when a mentor shows up in your life
• Why we should respect authority but not fear it 
• Dealing with cancer at the pinnacle of a career
• How cancer caused Allyson to become more of who she already was
• How significant emotional experiences impact our lives
• Why Allison responded to her diagnosis by making a film 
• Using creative and informative outlets as coping mechanisms
• The definition of fearless filmmaking 
• The importance of figuring our the rules in order to break them
• How fearless passion for life makes you unmistakable 

Allison W. Gryphon is a novelist, filmmaker and breast cancer fighter with a passion for story and an undying appetite for living life to the fullest. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes people play at the top of their game?  How does our ability to get into a flow state impact our work?  Do Superman and extreme sports athletes have something that makes them tick differential that the rest of us? In this interview with Steven Kotler, we get into an incredible discussion about the neuroscience of flow. Here are some of the highlights from our chat

• A Look at the early days of journalism, writing, and a creative career
• Dealing with suicidal depression and lyme disease 
• The altered states of consciousness that led to healing 
• Why writing is about exploiting your curiosity 
• How hitting rock bottom can often open a world of opportunities 
• Understanding the definition of flow 
• What happens to a person when they are in a state of flow
• Lessons learned about flow from the world of extreme sports
• The role that risk plays in your ability to get into a flow state
• Learning how to train the process of deep embodiment
• Finding the midpoint between boredom and anxiety 
• How flow states significantly cuts the path to mastery 
• The distinction between overachievers and underachievers
• Why guilt and vanity are horrible drivers of success 
• The 3 things that you put together to create flow states
• Why You Can't Use the Mind to Get Away from the Mind 
• Looking at the role your upbringing plays in your talent 
• What happens you see the impossible done at a really early age
• The importance of training your ability to commit to your goal
•  Learning how to cultivate your ability to imagine the impossible
• Finding new metrics which allow  you to measure  yourself

The Rise of Superman

Alex Jamieson on the Making of Super Size Me

Steven Kotler is an American bestselling author, journalist, and entrepreneur. His articles have appeared in over 70 publications, including The New York Times Magazine, LA Times, Wired, GQ, Discover, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Journal, Details and National Geographic Adventure. He is best known for his non-fiction books, including the New York Times bestseller Abundance, A Small Furry Prayer, and West of Jesus.

What makes people play at the top of their game?  How does our ability to get into a flow state impact our work?  Do Superman and extreme sports athletes have something that makes them tick differential that the rest of us? In this interview with Steven Kotler, we get into an incredible discussion about the neuroscience of flow. Here are some of the highlights from our chat

• A Look at the early days of journalism, writing, and a creative career
• Dealing with suicidal depression and lyme disease 
• The altered states of consciousness that led to healing 
• Why writing is about exploiting your curiosity 
• How hitting rock bottom can often open a world of opportunities 
• Understanding the definition of flow 
• What happens to a person when they are in a state of flow
• Lessons learned about flow from the world of...

  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Sinek is the instigator of an idea that has fundamentally changed the way we do business, live life, and create art.  The notion that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do is at the core of the success of some of the most successful organizations in the world.  Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

• The Discovery of this thing called “Why” 
• How Evolution Influences Our World Today
• The Problem with Environments that Don't Foster Trust
• Why a Commitment to Service Matters So Much
• Why Reaction isn't Always the Best Response to Crisis
• Lessons Learned from the Demise of Myspace
• Why Generosity in Speaking Makes a World of Difference
• Making the Shift to a Generosity Mindset
• A  touching story about a solider in a coffin 
• How Fear Keeps us From Taking the Right Actions
• Why Relationships Solve All Problems in Our Lives
• A Deep Dive into Finding Your Why
• The Trial and Error That's Necessary for Why
• Developing a Criteria for the Clients You Choose
• Not Making Profitable Decisions that Take you Off Course
• Serving the Tribe Before You Serve Yourself 

Simon Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of “the golden circle” and to “Start With Why” described by TED as “a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”

Simon Sinek is the instigator of an idea that has fundamentally changed the way we do business, live life, and create art.  The notion that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do is at the core of the success of some of the most successful organizations in the world.  Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

• The Discovery of this thing called “Why” 
• How Evolution Influences Our World Today
• The Problem with Environments that Don't Foster Trust
• Why a Commitment to Service Matters So Much
• Why Reaction isn't Always the Best Response to Crisis
• Lessons Learned from the Demise of Myspace
• Why Generosity in Speaking Makes a World of Difference
• Making the Shift to a Generosity Mindset
• A  touching story about a solider in a coffin 
• How Fear Keeps us From Taking the Right Actions
• Why Relationships Solve All Problems in Our Lives
• A Deep Dive into Finding Your Why
• The Trial and Error That's Necessary for Why
• Developing a Criteria for the Clients You Choose
• Not Making Profitable Decisions that Take you Off Course
• Serving the Tribe Before You Serve Yourself 

Simon Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of “the golden circle” and to “Start With Why” described by TED as “a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Hoehn started his career by doing free work and landing amazing roles working with best selling authors and tech startups. He's worked as a marketing strategist and the director of special projects for Tim Ferriss. But his continual desire to become indispensable resulted in discovering the dark side of ambition. 

• How the desire to be the best in the world burned Charile out
• What happens to us when we start to loose our work life balance
• The workaholic culture that Sillicon Valley breeds
• Why envy makes us start to question the gifts that we're born with
• Paying attention to how the work you do makes you feel 
• The role that self awareness plays in recognizing your anxiety
• How the thought of future success took Charlie to hitting a wall
• Battling with the idea that you have to become permanently successful
• Why learning to play is as important as sleep 
• The importance of allowing yourself to have guilt free fun
• Why the happiest points in life are rarely about achievement
• Viewing life as a series of opportunities to just have a fun 
• Why we need to say the world as a playground instead of people
• Changing our social interactions through the process of play 
• Why playing is one of the most important productivity hacks
• Knowing when to let go of big projects and making changes
• The reason we only show our highlight reel 
• Learning to remove all the anchors that are causing stress 
• Getting rid of as many things as possible first before you add things

Resources and People Mentioned

How to Become Recession Proof (Our first interview with Charlie)

Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul by Stewart Brown

How I Cured My Own Anxiety

Over the past few years Charile has worked with more than a dozen best selling authors to help market (and sometimes create) their books. His most recent book, which we discussed in this interview is Play it Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Peck is an writer/designer/entrepreneur whose life has been deeply influenced by swimming and writing. In this chat we discuss lessons she’s learned on her journey from college swim team member to writer and open water swimmer, whose swims have included braving the treacherous waters of San Francisco bay to make it to Alcatraz and back.

• The “not good enough” narrative that we all deal with
• Changing our narratives to serve us rather than sabotage us
• Why we can’t be too hard on our egos
• How learning not to stop can be life changing
• Letting of the things we think we’re capable of for something better
• Why it’s ok for things to be incredibly difficult
• Trials and tribulations of Sarah’s college swimming experience
• How open water swimming changed Sarah’s life
• Why challenges, quitting, and obstacles reveal who we are 
• Leveraging incredible mental frameworks to overcome pain
• Fighting through pain when you’re absolutely miserable
• Why the worst of times reveals somebody’s true character
• The correlation between happiness and hard work
• Why pain is a signal from your body
• Learning to recognize and leverage your areas of expertise
• Why Sarah teaches writing as a mechanism to get access to your inner wisdom
• The power of committing to the act of creating and doodling 

Sarah Peck is a writer, open water swimmer, designer-entrepreneur and urban nerd who is on a mission is to find and capture insights from everyday, extraordinary living an share them with others. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this backstage episode we have a discussion on whether or not consumers have a responsibility to support artists. Here are a few of the highlights from our chat: 

• Revisiting last week's episode on the All or Nothing Internet
• Why It may not matter who the Haves and Have Nots Are
• The power of showing up every single day
• How little habits bleed into bigger ones
• The first disagreement that Greg and Srini have on air
• The question of whether consumers have a responsibility to support art
• The responsibility of the artists to produce work that's worth paying for
• A discussion on the importance of feeding our ecosystem

Resources and People Mentioned

The Unmistakable Curator/Writer Position 

The All or Nothing Internet

The Great Debate: Does Talent Matter? 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vinnie Tortorich is a trainer to people from all walks of life. His clients include Hollywood celebrities, captains of industry, stay at home moms, working moms, pregnant moms, ultra athletes, Ironman triathletes, injured and post surgical clients and even children with the beginnings of a weight problem. In this interview he talks to me about a career in which honesty has made him a trusted source in the fitness industry. Here are the highlights from our chat

• Why Vinnie focused on changing people's lives instead of making money
• Ethical considerations when selling products
• Whats started Vinnie's anger as a trainer 
• Turning down a book deal that caused Vinnie to come out ahead
• How telling the truth has caused Hollywood actors to continually hire Vinnie
• A look at co-writing Fitness Confidential with a screenwriter 
• Why you have to win both spiritually and financially for real success 
• A look at the ties between physical fitness and behavioral change 
• Creating a fitness lifestyle that clients can follow 
• How Vinnie overcame a battle with cancer and lost all his clients
• Why we are capable of doing things to change our lives 
• The role that seeing examples of success plays in your abilities 
• Why celebrity connections played no role in Vinnie's online success 
• How working your tail off one thing leads to everything else 
• The discipline required for any creative endeavor 
• Lessons from the success of the Kardashian family

America’s Angriest Trainer, Vinnie Tortorich, exposes the nasty underbelly of the fitness industry while getting you into the best shape of your life. For over 20 years, Vinnie has been Hollywood’s go-to guy for celebrities and athletes looking to get fit fast.

Resources and People Mentioned

Getting Unstuck and Turning Things Around With Dave Ursillo

Fitness Confidential 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.