The Creative Leap

Growing up in a blue-collar home, Content Snare co-founder James Rose never considered entrepreneurship in his future but knew he loved building things. He loved building computers for friends and basic, HTML sites as early as 14. When James laid out the things he was looking for in a career, his college counselors said there is a program that did basically everything he wanted. Just like that, he was set on the path of becoming a Control Systems Engineer, and eventually found good work in that field right out of college. That is until he realized that having a good job is less enjoyable when you're not thrilled about the people you're doing it for. On today's episode, we talk Jame's story, the evolution of ranking and web tactics on the internet, and the experience of turning your need for a better process, into a tool for the world to use.

In May 2016, Mickenzie Haan was going about business as usual.  For the college junior, beloved by her peers for her kindness, optimism and creativity, another summer choir tour had just about ended. As they made their way to the airport to return home, those peers noticed the magnetic Mickenzie they knew and love, was acting anything but her usual self.  A day later, Mickenzie would slip into a coma. She had contracted an extremely rare and severe brain infection. The diagnosis was grim: doctors advised her family not to expect the Mickenzie they knew to ever return, if she survived at all. That a pristine recovery was virtually impossible.  4 weeks later, to a chorus of ecstatic doctors, nurses, strangers and family Mickenzie Haan woke up. Today, Mickenzie shares her incredible story of recovery and growth. No matter where you are, or what you’re facing, Mickenzie’s story challenges us to face every leap, with unapologetic hope.

When disaster strikes your community, how do you respond? In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many people tried to look at it as a fresh start. As a city with an abundance of creative energy, businesses were launched and communities of entrepreneurs formed like never before. But according to Ciera Holzenthal and Kristy Oustalet, the same thing didn’t happen for creative entrepreneurs. So they stepped in and made the space themselves. Both of them had come back home to New Orleans with a desire to invest into the creative community. So they started hosting meet-ups and carved out a corner where creative entrepreneurs could connect with other solo business owners, and talk candidly about real issues. What started as happy hour meet ups is now the 4th Annual Venture Pop Conference, featuring some of the most inspiring creative entrepreneurs from around the country.  On today’s episode, we talk their creative journeys, the evolution of New Orleans as a home for creative entrepreneurs, and what it takes to create meaningful community for those around you.

I love TED talks. Anyone up on that stage, with those big red letters, has to know their stuff in way I probably don’t know my stuff, or at least, I assume. Adria DeCorte was on that stage once, sharing her tips and tricks for implementing healthy life style choices! But when I first met her, that part of her expertise had nothing to do with her business. That’s because she is also an expert, in the art of the pivot. In a way, Adria became an expert on pivots the way we become and expert in a lot of things. Life happens. Sometimes it’s a simple pivot. Other times, life comes crashing down around you. Today, Adria is an author, podcast host, speaker and message clarity coach, helping entrepreneurs “define their whys”. She helps entrepreneurs take their businesses and themselves, from one stage to another, something she knows from the pivots she’s taken in stable seasons, and heart breaking ones.

In a sea of experts, why do some stand out? That’s a question Tara Gentile has been able to answer through an amazing journey of study, experience and creative leaps. A celebrated educator and author, host of the popular “What Works” podcast and creator of support and social hub CoCommercial, Tara has found success in what she calls the “New Economy” not by running from a market saturated by experts, but by embracing it. Tara remembers being fascinated with different belief systems from as early as 10 years old. In college, she majored in religious studies to try and understand how our beliefs impact our behavior and relation to others. Her curiosity with belief driven behavior has followed her from academia, to retail, and is now a core component of her entrepreneurship. It's her answer to a saturated market. It’s how she makes sure that what she has to say, doesn’t get lost in the noise, but instead, cuts through it. On this amazing episode, we talk how to make sure we stand out, in the "new economy."

Danetha Doe's path goes something like this: Her path goes a little something like this: NFL Cheerleader. To Target Executive. To Accountant. To Top 40 under 40 accountant award winner and brand consultant to companies like Google, Audi, The Golden State Warriors, H&M and more. A natural progression, right? Of course it wasn’t that simple. Danetha saw each one of those moments, as an opportunity to flex her “creative leap” muscles. Today, she is the founder of mentorship group Money and Mimosas, host of the successful Future of Accounting Podcast, respected speaker and educator on the future of accounting around the world, as well a consultant to some amazing brands. On this episode, we learn how to flex our creative muscles, how to make our selves so much more than a deliver of goods or service and how we can actualize our visions for entrepreneurship.

Damon did not get his dance career started after an extensive period of study at Julliard. He simply took his Creative Leap by raising his hand, when the opportunity presented itself. What began as a simple leap, turned into a 36-year career that has touched the lives of over 70,000 students. And while Damon is an extremely talented choreographer, he considers himself first and foremost, a passionate storyteller. When tragedy struck a few years ago, Damon realized that he not only had the opportunity to use his love of storytelling for so much more but a duty to. Today, on top of his choreography work, he is the national outreach ambassador for “Thirst Project” and creator of “Show Choir Kindness.” Whether you’re wanting to start a business for the first time, evolve your business, or pursue an entirely new adventure, Damon’s story shows us that is never too late to take the creative leap that may change your life.

Joey has always been creative at heart, as well as a self-described "peacemaker." Needless to say, his experience as a litigator in the courtroom saw him doing much more arguing than peacemaking; more posturing than creating. Sensing the call to do something more true to his passions, Joey decided he would rather focus on empowering the creative community, than picking fights in the courtroom. So he took a leap from his comfy legal carrier. Today, Joey is one of the most influential voices in the creative community, with his firm Indie Law providing critical legal education and services to entrepreneurs everywhere. In our talk, Joey opens up on the difficulties of being a top tier litigator, some of the inherent stigmas that made even becoming a lawyer particularly challenging for him and how he eventually found a way to blend his desire to be creative, with his skill and talent in law.

Growing up in small-town Arkansas, 17-year-old Haley Burkhead was knowledgeable and confident enough to know her worth as a fashion blogger and web designer. Already weary of her going down the unstable road of creative entrepreneurship, Haley’s town, friends, even family, criticized her relentlessly for having the audacity to run her own business and charge a fair price. In a culture where endless charity is elevated, her community was baffled at her decision to actually charge for her work. Even worse, she had no like-minded people or community to turn to. She was on her own. Today, Haley is flying all over the country to speak at summits, conferences, and events. Her brand Market Beautifully (soon to be The Profit Planner) has become a strong voice in the creative entrepreneur community, with thousands tuning in to her podcast each week to hear what she has to say about the latest marketing, social media and business trends. Today, we discuss persisting in the face of criticism, overcoming creative loneliness, how to stay ahead of the game in an ever-evolving entrepreneurial world and why sometimes the best thing to do after a leap, is to leap again.

At the age of 19, Seth Maxwell would learn that hundreds of millions of people lack access to clean drinking water around the world. That waterborne diseases kill more children every single year than AIDS, Malaria, and all world violence combined. That women and children spend on average six to eight hours each day walking to fetch water. Determined to end the global water crisis, Seth started handing out water bottles on streets, going to schools, and talking to anyone would listen. It was the start of what he would call the Thirst Project. Today, Thirst Project has mobilized over 330,000 students, raised millions of dollars to fund clean water operations and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. Among many accomplishments, Seth was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list of social entrepreneurs, has been a TED talker speaker, representative of several U.S. State Department groups, and has spoken with multiple U.S. presidents and world leaders. Seth’s creative leap has empowered thousands of others, to take their own. He has helped a generation of students and difference makers believe that they have everything they need to make a difference, right where they are.

What do Disney, the Orlando Magic, the Mayor of Lakeland Florida and a bunch of creative entrepreneurs like you have in common? They’ve used something called “Design Thinking” to help innovative and strategize. Design thinking traditionally refers to creative strategies designers use during the process of designing. People like Jason and Hillary DeMeo, founders of “We Are Curio” are striving to show how those principles of design thinking, when brought along side a willingness to embrace right brain creativity, can lead to an entirely new approach ideating. Today, we learn how Jason and Hillary first discovered their natural talent for design thinking, why they decided to leave their jobs to consult and educate others about it, and what this all means for you, the creative entrepreneur!

The Identité CO or IDCO (as it’s affectionately referred to) is a full-service branding and web design studio, but you won’t see a lot of that on the Instagram feed that has helped grow Anastasia’s following. That’s because she learned what makes our businesses “tick" on Instagram and has been sharing that with thousands of loyal followers ever since. She has spent years honing and perfecting her branding and web design skills in specialized schools and fast-paced agency positions. IDCO as reaped the benefit of her hard work, talent in her craft AND mastery of social media. It’s in the interconnectedness of these areas, that she has so much to teach us. On today's episode, hear how IDCO came to be, what it looks like to pick up and start fresh in a new city, how we all should adapt to new algorithms, and how we can turn the unexpected twists in ours career journeys into the fuel that propels us forward into pursuing our true passions.

Promise Tangeman is one of the most unique individuals I’ve ever met and for so many good reasons. She is a graphic designer, certified digital marketing strategist, style curator, & owner of the web design firm, Go Live Hq. The thing about her, is that she isn’t just kind of each of those things: she’s fully living into them and doing it with her signature style and flair. This has drawn a loyal tribe around her in everything she does. In today’s talk, we discuss her journey from maker, to art student, to freelancer and now, tribe leader. Promise continuously empowers people to live into their own worth; their own style, as a way of creating the best work they can. She shows us that truly living out who we are; our quirks, our interests, our style, can be a way of empowering success in every aspect of our work. Promise has decided at every point, no matter how scary, to be who she is. Whether she’s designing a living room, a website, or a conference, Promise leaves her mark. She left her mark on her podcast and we honestly had SO much fun!

Have Fun Do Good is a travel + volunteer company started by serial entrepreneur Adam Kunes. They arrange multi and single day trips to various locations around the world that blend adventure and service. This might mean jumping off a waterfall in the morning and then working to clean the forest around that very waterfall at night. Catching some waves with a surf lesson, then serving those in need at a nearby village.   With experience founding and leading for-profit and nonprofit businesses, Adam has pursued the entrepreneurial and creative spirit fostered in him from a young age. He has allowed creativity in his life to inform everything from driving an RV across the country, stopping to serve those in need along the way, to starting Have Fun Do Good!  Adam has leaped into enough different adventures to last a life time and shows us that it’s never too late to start something new, follow your gut and make a difference while doing it. He is passionate and enthusiastic about making the idea of serving others, something everyone can get excited about.

Around 2011, the creative entrepreneurial landscape looked a lot different than it does today. Finding the courage to step into it, in those early days was hard. Expecting to find like-minded, meaningful community, even harder. Finding that community for specifically female entrepreneurs? Almost impossible. Which makes the story of Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams, co-founders of Think Creative Collective, all the more remarkable. Together they would build a multi-six-figure business in under 12-months by helping thousands of creative entrepreneurs build a soul-fulfilling and profitable business. The two share their story and talk how much the creative entrepreneurship has changed, especially for women. We discuss the challenges of coming from families that don't understand creative entrepreneurship, or what to do when we feel the weight of expectation to give back to those who have sacrificed so much, for us to pursue our passions. It was personal and real and something I know so many of us can relate to. Enjoy this awesome conversation!