no agenda.

Joanna Galvao runs an agency that makes sites for some of our most known independent creators. Her agency, Gifs Design Studio, quickly grew to a team of 8, but like all fast growing companies, with a few hiccups along the way. We discuss some of what she learned in the early days of hiring and how to create a team that cares about you. I found her advice to be practical and spot on from the perspective of how to care for your team and build a workplace you love. There were a few books mentioned: Leaders eat last - Simon Sinek Radical Candor - Kim Scott Check out her site! http://gifdesignstudios.com

I was recently on a podcast hosted by Matte Black, and there was one section of that show I wanted to recreate and share with you on the show so you didn't miss it. It's 5 rules, and concepts that I've picked up along the way that have helped me keep making progress as a creative. Let me know your thoughts, lata!

This episode I talk about how we often make things a big deal in our minds, which leads to stress and what we can do to avoid that. I also discuss acting natural on social media and the trap we can fall into there.

Should I be on my grind? Should I allow things to present themselves in my life? Today I talk about how I approach my work, and a breakthrough I had from a quote I heard that helped me feel things out in my work the way that works best for me.

In this show I talk about how I think about building partnerships to grow the awareness of your brand. It's one of the best ways you can get traction with your company or project, but often people approach them from the wrong perspective. I share a few ideas on how I look at building partnerships. Enjoy!

Today I read a quick blog post I wrote out loud about "the journey" of the creative path and some stories from our past that help us think about it. Hoping this helps you on your way!

Here's an episode of my podcast, one wherein a long-time friend, Jay, interviews me and I share some about myself and Death to Stock. ---- When I was young, we’d take long car drives constantly. So, I grew up listening to radio. Me and my 3 sisters and mom, dad, yelling for us all to get our stuff around and get in the car. We’d scramble around and pack for the trip down to Florida or out West to Denver or Texas. I was lucky that my parents liked to camp, and we weren't afraid to drive far distances. We’d be 6 or 7 hours in, droning along through some mid-west city with nothing around but corn, driving straight for hours, and as the day drifted into night, you got used to the rhythm of the car, and we’d turn the dial for hunting for stories... And when you’re on the road, something just feels so right about it. As the landscape passed by, it was the voices which acted as the backdrop. Mostly it was Garrison Keiler, NPR, or muted and fuzzed country. My dad kept a CB, and sometimes he’d use it to check the traffic with truckers, or to hear the latest gossip of what their lives were like. See, with the spoken word, you still get to use your imagination. It allows us to fill in the blanks instead of see everything. Action movies of today want you to see it all, they want to thrill you with explosions and graphic imagery. But what horror writers know is that it’s not about what you put in, it’s about what you leave out. We imagine every trap that a character could fall in. When they narrowly escape, somewhere in our minds we see them fall to their doom. And it’s the creation in our minds that thrills us. These days the radio is taking a back seat. But podcasts are picking up in importance, it’s a resurgence. Because hearing a voice still does something for us. Still helps us with context for what we can’t see online, still get's our brain firing with creativity. It brings warmth and humanity into our technological world. Of course, in re-lisetning to this I felt bit vulnerable. Hearing yourself recorded is a mirror in it's own way, sort of like seeing a photo of yourself from the side, it just feels awkward. A long-time friend, Jay, interviews me on my podcast, and I share some about myself and about Death to Stock. Here I am, being recorded for my own podcast, wherein a long-time friend, Jay. Jay's Biz: http://unrealcollective.com

It's talked about a lot, with a lot of different opinions. I have a simple heuristic (from my coach, Chris McAlister) that helps you always see a way you can give and provide value for others in a way that makes you happy, too.

The system that we're in makes it hard, I want to shed some light on the context for why it's hard being an artist or entrepreneur. Then I share some strategies for mitigating those stresses.

I'm sick right now, so I thought I'd share a common struggle around work that happens when we don't feel great or stuff comes up in our lives. I'm using it as a reminder that focusing on the right task at hand (right now, getting better) helps us not get stressed out and instead enjoy where we're ate.

Continuing the series on mindset, I'm covering the difference between knowledge vs. ideas - and how this is a key component of building a mindset of a leader and someone who can boldly make things happen.

How can artists and creators build value into the future? This episode is about the future of work, and where to spend your time starting out as a creator today to set yourself up for tomorrow.

To start discussing stress, fears in our work, and mindset - we need to lay some groundwork principles down. The first one, is starting to think of your brain as a computer. The good news is, this means it can be changed, if we work on it the right way and develop it. If we work with it, instead of against it. I bring up this metaphor as a way for helping you understand where you might be getting stuck.

I was stressed for a really long time. And every time I was stress, I lost the moment, I didn't perform as well, I enjoyed things less, and my work was a LOT harder. So I'm dedicating a series of episodes to mindset and stress. I think this is a really undervalued topic, and gets right at the core of why we don't reach our goals or feel our best. We're held back by patterns, unhelpful mindsets and fear. If we can break from these, we can break from where we are and get to where we want to go.

Andrew Tyree took his love for travel, his Spanish speaking ability and his skill in being a great host and turned it into a business called Coast to Costa. They provide unique, group travel experiences in Spanish speaking countries around the world. I sit down with Andrew and discuss how he was able to work full time as a modern Travel Guide.