The Mindful Creator Podcast

Episode 36 marks an end of things - an ending I didn't expect or see coming. Yes, this is the last episode of The Mindful Creator. After a lot of searching and reflection, I've decided to shut down the show and move on to other things. So I sat down to record my thoughts on the ending of the show, why I decided to let go, and a deeper dive into this strange correlation humans have between our accomplishments and sense of self worth. The post MC36: Success + Self Worth (The Final Episode) appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jared Janes is a Social Entrepreneur and founder & CEO of Altruist. In Episode 35 of The Mindful Creator, Jared and I chat about cultivating purpose in not only creativity and career, but in just about anything that you do in life. In our discussion, Jared and I dig deeper into the process of cultivating purpose vs. seeking it, the expectations we harbor on what it takes to find meaning in our work and life, and the challenge of cultivating purpose in a creative pursuit when you have a full-time gig. The post Season 2 – MC35: Cultivating Purpose with Jared Janes appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jon Wilkening is a fellow Misfit and an artist and photographer who I connected with a few years back via Twitter after my wife and I began experimenting with a small publishing venture. In Episode 34 of The Mindful Creator, Jon and I discuss the struggle to define success as an artist, and how we can redefine a new normal to achieve the much-needed perspective on what success means to each of us individually. The post Season 2 – MC34: The New Normal with Jon Wilkening appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Ja-Nae Duane is a professor, advisor, speaker, strategist, social scientist, artist, creative economist, professional opera singer and author - including the forthcoming book, The Startup Equation: A Visual Guidebook to Building Your Startup. In episode 33 of The Mindful Creator, Ja-Nae and I discuss the connection between creativity and personal happiness, specifically what the pursuit of a higher calling to create something larger than just ourselves can teach us about what it takes to be truly happy. The post Season 2 – MC33: Footwork + Faith with Ja-Nae Duane appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jonathan Mead - the Founder of Move Heroically - is on a badass, soulful, and aligned mission to help people reconnect with their bodies and reclaim their primal strength through natural movement practices. In episode 32 of The Mindful Creator, Jonathan and I discuss the movement mindset and how feeling confident in our bodies can actually empower us to show up to our work, as well as different philosophies on balancing intention, joy, and play to help us fully show up to our true purposes in the world. The post Season 2 – MC32: Move Heroically with Jonathan Mead appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Chris Brogan is the CEO of Owner Media Group, a sought-after professional speaker, and the best-selling author of eight books. In Episode 31 of The Mindful Creator, Chris and I discuss the role of content as something purely tactical vs. a bridge to building stronger connections to our customers. The post Season 2 – MC31: Content is Connection with Chris Brogan appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

In June's Mindful 15, I discuss how to successfully navigate this new age of abstract where a lot of people are creating and marketing byproducts (courses, info products, etc.) of their experiences and expertise. And while this is a great opportunity for creators, it's also a challenge to create a byproduct that is distinct since the market is pretty saturated. The post Season 2 – MC30: Mindful 15 – The Age of Abstract appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jeff Sanders is the host of the 5am Miracle Podcast, a 10-time marathon runner, passionate raw vegan, author of 4 e-books and the upcoming traditionally published book titled "The 5am Miracle," which will hit shelves in early 2016. In episode 29 of The Mindful Creator, Jeff and I discuss methods, processes and tips, as well as mindset shifts, to empower you to dominate your day from start to finish. The post Season 2 – MC29: Dominate Your Day with Jeff Sanders appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Welcome to the Mindful 15: A shorter episode (15 minutes or so) where I step out of the usual format and fly solo, sharing personal insights on self awareness and mindset development from my own journey as a creative entrepreneur. In Episode 28 and May's Mindful 15, I dive into the dangers of perfectionism and how it impacts the creative process. The post Season 2 – MC28: Mindful 15 – Perfection is the Perfect Enemy appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jason Reese is a podcaster, blogger and voracious content creator/consumer. His podcast, Up in this Brain, is a really interesting personal journal of Jason's experiences and encounters. Or as he calls it, "part personal journal, part mixtape." In Episode 27, Jason and I discuss how the process of creating content and telling our stories online is rarely linear at all, and that sometimes we just need to slow down, embrace the chaos outside of our control, and recognize that the truly profound moments are hiding among the mundane. The post Season 2 – MC27: Off the Cuff with Jason Reese appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Melissa Dinwiddie is an Artist, Writer & Creativity Instigator on a mission to empower people to feed their creative hungers. In Episode 26 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Melissa about the creative gap between our current realities and the outcomes we hope to achieve. In our conversation, Melissa and I break down the process of understanding this creative gap, some of the factors that trap us inside of it, and a few methods for effectively bridging the gap. The post Season 2 – MC26: Bridge the Creative Gap with Melissa Dinwiddie appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

In episode 25 of The Mindful Creator, I've recorded a quick message detailing why I’ve decided to put the show hiatus for a few months, why I’m splitting the show into seasons (and the benefits of the approach) and what to expect as I plan the next steps. I’ve also cherry picked 10 of my favorite, more poignant moments from the first 24 episodes of the show and included those in the show notes. The post Season 1 – MC25: Season Wrap + Highlights appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Ross Barber is the owner of Electric Kiwi, a design and marketing company the music industry, as well as the cohost of Bridge the Atlantic - a video podcast featuring insightful and humorous explorations of the creative industries from the inside out. In episode 24 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Ross Barber - an artist, designer, musician and music enthusiast - about the often romanticized notion of DIY and creative independence, and why it’s critical for creative entrepreneurs to find and collaborate with like-minded people that can help us learn and grow. The post Season 1 – MC24: Collaboration vs. Competition with Ross Barber appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

In January’s Mindful 15, I dive deeper into the tension between right now and the future now, the struggle to focus on process instead of outcomes, and what it takes to step out of this tension and embrace the present moment. The post Season 1 – MC23: Now is All There is appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Cory Copeland is a writer and the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Bedlam Magazine. In Episode 22 of The Mindful Creator, Cory and I chat about how the process of crafting and sharing stories connect us on a much deeper, human level, the power of story as a means of understanding, the tradition of storytelling and community, and how that dynamic has evolved with technology. The post Season 1 – MC22: Connected through Story with Cory Copeland appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Nelson De Witt is a talented filmmaker, photographer, writer and Misfit who is currently working on a documentary film about his life as one of El Salvador's Disappeared children. This film is a deeply personal story about a search for identity across a landscape of open wounds a generation after one of the bloodiest armed conflicts of the Cold War. In episode 21 of The Mindful Creator, Nelson and I discuss the nature of working on deeply personal passion projects, and how you maintain awareness, composure and stay the course when the going gets tough. The post Season 1 – MC21: Up Close & Personal with Nelson De Witt appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jim Woods is a Writer, Editor, Coach, and Instigator, as well as the co-author of Ready Aim Fire! A Practical Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals, and Hit the Mark! Improve Your Focus, Boost Your Energy and Make the Most of Your Time. In episode 20 of The Mindful Creator, Jim and I discuss some of the common, key themes that shape the creator’s journey, and what it takes to get back to the basics and focus on what distinctly works for you as a creator. The post Season 1 – MC20: Lessons Learned with Jim Woods appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Andy Hayes is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Plum Deluxe, a website and online community dedicated to helping people create moments that matter. Plum Deluxe was started in 2007 with the goal of fostering a national conversation around mindfulness and self-care. In our discussion, Andy and I take a deeper look at the subjective nature of building a life of meaning and why it’s important to remain open to possibility on the creative journey. The post Season 1 – MC19: Moments That Matter with Andy Hayes appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Welcome to the Mindful 15: A short monthly episode (15 minutes or less) where I step out of the usual format and fly solo, sharing personal stories and insights on self awareness from my journey as a writer. In this November episode of the Mindful 15, I talk about the importance of stopping to reflect once awhile on all the small, tiny details that shape so much of what we create, who we are and how we live. The post Season 1 – MC18: On Perspective appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Tom Morkes is an author, instigator, startup consultant and the CEO and Founder of Insurgent Publishing. In Episode 17 of The Mindful Creator, Tom and I dissect the creative process and the struggle that comes with it to determine what it takes to start, ship and sustain long-term projects with more confidence. The post Season 1 – MC17: Winning the Creative Battle with Tom Morkes appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Colin Wright is an with author, blogger, entrepreneur and full-time traveler. Colin has authored more than 30 books including his newest - titled Considerations - a collection of over 50 short essays about asking questions, attaining new perspectives, figuring out what you believe, and determining how these beliefs can help guide your actions. In Episode 16 of The Mindful Creator, I talk to Colin about the importance of cultivating perspective, or what Colin calls a "well curated collection of perspectives." The post Season 1 – MC16: Consider Everything with Colin Wright appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Charlotte Eriksson, also known as The Glass Child, is a talented independent musician from Sweden who left home at 17 and moved to London to dedicate her life to music and writing. In Episode 15 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Charlotte about the challenging journey of the independent artist, the tension between the call to create and the need to build a platform to be heard, and how she managed to remain deeply committed to her craft while doing whatever it took to build a life from her art. The post Season 1 – MC15: The Art is Enough with Charlotte Eriksson appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

In this episode of the Mindful 15, I’m diving deeper into the dark side of the hustle. That is to say, I’m diving deeper into the elements of the creative journey that entrepreneurs and artists don’t talk about often enough. The post Season 1 – MC14: Dark Side of the Hustle appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Mike Rohde is a designer, author, illustrator and sketchnoter with a passion for simple and usable design solutions. He has published two books on sketchnoting, The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, and has provided custom illustration for New York Times bestsellers, REWORK and REMOTE by 37signals, The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau and The Little Book of Talent by New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle. In Episode 13 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Mike about finding that deeper determination to fight for the work that you love. The post Season 1 – MC13: Fighting for What You Love with Mike Rohde appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Maisie Smith is a freelance writer, storyteller, blogger and owner of the Audacious Muse Writing Studio where she uses the power of words to connect small businesses with their people. In Episode 12 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Maisie about rocking the small corners, whether we are all meant to serve on the grand stage with the rest of the influencers, and learning how to define our bodies of work through our own distinct lens. The post Season 1 – MC12: Rocking the Small Corners with Maisie Smith appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Laurel Staples is a Business "Jumpstarter", marketing expert, writer and podcaster who left a corporate career as a hardware engineer In 2007 to launch a retail clothing store. Today, she is the founder of Go Fire Yourself - where she helps corporate prisoners escape the rat race, make a shit ton of money with their business & live life on their own terms. Laurel is also the host of The Go Fire Yourself podcast as well as co-host of the RED (Real Entrepreneur Development) podcast with David Hooper. In episode 11 of The Mindful Creator, I talk with Laurel about the magical myth of work-life balance and why we should ditch it for good. The post Season 1 – MC11: Balance is Bullshit with Laurel Staples appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Caroline Winegeart is a designer, illustrator, and happiness hunter with a passion for helping creatives become their best, most vibrant selves. She creates authentic, unique branding and design work through her studio, Made Vibrant, and writes on her blog about personal development for soulful creatives. In Episode 10 of The Mindful Creator, I sit down with Caroline to discuss what it takes to find our true core as creative entrepreneurs. The post Season 1 – MC10: Unlearning Excellence with Caroline Winegeart appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Welcome to the Mindful 15: A short monthly episode (15 minutes or less) where I step out of the usual format and fly solo, sharing personal stories and insights on self awareness from my journey as a writer. In today’s Mindful 15, I focus on the importance of alignment in helping you stay grounded while building a creative business and body of work. The post Season 1 – MC09: Creative Alignment appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

C.C. Chapman is a storyteller, explorer and humanitarian who has spent the last five+ years helping people and brands (including American Eagle Outfitters, Coca-Cola, HBO and Warner Bros.) convert passive consumers into passionate, invested advocates. C.C. is a prolific content creator, professional speaker and author. In Episode 8 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with C.C. about the staying the course when the road is darkest, the unexpected dips and turns in any creative journey and how to keep moving despite feeling completely lost, and whether we truly ever stop feeling uncertainty nipping at our heels. The post Season 1 – MC08: Cracks in the Sidewalk with C.C. Chapman appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Dave Delaney is the author of New Business Networking, a book about using online and offline techniques and tools to improve your professional networking efforts. He is also the host of New Business Networking Radio and an award-winning digital marketing consultant and keynote speaker. In Episode 7 of The Mindful Creator, I sit down with Dave to chat about community and connection and how each impacts our bodies of work. The post Season 1 – MC07: Community + Connection with Dave Delaney appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Berni Xiong is the gracious host of The Shut Up Show, where she helps brave entrepreneurs shut up and make shit happen by interviewing some pretty amazing people to better understand the mechanism that drives their ability to do their best work every day. In Episode 6 of the Mindful Creator, I chat with Berni about what it takes for creative entrepreneurs to develop that special breed of courage to show up each and every day. This episode is all about bravery redefined in the age of opportunity and hyper connectivity. The post Season 1 – MC06: Redefining Bravery with Berni Xiong appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Jason SurfrApp is a rather unconventional and dynamically creative entrepreneur who founded IWearYourShirt, a company that used sponsored t-shirts to promote businesses through social media. Jason has also auctioned off his last name twice and just published a book chronicling his entrepreneurial journey titled "Creativity For Sale." In Episode 5 of the Mindful Creator, I chat with Jason on whether formulas for success are ever truly transferrable, why creative entrepreneurs are often obsessed with distilling formula of those who have hustled before them, the myth of the one-size-fits-all path to success and more. The post Season 1 – MC05: Bottling Success with Jason Zook appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Matt Ragland is a writer, sketch artist, adventurer and host of the Story Signals podcast where he explores purpose, clarity and meaning through interviews with writers, artists, entrepreneurs, missionaries, and many other remarkable people. In Episode 4 of The Mindful Creator, I sit down with Matt to explore how the many threads of our experiences and our work connect and build our life’s story. The post Season 1 – MC04: Around the Campfire with Matt Ragland appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Matt Frazier is an Ultrarunner, vegan, blogger and author of No Meat Athlete: Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest, Self. In Episode 3 of The Mindful Creator, Matt and I dive deeper into what it takes to create change in our life and our work in a way that serves us so that we can serve others, how to define healthy habits and rituals that are intuitively connected to our journey, and to begin the process of building the foundation for change. The post Season 1 – MC03: Running w/ Change with Matt Frazier appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Paul Jarvis is a web designer and best-selling author who’s spent the last two decades doing design work for some pretty remarkable entrepreneurs, startups and Fortune 500 companies, including Danielle Laporte, Marie Forleo, The Highline in New York City and more. In episode 2 of The Mindful Creator, Paul and I explore honing our craft vs. this mad dash to build bigger and louder platforms to gain attention for our work. The post Season 1 – MC02: Practice Before Promotion with Paul Jarvis appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.

Caren Baginski is a certified yoga instructor, writer and creator of You Again Yoga, and a wonderful human being who overcame deep depression through dedicated yoga and meditation practice. In Episode 1 of The Mindful Creator, Caren and I explore presence in the context of creating, why presence is so damn important, and ways we can begin to cultivate presence in our creative processes and our lives. The post Season 1 – MC01: Just Be with Caren Baginski appeared first on The Mindful Creator Podcast.