The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

In this episode author 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 A well told story is a universal thing 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.

In this episode of the Unmistakable Creative, artist and designer James Victore shares his personal journey, what’s required to succeed in a creative career, and uncovering the defining ethos of our lives. HIGHLIGHTS: Staying on the creative path throughout our livesWhy the “weirdness” gets taught out of us The tiny spark that we’re born with that lights a creative fireWhy our “useless” jobs actually play a big role in our journeyWhy real life experience and failure is essential for a successful creative career Our cultural emphasis on safe and guaranteed paths The problem with an acceptable level of creativity The importance of mentors when you’re creative Why we can’t do our work for the reward Learning to develop your own artistic style Paying attention to the things people respond to in our workThe power of making work that makes you happyBalancing on the edge of vulnerability and going too far Why teaching is often a fantastic way to learn Why the defining ethos of our lives reveals itself  Treating your work as if you’re giving a gift  Using periods of introspection to find tiny sparks QuotesIf you do the work, the reward will find you In the particular lies the universal We are not for everybody, we’re just for the sexy peoplePeople want someone out there to tell the truth. People will follow on authentic voice.James Victore runs an independent design studio hell-bent on world domination. He is an author, designer, filmmaker and firestarter. James has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is represented in the permanent collections of museums around the globe. He is the host of Burning Questions.. He also hosts a dinner series that consists four days and nights chock-full of creation, communion, deep thought, and play. It’s an intense and intimate mastery program for conscious creatives who are ready to see and be seen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Unmistakable creative, Nancy Schon talks about her career as a sculptor that has spanned multiple decades. Her sculptures have included iconic public works projects such as Make Way for Ducklings in Boston Public Garden, The Tortoise and the Hare in Copley Square, and many others. HIGHLIGHTSWhat it’s like to be an engineer without a licenseWhy we don’t go through life or grow aloneDealing with the challenges of cultural expectationsThe importance of persistence and handling rejectionWorking on projects commissioned by the White HouseWhen we don’t have common language, but a common goalWhy some of the most important moments of our lives come from negative experiencesThe kind of persistence needed to create public art Learning to “use your hand”The commonality between all art forms and the creative processHow you know when your work is finished Learning to make art that is timeless Nancy Schon is a sculptor who represents themes centered around groups of people- how they interact and relate, and the interplay of feelings as “frozen emotions” which tell a story and evoke a response from the viewer through the gestures of the figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What started out as Jon Levy’s social experiment to bring together the most influential people in our culture, evolved into Influencer Dinners, the Manhattan dinner party where deals are made. The guests have included masters of industry and finance, media tycoons, tech titans and many others. Listen in as Jon share’s his lessons in human behavior, adventure and influence. Highlights: How being unpopular made Jon get interested in the dynamics of human behaviorThe challenges of growing up with dyslexia Leveraging our weakness to become disproportionately successfulThe importance of understanding your capacity for discomfort Creating a career without following a mapWhy we’re free to create a future that is built on what inspires usLearning to keep the challenges of past from becoming part of our future Why the future that we believe we have creates our present experience The importance of a goal that is big enough to lead to growth Being deliberate about the people who influence your life Inside the design of the the most influential dinner party in ManhattanLeveraging neuroscience to influence people Jon Levy is a behavior expert, consultant, writer and keynote speaker best known for his work in the fields of Influence and Social Experience. He has worked with countless brands and companies to support their efforts in consumer engagement, customer acquisition, and product development, by applying the latest behavioral research ranging from neuroscience and psychology to economics and biology.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Bluefish founder Steve Sims discusses how he creates unique once in a lifetime memories for his clients that have included supersonic military flight jets in Russia, subversive dives in the Atlantic to view the Titanic and weddings at the Vatican. HIGHLIGHTS Steve’s incredibly short career in bankingBridging the gap between a blue collar upbringing and white collar lifeLearning to cultivate confidence despite the circumstances of your lifeThe inquisitive nature that allows us to understand the nature of beauty How great mistakes and actions have turnedLessons in human behavior from working a night club door Why Steve worked the door at his own parties for many yearsOvercoming the hangups and fears that we have in our lives Planting seeds that define and create cultures The problem with listening to best practices and “good” advice Why listening to too many other people can cause us to loose our way The reason that Steve makes himself intentionally difficult to be found Creating unforgettable and unmistakable customer experience Using physical mail to stand out above the noise QuotesIf you were successful and it starts going wrong, it only started going wrong because you stopped doing what you used to do. My drug of choice is passion.Business is personal. If you can make a connection with someone that works. Steve Sims is the founder of Bluefish, an exclusive luxury concierge service for the elite. His daily life includes helping clients craft experiences the have included: a live underwater tour of the Titanic, a flight to space, red carpet events and supersonic military jet flights in Russia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, celebrity photographer and Offcamera Host Sam Jones discusses the art of of storytelling, photojournalism, and how he manages to continually produce authentic conversations that seem to make the cameras disappear.HIGHLIGHTSCreating the ultimate living black and white portrait of a personHow skateboarding and music impacted Sam’s childhood and career choiceThe push pull between responsibility and having fun we face as creatives The importance of a gut desire to do creative work Why all creative careers have boring parts that How technology is fundamentally altering creative careers for better and worseInfluences and inputs that develop our style as artistsLessons in storytelling through the lens of a photographerUsing the core of human experience to connect to people The multiple professions and roles that photographers take on to make their artLearning to strip away the layers that separate the artist from the audience Seeing your set from the other side by becoming a patron of your art formThe “Matt Damon” filter for whether or not you have what it takes to succeed The craftsmanship that goes into incredible artistic achievementCreating work that gets under people’s skin and stays with themQuotesIf you can talk somebody out of this thing they want to do in one conversation, they’re never going to make it.Offcamera EpisodesInterview with Surfer and Watermen Laird HamiltonInterview with screenwriter Judd Apatow Sam Jones is an acclaimed photographer and director whose seminal portraits of President Obama, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Bob Dylan, Kristin Stewart, Robert Downey Jr, Amy Adams, Jack Nicholson, and many others have appeared on the covers of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, GQ, Time, Entertainment Weekly and Men’s Journal. He’s also the host of the Offcamera, a show created out of his passion for the long form conversational interview, and as a way to share his conversations with a myriad of artists, actors, musicians, directors, skateboarders, photographers, and writers that pique his interest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Unmistakable Creative, professional drummer Rich Redmond talks to us about the realities of “making it” in the music industry.HighlightsWhy we find our true callings in life no matter whatThe power of using music to change livesUnderstanding the ambition required to follow a callingLearning to fall in love with rejection when you have a career in the artsThe “gateway drug” that sparks our creative passionsMisperceptions we have of the rockstar lifestyleChanging the world without a formal education Eating, sleeping and berating your art in order to master itStaying tapped into our child-like creative spirit What it takes to make music timeless and evergreenQuotes“It’s a really long life when you do something you don’t enjoy doing”Rich Redmond is a top call recording drummer/percussionist based in Nashville and Los Angeles. Rich’s versatile, dynamic, and rock solid drumming is the sound behind many of today’s top talents. Rich has toured/recorded/performed with: Jason Aldean, Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger, Joe Perry, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, John Eddie, Pam Tillis, Susan Ashton, Deana Carter, Montgomery Gentry, Alabama, John Anderson, Trace Adkins, Emily West,  and many others.  Rich has played drums and percussion on 19 #1 singles with sales well over the 20 million mark. As a high-energy live showman, Rich plays sold out shows of 20-65,000 fans nightly in amphitheaters, arenas and stadiums across the world. . You can follow him on twitter @richredmond.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Unmistakable creative, Suzannah Scully whose clients included individuals and organizations such as Apple, Sony, and Eventbrite talks about the sacred contracts that drive our lives, and the difference between purpose and passion. Highlights How “shoulds” of our lives send us down the wrong pathWhy tragedies and crisis make us see the world in a different way Why so many of the things we worry about don’t really matterAnswering the question who you are and why you’re hereThe importance of mental, physical and emotional spaceLiving your life in pursuit of passion Understanding the difference between passion and purposeLessons learned from working as a waitress in a cafeWhy we must travel certain paths for ourselves to learn our most important lessonsHow sacred the contracts we make subconsciously impact our livesLearning to develop gravitas and executive presenceThe 3 levels of listening Navigating the structures of large organizations Suzannah Scully is a coach, speaker and blogger with a corporate background working for organizations such as Gap, Inc., Williams-Sonoma, Inc and The Wine Group. She is also the executive producer and host of the podcast Cosmos In You. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode pro-surfer/filmmaker Easkey Britton whose grandmother brought the very first surfboard back to Ireland, share her story of a heritage that has been passed on from generation to generation and across international borders. Her relationship with the ocean has been an ongoing constant force in her life for so long, that she has no recollection of a time when she wasn’t a surfer. HighlightsBeing born into a pioneering surfing family in IrelandThe power of heritage and stories that get passed on through generationsUncovering edges and driving forces in our lives The numerous parallels between life and waves Spaces in between the big moments of our lives The growth mindset that kids naturally possessLearning to laugh in very serious situations The art of noticing and developing presence An amazing story of bringing surfing to Iran Finding the blueprint of our own heritage to create something meaningful Why the ocean dissolves all barriers and boundaries Easkey Britton is a surfer, artist, explore and co-founder of Waves of Freedom . You can follow her on twitter @easkeysurf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Justine Musk returns to the show to discuss 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 trustMinneapolis College of Art and Design – Post Baccalaureate Degrees in Graphic Design, Interactive Design and Online Marketing Justine Musk writes about creativity, culture and self discovery and is the author of the thriller, Blood Angel.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.