Category: Interviews

How are you making someone’s life better with your business, no matter how tiny? This is but one question that reveals what today’s guest is all about. Together with his wife, Karene, Chris Lambert-Gorwyn brings their philosophy of heart-centred business to other business leaders through coaching and mentorship, not to mention other business ventures and a bestselling book that encapsulates their actionable insights and tools. In this conversation, Chris and I talk about what it means to be heart-centred, the paradox of power and play, aligning goals with values and rewards, how to create your own economy, and the importance of finding a different way to do business. If you are an entrepreneur looking for new ways to approach your business, this interview is for you.

The opening paragraph of Debbie Clapper’s artist statement perfectly sums up our time together: “My work’s main intention is to take the viewer beyond the surface level, delving deep into the piece, allowing exploration and self-reflection.” Debbie loves abstract art because it can be anything and nothing. In this conversation, we explore her endless curiosity for grace, how she overcomes the critical voices that show up in the middle of the night, and how she took what she learned from her graphic design business to transform her art through collaborative relationships with others.

You know that dream for your life that you lie in bed every night hoping it comes true? Not only is it possible for you, but you don’t need all the details figured out before starting. And today’s guest will tell you why. Brittany Wagner is a motivational speaker best known for her role in the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U and author of Next Chance You. In this conversation, Brittany shares powerful insights into shifting your mindset from “last chance” to “next chance,” overcoming bitterness and perfectionism with decisive action, and looking for ways to grow by devoting time and effort to improving one area at a time.

What happens when your lifelong dream finally occurs after 20 years of perseverance? For data nerd Justin Stanley, he finds his way on the Jeopardy! stage only to face the 3rd-winningest champion in the game’s history. In today’s conversation, Justin shares his journey from qualifying to competing and recounts his favorite and embarrassing moments. As a fan of the show, it was an absolute blast to hear all the behind-the-scenes goodness, not to mention celebrating the culmination of a friend’s lifelong dream.

What lights you up? For today’s guest, his obsession with learning new things is how he answers that question. Jeff Straw is a man of many talents: photography, branding, music, and teaching. In this conversation, he shares not only his musical journey from sax to guitar, with a healthy mix of DJ’ing, but also how he built his photography business by carving a lane and finding his style, one project at a time. He talks about the importance of sharing and teaching through his vlog, helping unlock others so they can get creative, and how he wields his power of improvisation.

My impromptu support of independent authors continues this week with Aaron Hockley, who just released his brand-new book, The Computer Ate My Photos: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Photography. Aaron is a photographer, speaker, and author fascinated with the intersection of photography and technology. In this conversation, he shares the two-year journey of writing the book, how artificial intelligence technology has evolved, and how AI will impact the world of photography in the future. From his vantage point, the future is hopeful, one that I hope sparks your curiosity to learn more.

Have you ever thought about what your core values sound like and how they fit into the sound universe? Today’s guests on Getting Work To Work have by taking their drive, passion, and hunger for music and sound and translating it into audio branding. Gabo Agüero, Dalmiro Lacaze, and Mauro González are the creative forces behind Drop Music Branding out of Argentina. In this conversation, they share their entrepreneurial journey to make a living through music and sonic branding. They touch on topics that impact us all, including the importance of partnerships, how there are no excuses to create, ways to keep the game fresh, and a new way to look at staying in your lane.

Kelley Baker, affectionately known as the Angry Filmmaker, is one of my favorite people. Not only is he a filmmaker, sound designer, and editor, but he is also an author, having penned several collections of short stories and non-fiction books. In this conversation, Kelley and I travel the shores of comfortable and uncomfortable topics: from the joys of eavesdropping and the curse of remembering too much to influences and the origin of ideas. We talk about his latest book of short stories, Dennis Barton is a Bastard and Other Stories, telling the truth in art, and how to continue growing and evolving as an artist. Most importantly, Kelley preaches the gospel of independents and how every one of us can support independent artists with our time, money, and attention.

How are you using experiments to grow through barriers such as perfectionism, inertia, and the status quo? That is a question I explore with today’s guest, Kay Coughlin, an entrepreneur, podcaster, and life coach for caregivers. She also happens to be my business coach, and I’m her podcast producer. In this conversation, we explore experiments and the primary role of noticing emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and data without judgment in the experimentation process. She shares about how to overcome confirmation bias, the value of failure, being okay with discomfort, building successful collaborative partnerships, and all things boundaries.

Where does your curiosity lead you? For today’s guest, Paul Nylander, his curious nature has taken him from the world of high-energy physics to book design as he searches to understand how everything works. Paul is a book designer, engaging storyteller, and owner of Illustrada, a studio that collaborates with small presses and independent authors to get their ideas into the world. In our conversation, he shares his curious journey from physics to design. He also explores where his love for books comes from, the art and science of change, the nature of generalists and specialists, and the role of questions and trust in his design process.

What is the DNA of who you are and what you do? For today’s guest, the answer is in the notes and chords that make up the foundation of his music. Randy George is a bass player and multi-instrumentalist, most known for his work with Neal Morse. In this conversation, he shares the importance of trial and error, and the role influences play in discovering new sounds. He talks about the value of listening and hearing where the music wants to go, being flexible in the collaborative process, and how risk, doubt, and learning from failure are critical no matter where you are in your career. We also dive into his fascination with film and TV production.

How will you respond to the next crisis you will face? Dr. Rob Fazio is a Leadership Psychologist and Crisis Consultant who shares several ways to respond to the current crisis we are facing and the one just around the corner with growth leadership. In this conversation, Rob talks about his curiosity around how people change their minds, applying sport psychology in the world of business, and understanding what drives our motivations. He also gives several ways to work through burnout beyond self-care, why we need simple strategies for success, and how conversations are the most critical tool in business.

What is making your heart smile? What desires are you listening to deep within yourself? How are you aligning who you need to become with what you want to bring to life? These are three questions inspired by today’s conversation with Michelle Boulé, a professional dancer and life coach. In our time together, Michelle shares her journey of growth and helping others see the possibilities within and around themselves. She talks about how injury allowed her to find new directions for her life, the role of alignment and energy in growth, and why she loves to explore the edge of creativity. If you are struggling to discover a way forward or lacking the belief that you too can grow, I hope you find encouragement and empowerment to change in Michelle’s words.

What instantly enters your mind when you hear the phrase “slacking off”? How about “slacking off for fun and profit”? If you’re anything like myself and many others, guilt, shame, laziness are right there, not to mention bonbons. Michael Arnold, the author of Slacking Off: A Successful Way to Work From Home, is today’s guest on Getting Work To Work and he wants you to know that slacking off is a good thing for us. Not only does it boost our creativity, but it also increases our productivity. In this conversation, we talk about his entrepreneurial journey and relationship with working and slacking off, the importance of learning from failures, not just successes, why self-love matters, and the best gift he gives his readers: more time.

How do you show up in your work? Do you create work that is true to who you are and what matters to you? These are two questions I’ve been reflecting on since talking with Ashwin Chacko, a seriously playful illustrator and storyteller based in Dublin, Ireland. Our conversation begins with Ashwin’s curiosity about the social interactions that drive culture and the role artists play in our world. He then shares stories of his early years as a child of missionaries, learning critical adaptability skills and gaining new friends wherever he goes. We talk a lot about making sense of chaos, overcoming fear by telling it no, finding his purpose and calling, and why it’s essential to separate yourself from your work. He also teaches us the 4Ds of unlocking any creative blocks you might be facing.

What good can you do in the world? A powerful question guiding the life and work of today’s guests, De & John Ingles, the husband-wife team behind Smiley Graphix Studio and Wild Routed. Our conversation begins with the early days of playing outside and spending all day in adventure. From there, we join their entrepreneurial journey starting Smiley Graphix in 1997, losing a job of 31 years in 2019, going on a five-week road trip, and then creating a retail side project. Story after story, they talk about the memories and the people who have made a difference in their lives. By being open to what life has for them and sharing it with others, De & John have created a life worth living. Enjoy the conversation.

My curiosity for today’s guest began when I saw his simple M-shaped lightning bolt logo. From there, I read his story, engaged with his work, and quickly knew that I needed to talk with him. Dylan Menges of Menges Design is all about idea-driven, handcrafted design. With a passion and extensive experience in lettering, Dylan brings to his client work a desire for boldness and the courage to be seen and heard. Our conversation begins at the deep end of life, discussing eternity and the long-term impact of our work. But we don’t stop there, as we talk a lot about setting and managing expectations, the need for experimentation and taking risks, and moving forward into the unknown future.

What do you do when you feel lost on your creative journey? You do what today’s guest does: continue exploring the great unknown. Alicja Colon is a paper illustrator, tactile artist, and entrepreneur. She is the first person who comes to mind when I think of an artist constantly reinventing who they are and sharing the struggles and successes along the way. In this conversation, Alicja uses her brave voice of transparency and authenticity to talk about the sustainability of art and business. She talks candidly about burnout and how the freelance life affects not just herself but those around her. We then soar into the silver clouds of exploration, talking about visual analogies, curiosity, passion, and the power of personal declarations.

Who are the people in your life who have made a noticeable impact on you? Near the top of my list is today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, Diane Gibbs, a designer, graphic design educator, Host of The Design Recharge Show, and visionary behind Creatives Ignite, an online summer camp for creative entrepreneurs. If that’s not enough, she is also a dealer of hope. Her mission is to connect creatives, so no one ever feels alone. In this conversation, she shares her entrepreneurial journey from selling bookmarks at a young age to starting an online summer camp in 2020. We talk a lot about serving others, giving feedback as a way to show you care, the impact of accountability, and the value of being accessible. Oh, and she provides all the details about Creatives Ignite.

How do you use a public art installation during a pandemic to promote safe gatherings in a public space? To answer that question are two people behind Polka Dot Downtown, a performance art installation in and around Portland, Oregon, including Pioneer Courthouse Square. Bill Will is a conceptual sculptor and installation artist. Theresa Vetsch-Sandoval is the Director of Marketing for Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland’s Living Room. In this conversation, they share how this unique project came to life, what it takes to design art for massive spaces, and the impact Polka Dot Downtown has had on the community. Sprinkled throughout, Bill and Theresa talk a lot about public art and how artists can develop their reputations and share their creativity with others.

What were you born to do? A powerful question that can be overwhelming to consider, let alone answer. Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, the founder of The Film Festival Doctor, is here to discuss her soul purpose: to help filmmakers get their films seen in the right festivals and win awards. In this conversation, we also talk about her book, Born To Do It: Becoming the Leader of a Business Niche Using Powerful Spiritual Techniques and several concepts from the book, including branding and energy, positioning, identifying business opportunities, and networking. Throughout the conversation, Rebekah reflects the importance of being open to the unexpected and to others.

There is something special about moments in life where the worlds of fiction and reality align. Earlier this year, a good friend recommended “The Sweeney Sisters” by Lian Dolan. It’s a book about families and the impact of secrets, and as you’ll learn in this conversation, something I’ve been working through the past year. Not only is Lian a writer and speaker, but along with her four sisters, she co-hosts a top-rated podcast for women called Satellite Sisters. In this conversation, we begin with her early days of coming to the dinner table with a story to tell her nine family members and end by discussing the healing nature of fiction and how writing mirrors her reality. Throughout, Lian shares stories and wisdom for any creative to apply to their life, work, and craft.

Do you know what your strengths are? More importantly, do you know why that even matters? Today, I’m talking with Micah Lorenc, a Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths Coach, about all-things strengths. From his curiosity about people and a fascination with understanding what makes us unique, Micah shares his journey to understand not just what we do but who we are. Throughout this conversation, we explore our strengths and connect them to our work. Micah talks about the common misconceptions between strengths and weaknesses as well as fixed and growth mindset. In addition, he also shares how both teams and relationships would benefit from understanding the dynamics between one another’s strengths.

If you could cast any spell, what would it do? For today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, her spell would spread kindness. Holly Hatam is a New York Times Bestselling illustrator, kid-lit author fascinated with animation, imagination, nature, and magic. In this conversation, we talk about her obsession with unicorns and art, how she approaches her work, and how sensitivity is her superpower. She also shares the struggles she encounters when sharing work on social media. Most importantly, she explains how weird is a side effect of awesome.

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