EPISODE · Oct 4, 2022 · 50 MIN
#120: Derek Sivers – How to Live as a Creator and Why You Should Focus Like a Monomaniac
from Creator Science · host Jay Clouse
WATCH ▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube *** EPISODE DESCRIPTION Derek Sivers is a musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and book publisher. He's written four books including How To Live, Hell Yeah Or No, Your Music And People, and Anything You Want. He's also the founder of CD Baby – the largest seller of independent music online, with $100 million in sales for 150,000 musicians. In 2007, Derek sold that business for $22 million – almost all of which Derek donated to a charitable trust for music education. In this episode, we talk about how Derek keeps himself focused on ONE project at a time, how to navigate conflicting philosophies, what we can learn from professional musicians, and how creators can pursue balance in our lives. Full transcript and show notes Visit Derek Sivers website See Derek Sivers book recommendations Follow Derek Sivers on Twitter / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Who is Derek Sivers? 00:27 - Derek is a Monomaniac 01:19 - Derek’s Inspiration for “How To Live” 01:58 - What We Learn Today 02:45 - Derek Has a Singular Focus 04:14 - Is Being a Monomaniac Innate or Learned? 04:57- Don’t Be a Donkey! (Buridan’s Donkey Paradox) 06:54 - Why It’s Important to Prioritize and Sequence in Your Life 07:46 - How to Use Journaling to Prioritize Your Life 09:19 - Life is NOT a Problem to be Solved 12:33 - How Do You Decide What Gets Priority? 17:10 - How to Navigate Conflicting Philosophies 20:10 - Derek’s Process of writing “How To Live” 21:30 - Your Values Change Over Time 23:13 - Breaking Away From Tribalism 24:21 - How to find Balance in Your life 27:49 - STOP Relying on Your Job to Fulfill EVERY Need 30:23 - Derek’s Life as a Musician 31:34 - Momentum is SO Important 34:39 - What Creators Can Learn From Musicians 35:57 - The History of Starbucks (And What You Can Learn From It) 38:22 - Intrinsic VS Extrinsic Motivation 43:10 - Even Rock Stars Have a Boss 44:54 - What Will Derek Do Next? *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #82: Michael Bungay Stanier *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
WATCH ▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube *** EPISODE DESCRIPTION Derek Sivers is a musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and book publisher. He's written four books including How To Live, Hell Yeah Or No, Your Music And People, and Anything You Want. He's also the founder of CD Baby – the largest seller of independent music online, with $100 million in sales for 150,000 musicians. In 2007, Derek sold that business for $22 million – almost all of which Derek donated to a charitable trust for music education. In this episode, we talk about how Derek keeps himself focused on ONE project at a time, how to navigate conflicting philosophies, what we can learn from professional musicians, and how creators can pursue balance in our lives. Full transcript and show notes Visit Derek Sivers website See Derek Sivers book recommendations Follow Derek Sivers on Twitter / YouTube *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Who is Derek Sivers? 00:27 - Derek is a Monomaniac 01:19 - Derek’s Inspiration for “How To Live” 01:58 - What We Learn Today 02:45 - Derek Has a Singular Focus 04:14 - Is Being a Monomaniac Innate or Learned? 04:57- Don’t Be a Donkey! (Buridan’s Donkey Paradox) 06:54 - Why It’s Important to Prioritize and Sequence in Your Life 07:46 - How to Use Journaling to Prioritize Your Life 09:19 - Life is NOT a Problem to be Solved 12:33 - How Do You Decide What Gets Priority? 17:10 - How to Navigate Conflicting Philosophies 20:10 - Derek’s Process of writing “How To Live” 21:30 - Your Values Change Over Time 23:13 - Breaking Away From Tribalism 24:21 - How to find Balance in Your life 27:49 - STOP Relying on Your Job to Fulfill EVERY Need 30:23 - Derek’s Life as a Musician 31:34 - Momentum is SO Important 34:39 - What Creators Can Learn From Musicians 35:57 - The History of Starbucks (And What You Can Learn From It) 38:22 - Intrinsic VS Extrinsic Motivation 43:10 - Even Rock Stars Have a Boss 44:54 - What Will Derek Do Next? *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → #82: Michael Bungay Stanier *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 Creator Science Newsletter 🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system) 🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community) 🧞♂️ Get a Personalized Offer *** CONNECT 🐦 Connect on Twitter 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube *** SPONSORS 💼 View all sponsors and offers *** SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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#120: Derek Sivers – How to Live as a Creator and Why You Should Focus Like a Monomaniac
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