The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Tina Seelig author, educator, and executive director of the Stanford Technology Ventures program, talks about why most rules are just recommendations, the power of writing a resume of your failures, reframing problems to give us an expanded set of solutions and much more.  HIGHLIGHTS: What happens when we do the right things for the wrong reasonsWhy passion follows engagement and experienceThe problem with being completely rigid about your life and career plansWhy most rules are just recommendations Simple ways to get outside your comfort zone and growLearning to use little experiments as the path to innovation The power of writing a resume of your failures How to reframe the problems in our life to expand the set of solutionsDealing with the personal, professional and academic challenges of our lives The importance of knowing your limit when it comes to persistence A look beyond the romantic illusions of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurshipTina’s BooksWhat I wish I Knew When I was 20Ingenius: A Crash Course on CreativityInsight Out: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and into the WorldDr. Tina Seelig is Professor of the Practice in the Dept of Management Science and Engineering (MS&E) at Stanford University. She is also the Executive Director for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at Stanford University’s School of Engineering. She teaches courses on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the dept of MS&E and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) at Stanford.. You can follow her on twitter @tseelig Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Boykin discusses what it takes to create your immortal beautiful work, getting comfortable with something unplanned happening and how we can use mastery of one craft to build confidence in others. Why you can have everything, but not at the same timeLearning about your dreaming instead of pursuing itMeeting the enormity of what is possible for us in our livesUsing small wins to build confidence and overcoming failure Why our culture teaches to use grandiose language is not strategicWhy we need to overthrow ourselves a little bit How music shapes and influences Jennifer’s art Getting comfortable with something unplanned happeningUsing artistry and mastery to transfer excellence to anything Leveraging obsession appointments to break patterns of negative thinking QuotesLoss is the gateway to freedom (Click to Tweet) Our work is to live as mortal people, but create immortal beautiful work (Click to Tweet) Resources MentionedThe Denial of Death By Ernest BeckerA Word About Failure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Kurson shares his journey from being an F-student in high school, to a desperately unhappy Harvard educated Lawyer and eventual New York Times Bestselling AuthorHIGHLIGHTS:  A formative relationship that played a fundamental role in Robert’s career Why a strong work ethic is important for a creative career The struggles of a challenging academic career  Finding a level of belief that keeps you going From F’s in High School to Harvard School The power of being desperately unhappy Making a drastic identity shift that allows us to produce incredible results  Finding meaning in the activities in which we lose track of time How small opportunities can change into big change in our livesWhy we must take risk and experience temporary pain for our greatest achievementsWhy unhappiness increases our capacity for taking risk Mastering craft the storytelling  Developing a sense for how a good story sounds The power of speaking from the heart QuotesReally great storytellers are people who notice the most (Click to Tweet)A well told story is a universal thing  (Click to Tweet)Robert Kurson is an American author, best known for his 2004 bestselling book, Shadow Divers, the true story of two Americans who discover a World War II German U-boat sunk 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey. His new book Pirate Hunters  is a gripping, true story today, of the hunt for lost gold, bitter rivalries on the high seas, a long-ago legendary pirate captain, and two adventurous American men determined to win treasure – and find something even deeper – along the way.Kurson began his career as an attorney, graduating from Harvard Law School, and practicing real estate law. Kurson’s professional writing career began at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he started as a sports agate clerk and soon gained a full-time features writing job. In 2000, Esquire published “My Favorite Teacher,” his first magazine story, which became a finalist for a National Magazine Award. He moved from the Sun-Times to Chicago magazine, then to Esquire, where he won a National Magazine Award and was a contributing editor for years. His stories have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justine Musk discusses creativity, emotional resonance and the psychology of visionary leaders like Elon Musk, Coco Chanel, Steve Jobs, David Bowie and many others. Highlights The questions that we need to ask in an identity transition How crisis forces complacency to be thrown out the windowComing out of the shadows in our livesLearning to read your life like a mystery novel and searching for cluesFinding the things in our lives that lead to creative renewalCreating emotional resonance with an audience Leveraging creativity to show the world who we are The thin line between madness and creativity What makes people like Elon Musk “tick”Developing a unwavering conviction and commitment Why bold points of view are part of extreme successLearning to steer yourself in the direction of your strengthsBecoming motivated by process instead of product Having in faith in your own uniqueness as a person The role adversity plays in reaching extreme successWhy we trust transparency and honesty to create trustJustine Musk writes about creativity, culture and self discovery and is the author of the thriller, Blood Angel. You can follow her on twitter @justinemusk.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bob Goff joins us to talk about love, what we’re made to do, and living a life filled with whimsy in this best of 2015 episode. HIGHLIGHTSWhat you’re able to do vs what you are made to doInfusing your life with a sense of wonder and taking a childlike approach to everything Viewing things as additions and interruptions How curiosity and humility can shape our lives Factors that cause love to start to emergingThe 8 most important people in your lifeWhy we are not defined by successes or failuresMaking the choice to a beautiful reaction to people  Who we used to be vs who you are becoming Living a life and legacy that can be described by more than your intuition QUOTESI don’t think we lose our zest for life. We lose our imagination. (Click to Tweet)We’re all amateurs at love. (Click to Tweet)Bob Goff is the New York Times Best-Selling Author of Love Does, as well as an attorney who founded Restore International, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India and Somalia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elle Luna shares her journey to the crossroads of should and must in this best of 2015 episode. Highlights:A recurring dream that served as a sign for a callingWhy the crossroads should and must appears over and over againHow getting rejected from every law school changed Elle’s lifeLearning to trust the intelligence that lies beyond ourselvesOpening the floodgates of creativity through collaborationLooking to peers as our mirrors when things don’t go according to planLessons in life from working at IDEOThe power of optimism and curiosity Why a team, community and support are essential to our success Learning to remove the “shoulds” of our lives Getting in touch with our inner psychic world Why vulnerability is a good indicator that you are on to something Learning to reframe what your idea of success is How following “must” becomes a gift to other peopleQUOTES1+1 Adds Up to Infinity (Click to Tweet)Often times the best way to get to must is to understand should first. (Click to Tweet)Nowhere is the essence of must more purely exhibited than when we’re kids. (Click to Tweet)The vulnerability piece is a really good indicator that you’re onto something. (Click to Tweet)ResourcesThe Mailbox AppThe Crossorads Should and Must (Medium Essay)The Crossroads of Should and Must (Book)Elle Luna is a designer, painter and writer. She also runs a textile venture, the Bulan Project., a collaboration with master batik artists in Bali, and has previously worked at international design firm IDEO and with teams to build Mailbox’s iPhone App, redesign Uber’s iPhone App and scale the storytelling platform Medium.  You can follow her on twitter @elleluna. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Bunch talks about rapid transformation, why will power fails to change the behavior of 96% of people and, how you can design your environment for optimal performance and and creativity. Why transformation has been the glue that held together Jim’s businesses The importance of having a bigger brighter vision for the future A Look at why willpower fails to change the behavior of 96% of peopleHow every environment we’re in inspires or expires us Designing your environments so that they express your valuesShifting the focus of your efforts from yourself to what you can contribute to the worldThe 3 foundational components that influence of our success Using environments to create the behavior you want to cultivate People and Resources MentionedTony Robbins Personal Power II ProgramConversations with God The Yourturn Challenge The 90-day ChallengeQuotesSimplicity succeeds. Complexity kills (Click to Tweet) . Your mind is your most valuable asset especially when it comes happiness health and wealth. (Click to Tweet) Most entrepreneurs don’t go financially bankrupt first, they go emotionally bankrupt first. (Click to Tweet) Jim Bunch is the founder of The Ultimate Game of Life and has been a leader in the coaching and personal transformation industry for over 20 Years. Also referred to as “The Ultimate Life Entrepreneur,” Jim has coached and mentored some of the world top business and thought leaders. You can follow him on twitter @itsjimbunch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Moran joins us to talk about defining freedom in a way that serves us, learning to separate ourselves from our stories and much more. HIGHLIGHTSBreaking away from the Beliefs of Our Past and Upbringing Navigating a Painful Identity CrisisRebuilding Your Life after and Identity Crisis How Absolutes Get in Our Way Being Informed vs Defined by Other PerspectivesWhy We’re More Wired for Certain TendenciesLetting Go of Our Attachments to Success and FailureThe Choice Between Taking a Red Pill and Blue Pill Lesson Learned from Losing 100,000 DollarsSeparating Yourself from the Results in Your Life QUOTES There’s no getting it wrong. There’s just what is. (Click to Tweet) We’re only defined by things we choose to be defined be. (Click to Tweet) The pain comes in when you confuse the story with what actually happen. (Click to Tweet) LINKSReconsider by David Heinemeier Hanssson  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Cooper, creator of the The Cooper Review, a satirical blog that features weekly original articles, videos and cartoons on corporate humor, news, and other stuff joins us to talk about how she’s made a career of out rebelling against the status quo. HIGHLIGHTSDealing with Our Desires to Do Less Practical ThingsFinding an Outlet to be Wild and Unhinged The Challenges of Being Different in an Immigrant FamilyNurturing the Seeds of Curiosity and Self AwarenessThe Importance of Exploring, Experimenting, and PersistenceThe Challenges of Dealing with External Validation Finding a Voice Through Standup ComedyLessons from Working at GoogleQUOTES I don’t want to be in a position where I’m making things that I don’t actually like. (Click to Tweet)I think it’s mostly about finding a place where you don’t feel trapped. (Click to Tweet)I’m not trying to be funny. I’m just trying to be honest. (Click to Tweet)RESOURCES 10 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings8 Signs Your Heroine Addiction Might be Ruining Your Career The Real Horrors of Working at a Tech Company Sarah Cooper is the creator of the The Cooper Review. If you want to add a bit of laughter to your inbox , subscribe to her newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Carmen, author of The Gift of Maybe talks about how we can use the power of maybe to find hope and possibility in uncertain times. HIGHLIGHTSHow We Suffer from Our Addiction to CertaintyWhy Our Stories Cause us to Spin out of ControlUsing the Power of Maybe To Create PossibilityMoving form Intellectual Understanding to AwarenessThe 2 Questions We Can Ask Ourselves  How Hope and Possibility Shifts us to PresenceThe Story of Regret That Limits Us Letting go of Our Need for Life to be Linear Achieving More by Embracing Uncertainty QUOTESIf you’re afraid of uncertainty, it’s impossible to have hope The unknown is your best friend because that’s where your life is going to changeThe suffering is not from the goal. The suffering is from how it has to happenAs a coach, business consultant and author, Allison Carmen has developed the simple life philosophy called “Maybe” to help people deal with the uncertainty of life. She has successfully applied the philosophy to help her clients, who range from entrepreneurs and owners of multi-million dollar companies to artists, actors, writers, fashion designers, attorneys, health care workers, parents, nannies and the homeless. You can follow her on twitter @giftofmaybe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.