Make Something Cool with Alex Sugg: Recent Episodes
Alex Sugg
Make Something Cool is an interview podcast with elite creators about their pathway to success. In each episode, you’ll hear the tactics, tips, and resources they used to get there.
Wes Kao is the co-founderof Maven. Before that, she co-founded of the altMBA with Seth Godin. She's also a writer and content creator.
In this episode, her and Alex discuss overcoming self-conciousness as a creator, gained 150k twitter followers in a year, running a start up, unconventional routes of education, and having a spiky point of view.
Please leave a 5-star review on Apple & Spotify! This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez.
Follow Make Something Cool on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube.
Luke Beard is the CEO of Any Distance. A privacy-first Activity Tracking and sharing app, as well as the founder of Exposure. He also takes great photos. In this episode, he and Alex discuss the choice to build an edgy brand, recently raising $1.5M in venture funding, as well as essentials to operating a start up in 2022.
Please leave a 5-star review on Apple & Spotify! This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez.
Follow Make Something Cool on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Youtube.
Steph Barron Hall is a coach, consultant, podcast host, and author dedicated to helping her audience understand the enneagram and apply it in real life through her brand Nine Types Co.
Please leave a 5-star review on Apple & Spotify! This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez.
Follow Make Something Cool on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube.
Dr. Sherry Walling is a clinical psychologist, speaker, podcaster, author, and mental health advocate. Her company, ZenFounder, helps entrepreneurs and leaders navigate transition, rapid growth, loss, and any manner of complex human experience.
Please leave a 5-star review on Apple & Spotify! This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez.
Follow Make Something Cool on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube.
Danny Miranda is the host of The Danny Miranda Podcast (currently a top 1% podcast in the world) and in this episode he and Alex discuss his optimism, visualizing his future success, and embracing incremental growth.
Please leave a 5-star review on Apple & Spotify! This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez.
Follow Make Something Cool on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube.
In this episode, Alex and Josh discuss why the daily podcast failed, what they learned from it, how they plan to approach the future of Make Something Cool.
Get updates on new podcast episodes here | alexsugg.com/podcast
Sign up for Make Daily newsletter here | makedaily.co
“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” — Coco Chanel
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“My goal is not to form an opinion. It’s to understand.” - Rick Rubin
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“It’s easy to stand with the crowd, it takes courage to stand alone.” – Gandhi
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” ― Anne Lamott
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender.” — Tupac Shakur
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“No matter how sophisticated our choices, how good we are at dominating the odds, randomness will have the last word.” ― Nassim Nicholas Taleb
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself. — Confucius
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“I think it’s important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy..." ― Elon Musk
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.” ― Michelle Obama
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“They muddy the water, to make it seem deep.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself." – Søren Kierkegaard
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Self-pity is a dead-end road. You make the choice to drive down it. It's up to you to decide to stay parked there or to turn around and drive out.” — Cheryl Strayed
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." — Lao Tzu
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Distraction remains a destroyer of depth.” ― Cal Newport
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” — James Baldwin
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Judgement, not work, determines success and failure. Good judgement is the product of a calm and curious mind, reasoning without motivation and attachment. Whatever strengthens your ego weakens your judgement, and ultimately, your success.” ― Naval Ravikant
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
"Self Love is an immune system. It kills the virus of self harm." — Jaiya John
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Reading after a certain age diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking, just as the man who spends too much time in the theater is tempted to be content with living vicariously instead of living his own life.” — Albert Einstein
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it." — Toni Morrison
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
“Focusing is about saying No.” ― Steve Jobs
This episode contains an idea, reflection, and a simple action you can take on your creative project today.
The world is noisy and your dreams deserve attention. Use this minute to shift your focus back to what you want to get done today.
Want to make progress on your creative projects every day? Sign up for Make Daily -> www.makedaily.co
Make Daily is email & podcast designed to help you take action on your creative project every single day.
Every morning, you'll receive a new podcast & newsletter that contains:
💡 An idea from a successful creator
🤔 A reflection on how that idea relates to your work
✅ A simple action you can take on your project to keep making progress
Sign up here!
Isaac Lee is a musician and the founder of Koldwater Audio. He previously worked at The Ringer where he produced podcasts like Binge Mode and The David Chang show. In this episode, Isaac talks to Alex about how he got into the audio and podcasting space, the lack of good resources available for those interested in podcasting, what makes podcasts magical, and why he's (still) a Clippers fan.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Mike Smith is the co-founder and art director of Smith & Diction, a branding and design studio based in Philadelphia. In this episode, Mike talks to Alex about how skate culture launched him into his career, why brand identity matters, how he's learned to embrace systems that are disposable, and what happens when a brand has no soul.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Vuhlandes is a photographer and vlogger based out of Detroit and one of Alex's favorite creators. In this episode, Vuhlandes shares with Alex why no other city feels like home, how he trains his eyes every day to see things through a camera lens, how documenting what he sees is sometimes controversial, and how he's learned that no one owes him anything.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Rory Sutherland is the vice chairman of Ogilvy, one of the most prestigious ad agencies in the world. He is also the author of Alchemy and the co-author of Transport for Humans. In this episode, Rory talks with Alex about how we're not as logical as we think, how we tend to post-rationalize the past, why he would rather go to the Double Tree Hotel than the Marriott, and why sometimes the opposite of a good idea is a very good one.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Luke Burgis is an author, entrepreneur, and professor. In this episode, we discuss his book Wanting: The power of mimetic desire in every day life.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave us a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Jesse Bryan is the founder and CEO of Belief Agency, which helps brands craft stories based on the conviction that the truth is enough. In this episode, Jesse shares how Belief got started, the use of storytelling in history, the rise and fall of Mark Driscoll, what marketing and advertising get wrong, and how being vulnerable can add value to your brand.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe! You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg
In this episode, Alex shares some lessons he learned in his twenties that he'll carry with him for the rest of his life. The full thread can be read here -> https://mobile.twitter.com/alex_sugg/status/1477749582620762112
-
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave us a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Alex talks with Brett of DesignJoy about he manages his one-man design business that makes over $1M per year.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave us a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Joshua Ariza is a designer and illustrator who has worked with brands like Billabong, Nike, Netflix, and Disney. He's also the owner of the apparel brand Chomp. In this episode, Joshua talks about how his own creative journey has helped him be more resourceful, value quality over quantity, and, most of all, have fun.
-
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe to us on YouTube here. You can also leave us a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_sugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and the author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In this episode, Oliver talks to Alex about the importance of managing time with your limits, finitude, and mortality in mind.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe. You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Ryan Booth is a filmmaker who's directed work for brands like Google, Spotify, and Amazon, as well as creating multiple features of his own. In this episode, Ryan talks about his approach to storytelling, finding the good in his past creative work, and how he found his visual identity at a photography workshop in Cambodia.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe! You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg
Kristin Neff is an associate professor of Educational Psychology at UT Austin and is an expert on self-compassion. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is the author of two books--Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, and her new book Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive. In this episode, Kristin discusses how self-compassion can help us to become kinder, fiercer, and more passionate creators.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording solution in the world. Check out Riverside here at https://riverside.fm/lp.
Sign up for Find Something Cool, a curated newsletter designed to keep you inspired to create: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like and Subscribe! You can also leave a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show!
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
In this episode, Alex talks about the goals and reflections he's had for 2022, introduces a new sponsor (Riverside), and announces the launch of Find Something Cool, a new weekly newsletter.
This episode of Make Something Cool is brought to you by Riverside, the best online recording studio in the world.
Check out Riverside here!
Sign up for Find Something Cool! A curated newsletter to designed to keep you inspired to create.
www.alexsugg.com/newsletter/
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
Brian McDonald is the chief storyteller at Belief Agency, as well as an award-winning screenwriter, author, director, teacher, producer, and consultant who has worked in film, television, and comic books for more than 30 years. He's helped clients like Pixar, Disney, HBO, and many more tell better stories.
In this episode Brian talks about the secrets to telling compelling stories in your creative work.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
Polina Pompliano is the creator of The Profile which is a media company that studies the most successful people, companies in business, entertainment, tech, sports, and more. In this episode we discuss her transition into becoming a full-time creator, what insights she has found from writing countless profiles, and her advice for up and coming creators.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
James Clear is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages. He also writes the popular 3-2-1 newsletter, which is sent out to over 1 million subscribers every single week.
In this episode James talks about building habits, focusing on quality, and his journey to selling 5 million books (and what life is like after). You can follow James on Instagram or Twitter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
-
Steph Smith is a productivity superhero.
She leads the Trends newsletter for The Hustle, and is also an Author and writes about content creation, time management, learning to code, remote work and much more. She also has a podcast called The Shit You Don't Learn In School. In this interview we dive deep into her framework for getting more out of your time, and also how to create excellent content.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
-
Jack Butcher is the mind behind Visualize Value.
Visualize Value has become a must-follow account for creators who build online. This episode is a masterclass in how to build on the internet. In it, we talk about Jack's journey of making $1m in his first 18 months of VV, the power of constraints, the myth of 'passive-income', and web3/NFT opportunities for independent creators. You can follow Visualize Value on Instagram or Twitter.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsletter
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox → www.alexsugg.com/podcast
-
Jeremy Cohen on Content Creation and Bringing Positive Energy Into Your Work (#081)
Jeremy Cohen (@jermcohen) is a photographer and content creator based in New York. He's photographed celebrities like President Joe Biden, Post Malone, and Lizzo along with working with brands like Nike, Dropbox, and Adobe. You can subscribe to Jeremy's podcast Ask (Not) Me Anything! on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow him on Instagram or Twitter.
Read the transcript
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 60 seconds, and it makes a huge difference for the show! Leave a review here.
This episode was edited and produced by Josh Perez. If you're looking for help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. Connect with him at www.justjoshperez.com.
Follow Alex:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsugg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsugg/
Newsletter: https://alexsugg.com/newsleter
Get new articles, podcasts and interviews sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
-
I've always been fascinated by the craftsmanship that takes place in the kitchen, and that is why I asked Chef Eric Adjepong to be on the podcast this week. In this episode we talk about his time being a finalist on Top-Chef, how he fell in love with cooking, the influence of West-African food on modern American staples, What mise en place is and why every creative person should practice it, and lastly (saved for the end) we talk about the NBA playoffs.
This podcast was produced by the one and only Josh Perez. If you need help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. You can hire him for work at https://justjoshperez.com and I promise you will not regret it. He's a great producer, and even better dude.
Get new articles, podcasts and interviews sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
"Anything that improves human well-being usually comes with some form of discomfort."Michael Easter is the author of the book The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self. In this interview, we discuss...
- The important role of boredom and how digital media effects our minds
- The battle against frictionless technology
- Human evolution and how physical discomfort is good for our bodies
- His experience surviving in remote nature of Alaska
- The immeasurable value and intentionally getting uncomfortable from time to time.
- How reflecting on your mortality will make you a happier person
Michael is a speaker, journalist and professor at UNLV. His work has taken him into ancient monasteries in Bhutan, US Special Forces training grounds and the world’s most remote wilderness areas which we discuss at length in this episode. He's also a contributing editor at Men’s Health, and can read more of his work at Outside, Men’s Journal, Cosmopolitan, Vice, Esquire, Scientific American, Women’s Health, and more. Follow him on Instagram here.
This podcast was produced by the one and only Josh Perez. If you need help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. You can hire him for work at https://justjoshperez.com and I promise you will not regret it. He's a great producer, and even better dude.
Listen to this podcast at Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Get new episodes sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast
Andy J. Pizza is an illustrator and podcaster who's worked for giant brands like Youtube and The New York Times. And in this episode we discuss neurodiversity and Andy's journey of learning to work with his ADHD, how to create more urgency & consistency in your life, facing your shadow-side, and what makes a powerful story work.
This podcast was produced by the one and only Josh Perez. If you need help with your podcast, Josh is your guy. You can hire him for work at https://justjoshperez.com.
If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to apple podcasts and leave a five star rating and review. As a new show, the more reviews we can get, the more other people can find the show and support it. You can follow me on twitter @alex_sugg and let me know what you think about this episode.
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
There has never been a better time to build a business on the internet.
Tom Osman is an expert in the field of building cool stuff online. In this episode, we talk about overcoming insecurity and sharing your thoughts online, how trying, failing and quitting more projects is the key to finding the best one, how to manage your creator bug and how having fun in your work is the most powerful thing you can do to supercharge your platform.
Get New Episodes Sent To Your Inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast
This episode, I have a really special guest on to talk all about one of my favorite topics. Books! I have always been a huge fan of reading, but have grown more and more hungry to read the older I get. The problem is, sometimes its tough to do it consistently. And that is why I asked my new friend Alex to be on the show today.
Alex and Books is an online platform designed to help you read more great books. I love following Alex through twitter and his newsletter and always feel like I am learning new ways to be a better and more consistent reader.
In this episode we discuss the importance of quitting more books, how to become a more consistent reader, good note-taking ideas and how Alex sold all of his video games for a chance to meet Jordan Peterson.
Get new episodes and newsletters sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
Today's episode is all about the state of podcasting, but the tables have been turned a bit. My friend Tom Osman asked me to be a guest on his show and he agreed to let me share it with my audience as well. Tom is a really knowledgable guy on a million things, and he is going to be a guest here on Brave World in the coming months as well.
In this episode, we get into the details of what makes a great podcast, how to get started, the current podcasting landscape and where medium is headed next.
Get new episodes sent to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com/podcast
Mikael Cho is the founder and CEO of Unsplash. Follow him on twitter here
In this episode, Alex and Mikael discuss the journey of building a brand that reached over 1 billion downloads, how to use writing to clarify your thoughts, the controversy or opportunity that comes from giving your work away for free, and the best way to waste your time.
How to build a brand that people love with Emily Heyward (Co-founder Red Antler)
Buy Emily's book.
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
Kai Tang is the co-founder of light phone. Light phone is as a response to the exhaustive levels of noise and distraction we all encounter on a daily basis from our smart phones. The endless feeds of instagram, facebook, email and twitter leave us feeling drained, lost and and confused.
in this interview, we talk about the bigger picture around smartphone addiction and how we can help ourselves through the process. Just because technology isn't slowing down, doesn't mean we should never slow down.
https://www.thelightphone.com
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox | www.alexsugg.com
_
Red Gaskell is a director and photographer from New York. Check out his work at https://redgaskell.com
Every critic of mine is required to pass this set of 3 questions. If it meets all 3 requirements, then I will consider this criticism welcome and valuable. I will use it to better myself and grow at my craft. No offense taken.
But, if it fails to meet any of these requirements, it gets thrown out with the trash. (I guess they were just having a bad day..?) I refuse to spend any more mental energy on it.
In 2020, we have access to countless resources and ideas.
This is an incredible opportunity. We get access to learn and see what others are doing and become inspired by it.
But this environment can quickly breed us to lose our own voice, and begin thinking the way others have achieved success is the right way.
You must not forget yourself in the equation. Just because your hero took a specific path, doesn't mean you should. You need to do it your way for it to be honest and connect with others.
Where can you detach from your hero's pathway, and express yourself moving forward?
I am currently undergoing some shifts in how I plan my work and projects.
Usually, I am really good at this, but lately, it's been tough to stay on top of it all. It's easy to let things slide and tell myself that I'll 'get to it' soon. I keep waiting for the ideal environment to fall in my lap instead of forging it myself.
Here is what scares me. All this time I have spent without creating a clear plan for myself has, in fact, been spent.
That time is now gone. I'm never getting it back.
It is a sobering thought when you consider all the time we spend on our phones or working jobs we hate or waiting until the time is right to start our projects.
The clock is always ticking, so waiting costs a premium.
And it's not cheap.
So today, where can you make a clear plan of action? How can you avoid losing any more precious time without good reason? How can you take action and build those ideal environments you've been waiting for?
This morning, I am stumped.
I have no ideas about what to write to you this morning, but I am showing up anyway. Because that is what I have committed to do.
Sometimes, that is all we can do. I am a firm believer in incremental steps being the only way to grow into something substantial.
I don't feel bad about it, because I am a human. Sometimes, other things will take your attention or you just won't have it in you. This is okay.
But it doesn't mean you don't fulfill a commitment. Even if it just means showing up.
If you're feeling low or out of it today, what does just showing up look like? This is not an all-or-nothing game. Bringing a little is better than bringing none.
Monday mornings can be tough. But I don't think they need to be.
This morning, you can prime your mindset to have a great week. No matter what hardships might come, you get to choose how you respond.
So today, start with gratitude. Think about what you do have. For the people you have in your life. For the inspiration, you've drawn from your favorite artists or athletes or whoever you admire.
Be grateful for the life you have. Tomorrow isn't promised, so what will you do with today?
Have a great week.
Let's talk about aliens.
When you think of an alien, do you think of flying saucers? Of a giant head and pitch-black eyes standing on two legs? Does it have remarkable technology? Is it threatening?
The truth is no one has ever seen an alien. (At least, no one can prove they have) But isn't it interesting the assumptions that we make about what aliens would be like if they showed up on earth?
An alien could look and act more like a cute puppy. But that is not what our assumptions tell us.
To bring this home a bit, we all have 'aliens' in our lives. Areas that we assume are figured out, but truthfully, haven't tested it to know for sure.
Here are some examples:
Relationships. You assume someone thinks or believes something, but haven't personally had a conversation with them about it to know for sure.
Projects. You believe that no one will want what you produce but haven't asked your friends for honest feedback on it.
Food. You grew up hating onions but haven't eaten them for years, so you have no idea that your palette has changed from childhood.
Confidence. You assume you can't do something but haven't tried yet.
What are some assumptions you have that need to be challenged today? How can you step outside of yourself to look at these issues more objectively?
What feels like play to you and work for others? What feels like work to you and play to others?
These are essential questions to ask when you're starting a new project. When something feels like play for us, we are more likely to succeed in achieving it. And this inverse is also true; if it feels like work - you will eventually get burnt out by it.
I think a great metaphor is exercise. Bill might assume that going for a run is the best way to get fit. His brother runs a lot and stays pretty fit, so it makes sense that he should run too.
The problem is that Bill hates running. It's a grind every time to get ready and go. It feels like work.
But, if you drop Bill in the weight room and they learn strength training, he may fall in love with this type of fitness. It might feel like play instead of work.
We can tell ourselves elaborate stories in this area too. You can try to say to yourself you love running for a very long time when in reality, it feels like work and always will to you.
This process takes a lot of honesty.
So over the weekend, I think you should reflect on what truly feels like work versus play, and start taking steps toward making the changes you need to play more in your life and projects.
Have you ever looked at what someone else is doing and thought "I could do that too... In fact, I could do it better."?
This is natural. Humans have been bred since the dawn of time to compete for resources. Nowadays, we compete less for wild animals, and more for people's money, time and attention.
The problem with this idea is that if you're too focused on what others are doing, you will begin to lose focus on where you want to go.
If you're driving down the highway, you can peek at the cars around you to see what they're doing. But are you going to stare at the vehicle to your right or left for more than a second?
No. You will crash if you aren't focused on your lane.
So instead of trying to compete with others, a better tactic is to compete with yourself. Can you do better today than yesterday? Can you be more focused or achieve more than you did last week?
Where can you redirect your competitive nature this week toward yourself instead of your peers?
Yesterday, I talked about practicing generosity. Today, I want you to take what you did yesterday and apply it to yourself.
What I mean is, when we are always thinking about ourselves, we sometimes are thinking the wrong way or about the wrong things.
Personally, my obsession is work. I think about work and work ideas non-stop, and I get a lot of my self-esteem from how I perform in my projects.
Obsessively thinking this way is an extremely unhealthy cycle. I've learned this the hard way many times. Life is more than work. It's your health, relationships, experiences, and your work.
If you find yourself avoiding any or all of these things, you need some self generosity. Maybe for you, it's easy to ignore your health, so today, try taking a walk outside. Perhaps you've been avoiding that work project that would make you really happy to try, so you should take an hour off from youtube or tv and work on it.
This is about self-generosity. So whatever you need is a guilt-free practice. Do what you need to do to remind yourself that life is a balance today.
Generosity is a topic I don't see or hear much about these days. To be honest, I think that we are all living in a default 'survival mode'.
And if you live in 'survivor-mode' all the time, you won't be very good at giving to others.
But I believe we miss something meaningful when we focus too much on ourselves. We are made for connection with others, so we shouldn't get so caught up in ourselves that we miss what is happening with those around us.
So today, if you've been really focused on yourself (as I have been), how can you take a moment to give to someone else? This can be in your time, money, or energy. Whatever you think is the right way.
Remember, there can be no strings attached to your giving. You get nothing from what you give except the satisfaction of exchanging dignity, humanity, and love to a fellow human. Which, we all know, can be one of the greatest gifts you could possibly receive.
When you say, "I don't know," you're taking the place of confidence in any interaction. You're being honest with yourself and whoever you're speaking with. It also frees you up from being some sort of expert about everything, which no one truly is.
So today, instead of feeling the need to 'fake it till you make it,' what if you responded with "I don't know. Tell me more about that." or "I don't know. Let me find out."
It is a good feeling, and you will be less stressed this week.
I am a huge productivity nerd. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a huge geek when it comes to systems and methodologies and lots of ways of thinking about how to get work done.
Out of all the systems and ideas I've tried, only one has given me 5,10,100x return on my time.
This trick is called batching. Batching is where you look at all the tasks you do in a given day, week, month, or quarter and do similar style tasks all at once.
So this can look like answering emails at work. Instead of seeing the mess of messages coming in all day, You can batch to where you only read and answer email at 9am, 12pm and 4pm.
This not only helps you get all your emails done and not fall behind, but it also keeps the rest of your day clear and untouched by email. You can hopefully start to see the power of this?
If you create content, you can set aside a day and make 4-6 pieces of work to go out the coming month, so you aren't scrambling from week to week to make it happen.
Tim Ferriss does a great job explaining how he does it here. And a warning, this is extra nerdy stuff.
Experimenting with your projects is an essential part of doing good work.
The truth is when you try new things, the people who are following (or in my case, listening) to your work will not always like the changes. It feels like you're flip-flopping on your commitment to bringing them a certain kind of content. They think this because... you are doing precisely this! You're totally changing the promise of what they signed up to get from you.
As a creator, you must acknowledge this and take it into account before just changing things all the time. Try your best to honor your audience in letting them know what is going on and what they can expect moving forward from you.
What your audience won't always see is the sustainability of your project behind the scenes. And they shouldn't ever be able to feel that (unless that story is part of your brand).
This then becomes a leadership problem. Do you keep driving your car in the wrong direction when you've learned you took a wrong turn? Or do you turn around and start fresh?
You "lose" either way, but one still gets you to your destination, while the other leads to your entire project dying over time.
So today, think about how you may need to start experimenting with your work to make it more sustainable. Do this while still honoring your commitment to your audience.
I used to journal every day. Unfortunately, I've fallen off the wagon for the past few months. Today, I woke up and decided to give it a shot again.
And let me tell you, It feels good.
My mind (as I'm sure your mind) has been in a sea of noise for months now. With the pandemic, a social justice movement, and a lot of political unrest, it is difficult to fully grasp your part in the story when you have infinite amounts of information flying your way all the time.
When I journaled, the world suddenly became still. It felt quiet again. I felt like I could see myself and give myself space.
It felt like a good stretch, just for my mental health.
So this morning, find some time, even 5 minutes to write your thoughts and how you feel. I promise you'll be happy you did.
Data doesn't change people. At least, not on its own.
Have you ever wanted to make a point so badly, but just couldn't convince someone else of your side? You could pull up spreadsheets and tell them every number and statistic to try and convince them of what you're trying to sell.
We all know this won't work. Why? Because we all have our biases. We all have stories running through our heads of what is real, and the only thing that can change our minds is a more compelling story.
So instead of trying to win people over with prescribing them data, try telling a more compelling story.
If you're in a bad situation at work or in life, it can be tough to see or notice anything else.
Maybe you're unhappy at your job, or battling illness, or even managing life in this pandemic. How can we see anything else when facing these scenarios?
As suffering goes, there are times in life that we neither can't run nor hide from it. If we try to escape something we have no control over, we are fighting the wrong battle.
I believe one of the best things we can practice in tough times is examination.
An examination is more than just feelings. It's note-taking, future planning, and problem-solving. If you can't change something right now, decide how this feeling will change you in the future.
I am examining a lot right now. I also have days where I avoid examination altogether because it's difficult work. It's okay to have hard days. I just don't want to leave a bad situation unchanged, so how can I take my current experience and translate it into future self-development?
People spend too much time doing and not enough time thinking about what they should be doing. -Naval Ravikant
The quote above makes an interesting point. I feel like this all the time. But, I would agree with this inverse quote as well...
"People spend too much time thinking about what they should be doing instead of doing" -Alex reversing Naval's quote
I bet you land on one of these two sides. Which would you say you are feeling more today? Do you need to do more, or do you need to think about the right work to do? How can you begin to move that direction?
I am a positive person by nature. I see opportunities in almost any situation. But lately, I have not been feeling that way.
My default response to most things has been negative.
Now, I am giving myself some compassion here. The world has been in a state of injustice, pain, and sickness, and I'm sure that contributes to my perspective. Not to mention, staying inside all the time hasn't helped much either.
The part that I want to focus on is that this shift didn't happen overnight. I've been slowly turning toward negativity 1 degree at a time for a while now, without even realizing it.
When I finally took a look at myself and realized what was happening, a light bulb went off for me.
I haven't designed certain aspects of my days and life to support being positive. So this morning, this is what I am going to try to do to fix it.
Replace social media scrolling with reading a book
Replace conversations with negative co-workers by ones with positive co-workers
Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk
Replace mindlessness with mindfulness
I'll report back tomorrow on how it goes. If you've been feeling this way too, give it a try as well.
Also, if you've found solutions to this, reply to this email and teach me your ways.
I believe insecurity is the source of most of the world's pain. Insecurity causes wars. It causes painful words to be said. It causes necessary words to be left unsaid. It causes us to say 'no' to our true desires because we are afraid of what others might think.
Defeating insecurity in myself, and helping others overcome theirs is one of my primary goals in life. Whenever I begin to feel insecure (which is often), I try and step back, gather myself, and ask: "How is this moment asking me to stay quiet or overcompensate or change who I want to become?"
If you can step outside of the moment and be objective based on your values, you tend to not go with the crowd.
Is there an insecurity that stands out to you? Can you give yourself patience, compassion, and persistence as you try to unravel it this week?
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. -Michael Jordan
Today is a simple letter. Whatever your goal is, whatever you want to achieve, don't give up.
I'm reminded all of the time of the instant success we all want to see, but that isn't how it works most of the time. We generally only see the tip of the iceberg of someone's success, without all of the patience and hard work it took to get there.
You can do this. You can get closer to achieving your goal. Just keep taking steps. Small steps.Onestep. Just don't stop moving.
"People like us do things like this"
- Seth Godin
When Seth first uses this quote in his book This Is Marketing, I felt a light switch turn on. This is what it means to communicate with your audience.
A lot of the time, we try to be all things for all people, and when we do that, our work gets pretty stale and doesn't truly connect with anyone. But if you make your art, your product, or your service for a specific group of people, you need to talk directly do them.
You also need to let go of all the other people who "don't get the joke," as Seth also puts it. You narrow down who you are connecting with, so you can create better connections.
Where can you narrow your focus in communicating with your audience?
In the digital age of 'overnight' success stories such as Facebook, the hard slog is easily overlooked.
- James Dyson
The patience game is not very fun... until you win. Sometimes I get 'being patient' mixed up with 'waiting around.' The two are not the same.
The patience game is all about what you're doing while you're waiting. How are you setting yourself up so that when the time comes, you're ready for the moment? Waiting around is just waiting for something to fall in your lap, and then when it does, you don't know how to handle it.
We must get good at being patient and persistent with our work. If you can get good at this, you'll start winning more often.
If you're willing to clarify your long term goals and stick to them, you will outlast 99% of other people around you.
Why? Instant gratification will snare almost anyone these days, and it's only getting worse.
So if you can delay gratification on things that sound good right now, and focus on the things that you want the most in the future, you will get much further along in your goals.
What can you refrain from today to get closer to your goals?
The most prominent companies in the world are spending big money to get something from you.
That is your attention. Never forget how valuable it is.
So today, what are you going to pay for with your attention? Where can you redirect your focus to better places, so you get the right things done?
My friend and I were texting yesterday about some of our creative projects, and I asked him what he has been inspired by lately.
"I've been inspired about the current events," he said. "There are just all these cool possibilities."
It caught me off guard. The current events have been so heavy and challenging to sift through, but the way he has been seeing them is totally different. He is seeing opportunity in this moment. He is inspired by the challenge, not torn down by it.
So how can you look at the challenge you're facing today, and see it as an opportunity?
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ― Toni Morrison
There is a gap in the world, and it is your job to fill it. Your job is to go and find that hole. It will be located between your influences, idols, values, taste, and your dreams. If you take all of the unique parts of who you are and point them at each other toward a common center, that is your lane.
For example, when I use to write music, I had to find my niche. I loved classical music, but my heart lived for R&B. So I found the gap, and I made music that brought the two together.
So today, where you can look at your life and inspirations to identify the gap that you need to fill in the world?
One of the most underrated parts of any project or goal is building a sustainable pathway toward it. It's easy to get really excited and try to do everything at once and use all of this energy you have right now on it, and then... you end up getting tired or bored and burning out.
When I've worked with clients on podcasts, a lot of them say something like, "We want it to sound like The Daily or This American Life. How do we do that?"
They can sure try to do that. But it won't be sustainable. Why? Each of those shows has between 30-45 full-time participants and are little documentaries. It's like signing up to cook a 5-course dinner every night at home for the rest of your life. Eventually, you'll throw up your hands and say, "We are ordering pizza."
Here are better questions to ask when you're working on a project "What will this feel like when it isn't new anymore?" and "Will this still be sustainable on my 50th time doing it?"
If you're honest, you'll probably want to scale it back a bit. What practice do you want to make more sustainable moving forward?
A new week is here! For some people, this is an exciting feeling. For others, it's not very thrilling.
What do you think separates those two? Someone happy for a new week understands the opportunity that the week holds for them. The person who doesn't feel great about it simply can't see what the week is for yet.
That is why today, I want to ask you this question: What will I have achieved for myself, my project, or my goals by Friday of this week?
If you identify something achievable and make time to do it, I promise your week will start looking up real quick.
Reply to this email and let me know what you're working toward. I'll follow up with you on the work later this week.
"Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us." ― Maya Angelou
This letter is coming to you late this morning because I slept in! These past few months (and this past week in particular) have been challenging for many of us.
Between Covid-19 wreaking havoc on our world, and the grave injustice that persists by police against the black community, there is a lot to be angry about.
I will admit, I've been really swallowed up in it all. I've battled my depression at new heights over the past few months. I wonder how and when things will be back to normal.
So I decided to take today off from my work. I scheduled it in advance and worked really hard to get everything off my plate today. I am going to ride my bike around lower Manhattan. I am going to read a book. I am going to recharge my battery today, so I can get back at it all tomorrow.
I write this to say - do what you need to do during this time to find a day for yourself. If you haven't been working, but staying inside a lot, find a way to take a full day outdoors. If you've been working non-stop, find a way to take some time for yourself.
This takes work! You have to prioritize this step, and it is not going to be your natural response. You will want to resist but don't. It's not worth burning out.
Life is asking a lot of us right now, so we must take care of ourselves in the process. Find a way to make a day.
"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." ― Pablo Picasso
I use to think I could skip steps toward success. I've always trusted that my taste would lead me to great work. The truth is, your taste will only take you as far as your skill levels will carry you.
How can you become better at the fundamental skills of your craft? How can you master the rules, so you learn the right ways to break them?
"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." ― Friedrich Nietzsche
This has always been one of my favorite quotes. It reminds me to embrace the imperfections or challenges I've faced in my story - and to see them as strengths for my work instead of weaknesses. That the tension we all feel inside is what keeps us moving forward.
Today, how can you embrace your story? With the highs and lows, and connect it to your work?
Often, if we are feeling weary or burnt out on our work, it's because we feel distant from whatever goal or ideal we had in place from the beginning.
If this is you, try redefining what success looks like first.
I always like coming back to the basics of my practice. Make success about the process that you love instead of the results for a while. See what happens if you just 'make' with no strings attached.
It's easy to try and skip steps on the journey toward achieving our dreams. As society has sped everything up, we tend to want things quicker.
The problem here is that to become truly great at something, you have to spend a lot of time doing that thing first. Greatness costs time, persistence, and patience. You wouldn't microwave a filet mignon, so why would you try to speed up our work?
Where are you trying to speed up the process instead of mastering the level you're at?
"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them."
- David Allen
How many times have you had a 'million-dollar idea' and then totally forget it the next day? Or that thing you keep needing to buy at the grocery store, but somehow always miss it while you're there.
Keeping ideas and tasks in our heads is a flawed system.
Instead of keeping ideas in your memory, you need to find a safe place to keep them—a place where you will look again later and not forget.
Write it down, just in case.
"Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from 25 to 31 degrees. All the action happens at 32 degrees." - James Clear
_
Every degree counts. Just because the ice cube hasn't melted at 26, 27, 28 doesn't mean you didn't needthose steps to get to 32. This is the power of momentum.
So today's prompt is simple - keep taking steps. If you keep building momentum, the ice will have to melt.
Your energy is your greatest competitive advantage. If you can identify what energizes you, then learn to gather, focus and act on it - you will accomplish more than most people ever will.
Where can you give your best energy today and where can you remove it?
A friend of mine shared with me awhile ago that she felt like she was finally accepting herself. She said, "I'm beginning to give myself permission to take up space in the world."
I think that is a beautiful realization for us all. Our lives and experiences have molded us to have certain fears and insecurities that hold us back from taking our space in the world.
So today, how can you assert yourself more in the ways that feel right to you? Where can you stand up for yourself more?
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill
How can you practice courage today? How can you step out of your comfort zone or restart something you gave up on?
This season has been filled with plenty long days. I've felt overwhelmed and I sure you have at times too. So what do we do?
I am going to get some separation from my work. I think getting a fresh perspective is the best thing we can do. Work as hard as possible to get some margin, instead of always letting work drip in.
Where can you find some separation today? What expectations can you let go of for the next 24 hours and return refreshed?
Systems help us make sense of messy projects. If we have good systems in place, it unlocks our creative output to be more consistent. A system could be a scheduled time to finish tasks or a list of best practices to follow in working on a project.
Where do you think you can find and implement better systems today to support your creative goals?
Need some advice on good systems? Write to hello@makesomething.cool and I'll get back to you in a few days. (yes, I really do respond)
It's easy to drift away from our authentic voice in our work. There are a lot of expectations, desires, and voices that can steer us away from what we truly have to say in favor of what the world might want to hear.
Today, ask yourself this: In what ways have I strayed from my own voice to please others? How do I steer myself back?
Quitting needs to be our last option, not our first instinct.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
The secret to happy productivity: Balancing your energy
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
The creative journey is all about adapting to your environment. It's never static and you'll always have to find news to solve problems. So how can you start building a more adaptive practice into your creative work?
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
While I prepare to change a few things with Make Something Cool starting next week, I want to encourage peace in your mind and body to help you create.
Be ruthless with your plans in favor of your objective. If the strategy doesn't support the goal, then change it.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Treat interruptions like stop signs, not detours.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
The creative journey is not for everyone, but it is probably for you.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Which is worse—making something and working out the kinks to eventually find your authentic voice? Or never making anything at all because it feels contrived to try?
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
You need a side-project, and in this episode, I'll explain why.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Someone who believes they should have something is very different from someone who believes they could have something.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Ambition breaks escapism into pieces. Ambition creates a beautiful agreement with ourselves to follow through on the things we want to achieve.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Healthy ambition is a decision we make that gives us direction, clarity, and grit to achieve a fulfilling vision.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
When we listen to our lives, we can start to see patterns. If we can listen carefully, it becomes a compass for our life.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
How do we manage all the heaviness of this season and still find time to create? Reassess your expectations, make for healing (not for likes), and try matching your output level with your energy level.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
The more outside voices have in our lives, the more distant we can become from our own inner voice. Where do you need to find silence in your life?
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Every fulfilling and successful creative project has 3 components holding it together. You gifts, your interests and using the right mediums to share it.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
We can't change the way things are right now. But we do have control over one thing. How we respond to this moment.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Why does your dream feel so distant? Because your it exists in ambiguity. It's still squishy and cloudy and not very direct. To solve this, you must create clarity. The simplest place to start is to write it down.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Remember why it's fun to you. Remember the moments that filled you with joy. Create from a place of gratitude today.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
Give yourself compassion while you're in the process. the worst thing you can do is to be unkind to yourself as you take on the challenge of creative work.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
The desire for a perfect result will always hold us back from starting. Today, give yourself the permission to enter the process instead of needing to have a perfect result.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.
What do you think the world is asking you to become on the other side of this pandemic? Begin to channel this vision of yourself into your creative work today.
The truth about any creative project is that starting is the hardest part. Why is that? We are afraid to fail.
In this episode, I talk about what it looks like to start despite the fear of failure and offer three simple steps to starting your project.
Want a helpful email delivered to your inbox every morning? Try Make Daily.