The Accidental Creative

What does it really take to build something that's noteworthy and successful, whether it's a business, a non-proft, or just a side hustle? There's a lot of advice out there, and a lot of it is full of platitudes and half-truths that do more harm than good. Liz Forkin Bohannon is the co-founder and CEO of Sseko Designs, and the author of the new book Beginner's Pluck. In this episode she shares some brilliant counter-cultural advice for anyone wanting to build a career, life, and business of purpose. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

What does it take to create a culture in which creative people thrive? On this episode, we chat with Matt Cooper (CEO) and Sabrina Kieffer (COO) of Skillshare about what it takes to attract and retain talent, their personal leadership philosophies, and how they manage their busy work and personal lives as leaders of a fast-growing company. This episode is sponsored by Native. Get 20% off your first purchase by going to nativedeodorant.comand entering promo code AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

If you want to have great ideas when it matters most, you must have practices in your life to help you do so. On this episode, Chase Jarvisgives insight into how to establish a creative practice that will help you bring your best work each day, identify your "sweet spot", and build a body of work you can be proud of. Chase's new book is Creative Calling. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

When you create under pressure, it's tempting to gravitate toward the first idea just to relieve the tension of not knowing where the project is headed. However, this can often mean compromising the work if that idea doesn't deliver the kind of value you really want to be known for. You're simply trading a little discomfort now for a lot of discomfort later. On this episode, I share three principles from my interview with Adam Steltzner about how to get to the best creative idea and produce work you're proud of.   Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Regardless of your role, you have to be creative every day. You have to solve problems under pressure, make connections, see patterns, and convince others. On this episode, Kathryn Haydon is here to share some insights into being more creative with tips from her book The Non-Obvious Guide To Being More Creative. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Your mind is brilliant at surfacing potential insights, and connecting dots that help you solve problems. However, many people rely on their mind as the key repository for all of their hunches and ideas, which is not a great system. Too many things slip through the cracks. On this episode, David Allen shares the five key steps for turning hunches into breakthroughs, and why he's just released a workbook companionto his bestselling book Getting Things Done. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

A creative project is a bit like a long hallway with multiple chambers. As you navigate down the hallway, you reach checkpoints where critical decisions must be made, and a door closes behind you. There are three questions you should ask at those checkpoints: 1. Who else needs to know about this? 2. What do I need right now? 3. What am I not considering? On this episode, I elaborate on these three questions and offer some tips for crafting a process that's sane and helpful to your work. This episode is sponsored by Native. Get 20% off your first purchase by going to nativedeodorant.comand entering promo code AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

To do your best work, you must commit to doing the right thing even when it's not the most popular thing. However, many creative pros and leaders fall into the "likeability trap", meaning they'd rather be liked than effective. On this episode, we share three principles for ditching the approval addiction and being a dream collaborator. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

What does it mean to be brave? We often think of those people who muster one huge, courageous act of the will to overcome an obstacle. However, bravery can also mean a steady, daily push to take small risks in the face of uncertainty. On this episode, I share my talk from a Creative Mornings gathering about why bravery is so critical to creative pros. Today's episode is sponsored by Mighty Networks. Start your online community now with three months free at MightyNetworks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip. Thanks to Jay Wong and his team for the audio of my talk.

When you think about design, you probably think about things like packaging, graphic design, UX, and the like. But, what if we could apply design thinking to some of the bigger environmental and social issues facing the planet? Today's guest is Katie Patrick. She's an environmental engineer who has initiated the "Fitbit for the planet" movement to help quantify the effects of our everyday actions. She's here to share insights from her book How To Save The World. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Have you ever said something in a meeting that you didn't expect to? It happened to me last week, except it wasn't a meeting, it was in a speech given at the Global Leadership Summit to over 400,000 leaders and influencers across the world. The particular line was, "Brilliance is forged in the cauldron of creative conflict." Fortunately, I believe this to be true to the core of my being. You have to fight for brilliant work. And when you collaborate, that means having healthy conflict with others too. On this episode, I share a few ideas for how to engage in healthy creative conflict with your team. 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.

My book Louder Than Words begins with the line “attention for your work is not a birthright.” I believe this to the core of my being. Some people think that simply making something great entitles them to the attention of people around them, but it’s simply not true. If you want their attention, you must earn it. This is equally true in leadership, sales, or any other arena where you must cultivate awareness and attention for your ideas in order to succeed. The best way to capture attention is through the power of story. Story binds us. It reminds us of what we have in common. It builds empathy and trust. And, it allows you to leverage common ground to inspire people to move toward your vision. Think about the last time you were inspired by someone. I guarantee it was because they were sharing a story that resonated to the core of your being. We are defined by the stories we believe. On this episode, we talk about the power of story, and how leaders can use it to help those on their team do better work, stay aligned, and produce great work each day. Our guest is author Paul Smith, whose new book is called The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

We are wired for two conflicting things: comfort, and conquest. To achieve goals, we need to disrupt the comfort instinct long enough to experience our first successes on the path to the goal. On this episode, I share three core principles for doing the hard work necessary to get moving on your goals. 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.

It's become the accepted norm that stress, increasing expectations, and over-filled schedules are a fact of work-life. Today's guest, Jason Fried, believes that it doesn't have to be that way. He's the co-founder of Basecamp, and the co-author of several books including Rework, Remote, and It Doesn't Have To Be Crazy At Work. In this conversation, we talk about how Jason built the company that he wanted to work for, the importance of treating your company like a product in itself, his own personal creative process, where ideas come from, and what he wishes more people knew about creating a culture where creative people thrive. Book Recommendation:The Manual ==== 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.

We tend to think of creative work as a solo sport. It's something that, in large part, has to be accomplished alone. However, the extent to which we stay connected to others can play a large role in our personal creative process, and in helping us tackle our goals. On this episode, we share three core strategies for developing relationships that will help you thrive personally and in business. Today's episode is sponsored by Mighty Networks. Start your online community now with three months free at MightyNetworks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.