“Reflections” with gough (GWTW906)
In this thing called life, we undoubtedly face endless questions: How do I write a funny joke? Am I funny? Where is Chris? What is the meaning of life? Here to help us find some answers to those questions and to talk about his latest audio projects—Reflections – Where is Chris? and The Meaning of Life—is the funnyman himself, gough. We dive right into our typical podcasting shenanigans filled with laughter, inappropriate phrases, and the answer to yet another question: Who has the wettest mouth in Australia? We also talk about important things like oranges, human nature, two-line zingers, trusting your audio producer, how gough rehearses his actors to get great performances, and how he keeps his creativity fresh. If you’ve ever wondered where the line between drama and comedy is, gough even has an answer for that, too.
“Curiosity Overload” with Micah Kassell (GWTW905)
As listeners of this show know, I love asking my guests what they are endlessly curiosity about, but what I rarely take the time to consider is that we could overload our curiosity. What do we do when this happens? Today’s guest provides several insights into forming our personal answer to that question. Micah Kassell is a graphic designer, drummer, and a deeply creative soul fascinated with curiosity, belief, and cult-like behavior. From corporate boardrooms to stages, he’s learned to approach teamwork from the perspective of the drummer, as time keeper and vibe tender. In this conversation, we explore his obsession with aspirational and motivational speech that builds fans of brands and culture. We also talk about his journey into music and graphic design, how his dad’s creativity influenced his life and career, why baseball is an imagination sport, learning to win and lose in life and business, why the trio is his favorite band and team configuration, patience, limitations, highlights and shadows, and learning to document his creativity with improvisation and communication.
“The Uncommon Hero” with Michael Hunter (GWTW904)
The best conversations not only have interesting questions, but also the necessary time and space to think and respond when answers present themselves. From “What most often brings you joy?” and “What are you endlessly curious about?” to “What is the space you need to give yourself today?” and “Why does where you are matter?”, today’s guest and I dive deep into ourselves and share what we discover. Michael Hunter is the Founding Mentor of Uncommon Teams, a Coach, Podcaster, and Author of The Resilient Tech Leader: Harness the Power of Mind, Body, Spirit, and Heart to Lead with True Balance and Joy. Beyond the questions, we explore topics such as communication and science, why AI will never replace him, the solid foundations that allow him to have fun with change, what it means to be an uncommon hero, tiny experiments, resilience, and the simplest possible process.
“Uniquely Different” with John Ravaris (GWTW902)
What’s your gift to the world? What makes you uniquely different than everybody else? Why should I choose you? Three powerful questions from today’s conversation with John Ravaris, consultant, speaker, and author of Define Value, Drive Growth: Build a Business Clients Choose and Competitors Envy. In our conversation, John unpacks these questions and more, focusing on how uniqueness creates client value. He talks about his curiosity with what people and businesses are really trying to accomplish, what sales is and is not, how his 4D Roadmap—Discover, Develop, Deploy, and Delight—reveals what makes a business unique, the difference between a customer and a client, his approach to niching and standing out, and building your reputation by saying no and not chasing the shiny object. If your business is stuck positioning itself just like its competition, then it’s time to discover just how valuable uniqueness can be.
“Information Trust & Truth” with Christopher Butler (GWTW900)
Of all the questions today’s guest asks in our conversation, the biggest of them all is this: “What does it mean to be alive?” Making his sixth appearance on the show, Christopher Butler is a designer, communicator, and deep thinker not afraid to ask tough questions and explore obscure topics. Our conversation begins with nature journaling, the joy of slowing down, observing, and modeling wonder for others. From there, we explore what it means to trust information, the role of modern propaganda and disinformation in our technical society, and the importance of having a consensus, shared reality. Ever deeper, we question purpose, meaning, and what we leave behind to the next generation. As Chris models throughout this conversation, open your mind as we go on this adventure together.
“Bow to the Mystery” with Sarah Bush (GWTW898)
I want to prime you with a question asked by today’s guest during our conversation: “What does it mean for you to be fully expressed as a human being in whatever shape that takes?” So much of our life and work is spent in opposition to what we actually want, and yet the possibilities are truly endless. Sarah Bush is a mixed media artist who explores “the relationship between materials and ideas” with fiber, metal, handmade books, and the written word. In our conversation, we dive deep into imagination, the creative process, and the importance of struggle in our work. We also talk about healing through our work, making work that is true versus good, how risk changes as we get older, the role of mystery in her work, the threads that weave through it all, how to commit to your vision, and Sarah’s obsession with scale.
“The Age of Individuality” with Ian Honeyman (GWTW896)
What is the work you want to put out into the world so you can experience it? What’s keeping you from doing it? Today’s guest not only thinks you should do it, but he also genuinely believes in you. I know I needed to hear that. Ian Honeyman is a film composer, songwriter, and founder of Film Score Academy. In our conversation, we talk about his limitless curiosity and creativity for writing and producing music that resonates with people. He shares a lot about the process of writing music, what it’s actually like working on Hollywood films, collaborating with metal band Voodoo Kungfu on projects, his journey from Wisconsin to Los Angeles, the role of luck and tenacity when doing creative work, building community, and why you should never stop sharing your work. No matter what type of creativity fuels your work, Ian’s warmth and love for the craft will undoubtedly inspire you.
“The Antidote to Conformity” with Heather Crank (GWTW894)
When I find myself getting in my own way or needing a creative pick-me-up, I tune into what Heather Crank is doing with art, AI, design, and technology. She was one of the first artists in my circle to adopt AI, and since we last talked on Getting Work To Work three years ago, she continues to forge her message of shaping the future of AI by using and understanding it. In our conversation, we dive right into the topic of the decade: AI. We talk about what AI is as a tool, why we shouldn’t use it as it’s sold to us, trust, the importance of not being passive with AI, how she uses AI in her art and life, what the future of business might become, the boring nature of conformity, using AI to create propaganda, and maintaining our own cognitive sovereignty. Beyond AI, we talk about The Developing Life podcast and her recent participation in TEDxBend. If you are a creative wondering how you can challenge the status quo, Heather provides a few possible ways for you to take the power back.
“Persistence is the Game” with Liz Lazarus (GWTW892)
How do you work through and process awful events that happen in your life? For today’s guest, author Liz Lazarus, she turns them into psychological suspense novels including her brand new book, Dawn Before Darkness. In our conversation, she shares her journey to becoming an author and the importance of educating while entertaining. She also talks about how she approaches multiple pursuits, recognizing and taking opportunities as they present themselves, the joy of writing characters, how spreadsheets organize her creativity, emotional management while writing, and perhaps the best writing tip I’ve ever heard. Whether you’re a fan of genre fiction, a writer looking for inspiration, or someone like me who lives in both of those worlds, Liz’s wisdom and enthusiasm for life is just what you need.
“The Man to Mock Them All” with gough (GWTW891)
The only prescription you need to get through today is one for laughter. Fortunately, dr. gough—fear not, it’s an honorary title—is in the house, pad in hand, to talk about his latest film, The Proposal, now available to download at beernutsproductions.com. We talk about stuff, lots of stuff, funny stuff, and even some serious stuff, all the while chuckling like two idiots who find everything funny. Things like why being busy keeps the demons at bay, exercise routines for comedy writers, the culinary hell that is the scotch egg, why gough’s face can’t hide a lie, how influencers influenced this mockumentary, supporting live entertainment, the travesty of Australian TV, our shared love and admiration for Stephen Colbert, and why it’s never been easier to make your own content.