The Creative Giant Show with Charlie Gilkey show

The Creative Giant Show with Charlie Gilkey

Summary: The Creative Giant Show reveals a behind-the-scenes peek at creative success so you can start to understand what really separates those who are successful in their careers, businesses, and professional endeavors. (Hint: it's not what you think.) Join Charlie Gilkey from Productive Flourishing as he hosts authentic, transparent, and illuminating conversations with a wide range of Creative Giants, from the well-knowns like Seth Godin, Jonathan Fields, and Pam Slim, to up-and-comers deep in the throes of surfacing their body of work.

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Podcasts:

 141: How to Balance Entrepreneurship and Fatherhood with Mike Bruny and Jeremie Miller | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:55:47

Entrepreneurial Fatherhood

 140: Q&A #11: Habit Stacking, Important but Not Urgent Projects, and Tips on Using Medium | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:47:33

Taking Small Steps to Build a Better You

 Episode 139: The Relationship Between Grief and Creativity with Cath Duncan and Kara Jones | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:47:24

Permission to Grieve or Not to Grieve

 138: The 3 Goals of Any Business Activity | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:10:20

Cash Flow, Opportunities, and Visibility

 137: Systems, Creativity, and Emotion with Marina Darlow | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:54:26

Building Systems to Fit Your Creativity

 136: Q&A #10: Having a No Electronics Rule, Switching Your Focus, and Conducting a Mid-Month Review | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:40:06

In this Q&A, Angela joins Charlie to answer questions from the Campfire about why they have a no electronics rule in the bedroom or dining room area, how to determine if your current focus block isn’t going to work and how to switch to something else, and how to conduct a mid-month review. Key Takeaways: [1:02] - Angela and Charlie have a no electronics rule in the bedroom/ at the dining room table . How did they decide to do this, how do they actually do this, and what do they feel like it’s done for them? How can the listener incorporate this without feeling like they might miss out on business opportunities if they’re not always available? [1:45] - Firstly, Charlie encourages letting go of the 24/7 availability, unless you are really in an emergency response role. This way, your clients are getting the best you have to offer when you are available. Additionally, we miss more business opportunities because we’re frazzled, not because we’re not available. [4:20] - Angela and Charlie have been following this rule for about ten years. It began to get frustrating when one would be on their phone while the other was talking, and they wanted to spend the time they had together actually being together. They have a place for their phones when they get home, and also don’t have a television in their bedroom. This allows them to be intentional about their media consumption. [10:30] - This was born out of personal observation of people browsing through their phones while being engaged with others, and it really started to bother Angela. Charlie and Angela had several discussions about it to figure out the best way to implement and carry it out. [14:05] - It’s awfully easy to get back into those habits of being constantly connected to our devices, but when we take a step back, we can use that time to connect with ourselves and those around us. To start, we can think about what would feel good to us, then communicate that to clients or family, so we can show up at our best for them. [20:09] - Jeremy from the Campfire wants to know: How do you determine if your current creative block (focus block) just isn’t going to work and you switch to something different? How do you get back on track with a creative block (focus block) once you start falling off track? [21:05] - There is a quick recap of what focus blocks are and how they work. Charlie touches on some things that may make it difficult to get through one: getting through the thrash/ resistance and being human. Sometimes, it’s hard to decide where to start or whether something is working. Other times, you might just be in a fog - whether it’s hunger, or exhaustion - and it’s important to understand that this could affect your work. [26:19] - Taking some time before you start to check in with yourself can help you re-center and get started, or evaluate and decide if you’re time is going to be well-spent in your current state. You may need to take care of yourself before you get started on a focus block. [28:15] - The last question asked is, can you please explain how to conduct mid-month reviews? What should we be focused on, and what should we look for? [28:54] - A lot of times when you are in a monthly planning cycle, by the end of the month you might forget what you’re working toward. A mid-month review is important for staying on track and making sure you know where your goals are headed. [29:46] - Look for a good time in the middle of the month, maybe a Sunday or a Monday. Questions to ask: What have you accomplished this month? What goals or projects need to be adjusted or dropped based upon what has actually happened? What are the priorities for the rest of the month? What bills need to be paid, and what funds are in place to pay them? What projects or tasks have fallen off the radar? When was the last time you rewarded yourself, and when will be the next? [35:20] - It doesn’t take too long to conduct a mid-month review. Try not to conduct it in your workspace; do it in a place where you can focus on it and be complete about it. The process allows you to start with the good, look for improvement, and then end with a reward for yourself - this is a very encouraging and important process! [38:01] - Summary of questions and topics discussed. How will they help you flourish this week?   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group The Mid-Month Review Leave a Review

 135: How Side Projects Help with Your Main Project with Nicole Stevenson | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:47:48

A lot of creative people thrive on having multiple side projects, but at the same time, having side projects may cause your main projects to suffer. Nicole Stevenson joins Charlie to jam about how having side projects might help you with your main projects. She brings her vast experiences as an entrepreneur - clothing line creator, craft show extraordinaire, illustrator, among many others - to discuss how she got started on the two main ventures she’s working on today, aspects of working with a business partner to make projects work, as well as the various benefits working on side projects can provide to main business projects.   Key Takeaways: [2:53] - Nicole shares a bit of her history, recounting some of her business and entrepreneurial ventures and tracing their evolution to get to where she is today. Her creative interests led to observations about different things in the crafting community, and she joined with her aunt to start up Patchwork Show and eventually Craft-cation. [7:47] - Charlie talks about predetermined business plans versus responsive business plans. With Nicole’s sort of adaptive process, how did she and her business partner let go of the old things to focus on the things that matter most right now? As she evaluated which aspects of her work were exciting and profitable, she slowly let other things drop off. [12:17] - Sometimes when things reach a certain level of maturity, or aren’t as new anymore, they might lose some of the magic that had us holding on to them. On the flip side, sometimes when projects are spaced out at cyclical intervals, each time you come back to it can be new and exciting. [14:09] - When we’re in the business of making creative things, there are a lot of open-loop projects. Having some closed-loops projects, maybe more of the admin side of your business, can be refreshing to balance out the other projects. [17:01] - Breaking down your tasks into smaller steps can make tackling some of the big projects more manageable. It can also increase our sense of accomplishment to be completing small steps towards finishing a big task. A good balance between small tasks divided over a certain amount of time is very beneficial in keeping your to-do list manageable. [20:20] - How can managing side projects make us better at our main projects? Having side projects that may get us connected with other people or things can be refreshing towards work with our main projects. [23:31] - Part of being a creative knowledge worker is recognizing that our emotion is one of the ingredients we’re working with. It is important to be mindful of our emotions and how they tie in to what we produce. Side projects can be an avenue to separate some of these emotions so the negative effects don’t drift into the main projects. [25:28] - Charlie talks about the importance of being in a divergent population of creatives, and the benefits of small projects can help the work we do with our main projects be more focused and provide different solutions. [29:05] - How do Nicole and her business partner workout temporal misalignments, or managing different time requirements between side projects and their main business? Evaluating who is better suited to managing and working on different tasks is important for both parties involved. Specifically for Nicole and Delilah, communication is key. [33:59] - In a partnership, it is not likely that each person will be doing the exact same work during a week. It is unlikely that it will be an even 50/50 distribution. Keeping track of these hours can also lead to conversations about the relative value of work. [38:02] - How does Nicole measure success when it comes to all her projects, both side projects and main projects? At the end of the day, she measures success based on whether she is proud of the work she’s doing, and feels like she is giving the best she can give to her community. [42:28] - For creative entrepreneurs in general, it is important to make reading about financial aspects part of your regular flow. [45:59] - Nicole leaves listeners with this invitation: start a side project, whether it’s something for your business, something for yourself, or something for your money. Anything that requires your attention is considered a project - pick a project out that is the most manageable for where you are.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Nicole Stevenson Studio Dear Handmade Life Patchwork Show Craftcation Chunking TCGS Episode 131 with Larry Robertson App: Hours Keeper Investment App: Acorns Credit App: Credit Karma Leave a Review

 134: 5 Ways to Get Through the Creative Red Zone | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:09:11

Today’s episode is a requested reading of a previously published post on Productive Flourishing named “5 Ways to Get Through the Creative Red Zone.” This article lists five ways to get projects that are almost done into the finished stage.   Key Takeaways: [0:48] - The creative “red zone” is when you have a project that is almost finished, and you feel as if you have just as much to do as you did when you started the final push. Charlie discusses this analogy as it relates to football and creative projects. [3:04] - 1. Double-down by returning to the why of a project: As we draw toward deadlines, we tend to lose sight of why we started the project in the first place. Reminding ourselves why can give us the extra push we need to finish - a gift to both ourselves and others. [3:45] - 2. Focus on getting it to good enough: If your goal is perfection, you will never get it done. We need other people to make our work excellent, which requires us to let go when it’s good enough. [4:16] - 3. Know that the more it matters, the more it’s only a start anyway: We often falsely assume that the more it matters, the better the start of it should be. In reality, the more something matters, the better it is that we start finishing sooner, so we can get it out in the world. [5:02] - 4. Understand that you’re usually working on your own mindset toward the end: Often, once we’re in the red zone, we continue to work without really getting anywhere. What we’re really working on is our own mindset. [6:02] - 5. Do your work, and then step away: There’s only so much we can do with creative work to make sure that it’s successful. When you make art, you give up predictability for remarkability. [6:37] - In finishing creative work, we risk our project failing, but we’ll be out of the red zone. Finishing a project allows for more self-reflection and change moving forward. [7:07] - You’ll always have a red zone; it never goes away if you’re really showing up. Charlie encourages us to get real about the type of projects in which we are investing our time.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Original Post: 5 Ways to Get Through the Creative Red Zone Leave a Review

 133: Small Business as a Vehicle for Social Change with Pam Slim | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:57:27

As entrepreneurs and small business owners, we can help create solutions that create positive social change - promoting diversity and inclusion, distributing wealth, creating opportunities, and promote flourishing. In today’s episode, Pam Slim joins Charlie to talk about how small business owners can lead the way for this change. Tune in today to hear their discussion and ideas!   Key Takeaways: [3:51] - They share a love of supporting the small business market, specifically those that are the lifeblood of communities - founded on passion and dreams. As social dynamics change, how can we continue to support this small business sector? [7:10] - Pam shares her work with her new business - a physical place to foster growth. Through her previous travels, she gained great insight into communities coming together to connect, and this spurred her to work to create a positive experience in her own community - specifically focusing on the Native American community as well as other marginalized communities in Mesa, AZ. [11:43] - In what ways can one be involved in these kinds of conversations? One of the biggest things for Charlie and Pam is being more intentionally inclusive and working to expand diversity in speaker panels and leadership boards. In addition, this creates spaces where more people feel that they belong and have something to contribute. [16:10] - From a small business perspective, there has been a tremendous amount of opportunity and growth in the small business sector, as well as within certain markets and demographics. [20:33] - Pro-big versus pro-small camps: While there is the argument that the big companies generate wealth, the small companies distribute wealth. We need both, especially considering the opportunities small businesses can offer to vulnerable youth, recent graduates, and even older seniors wanting to get back into the workforce. These opportunities could be life-changing for some groups of people who are feeling rejected or unwanted in the workforce. [25:47] - Bouncing off the creation of new businesses and spaces, how can existing businesses be intentional about providing an atmosphere in which people with various backgrounds can work? [29:12] - There’s constant learning, and also such great change and innovation that can happen by beginning to ask questions and make some of these intentional shifts. Pam talks about expanding the definition of success to include not just personal financial gain, but also the health and well-being of the surrounding community.  [31:40] - It is a limiting belief that focusing on some of these changes is going to cost a lot to execute. When you do the work, it doesn’t, and the gain is huge! People from diverse communities actually seek businesses and organizations that support their communities. [36:25] - We all have work to do in our communities, but there’s never a bad time to start the work that needs to be done. [37:00] - Charlie talks about his experiences when he first moved to Portland to connect with some of these communities (not just online). He got connected with the investment community and learned about how decisions are made within companies, and was able to apply this knowledge to more of the native communities in Portland. [39:12] - Since starting this venture, it has really encouraged Charlie to focus on simple, but universal messages that apply across communities. Thinking about this can change the approach of discussing some topics with different communities of people. [45:55] - Perhaps our goals in terms of charitable giving should be looking into how we can be doing the work with other people as equals. [48:04] - Charlie and Pam talk about hiring locally versus looking outside of our communities or even the nation for hiring. There is great discussion of different considerations from both sides! [51:26] - The point is to start asking questions about how you are intentionally making choices in your business that benefit your local, national, and global communities. Our benefits come from thinking outside the box of a self-gain model. [54:03] - Pam’s invitation for listeners: look at your community, notice and celebrate which people are participating in your community, ask yourself who is not here, then ask yourself why they are not there. Then, ask yourself how you can begin to build bridges to people you want to be there. What small step can you make in the next week?   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Escape from Cubicle Nation K’é Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together Escape for Cubicle Nation (Book) one n ten Malcom Gladwell: The Tipping Point The Creative Giant Show: Episode 1 Leave a review  

 132: Q&A #9: Decision Fatigue, Business Growth, and Managing Multiple Projects While Overwhelmed | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:30:50

In the 9th Q&A episode, Angela joins Charlie to answer questions from the campfire about decision fatigue, business growth problems, and how to manage multiple projects when you’re already overwhelmed.   Key Takeaways: [1:06] - The show must go on! As a precursor to the depth of this episode, Charlie and Angela talk a bit about balancing hectic schedules with times of self care. [4:03] - The first listener from the Campfire wants to know what advice Charlie can offer on how she can reduce decision fatigue in all areas of her life. [4:18] - Decision fatigue is when you are in the midst of making either micro or normal decisions, and you wear out. Charlie suggests a few things to help: 1) Defaults can save you so much by eliminating some of decisions you have to make, because you’ve already made them in advance. 2) Try to have your bigger decisions happen when you have high energy; creating and keeping a decision list can to help organize and prioritize these things. 3) Look for ways you can make top level decisions by analyzing more deeply the source of decision on a lower level. [9:30] - Angela talks about how things can very easily start to cascade down when we haven’t had a chance to sit down and premeditate some of our decisions. Taking a little time beforehand to plan some things can save time and stress later on down the road when you have to make the decision or carry out a task. [11:58] - Another campfire listener wants to know what suggestions Charlie has to handle business growth problems, specifically because she’s grappling between scaling and pivoting in her business. [12:34] - When you’re have a growth challenge, take a moment to think about where you want to be three or five years down the road, and how does what you’re thinking about doing help get you there or prevent you from getting there. [14:17] - Charlie encourages thinking about what scaling might allow you to do that really matters for your business, your team, your family, and your business ecosystem. Be clear about the why when it comes to growth and scaling. [17:38] - In almost every case, eliminating something you’re doing is usually the best track forward, whether you’re scaling or pivoting. Anticipate that you might be making these types of decisions about every five to seven years. [19:45] - Our last campfire listener is looking for some best practices on managing multiple projects, both in a professional and personal sense. How can she handle more than she can handle, and what tools and systems can be used to keep track of everything? [21:00] - The first thing to do is start with a triage: which of the projects are absolutely essential? The timeline may need to be upleveled - set goals around the number of focus blocks you have. Another way to approach it may be by dedicating a day to one project, and moving each further along in that manner. [23:42] - The other thing is to maybe get to a point of acceptable mediocrity - we can’t be excellent at everything all the time. Communicating with a support system the things you can and can’t do is very important. [26:48] - We have to learn to say no more than we say yes; you can’t say yes to everything. Continue to check in with saying yes to the things that are in alignment for you.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group The Five Why’s Leave a Review Productive Flourishing  

 131: Questioning the Givens of Creativity with Larry Robertson | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:00:38

Larry Robertson, author and thought leader, joins Charlie to jam about creativity. In this episode, they cover everything including what creativity is, where breakthroughs come through, unhelpful myths that prevent us from understanding creativity, the roles space and time have for the creative process, and the different modes of creativity.   Key Takeaways: [0:56] - Charlie gives an introduction to Larry Robertson. [3:50] - Through his previous experiences in various roles in the entrepreneurial universe, Larry started noticing a pattern of people wanting to know “what is entrepreneurship?” His first book was a pull back to explore how entrepreneurship fits into a larger picture, and what is behind entrepreneurship: creativity. [7:51] - Charlie and Larry talk about the tension between the context of business and a context outside of business. How can we look outwards from the limited focus of our domains of expertise to invite other elements into our business practices? [11:07] - One of the keys to creativity is that is it variable - things (and you!) are going to change with time and circumstances. When we lean into this change, it can be quite uncomfortable - when we realize that this is part of the process, it can actually invite more moments of creativity. [14:46] - Creativity is something we often seek out when we are in a pinch. Larry’s book approaches creativity from the opposite perspective. Rather than thinking of where creativity ends, he encourages focus on where it begins and the process that it flows through. [17:02] - Charlie talks about his concept of slow magic: sometimes the work that matters the most happens slowly. [22:06] - Continuing this idea of a slow build versus lightning strikes, Larry talks about creativity being an accumulation. How can we lead ourselves toward that accumulation that leads to the big idea? [23:42] - Stu Coffman’s  concept of the adjacent possible: sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from just moving to the edges of what you know. When you look back on the world you know, you can’t help but see it differently. Finally, when you explore the adjacent possible, you make the possible bigger. [27:27] - When you’re trying to figure out how to move forward with your next big idea, the trick is to immerse yourself into the work being done in not just your field, but also in the fields where your expertise overlaps with your other interests. Allow yourself to fall into this space and find those happy accidents. [32:55] - Charlie talks about the importance of having a community of people with varied interests, passions, and expertises, and interacting with that community. This community lends itself to the idea of creativity as a co-creation. [36:58] - We have to be ready for interaction with a creative community. Larry talks about ways we can prepare ourselves on an individual level before we start to become part of a co-creation. [40:15] - Five habits of the mind: 1. How do you know what you know? 2. Is there a pattern? 3. Ask “what if” questions 4. Is there another way of looking at it? 5. Who cares? Charlie shares some of his questions of the mind as well. [46:18] - Asking these questions, both in a personal and a professional context, can confirm that you’re on the right track or bring attention to something that could be changed for the better. These can be guided by the three acts of creation: choice, reaction, and improvisation. [49:22] - How do we actionize the three acts of creation? When all three modes of creation are on the same plane, we can think about where we are on the matrix and how we can lean into those modes. We can also apply these modes in different contexts and situations. [55:16] - We all have all three acts of creation. It is important to not think of them as a hierarchy, but to work to constantly move between them so you can develop them all. [58:11] - Larry leaves us with this challenge: “The perpetual obstacle to human advancement is custom”: What are your customs that are getting in the way of your own advancement?   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group A Deliberate Pause: Entrepreneurship and its Moment in Human Progress by Larry Robertson The Language of Man: Learning to Speak Creativity by Larry Robertson Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

 130: You Have to Make Time to Make Time | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:06:49

Today’s episode is a requested reading of a previous published post on Productive Flourishing. Charlie answers a question about making time to plan and how he uses certain materials to organize and remind. The key idea is that you have to make time for planning, so that you save or don’t waste time when you’re in the doing.   Key Takeaways: [0:49] - Conversation started with Eric Grey about their momentum planners - his concerns are about time spent interfacing with the system as well as time spent on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to plan. [2:02] - The hard part is the start-up cost of using a new system. Once you have the “roadmap” built, the time spent each week will be much less. You do have to regularly spend time with the system, but the planners help to make this easier. [3:57] - Charlie uses digital apps more to memorize and remind, rather than to sort through what he needs to get done. Once he has organized what he’s doing, then he will put it in the digital app. This helps keep things in the moment. [4:59] - A hybrid approach is beneficial when the time is put in up front. When you make time to make time, you start to see that some of the things you’re doing may not be what matters most, or it can shed light on some of our habits. [5:41] - No productivity system can override your choices - they serve to support and facilitate the self-mastery of your chosen goals.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Podcast Page Original Blog Post: You Have to Make Time to Make Time  

 129: How Theming Your Week Can Make You More Productive with Mike Vardy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:46:19

Mike Vardy, a friend and fellow productivity teacher, joins Charlie to talk about the power of defaults, theming your week, how to use creative/focus blocks, and how effective scheduling, planning, and decision making is really about being kind to yourself.   Key Takeaways: [2:25] - Productivity should be fun! It is important to find a harmony between frameworks that help to keep us in check, and frameworks that are too rigid to allow for fun in our productivity. [4:18] - Charlie and Mike talk about what happens when they experiment with their schedules, and how we can prioritize our schedules to suit our personal productivity goals. This is especially pertinent to morning people versus night owls. When we experiment, we can figure out what works for us and what doesn’t. [7:05] - Both Charlie and Mike speak to the idea of spontaneity within a structured schedule. When it comes to free time, they both encourage doing things you really want to do during your open time. They talk about to-do lists and calendars, and how you can organize these to meet your needs. [10:30] - Mike talks about personalizing our productivity, and how that might benefit productivity in our personal goals, as well as in the workplace. How might this look for meetings? [13:00] - Mike talks about the idea of “whole-ocracy” and how adopting this idea might make meetings more efficient and beneficial for everyone’s productivity. Organizations need to have a framework that they can thrive within, rather than one they just survive within. [14:30] - Charlie and Mike talk about meetings, and the most effective ways to organize and carry them out, and what benefits meetings have for team building. [19:02] - Charlie talks about the idea of “strategic mindfulness” - having meetings where you can hash specific things out will prevent those things from taking space at other inopportune moments. This will allow us to present in other important moments. [20:23] - Charlie talks about Mike’s practice of theming days - in this practice, you have a default for the day; you know what you’re doing that day, and you also know there’s a time and place for everything. Mike also has monthly themes that help to funnel his goals for his daily themes. [25:17] - Creative blocks and focus blocks: if you have tasks you need to get accomplished, you can chunk it out into what you can get done into two or three focus blocks. It is more attainable to figure out what you can accomplish in 90 minutes rather than a whole day. Pre-planning also leaves us in a better place to set ourselves up for success. [28:00] - Charlie and Mike talk about the idea of fierce kindness, and how that affects pre-planning and actual execution. [30:43] - What is the balance between work and rest or work and play? There are appropriate times where it is okay to not be doing anything, especially if it will be beneficial for your physical or mental health. If your day gets derailed, don’t consider the day’s theme a failure. [35:40] - Many people focus on what they can’t doing during a day, as opposed to what they can. If we shift our thinking to what we can get done in the absence of other things, that can change our relationship with productivity. [37:58] - If you’re high-energy in the evening, lean into that. You can map your days based on your theme of the day, your focus blocks, and what time of the day is the best time to work on these things. With defaults in place, we can start to see a pattern in our productivity. [41:28] - The relationship is more important than the project. As we decide what to take on, it’s important to make sure we have the ability to devote our best time and energy to the project and the relationship. When we’re kind to others, we’re kind to ourselves. [44:04] - Mike’s invitation and challenge to listeners: theme your week! Figure out how you can theme your days and finish more often the things you want to get done and move forward.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Productive Flourishing Planners productivityist.com/creativegiant Mike’s Page - link to books and other resources  

 128: Q&A #8: Creative Energy Flow, Taking Action on Your Great Ideas, and Healthy Money Conversations | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:28:19

Angela joins Charlie as he tackles three questions revolving around how to take action on a good idea without it being overwhelming, how to discuss goals and finances with your business team without it being awkward, and which of the Productive Flourishing planners to use to get to your creative energy flowing.   Key Takeaways: [1:25] - Alison wants to know how to get out of planning and research and into production. How can we get more connectivity between opt-ins, low- and mid-tier offerings, and service offerings? [2:00] - Ideally you would use a full customer journey map. Charlie suggests looking at those ideas in a four-part funnel: free stuff at the top, then low cost items, your medium tier, and then your high tier. In addition, he talks about what sorts of things typically fall into each category, and how those can anchor the funnel and enhance the customer journey. [6:56] - Charlie proposes that perhaps as experts, some of the tension comes from our quest to be very specific or cutting edge, but we must remember that our customers may come to us with basic questions. How do you take the conventional stuff you need to cover and make it really relevant and useful for your audience? [8:29] - Jen from the Campfire wants to know: What suggestions does Charlie have on if/how to discuss the financial side of a business with a small team, especially when it comes to revenue and bonuses? Scenario planning can be very beneficial in imagining/planning what you would do for your financials, operations, goals, and strategies (FOGS). [10:55] - Charlie talks about “open book management” and the spectrum of different ways you can discuss your finances with your whole team. You can share revenue goals without getting too specific about the breakdown. [14:08] - Too often founders and owners stress too much about the pay factor, and it is good to remember that part of the relationship does involve a good work environment, the culture, the mission, and the projects. The work there should be a benefit. [16:30] - A creative giant wants to know: Do you have any suggestions on which of your tools or planners I could start with that could help me harness my creative pull and get back in the game? Charlie recommends their “Productivity Jump Starter” and “Action Item Catcher.” [18:18] - Once you get rolling, he suggests either the “Weekly Momentum Planner” or the “Monthly Momentum Planner.” Each has its benefits depending on where you are with your projects. [20:21] - Many planning tools assume you’re going to be in the same frame of mind each time you sit down to plan. The different planners may provide different tools to fit where you might be. [22:58] - The trend across all three of these questions is grouping like things together first, then specifically deciding what to do with each, so you can organize your next step.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Link to free planners - Download today! Omnifocus Questions: email Charlie at charlie@productiveflourishing.com

 127: How Charlie Gets Stuff Done with Jennifer Labin | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:49:02

In this episode, Charlie and Jennifer cover the “behind the scenes” of how Charlie gets stuff done. Tune in to find out everything from why he joined the army and how he applies that to his work to his workout and self-care routines. If you like “behind the scenes” or “making of,” you’ll love this episode.   Key Takeaways: [3:13] - Charlie shares his origin story, highlighting what made him decide to go into the military. Although many of his family members also joined the army, Charlie didn’t feel pressured, but rather found that this is where he thrived. [7:22] - After eight years in the national guard, what routines or structures has Charlie carried forward with him that he gained from his experience being in the military? The biggest things are resiliency and internal coping strategies, as well as frameworks and codifying information. [12:12] - How has the resiliency and internal coping strategies helped Charlie coach other entrepreneurs? One of the main things is teaching them how to be adaptable people who can slide anywhere they need to in their business. [14:40] - Charlie mentioned that he works out two to three times a week; what does that look like for Charlie? He talks about working out with a friend, and overcoming the initial hurdle of making it a habit. [19:08] - What else is encompassed in Charlie’s self-care routine? Highlights include tea, meditation, and limited screen time. [23:35] - Charlie talks about his tech setup, which is all Mac. [28:30] - What happens when Charlie travels? Sometimes he takes his work with him, but it can be hard to get things done during the actual act of traveling. Charlie shares a bit about what works best for him for getting work done on the go. [32:00] - Jennifer asks Charlie to share some of his failed experiments. In addition to which he experiments he tried, he more importantly shares what he learned from the ventures that maybe didn’t go so well. [38:53] - Charlie talks about creating channels of communications with others. In the previous question he spoke about getting to know the content preference of his audience, but this also broadens to include seeking help from others. [42:20] - Charlie and Jennifer engage in a series of rapid-fire questions to better understand Charlie. [46:13] - What unanticipated challenge is Charlie currently facing? It is harder to let go of the manager aspects of his business than he originally imagined.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Jennifer’s Company: TERP Associates LLC Jennifer’s Books: Mentoring Programs that Work and Real World Training Guide The Creative Giant Show Episode 100

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