The Accidental Creative

Conflict is a natural and expected thing when you have talented, driven people working side by side. In fact, if you don’t have conflict on your team then it’s potentially a sign of a lack of health. Conflict can sharpen your relationships, but how you handle it is everything. On today’s episode I share a few quick tips for fighting well. == Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

When you think about what it takes to be creative every day, you probably think about the technical aspects of your work, keeping yourself inspired, and other important factors like focus. However, you might not consider how what you eat, how you sleep, and how you exercise affects your ability to think well and be brilliant when it matters most. On today's show, Dr. Greg Wells shares some highly practical advice about how to better care for yourself so you can think clearly and deliver results under pressure. Dr. Wells is the author of the new book The Ripple Effect. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip. All other music in this episode is from the Wanderlust project.

How do the best brands in the world inspire loyalty? And, why do some brands just seem to fall apart even though they seem to be doing everything right? On today's episode, Alison Stratten is here to share a few stories of brands who have leveraged comfort, cost, convenience, and convergence to grow incredible customer loyalty. Alison is the co-author of the new book Unbranding. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Skillshare, the place to learn new skills and take your work and life to the next level. For a month of free access to courses, visit Skillshare.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Tactics are important and necessary if you want to do brilliant work, but so is mindset. You can be the most talented and disciplined person on the planet, but if you have a blind spot in your mindset you will eventually fail. On today's episode, I talk about one very important mindset tweak that will help you to bring your best effort every day. == Thanks to Slack for supporting The Accidental Creative podcast. Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at slack.com. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.    

When you hear the story of the founding of a business, you often get the sanitized version. You only hear the high points. However, it's often in failure that the biggest lessons are learned. Today's guest Kristen Hadeed founded Student Maid several years ago, but the early days weren't always so smooth. She's just published a book called Permission To Screw Up in which she chronicles some of the lessons learned as an entrepreneur and a boss, and on today's show she shares some of the hightlights. == Thanks to Slack for supporting The Accidental Creative podcast. Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at slack.com. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

You're a pro. You do the work even when you don't feel like it. Still, you can't discount the value of inspiration. Without it, your work might begin to ring hollow. How do you protect the fire so that you can stay engaged and motivated to do your best work? That's the question Scott Mautz is here to answer with tips from his new book Find The Fire. == Thanks to Slack for supporting The Accidental Creative podcast. Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at slack.com. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Diversity in leadership is not only good for culture, it's good for business. On today's show, Kat Gordon, the founder of the 3% Movement, shares insights into how the movement began and how leaders of organizations can build more diversity into their teams to help them better serve their clients. Join us at the 3% Conference in November. See the 100 Things PDF here. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip. All other music in this episode is from the Wanderlust project.  

It's one thing to build an income around a product or an idea, but it's something entirely different to build a business. On today's episode, Dorie Clark shares insights from her new book Entrepreneurial You. She's going to help us think through how to develop multiple sources of revenue to grow trust, influence, and income. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip. All other music in this episode is from the Wanderlust project.    

Andrea Summer has been working on an album project called Wanderlust for a few years, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. She’s had to work on the project a little at a time as the resources were available, she lost her voice due to a fluke illness, and she struggled with wanting to give up multiple times. In our conversation, we discuss the origins of the project, the source of her dedication to making it happen, the highs and lows she’s encountered along the way, and what other artists can learn from her journey. To learn more about Andrea visit AndreaSummer.com. All music within this episode is from her forthcoming album Wanderlust. This is the first of a series called Passion Projects, in which we feature the story of an artist, maker, or entrepreneur who has been pursuing a vision even in the face of adversity. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip. All other music in this episode is from the Wanderlust project.

We set up a false choice between pursuing creative work that you love, and maintaining a day job. In fact, some of the great artists, writers, thinkers, and scientists throughout history did their best work while simultaneously working a "day job". Today's guest, Adam Walker Phillips, has just released a mystery novel called The Silent Second. On this episode, we discuss the book, and how he managed to write and publish it while still having time for his family and his very successful career. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Skillshare, the place to learn new skills and take your work and life to the next level. For a month of free access to courses, visit Skillshare.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

There are two "games" that we play as creative pros: the outer, and the inner. The outer game is about your mechanics. The inner game is about how you deal with stress, the limiting narratives that prevent you from doing your best work, and the inevitable conflicts you experience in the course of your day. Today's guest David Levin will share insights into how to improve your inner game with insights from his new book Raise Your Inner Game. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Leading creative teams is challenging. You not only have to manage very complex work, but also the very complex interpersonal relationships and aspirations of the people on your team. Today's guest Cy Wakeman shares tips for minimizing the drama and producing your best work. Her new book is called No Ego. == Thanks to the Work In Progress podcast for supporting our show. Work In Progress is a new podcast about the meaning and identity we find in work, produced by Slack. Follow along on Twitter at @slackstories and find more great stories at slack.com/podcast Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Who are your people? I'm talking about the people who help you stay inspired, engaged, and focused, and who celebrate your successes with you and help you get through your setbacks? We all need these people in our life, especially when doing creative work largely in isolation. On today's show, Dane Sanders and I chat about the importance of creative community and how to find it. == Today's episode is brought to you by Away. Away makes first-class luggage at coach prices that allow you to charge your phone on the go. For $20 off your order, go to awaytravel.com/ac and use the promo code ac. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

You have an idea inside of you that could change the very world around you. And, many people allow those ideas to die on the vine because they lack the courage to take the first step, or the community around them to support their efforts. Today's guest, Nilofer Merchant, has just released a book called The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Ideas Mighty Enough To Dent The World, and she shares stories of people who have taken their idea from hunch to impact and changed the world in the process. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.  

How often are you conscious of the story you're telling through your work? You can't afford to create just for yourself. You need to be mindful of how the work you're creating will be received by the educated consumer on the other end. In today's episode, Alexander Jutkowitz shares how to use wisdom, wonder, and delight to weave stories that will connect with your audience with insights from his new book The Strategic Storyteller. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.