Something unthinkable is happening at Grado Labs in Brooklyn. That is, if you can find the damn place...

Today, a story about family, business, legacy, and hand-crafted products, found in the most unlikely of industries: the fast-paced, high-budgeted world of consumer electronics.

In the third episode of our miniseries featuring in-depth, behind-the-scenes conversations about makin' stuff, we shed light into the black box that is the professional keynote speaking industry.

Alex Cook's grandfather brightened every room he entered. Now, thanks to Alex, his brother, an old dog, and some lobsters, Tirrell Cook might just inspire every family to brighten the lives of their eldest members.

In the second episode of our miniseries featuring in-depth, behind-the-scenes conversations about makin' stuff, we share never-before published thoughts and ideas learned by making this show for three years.

Inside the internet's smallest creative project (which is having a massive impact on its audience) through the eyes of its creator. Together, we uncover the two component parts to creative work that we can use to constantly exceed expectations over time.

You can find Exceptions anywhere you listen to your podcasts, including on...

Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/exceptions/id1451633126

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tXUONfdFE0h9HculjEq36?si=mM6vCZnYSmSfaXkR5KgAvg

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1451633126/exceptions

If you work through the logic, you arrive at a shocking conclusion: If you exceed expectations even one time, you launch a spiral towards unreasonable, impossible work. But if we were to re-think what "exceed expectations" means, we'll uncover something far more in our control. It's not about one sliding scale of competency pushed ever further out. It's about something else entirely.

Why are we so obsessed with the idea that we should be "different" in our work? We hear that "different is better than better." But is it? Today, we explore the science and the societal ubiquity of this idea, and we hear a few eye-opening stories about food, cars, and music that suggest why and how we should rethink this advice. Kinda.

Sticker Mule is ubiquitous in the tech world, but from the outside looking in, nothing they do feels "creative." Understanding their story can help us rethink what creativity really means. It's not about random acts or stunts. Creativity is a way of operating. So what does that look like?

Introducing a new miniseries running within Unthinkable: Creative Cafe, the kind of emotional, insider, and cathartic conversations creative people always have over drinks that microphones usually ruin when we try to record them.