Every episode, an expert, entrepreneur, creator, or communicator dissects a single story or draft piece by piece. Hear how they found it, how they developed it, how it might improve, and how they're using it to build their business and leave their legacy.

You'll walk away thinking more about the power of your words and less about the volume of your content.

Find the show here: https://episodes.fm/1736586770

ABOUT THIS EPISODE OF HOW STORIES HAPPEN:

When so many people are excited to create a higher volume of content, shouldn’t we think more about what gives our work greater power? That’s what our guest today understands better than most, and she draws that power from everyday moments she hunts out, like a squirrel finding nuts in the yard.

Meet Ann Handley—she’s a best-selling author, a pioneer in content marketing, and a popular B2B speaker with a knack for imbuing ordinary moments with extraordinary meaning.

Ann reveals her morning routine, her idea capture system, and most importantly, her process and practice of becoming a word-class noticer of stories during a time when so many people simply stuff a screen in their face or turn to cheat-sheets to produce generic content.

In this episode, we dissect a signature story shared to her newsletter, Total Annarchy, which she sent to just over 50,000 readers. We zero in on a pivot point in the middle that makes the work resonate, and we find plenty of existential debates that unfolded in her writing process.

Together, we discover how to connect with an audience on a more personal level and leave a lasting impression, ensuring your stories aren’t just heard but felt. The best part? You don’t need to experience anything groundbreaking for your words to hit hard. But you do need to become a notice.

Jump into the conversation: 
(04:48) Meet Ann 
(19:36) Ann’s Story 
(26:21) Dissecting the Story

Resources:

⚫ Follow Ann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley/

⚫ Check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter here: https://annhandley.com/

⚫ Read Ann’s book, Everybody Writes: https://annhandley.com/everybodywrites/

🔵 Follow Jay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/

🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: https://jayacunzo.com/

🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: https://www.blakeink.com/

🟢 Find and support our sponsors: https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors

Every episode, an expert, entrepreneur, creator, or communicator dissects a single story or draft piece by piece. Hear how they found it, how they developed it, how it might improve, and how they're using it to build their business and leave their legacy.

You'll walk away thinking more about the power of your words and less about the volume of your content.

Find the show here: https://episodes.fm/1736586770

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
Meet Andrew Davis. He is a powerhouse business speaker who’s given speeches in 35 different countries, at more than 50 events every year. He speaks to audiences ranging from marketers and entrepreneurs to plumbers and physicians — and there may not be a storyteller who is this craft-driven and obsessed with telling amazing stories in the worlds of business, marketing, and customer experience.

Andrew hosts a popular video series called the Loyalty Loop on YouTube, and he’s had a long career crafting stories of all kinds, including jobs as a producer for NBC and a writer for the news legend Charles Kuralt.

As an entrepreneur, Andrew has built and sold a marketing agency, produced docuseries for brand clients big and small, and authored multiple books about marketing and customer experience.

In this episode, we dissect one of his signature stories. It's been with him for almost ten years, and he can customize it across audiences and projects to arrive at basically any insight he needs to teach. It’s a rare look at how a true master of the craft executes the tiny things that create a big impact both for his audience and his business.

Jump into the conversation: 
(06:27) Meet Andrew 
(14:18) Andrew’s Story 
(22:38) Dissecting the Story 
(39:02) First, Last, Favorite

Bonus Video:

🎨 Watch a video animation of Andrew’s signature story:

https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-stories-happen-episode-1-andrew-davis

Resources:

⚫ Follow Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdavishere/

⚫ Explore his speaking: https://www.akadrewdavis.com/

⚫ Watch the Loyalty Loop: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeegDFQqmxjBUpr5FCHzlpsKVyeEmPuf3

🔵 Follow Jay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/

🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: https://jayacunzo.com/

🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/

🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: https://www.blakeink.com/

🟢 Video animation by La Hacienda: https://www.lahacienda.media/

🟢 Find and support our sponsors: https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors

Every episode of the show, we’re dissecting stories and drafts with incredible storytellers to understand how they found their ideas, how they developed their work, and how they’re using their stories to build their business and leave their legacy.

You’ll walk away ready to differentiate on the impact of your ideas, not the volume of your content.

It’s a show for business storytellers focused on standing out easier and resonating deeper through substance and stories, not hollow stunts.

***

You can also subscribe to my free newsletter, 💌 Playing Favorites,  and learn more about my coaching for experts looking to differentiate and my membership for business storytellers (the Creator Kitchen) at jayacunzo.com

***

ABOUT ME:

Jay Acunzo helps business leaders develop more original premises — the big ideas they become known for publicly. His work focuses on his core belief in prioritizing resonance first, not reach.

After starting his career in media and marketing roles at Google and HubSpot, Jay authored the book about questioning best practices, Break the Wheel, toured as a professional speaker, giving keynote sin 25 states and 3 countries, and cofounded the mastermind for business storytellers, the Creator Kitchen.

As an advisor, he’s worked with more than 200 individuals and teams to help them differentiate through the impact of their ideas, not the volume of their content. Past clients include Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Drift, and Help Scout, as well as hundreds of individual thought leaders and experts, including the author behind Google’s innovative employee training program and the performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant develop his Black Mamba persona.

Jay is a proud New England resident, a troubled Knicks fan, and an obsessive grilled pizza chef. His grandest aspiration (though he’d say delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

Today, we want to know more about the promise of a popular trend, the creative streak, and whether they can help us overcome our constant battle with planning our time and achieving something greater.

This week, Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of the world-wide phenomenon NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) gives us a peek into the power (and potential pitfalls) of creative writing streaks. Meanwhile, Giorgia Lupi, an information designer and partner at the firm Pentagram, reflects on her famous, collaborative creative streak, Dear Data, with Stefanie Posavec -- a year-long journey of sketching personal data-based postcards, which eventually led to exhibitions, book deals, critical acclaim, and internet fame. 

Can we change our relationships to deadlines? How might we banish our inner editors holding us back during crucial early stages in the creative process? And how might we reconcile both the short-term and long-term work we do? 

Let's go streaking.

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

💌 Playing Favorites is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less).

***

WORK WITH JAY:

✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching.

👋 Or you can book Jay to speak to your organization or event.

📚 You can also explore Jay's books.

***

ABOUT JAY ACUNZO:

Jay Acunzo helps business leaders develop more original premises — the big ideas they become known for publicly. His work focuses on his core belief in prioritizing resonance first, not reach.

After starting his career in media and marketing roles at Google and HubSpot, Jay authored the book about questioning best practices, Break the Wheel, toured as a professional speaker, giving keynote sin 25 states and 3 countries, and cofounded the mastermind for business storytellers, the Creator Kitchen.

As an advisor, he’s worked with more than 200 individuals and teams to help them differentiate through the impact of their ideas, not the volume of their content. Past clients include Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Drift, and Help Scout, as well as hundreds of individual thought leaders and experts, including the author behind Google’s innovative employee training program and the performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant develop his Black Mamba persona.

Jay is a proud New England resident, a troubled Knicks fan, and an obsessive grilled pizza chef. His grandest aspiration (though he’d say delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

But we're asking the wrong questions and searching in the wrong places. Let's rethink some things together...

For the full transcript of this episode, read the original article.

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

💌 Playing Favorites is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less).

***

WORK WITH JAY:

✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching.

👋 Or you can book Jay to speak to your organization or event.

📚 You can also explore Jay's books.

***

ABOUT JAY ACUNZO:

Jay consults clients on the importance of resonance in a world obsessed with reach. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn.

An early advocate for creativity and quality in content marketing, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant.

As a storyteller, Jay has written books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries about values-based business, and given speeches in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

What does it look like when an organization, project, or individual’s work resonates so deeply that they have passionate fans and loyal followers who declare them a favorite? This week we start in the sometimes bland, boring space of team training software and follow the story of a surprisingly dynamic, brilliant and captivating idea from 360Learning -- an original series called Onboarding Joei. This short docuseries follows Joei Chan, a new employee, as she navigates her first 3 months on the job. 

The docuseries has become a phenomenon for the brand, earning Joei Chan devout fans and 360Learning followers, viewers, and customers that feel connected to the show and compamy. Highly personal and transparent, the show proves that when a company does something risky, sometimes the reward is more than they’d ever expect. 

The most important theme through it all? The audience consistently reacting with a very emotional, very rare comment: "I feel seen." 

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

💌 Playing Favorites is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less).

***

WORK WITH JAY:

✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching.

👋 Or you can book Jay to speak to your organization or event.

📚 You can also explore Jay's books.

***

ABOUT JAY ACUNZO:

Jay consults clients on the importance of resonance in a world obsessed with reach. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn.

An early advocate for creativity and quality in content marketing, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant.

As a storyteller, Jay has written books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries about values-based business, and given speeches in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

Can you be more honest with yourself?

In this one-shot episode, a dense dose of a single idea that can help us become stronger storytellers and produce higher-impact content, so we can get off the hamster wheel and produce more work that actually works. Plus, the backstory of a high-stakes moment when this question was put to the test.

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

💌 Playing Favorites is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less).

***

WORK WITH JAY:

✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching.

👋 Or you can book Jay to speak to your organization or event.

📚 You can also explore Jay's books.

***

ABOUT JAY ACUNZO:

Jay consults clients on the importance of resonance in a world obsessed with reach. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn.

An early advocate for creativity and quality in content marketing, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant.

As a storyteller, Jay has written books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries about values-based business, and given speeches in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

When THAT is our aim and THAT is our driving belief, and yet our work comes out feeling like THIS? The way it is right now? Oof, that can cause all kinds of existential crises or at least panic-induced researching and debating and analyzing and asking.

It's time to get to the next rep. It's time to cross the gap.

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

💌 Playing Favorites is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less).

***

WORK WITH JAY:

✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching.

👋 Or you can book Jay to speak to your organization or event.

Jay has helped over 200

***

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE HEARD IN THIS EPISODE:

Jeremy Enns, Jeanne Ivy, Molly Donovan, Tallie Gabriel, Telyse Adams, and Michael Ashford.

"The Gap" quote is from Ira Glass and can be heard here.

***

ABOUT JAY ACUNZO:

Jay consults clients on the importance of resonance in a world obsessed with reach. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn.

An early advocate for creativity and quality in content marketing, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant.

As a storyteller, Jay has written books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries about values-based business, and given speeches in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.

💛 Keep making what matters!

UNTHINKABLE IS TAKING A BREAK -- BUT DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE

We're back with more soon. In the meantime...

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

1. Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's free newsletter, Playing Favorites, and learn what it takes to stand out easier and resonate deeper by communicating with greater power, everywhere you show up. Join free at  jayacunzo.com.
2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a mastermind of smart experts learning to become more influential voices -- NOT by relying on any cheap tricks, but by mastering their craft and creating higher-impact content. Community, masterclasses, 1:1 and 1:few coaching from Jay Acunzo, and more. Learn about membership and see what's inside the Kitchen at creatorkitchen.com.

Keep making what matters!

1. Collecting stories regularly, in the seemingly mundane moments of life
2. Designing stories so they arrive at an insight

Jay Baer is the author of the book The Time To Win and six other business books. He's a globally touring keynote speaker, brand advisor, and marketing and customer experience thought leader. Jay is among the more process-driven storytellers in the world, and he takes us inside that approach in this episode in a refreshingly transparent way.

UNTHINKABLE IS TAKING A BREAK -- BUT DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE

We're back with more soon. In the meantime...

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

1. Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's free newsletter, Playing Favorites, and learn what it takes to stand out easier and resonate deeper by communicating with greater power, everywhere you show up. Join free at  jayacunzo.com.
2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a mastermind of smart experts learning to become more influential voices -- NOT by relying on any cheap tricks, but by mastering their craft and creating higher-impact content. Community, masterclasses, 1:1 and 1:few coaching from Jay Acunzo, and more. Learn about membership and see what's inside the Kitchen at creatorkitchen.com.

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Jay Baer: speaker site - book site - LinkedIn - Instagram

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

• Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo
• Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Simone Stolzoff is the author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work. He's written for the Atlantic and Wired, worked as a design lead for the innovation firm IDEO, and even got his creative start in school delivering spoken word poetry from the stage.

Together, we dissect a signature story that's become "mythology" to him from his own life, and we talk about what makes it work -- and why he approaches it with such restraint. Then, we learn why and how effective storytellers imbue stories with meaning to ensure they matter to others.

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

1. Subscribe to Jay's free newsletter, Playing Favorites, and learn what it takes to stand out easier and resonate deeper by communicating with greater power, everywhere you show up. Join free at  jayacunzo.com.
2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a mastermind of smart experts learning to become more influential voices -- NOT by relying on any cheap tricks, but by mastering their craft and creating higher-impact content. Community, masterclasses, 1:1 and 1:few coaching from Jay, and more. Learn about membership and see what's inside the Kitchen at creatorkitchen.com.

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Simone Stolzoff: website and books - LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads - Instagram

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

• Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo
• Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Find and share this rant in essay form.

Subscribe to Jay's free newsletter to become a stronger storyteller. (Sent every other Friday, these essays help you get off the content hamster wheel, escape social feeds, and get the perspective and frameworks you need to write and speak with greater impact, everywhere you show up).

Recommended resources to help you do the work AI can't:

• The Idea Impact Matrix: how to craft more valuable, original work
• How to create original work consistently (a visualization of Jay's process)
• The paradox of storytelling (how to ensure your work resonates emotionally with others)
• From telling stories to BEING storytellers (the first episode of our Signature Stories series)
• How to differentiate your ideas (the XY Premise Pitch)
• Super-Stories (how to shape the same story to teach anything and everything you need to say)

JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN -- A MASTERMIND OF BUSINESS STORYTELLERS:

Where smart experts become influential voices. Join fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators learning to craft more valuable, more original content, with a community of creative, kind humans, daily access to the Kitchen’s founders, masterclasses and elite guest interviews, group calls and 1:1 support, and shared focus sprints fitting busy schedules.

Learn more about membership at creatorkitchen.com

But does our work and culture encourage that? Amanda and Jay wrestle with that.

Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers.

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

Subscribe to Jay's free newsletter or work with Jay to consult your team or coach you personally: jayacunzo.com

Hire Jay to develop a differentiated podcast.

JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND:

Where smart experts become influential voices. Join fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators learning to craft more valuable, more original content, with a community of creative, kind humans, daily access to the Kitchen’s founders, masterclasses and elite guest interviews, group calls and 1:1 support, and shared focus sprints fitting busy schedules.

Learn more about membership at creatorkitchen.com

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Amanda Natividad, VP marketing at SparkToro and writer of The Menu newsletter. Find her on LinkedIn.

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

• Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo
• Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers.

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

Subscribe to my free newsletter. Every other week, get a new story/framework to help you stand out easier and resonate deeper with your work: 

• jayacunzo.com/newsletter

CRAFT A PODCAST YOU’RE PROUD TO CALL YOURS:

Work with me one-on-one to develop or improve a show that stands out easier and resonates deeper. Using your creativity, NOT your budget, you’ll walk away with an irresistible premise and format – and the on-mic skills to tell stories and conduct interviews that grip and inspire them.

• Book an hour now or learn more about my coaching and collaboration.

JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND:

Connect with Jay and peers who care deeply about the craft: The Creator Kitchen is a mastermind of content creators learning to ship higher-impact work. We help you see the possibilities, decide the best approach, and execute with clarity + confidence on your most important projects.

• Learn more about membership – plus get some free samples – at creatorkitchen.com

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Jenny Blake: author, podcast host of Free Time and Pivot with Jenny Blake,  and international keynote speaker. 

"Reclining Liberty" Artist: http://www.zaqart.com

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers.

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

Subscribe to my free newsletter. Every other week, get a new story/framework to help you stand out easier and resonate deeper with your work: 

• jayacunzo.com/newsletter

CRAFT A PODCAST YOU’RE PROUD TO CALL YOURS:

Work with me one-on-one to develop or improve a show that stands out easier and resonates deeper. Using your creativity, NOT your budget, you’ll walk away with an irresistible premise and format – and the on-mic skills to tell stories and conduct interviews that grip and inspire them.

• Book an hour now or learn more about my coaching and collaboration.

JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND:

Connect with Jay and peers who care deeply about the craft: The Creator Kitchen is a mastermind of content creators learning to ship higher-impact work. We help you see the possibilities, decide the best approach, and execute with clarity + confidence on your most important projects.

• Learn more about membership – plus get some free samples – at creatorkitchen.com

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Michael Bungay Stanier: author of "The Coaching Habit", podcast host and keynote speaker  

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers.

BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER:

Subscribe to my free newsletter. Every other week, get a new story/framework to help you stand out easier and resonate deeper with your work: 

• jayacunzo.com/newsletter

CRAFT A PODCAST YOU’RE PROUD TO CALL YOURS:

Work with me one-on-one to develop or improve a show that stands out easier and resonates deeper. Using your creativity, NOT your budget, you’ll walk away with an irresistible premise and format – and the on-mic skills to tell stories and conduct interviews that grip and inspire them.

• Book an hour now or learn more about my coaching and collaboration.

JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND:

Connect with Jay and peers who care deeply about the craft: The Creator Kitchen is a mastermind of content creators learning to ship higher-impact work. We help you see the possibilities, decide the best approach, and execute with clarity + confidence on your most important projects.

• Learn more about membership – plus get some free samples – at creatorkitchen.com

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Melanie Deziel: speaker, author, co-creator of the Creator Kitchen with Jay

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

***

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1.  Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators

2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently.

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES:

1. Jay's free newsletter, with a new idea for communicating in ways that connect shared every other Friday: jayacunzo.com/newsletter
2. The Creator Kitchen: Jay's membership for quality-obsessed creators, built in partnership with Melanie Deziel (author, speaker, NY Times, TIME, HuffPost). Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.
3. Jay's 1:1 coaching: book an hour or a month of swapping voice memos -- or book Jay as your dedicated collaborator, coach, exec. producer, and creative partner to develop your ideas and tell more effective stories.

***

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

• Mia Quagliarello: Head of Creator Community at Flipboard, writes Mia's Queue newsletter
• Mark Schaefer: keynote speaker, founder and co-host of Marketing Companion, bestselling author (of 12 books!) 
• Beth Dunn: coach, public speaker, author, Principal Content Designer at Thrive Global

***

PAST MAKER MONSTER EPISODES:

• Maker Monsters
• Maker Monsters 2
• Maker Monsters 3

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, we focus on why formats are mission critical to creative work, and how you can search them out for yourself and craft your own to hook an audience and get them to the end.

We’re joined by the most format-obsessed person out there: Hugh Garry, co-founder of Storythings. Hugh and his team (and friends) write the newsletter, Formats Unpacked, diving each week into a format and why they love it so very much and why, maybe, you should too.

DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES:

1. Jay's free newsletter, with a new idea for communicating in ways that connect shared every other Friday: jayacunzo.com/newsletter
2. The Creator Kitchen: Jay's membership for quality-obsessed creators, built in partnership with Melanie Deziel (author, speaker, NY Times, TIME, HuffPost). Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.
3. Jay's 1:1 coaching: book an hour or a month of swapping voice memos -- or book Jay as your dedicated collaborator, coach, exec. producer, and creative partner to develop your ideas and tell more effective stories.

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Hugh Garry: Director at  Storythings, writes the Formats Unpacked newsletter
• Tone Knob newsletter
• Brands and Humour newsletter

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

***

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1.  Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators

2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently.

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Stories from one of the world's most surprising speakeasy lounges, based in London, as well as one of Jay's favorite marketers who doesn't show up much publicly -- least of all on social media -- yet has found a way to build a business which is in-demand and even overbooked. (Now that sounds pretty unthinkable.)

In this episode: speakeasy business! Why going deeper instead of broader, emphasizing value instead of scale, and  prioritizing resonance over reach are all viable ways to build your business and leave your legacy. 

DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES:

1. Jay's free newsletter, with a new idea for communicating in ways that connect shared every other Friday: jayacunzo.com/newsletter
2. The Creator Kitchen: Jay's membership for quality-obsessed creators, built in partnership with Melanie Deziel (author, speaker, NY Times, TIME, HuffPost). Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.
3. Jay's 1:1 coaching: book an hour or a month of swapping voice memos -- or book Jay as your dedicated collaborator, coach, exec. producer, and creative partner to develop your ideas and tell more effective stories.

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Michelle Warner: Website
• Paul Tvaroh and Lounge Bohemia (Lounge Bohemia Instagram)
• Jay Clouse (Creator Science, Jay's podcast and business)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

***

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1.  Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators

2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently.

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

First up is a conversation with brilliant copywriter Margo Aaron who walks us through some of her most powerful copywriting blogs, her opinions on watching the news (links below) and what copywriting can feel like when it’s done right. 

SHOW LINKS

Margo's essay on watching the news: https://www.thatseemsimportant.com/media/what-happened-when-i-stopped-watching-the-news/

Jay's response to Margo's essay: https://jayacunzo.com/blog/differentiation-isnt-about-topics-how-to-find-actual-whitespace-to-stand-out

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Margo Aaron is a copywriting expert and has taught over 4,000 students in the art of copywriting through The Copy Workshop. She is the host of the popular internet talk show, “Hillary and Margo Yell at Websites” and a writer at her award-winning website, That Seems Important.

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently.

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

What's not known is just how the words Pharrell shared and the element he noticed from Maggie's work can be applied to the work we do.

In this shorter, monologue episode, we take a closer look.

***

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. 

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

But what if the point of sharing our ideas is NOT to get the approval of others?

Today, we go outside our echo chamber with Unthinkable contributor Andrew Littlefield to hear the story of an unusual art project in Brooklyn. Then, we talk to internet legend and creator of PostSecret.com, Frank Warren, to hear the story of his epic project.

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently.

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

"Better" doesn’t mean more epic or popular. It means more purposeful, more customized to your specific situation and needs — your audience, your goals, your desire to express yourself a certain way, to connect deeper with the world and others around you, and get your creative fingerprints all over the work. “Better” here means “more yours.”

***

PUSH YOURSELF CREATIVELY:

1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program helping you push yourself creatively.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay and others, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. 

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

• Derek DelGaudio's version of the blind men and the elephant story on YouTube
• DelGaudio's full special, In and Of Itself, on Hulu

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, we turn the tables on Hrishikesh and ask him to break apart his work -- an episode of Song Exploder featuring the band The War On Drugs.

We also examine this idea that artists and successful people are rarely asked questions that stick close to their work. There's a precedent set by big-picture interview shows and mass media hosts that leads to general advice or end-to-end biographies.

Hrishikesh shares why starting his show was born out of a frustration with that approach, and he reveals what you can find when talking narrowly about the work.

Plus, the creative strategy behind Song Exploder and why Hrishikesh removes almost all of his voice.

This is a beautiful, existential, inspiring exploration of creativity -- all emerging from the tiny parts and pieces of doing the actual work. 

Because there's magic in the minutiae.

***

KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS:

1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential.

Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. 

creatorkitchen.com

(Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.)

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Hrishikesh Hirway: Website | Twitter |  Music: Spotify, Apple | "Still Dreaming" music video
• Song Exploder: Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | others

***

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

What if we focused on the 3 Ps instead? Posture, process, and practice. 

For a full written version of this episode, read the original story.

REFER A FRIEND

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, we dive into that jumble to try and find an answer to this mysterious yet ubiquitous contradiction at the core, and it leads us to meet some of our listeners and experience their questions, conundrums, and even their creative work.

REFER A FRIEND:

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Cory Ames: Podcast | Twitter
• Ashley Cummings: Writing | Twitter
• Michael Ashford: Podcast | Twitter
• Minnow Park: Website | Twitter
• Jason Bradwell: Podcast | Twitter
• Amanda Delaney: LinkedIn | Instagram
• Tallen Gabriel: Website | Music

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, the story of In the Works, a publication from the software company Help Scout. We go inside the decisions and the strategy of both the company's CEO and the head of content responsible for crafting a brand new publication with a bold mission.

There, we find the true dividing line between brands who do this whole storytelling stuff well ... aaand everyone else.

REFER A FRIEND:

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Nick Francis: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Hillary Noble: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Help Scout
• In The Works
• The Chezie story
• List of brands building in-house media arms

***

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

After all, our jobs as communicators and storytellers isn't to "get in front of" them. It's to ensure they care.

In this episode, you'll learn a simple but powerful technique to speak and write with greater impact.

For a full written version of this episode, read the original story.

REFER A FRIEND

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Instead, what if your entire aim was something else? Paradoxically, focusing there might THEN help you exceed others' expectations with your work.

Plus, we go inside the projects that Chris says keep coming back to him, even years after he created them. He dissects the process and arrives at some inspiring philosophies about creativity too -- one which can help us all create higher-caliber work.

REFER A FRIEND:

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Chris Lavigne: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Chris Savage: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Wistia
• One, Ten, One Hundred
• Enterprise Plan (Parade video)
• Gear Squad
• iPhone video
• Webinar Attendee
• Sandwich Video

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, we learn how to tell stories about the seemingly mundane details in our lives.

For a full written version of this episode, read the original story.

REFER A FRIEND

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

This story is told through the ever-optimistic, yellow-tux wearing Jesse Cole, the owner of the team.

Not a fan of the sport? No worries. This isn't really a story about baseball. It's a story about our collective desire to make things that matter -- to ourselves, certainly, but to those we serve most especially. 

This is a story about what it means to truly build something that is, in Jesse's words, "fans first" -- and all the weird, wacky, wonderful things that follow.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Andrew and Pete of ATOMIC: atomic.site // twitter.com/AndrewAndPete

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Masooma Memon on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

As we continue our exploration, we have to stop to appreciate the tiniest mechanic that enables us to tell stories with the biggest impact.

The more we master open loops, the more gripping our communication becomes -- and the more we inspire action in others. Isn't that our jobs?

REFER A FRIEND

Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Meisha Bochicchio on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

They were heading down that now-familiar creator path of digital fame and fortune -- the speaking, the books, the followers -- when they decided to leave that behind. Instead, they've been helping OTHERS conquer fears and make leaps in their small businesses. 

So often, what we need to see greater results in our business isn't an improvement in productivity. It's not about just working harder, or even working smarter. Instead, often, it's about conquering fear.  

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

Andrew and Pete of ATOMIC: atomic.site // twitter.com/AndrewAndPete

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Masooma Memon on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

This is the episode featuring Jay, only lightly edited to replace the intro and outro.

It's unlike any other appearance you'll hear. 

Enjoy!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

MORE FROM THIS EPISODE:

Michael Bungay Stainer: Personal site | Twitter | IG

Find and listen to 2 Pages wherever you get your podcasts: mbs.works/2-pages-podcast

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Sara Pion on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

We also talk about how to create an inviting, comfortable space for others to share more personally, as well as suggestions for unpacking responses to really assess what they're saying truthfully. 

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Katelyn Bourgoin on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

By unpacking and dissecting small pieces of sound and music from James, we learn the thoughtful, intentional art of sound design and the power that small amounts of sound effects - or silence - can hold. 

Sound can make us feel, reflect, pause, or act, and often we don’t even notice this subtle art, despite its importance in providing scaffolding or key moments in building a story, a scene, or an emotion. In this episode, we make what is so often invisible in the construction of an audio story, visible.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

MORE FROM THIS EPISODE:

James T. Green: Personal site | Molten Heart | Twitter | IG

James's award-winning audio doc, PMHx

Seizing Freedom

Finding Tamika

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Katelyn Bourgoin on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Today, joke writing and comedy songwriting with Matt Buechele. Matt is a writer, musician, and hilarious human who's performed original songs for Netflix commercials and worked as a writer on The Tonight Show, where he wrote jokes and music for the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Matthew McConaughey, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Together, we explore some of Matts projects, including his viral social media videos and his Tonight Show smash hit, This Christmas Will Be Different. We also hear the story of how he ended up at the show, as well as what a writer for such a program ACTUALLY does. Plus, we learn to like the little golden moments where we can say, Hey, yanno what? That's pretty good.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

***

MORE FROM JAY:

Playing Favorites newsletter: stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates.

Coaching and consulting: Work together 1:1 via video and chat on the most important elements of your brand or projects.

Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows

***

MORE FROM THIS EPISODE:

Matt Buechele on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Matt's music on Spotify: under artist name BOOSHELL

***

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Learn more and try it free at thejuicehq.com

Connect with Ali Schwanke on The Juice or on Twitter.

***

CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE:

Website

Twitter and LinkedIn

Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

***

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins

Together, we unpack some of her seemingly simple but deeply emotional webcomics -- many of which uplift those suffering with their mental well-being. Haley creates honest, beautiful, yet simple depictions of her own vulnerabilities and her experience of anxiety, relationships with friends, understanding of love, and more. 

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every other Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Haley Weaver is the acclaimed illustrator and writer behind Haley Drew This and the popular instagram account @haleydrewthis featuring her webcomics centered around anxiety + mental health, relationships, and selfhood. 

Her forthcoming book is Give Me Space But Don't Go Far.

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Get suggestions based on your job title, search top resources, or create and share playlists of useful ideas and content.

Learn more and try it free at https://www.thejuicehq.com/

Connect with Hiba Amin on The Juice here: https://app.thejuicehq.com/creators/hiba-amin

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/h5amin

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

First up is a conversation with brilliant copywriter Margo Aaron who walks us through some of her most powerful copywriting blogs, her opinions on watching the news (links below) and what copywriting can feel like when it’s done right. 

SHOW LINKS

Margo's essay on watching the news: https://www.thatseemsimportant.com/media/what-happened-when-i-stopped-watching-the-news/

Jay's response to Margo's essay: https://jayacunzo.com/blog/differentiation-isnt-about-topics-how-to-find-actual-whitespace-to-stand-out

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every other Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Margo Aaron is a copywriting expert and has taught over 4,000 students in the art of copywriting through The Copy Workshop. She is the host of the popular internet talk show, “Hillary and Margo Yell at Websites” and a writer at her award-winning website, That Seems Important.

SPONSOR: The Juice

The Juice is like Spotify for B2B learning: a beautiful, curated collection of the best creators and resources serving sales and marketing pros today. Get suggestions based on your job title, search top resources, or create and share playlists of useful ideas and content.

Connect with Jason Bradwell at http://jasonrbradwell.com/ or https://twitter.com/JasonRBradwell

Explore his Creator Page on The Juice at https://app.thejuicehq.com/creators/jason-bradwell

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

We hear from Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast host and producer Lizzie Peabody and poet and keynote speaker, Tucker Bryant, about how their maker monster, perfectionism, creeps into their creative work. We dive into how they conquer, co-exist, or accept defeat with their own internal monsters and explore how we can each carve out ways to find joy in our work and continue to make what matters.

*   *   *

FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

Lizzie Peabody: https://twitter.com/LizziePeabody and https://www.lizziepeabody.com/
Lizzie's podcast, Sidedoor: https://twitter.com/SidedoorPod and https://www.si.edu/sidedoor

Tucker Bryant: https://twitter.com/tucksbryant
Tucker's speaking site: https://tuckerbryant.me/

*   *   *

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

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Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

The first group begins work April 11.

MORE DETAILS:

Achieve your creative goals with small working groups of B2B creators and marketers, led personally by me, Jay Acunzo.

• 8 weeks of guided work on your existing, most important projects, with 1:1 and 1:few time with me.
• Sharpen your ideas, be more creative, and earn more passionate fans and customers.
• Connect with successful, generous, creative peers, vetted by me personally. (The first group will be limited to 9 people, at most.)

ELEVATE is a premium offering for B2B marketers and creators to avoid stagnation and keep improving their output and results. If you’ve ever been stressed about time (to be creative), focus (thanks to endless to-dos), differentiation (on merit, not gimmicks), or results (from work you genuinely loved creating)  ... this is for you.

There is no one-size-fits-all “system.” Instead, this is a structured way for me to provide live and asynchronous help and guidance — along with other high-performing peers — in a way that’s customized to your actual work.

Learn more and apply: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators

Our work begins the week of April 11.

Trust your gut: your best work is in front of you.

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

But to do that kind of work, to bet on quality and resonance and originality, is to fly in the face of a certain kind of online creative culture. That culture and those who embody it might be the antithesis of what we stand for, running counter to our values. But it's impossible to ignore the temptation of audience reach and fame, especially when doing meaningful work can feel so hard, so much of the time.

How do we reconcile reach and resonance? How do we build a creative business according to our values? Is it even possible to focus on serving the audience more deeply when so many people we see on social media seem to focus on the things we dislike -- and succeed?

We have lots of big questions this episode!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER: GET REGULAR IDEAS FOR CREATING  RESONANT

Join thousands of marketers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creative people both independent and in-house at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, a16z, and the New York Times: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Stew Fortier, cofounder of Foster: https://stewfortier.com | https://twitter.com/stewfortier
• Foster: https://www.foster.co/
• Author AJ Jacobs: https://ajjacobs.com/ | https://twitter.com/ajjacobs
• AJ Jacobs's Medium article: https://medium.com/the-mission/an-entrepreneurs-most-important-tool-self-delusion-616de720fc39

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

You can find New Rockstars on YouTube and become one of their nearly 4M subscribers at https://www.youtube.com/newrockstars

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

GET REGULAR IDEAS FOR CREATING MORE RESONANT WORK:

Join thousands of marketers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creative people both independent and in-house at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

• Filup Molina, founder of New Rockstars -  https://twitter.com/filupmolina | epicheroshop.com
• Holiday Kinard, COO of Zero Edition - https://www.instagram.com/holidaykinard/
• Erik Voss (via video clip) - https://twitter.com/eavoss
• MT (via video clip) - https://twitter.com/MasterTainment

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

Then, we learn about the three parameters of how we explain the world to ourselves and how we can spot moments of learned helplessness to CHANGE the story in our minds.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

Their media team -- a small group of about 6 full-time employees and a few freelancers -- has been setting the B2B marketing world on fire of late, as they've created 11 original series in audio and video form, plus dozens of other projects.

The thing is, these projects don't feel much like B2B marketing. ProfitWell isn't building a brand so much as creating culture -- and their brand's growth and the passionate fans surrounding the company become byproducts. Their culture-building activities include storytelling, sure, but also things called drops -- hot sauces, trading cards, and more.

The company has also figured out how to balance the often competing desires of creative teams and deadlines or business goals. In doing so, they've overcome the biggest barriers holding back better creative work.

TAKE THE SURVEY TO HELP ME BUILD SOMETHING NEW FOR YOU:

https://jayacunzo.com/survey

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

• Patrick Campbell, CEO of ProfitWell: https://profitwell.com and https://twitter.com/Patticus
• Dan Callahan, Head of ProfitWell's Recur Studios: https://twitter.com/danfcall

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

Suzy is the founder of Poo-Pourri, a toilet spray that solves the problem of bathroom smells in a way that runs counter to conventional thinking. But more than the hilarious branding and advertising (and there's plenty of that, as we hear in this episode), Suzy and her company showcase the power of something called First-Principle Insights in helping us create more innovative work.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

• Suzy Batiz -- https://www.suzybatiz.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/suzybatiz/?hl=en

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

RESEARCH LINKS: 

• https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:182009/datastream/PDF/view
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00746/full
• https://trans4mind.com/transformation/transform4.2.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversal_theory
• https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1843&context=etd
• https://positivepsychology.com/theory-psychology-flow/
• http://www.dankalia.com/mind/dt/_pschlg/ReversalTheory/RT_TheoryMotiv.htm
• https://worldofwork.io/2020/03/reversal-theory-motivation-and-emotion-in-motion/
• https://flowleadership.org/flow-benefits/
• https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=rpta_fac
• http://michaelapter.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Personality_Dynamics.pdf

There's a coming fork in the road we'll face if we want to create for a living and thrive. The decision is embedded into the very name of the movement: creator economy. 

I think the pendulum has swung too far towards the economy part, and we need to remember what this is for: finding ways to fund the work and lives of the creative people who make our world -- and our experience of it -- better. 

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

• Jack Conte, cofounder and CEO of Patreon -- https://twitter.com/jackconte

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH ME ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

What’s the difference between a fan and a customer? Why should baseball's walks be sprints? From dancing grandmas to babies in banana gear, hiring people using "future resumes" to asking fans for THEIR autographs instead. Even championships. Yes, winning baseball played by this wild and wacky team.

 Don't miss this one. There's no other team like the Bananas.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Jesse Cole: https://twitter.com/YellowTuxJesse

Founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas. He is also the author of “Find Your Yellow Tux – How to Be Successful by Standing Out” and host of the Business Done Differently podcast.

SPONSOR: Riverside

Riverside is the easiest way to record podcasts and videos in studio quality, from anywhere. Record separate audio tracks to avoid the cut-outs, optional video to enhance the show’s experience, and even clip content for sharing elsewhere, all without leaving the platform. Riverside is powerful enough to be used by Marvel, the NY Times, TED, Freakonomics, Indie Hackers, GaryVee, and Guy Raz, but simple enough for thousands of indie creators and new podcasters to use it for their shows.

Learn more and try it free at https://riverside.fm/

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

From dissecting how competition comes into play to analyzing how it differs from reach, they look at resonance from all angles. It’s a raw, messy, and unfiltered conversation that gives listeners a behind the scenes look at being an investigator in our own daily work. 

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Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Jay Clouse is an entrepreneur and the creator and host of Creative Elements. He has created courses for creators including Podcast Like The Pros and Freelancing School Course Bundle. He also writes a newsletter, Creative Companion. Learn more: jayclouse.com

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

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- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

The Modern Day Marketer's Guide to Turning Down the Volume and Turning Up the Quality:
The Modern Day Marketer's Guide to Turning Down the Volume Game and Turning Up Quality Content [eBook] | The Juice

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:
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- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo
- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com
- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

For Chris Sharpe and Adriene Mishler, the idea might have applied ... but only at first. Chris (as CEO of YWA's company, Find What Feels Good) and Adriene (as the performer and personality) co-founded something that did expand in such a way that it felt empire-bound.

But then they decided to make a switch.

The reason why can be found hidden in how they speak to their audience.

Today, a story about depth vs. breadth and reinvention vs. stagnation.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

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Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Chris Sharpe, cofounder and CEO of Find What Feels Good: https://www.chrissharpe.com  // https://twitter.com/csharpe

Adriene Mishler recordings via the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene // https://yogawithadriene.com 

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

Today, we explore the fear of being unoriginal. In the working world, that might sound like "differentiation." Regardless of how it shows up, all we can do is learn to confront it.

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Qudsiya Naqui (lawyer, activist, board member, and podcast host of Down to the Struts) - https://twitter.com/QudsiyaNaqui  // https://www.downtothestruts.com/about

Joe Pulizzi (founder/CEO of The Tilt, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, author of 7 books, and host of 2 podcasts) - https://twitter.com/JoePulizzi // https://www.joepulizzi.com // https://www.thetilt.com

Marie Poulin (founder of Notion Mastery and Okie Dokie) - https://twitter.com/mariepoulin // https://mariepoulin.com // https://notionmastery.com/

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

The docuseries has become a phenomenon for the brand, earning Joei Chan devout fans and 360Learning followers, viewers, and customers that feel connected to the show and compamy. Highly personal and transparent, the show proves that when a company does something risky, sometimes the reward is more than they’d ever expect. 

The most important theme through it all? The audience consistently reacting with a very emotional, very rare comment: "I feel seen." 

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Joei Chan: Content Director for 360 Learning and star of Onboarding Joei (available to watch at https://360learning.com/studio/onboarding-joei/) 

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

So many of us conflate our professional success with personal worth, so what happens when we don’t believe in ourselves or  we are paralyzed by potential rejection? And how can we all keep fighting back and overcome our own maker monsters? 

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

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Weekly stories and frameworks about how to create more resonant work. Join thousands of subscribers, from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

Natalia Aldana is a multimedia journalist and international news editor. She is an audio producer for Al Jazeera’s podcast, The Take after working for The Ezra Klein Show and Recode Decade. She reports on stories around crime and justice, immigration, politics and music. 

Aisha White is a cultural organizer, artist, and researcher focused on community building and social impact. Her personal work is built around public health and fellowship.  

Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur and marketing speaker and entrepreneur. Joe has founded multiple startups including The Tilt and is the author of several books including the best-selling Content Inc. 

Jay Clouse hosts the podcast Creative Elements and builds projects to serve fellow creators.  He's also the head of community at Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn.

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

SPONSOR: THE JUICE

Discover the world's best and brightest thinking and resources for sales and marketing pros on The Juice. They're like the Spotify of B2B, with content playlists and suggestions based on your job title and level. Avoid the endless lead-gen forms, skip all the system-gamers found via Google searches, and browse the most useful and transformative ideas affecting your work, for free.

Learn more at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

On this episode we begin to unpack what it means to be a visionary. We learn about the “Quest Matrix,” and we begin to chart a path away from Expertville toward some new territory.

Along the way, we hear from John Bonini, a marketer at a crossroads.

QUEST MATRIX IMAGE: https://bit.ly/quest-matrix

SHARE THE SHOW:

Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:

https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE:

John Bonini is a long-time content marketer, working for brands like IMPACT Branding and Design and the email software company Litmus as head of growth. He's now director of marketing at Databox and the owner of a membership and community group for marketers, Some Good Content.

Andrew Davis is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker. Before building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency, Andrew produced for NBC’s Today Show, worked for The Muppets in New York and wrote for Charles Kuralt.

SPONSOR:

The Juice is a new kind of media company (like the Spotify of B2B). Specifically, they serve sales and marketing professionals. By registering for free, users can find the most original, deeply resonant ideas and advice in sales and marketing -- things optimized for people, not algorithms. The Juice curates from tens of thousands of sources to find what's popular and also what's most customized to your specific job function and level. Browse the best and brightest thinking, find new sources of inspiration to follow, and create and share content playlists about specific topics that help your career and company grow. 

Learn more and sign up for free at https://thejuicehq.com

CONNECT WITH US ELSEWHERE:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and https://twitter.com/UnthinkableShow

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacunzo

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

- Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com

PRODUCTION:

- Creator, host, writer, and editor: Jay Acunzo - https://jayacunzo.com

- Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins - https://www.ilananevins.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Unthinkable is a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. We’re traveling the business world to learn how to create work that resonates — with powerful stories from makers, marketers, and leaders like the CEOs of Zoom and Patreon, execs from Adobe and Disney, and creators like writer Tim Urban, comedian Sarah Cooper, and photographer Chase Jarvis. From artisans to entrepreneurs, writers, designers, podcasters, video creators, and all the weird and wonderful nooks of the working world, we’re meeting inspiring people to learn what we can do to resonate more deeply with the work we create.

Listeners have called the show “This American Life for my work” with stories “as captivating as some of the best, like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Carlin.”

Thanks for listening and supporting Unthinkable!

In this one, I answer a crucial question -- some might say mission critical to all our careers.

Then, I detail why my answer to the question is extremely, laughably biased, and why we all face that same bias when others make decisions involving our work.

What does it take to resonate? I have no idea. Sounds like a worthy investigation to me! Let's go... 

*   *   *

FLYWHEEL VISUAL:

Visit this blog post: https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-to-resonate-a-framework-for-building-bigger-innovating-faster-and-reaching-higher-in-your-work

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book: jayacunzo.com/books

Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

*   *   *

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

The Juice, the Spotify of B2B, curates and suggests content for sales and marketing professionals based on what is resonating with humans, not what's been optimized for algorithms. Their mission is to improve the signal of the B2B web and give all of us access to better, more transformative ideas and tactics that we can use to elevate our work. 

No more basic, redundant posts seen from every competitor in a given niche.  Get the best and brightest thinking and most useful resources for sales and marketing pros. Learn more and sign up for free at thejuicehq.com.

*   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Today, we want to know more about the promise of a popular trend, the creative streak, and whether they can help us overcome our constant battle with planning our time and achieving something greater.

This week, Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of the world-wide phenomenon NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) gives us a peek into the power (and potential pitfalls) of creative writing streaks. Meanwhile, Giorgia Lupi, an information designer and partner at the firm Pentagram, reflects on her famous, collaborative creative streak, Dear Data, with Stefanie Posavec -- a year-long journey of sketching personal data-based postcards, which eventually led to exhibitions, book deals, critical acclaim, and internet fame. 

Can we change our relationships to deadlines? How might we banish our inner editors holding us back during crucial early stages in the creative process? And how might we reconcile both the short-term and long-term work we do? 

Let's go streaking.

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book: jayacunzo.com/books

Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

*   *   *

IN THIS EPISODE:

Giorgia Lupi: http://giorgialupi.com  //  https://twitter.com/giorgialupi

Dear Data: http://www.dear-data.com/

Grant Faulkner: https://grantfaulkner.com  //  https://twitter.com/grantfaulkner

NoNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/

Unthinkable is written, hosted, and edited by me, Jay Acunzo, with production support this episode from Molly Donovan (https://mdonovancontent.com) and Ilana Nevins  (https://www.ilananevins.com)

 *   *   *

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

The Juice, the Spotify of B2B, curating and suggesting the most popular content for marketing and sales professionals based on what's trending and what's resonating with others like you (not what's most optimized for search). Explore and create content playlists and easily collect and share the best content for your career and/or your team.

Find the most resonant B2B content for people, not the most optimized content for algorithms.

Visit thejuicehq.com to learn more and sign up for free.

*   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

It was epic. But the budget ... was not. It was a lean production, with a small budget and small team. In talking to others in documentary production, they were amazed to hear how we produced THAT series with THOSE resources. What helped was a technique known as "stealing shots." 

I think this technique has power even if you don't create films. In this episode, a short story and a powerful idea to help us all elevate our work WITHOUT adding resources.

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book: jayacunzo.com/books

Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

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THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

We hear from Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast host and producer Lizzie Peabody and poet and keynote speaker, Tucker Bryant, about how their maker monster, perfectionism, creeps into their creative work. We dive into how they conquer, co-exist, or accept defeat with their own internal monsters and explore how we can each carve out ways to find joy in our work and continue to make what matters.

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book: jayacunzo.com/books

Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

*   *   *

FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

Lizzie Peabody: https://twitter.com/LizziePeabody and https://www.lizziepeabody.com/

Lizzie's podcast, Sidedoor: https://twitter.com/SidedoorPod and https://www.si.edu/sidedoor

Tucker Bryant: https://twitter.com/tucksbryant 

Tucker's speaking site: https://tuckerbryant.me/

*   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Mine happened in my mid-20s. I'd just been hired to lead a team for the first time. I found myself in my first purely managerial role ... and I was miserable.

Trying to salvage my schedule and my career, I marched into my boss's office and declared, "I'm not doing my best work here." 

What followed was the worst advice I've ever received. But here's the thing: at the time, I thought it was GREAT.

I was wrong.

Maybe we all are.

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book: jayacunzo.com/books

Consider my course on podcast premise development, Growable Shows (for new or existing shows): jayacunzo.com/growable-shows

Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

*   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Writer and researcher Molly Donovan dives into the messiness that is growing up, learning to judge and chasing being right. She explores how we can start dismantling that need and instead chase the next messy rep, the possibility of something new, different, and maybe, the beginning of something else.   

So how do we, with past experiences and habits, with routines and outside pressure, summon the beginner’s mindset on demand? How can we build in some sense of possibility and curiosity into our already busy days? And how can we use the beginner’s mindset to create work that is thoughtful, innovative, and imaginative?

*   *   *

KEEP LEARNING + SUPPORT THE SHOW

Subscribe to my free newsletter: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

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Hire me to speak to your organization or event: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

 *   *   *

VOICES & MENTIONS IN THE SHOW:

Saba Ghole: https://twitter.com/sabarani

NuVu Studio: https://cambridge.nuvustudio.com/

Molly Donovan: https://twitter.com/MHDonovan

Shunryu Suzuki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunry%C5%AB_Suzuki

*   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

My imposter syndrome grips me as a writer, a podcaster, a speaker, and a creator-of-things-that-people-are-supposed-to-enjoyer.  It's the worst when I face gatekeepers -- people like editors or publishers who decide whether or not someone is worthy of coming onto their platform or working with their service.

Most of us face some flavor of imposter syndrome, and it can feel impossible to beat. Recently, I heard the story of a friend's brother obsessed with searching for mushrooms in the woods behind his house. That led me to a realization that can help us change the way we view or work and our relationship to it, which can in turn help us beat imposter syndrome.

In the end, we aren't experts. We're explorers. We're not creators. We're foragers.

What might happen if we thought about our work in those terms?

*   *   *

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>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

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Stories and frameworks for questioning best practices, honing your intuition, and doing your best work.

>>> jayacunzo.com/books

 *   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

As I re-air this story, we're in the midst of the pandemic. (Again? Still?) The Delta variant is raging. People are making foolish, selfish decisions about the vaccine, prolonging this difficult time and harming people near them who continue to get sick or even die because of those choices.

It's time to remind ourselves of what it can feel like when we're together, not apart, both for nostalgia but also to stir up some hope for the future. 

As creators, we have a role to play in making this world better -- whether through companies we build or projects we ship. We can't lose sight of that. We can provide connection in a world in desperate need of more.

*   *   *

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>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

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 *   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

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-Jay

Want to change you results? Start at the beginning. Consider changing, or at least thinking critically about, how you see the world. It's not often a tiny tactic or hidden marketing channel or technology that's needed. It's something far more transformative, but it needn't be difficult to grasp.

(PS: Thanks to everyone who shared feedback on the initial four One-Shots! People seem to like them, so I'll continue running roughly two of these each month.)

*   *   *

TO GET MORE INSPIRATION + SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to my newsletter:

Equal parts human story and pep talk, my weekly newsletter is focused on inspiring us to make what matters to our careers and communities. Subscribe for free and join creatives from brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, and the NY Times, as well as thousands of freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

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Stories and frameworks for questioning best practices, honing your intuition, and doing your best work.

>>> jayacunzo.com/books

 *   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

How do we spot the difference? How do we know whether we should just keep showing up, shipping the work, putting in the reps ... or we need to recover so the next rep is better?

There's a hidden a tension between being consistent and being better. Sometimes, they work in harmony, but when they don't, we experience burn out.

We'll visit with a writer, Margo Aaron, who became a marketer by accident, burnt out, and has found a smart, repeatable way to recover and consistently show up improved. We'll also hear from editor and researcher Molly Donovan, who brings us some of the science behind recovery in athletes, as well as a concept called Default Mode. We'll learn why that mode is so critical for the health of our brains and, specific to our exploration together, to creating more resonant work.

Recovery is a messy topic, and we have so many more questions than answers. Sounds like an Unthinkable episode to me!

 *   *   *

TO GET MORE INSPIRATION + SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to my newsletter:

Equal parts human story and pep talk, my weekly newsletter is focused on inspiring us to make what matters to our careers and communities. Subscribe for free and join creatives from brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, and the NY Times, as well as thousands of freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Buy a book:

Stories and frameworks for questioning best practices, honing your intuition, and doing your best work.

>>> jayacunzo.com/books

 *   *   *

VOICES IN THIS STORY:

Margo Aaron: twitter.com/margoaaron | thatseemsimportant.com

Molly Donovan: twitter.com/mhdonovan | mdonovancontent.com

 *   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

It's all part of the journey we're on to understand how to avoid stagnation, keep improving, and ultimately reach that next rep of the creative process consistently and better.

In this one, we discuss an untapped creative superpower. It involves the story of a misshapen mug (to put it kindly) and my childhood home -- which I can no longer visit.

GET MORE STORIES AND INSIGHTS TO ELEVATE YOUR CREATIVITY:

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>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

Become a member:

Get access to a community forum of ambitious creators who help each other level up, plus exclusive riffs, rants, and courses from me, a 1:1 call with me, and all paid projects I create included as part of your membership.

>>> makewhatmattersgroup.com

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Stories and frameworks for questioning best practices, honing your intuition, and doing your best work.

>>> jayacunzo.com/books

 *   *   *

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Jay asks me about...

• My experiences as a sports journalist and sports PR intern at ESPN and elsewhere, before getting into marketing.
• How I think about and develop stories.
• Why I aspire to be the Anthony Bourdain of workplace storytelling.
• How I structure and schedule my weeks to juggle lots of projects.
• How I broke into public speaking as a big piece of my career and revenue. 
• ...and a lot more.

I hope you enjoy this bonus episode! If you do, consider listening to Creative Elements with Jay Clouse. Find your podcast player of choice at pod.link/elements

You can also find Jay Clouse on Twitter @jayclouse.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER:

Equal parts human story and pep talk, my weekly newsletter is focused on inspiring us to make what matters to our careers and communities. Subscribe for free and join creatives from brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, and the NY Times, as well as thousands of freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

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>>> jayacunzo.com

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

All of this led Alex to create his company, NanaGram. It's the most rewarding app you'll ever use (full disclosure: I'm a longtime customer).

THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Max Yoder, CEO of Lessonly. Check out his book: https://dobetterwork.com/ or his company: https://www.lessonly.com/

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER:

Equal parts human story and pep talk, my weekly newsletter is focused on inspiring us to make what matters to our careers and communities. Subscribe for free and join creatives from brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, and the NY Times, as well as thousands of freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

BECOME A MEMBER:

Get access to a community forum of ambitious creators who help each other level up, plus exclusive riffs, rants, and courses from me, a 1:1 call with me, and all paid projects I create included as part of your membership.

>>> makewhatmattersgroup.com

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>>> jayacunzo.com

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

In fact, if we just learned (or re-learned) what a "story" really is, we might better equip ourselves to tell great stories.

Stories require one ingredient above all others: tension.

Want to evolve and improve as a storyteller? Master the use of tension, across three phases. 

Today, in another one-shot episode, we talk about the traits of each phase and use some examples, all so we can continue to change how we see the work and elevate our creativity -- without adding tons more resources.

SUPPORT THE SHOW + CONTINUE TO ELEVATE YOUR CREATIVITY:

1. NEWSLETTER: Subscribe to my free newsletter and get one new story each week. Join thousands of creators, from in-house makers and marketers at Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, the NY Times, and similar, to tons of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators. Subscribe free at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

2. MEMBERSHIP: Become a monthly supporter (get bonus content and invites to live masterclasses) or become a full member (includes access to a community forum). Learn more at makewhatmattersgroup.com

3. COURSE: Thinking of making your own podcast, or trying to level up an existing show? Explore my course for more creative podcasts, Growable Shows, at jayacunzo.com/growable-shows

4. SPEAKING & BOOKS: Learn more about my books and public speaking, and all my other projects, at jayacunzo.com

----------

Thanks so much for listening, supporting, and sharing!

Keep making what matters.

- Jay

Twitter: @jayacunzo

IG: @jacunzo

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo

All of this led Alex to create his company, NanaGram. It's the most rewarding app you'll ever use (full disclosure: I'm a longtime customer).

THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Alex Cook: https://twitter.com/aacook

NanaGram: https://nanagram.co/

SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE NEWSLETTER:

Equal parts human story and pep talk, my weekly newsletter is focused on inspiring us to make what matters to our careers and communities. Subscribe for free and join creatives from brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, and the NY Times, as well as thousands of freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

>>> jayacunzo.com/newsletter

LEVEL UP AS A CREATOR AND SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Become a Supporter: Get bonus content and exclusive invites to projects and educational opportunities for creative people.

Become a Member: Get access to a community forum of ambitious creators who help each other level up, plus exclusive riffs, rants, and courses from me, a 1:1 call with me, and all paid projects I create included as part of your membership.

>>> makewhatmattersgroup.com

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS, SPEAKING, AND ORIGINAL SERIES:

>>> jayacunzo.com

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

We need to bring our focus and our form to our work upon command. How do we do that? We look to an unexpected source of inspiration.

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS:

$13/month makes you a supporter of this show, with bonus content shared monthly. Or you can become a full-blown member of the group, Make What Matters.

Make What Matters is where independent content creators (in function or in spirit) learn to elevate their creative skills,  earn more in resources and income, and execute their best work yet. Through peer support and members-only content (live and asynchronous), each member benefits from greater clarity, more confidence, and a stronger network. 

Consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? SHARE THE SHOW:

Mention me on Twitter, @jayacunzo, or Instagram, @jacunzo.

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

We hear the story of visual artist Matthew Zaremba and learn more about reps from Grammy-nominated music educator and CrossFit coach Kevin Mazzarella. 

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS:

$13/month makes you a supporter of this show, with bonus content shared monthly. Or you can become a full-blown member of the group, Make What Matters.

Make What Matters is where independent content creators (in function or in spirit) learn to elevate their creative skills,  earn more in resources and income, and execute their best work yet. Through peer support and members-only content (live and asynchronous), each member benefits from greater clarity, more confidence, and a stronger network. 

Consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Matthew Zaremba:  matthewzaremba.com | instagram.com/matthewzaremba

Kevin Mazzarella: kevinmazzarella.com

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

In this particular One-Shot, "making bad" -- what creative people we admire seem to have in common. 

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS:

$13/month makes you a supporter of this show, with bonus content shared monthly. Or you can become a full-blown member of the group, Make What Matters.

Make What Matters is where independent content creators (in function or in spirit) learn to elevate their creative skills,  earn more in resources and income, and execute their best work yet. Through peer support and members-only content (live and asynchronous), each member benefits from greater clarity, more confidence, and a stronger network. 

Consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Make. What Matters.

I believe everyone has what it takes to make what matters, but we often stop or stagnate in our creative process. So what do prolific, thriving, ever-improving creators have in common? What does a healthy body of work require to create? 

Well, if we stop to consider what a body of work actually is, we'll notice something tiny, something we all grapple with, and something that, when you really distill creativity down to its essence, represents the ONLY thing that matters to us as creative people.

The next rep.

Welcome to a new journey, where each episode, we explore stories and ideas about reaching the next rep consistently, faster, and better. I have a TON more questions than answers at this point, but if we can learn what it takes or what successful creators do to constantly reach the next rep, then we'll understand how to build an entire body of work -- all in the name of making things that make a difference.

Welcome to this journey. Welcome to The Next Rep.

NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

MEMBER GROUP:

Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Jeremy Enns, Jeanne Ivy, Molly Donovan, Tallie Gabriel, Telyse Adams, and Michael Ashford.

"The Gap" quote is from Ira Glass and can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91FQKciKfHI

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

What if we stopped acting like experts and started acting like ... well ... something else?

In this episode, we hear stories from keynote speaker Andrew Davis, bestselling author Shane Snow (Dream Teams, Smartcuts, The Storytelling Edge), and Dr. Jade Wu, sleep psychologist and researcher from Duke University.

NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

MEMBER GROUP:

Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Andrew Davis: akadrewdavis.com | twitter.com/DrewDavisHere

Shane Snow: shanesnow.com | twitter.com/shanesnow

Jade Wu, PhD: jadewuphd.com | twitter.com/jadewuphd

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Their success started with a simple aspiration that threw into question the most accepted approach to their marketing work. It all ended in a very personal place for the team. 

Meanwhile, story producer Andrew Littlefield goes exploring in New York and meets a jazz trombonist who gives us something we can use in our quest to trust our intuition.

Finally, Tom Webster voices the dictionary.

You can't make this stuff up! It's almost ... unthinkable? (No. Nope. No. I won't go there...)

NEWSLETTER:

Playing Favorites shares one new story every Friday morning that you can't find anywhere else, focused on creating work that matters. Subscribe at jayacunzo.com/newsletter

MEMBER GROUP:

Make What Matters is where marketers, freelancers, podcasters, writers, and creatives join forces to push themselves and each other to create more elevated work and accelerate their careers. For techniques, connection, collaboration, and inspiration, consider joining at makewhatmattersgroup.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS EPISODE:

Lisa Schneider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaschneider64

Merriam-Webster on Twitter: https://twitter.com/merriamwebster

Andrew Littlefield (story producer) on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSUAndrew

Mariel Bildsten (jazz trombonist) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6MYXOUN2105Bi2ROMNmoYS?autoplay=true

Tom Webster (voice of the dictionary) on Twitter: https://twitter.com/webby2001

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

It started when her nephew turned her onto TikTok, and it's there where she went viral. She filmed herself in her apartment doing lip-sync videos of Donald Trump speeches and media appearances. Her popularity doing these didn't stop at TikTok, either. The surge in fame spilled across social media, attracting the attention and praise of fellow comedians like Mike Birbiglia and Jerry Seinfeld, and landing her profiles and guests spots everywhere from the New York Times, Vogue, and Vanity Fair to CBS Sunday Morning, the Tonight Show, and a guest hosting gig for Jimmy Kimmel. 

She was even offered a Netflix special doing sketch comedy, a project called "Everything Is Fine." The struggling standup suddenly found herself shooting her OWN show, featuring an all-star list of cameos, like Aubrey Plaza, Marisa Tomei, Winona Ryder, Ben Stiller, Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch, Megan The Stallion, Maya Rudolph, and Helen Mirren!

And just a few days prior to me recording this, it was announced that CBS purchased a pilot from Sarah Cooper based on her book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.

(Editor's note: In my intro, I said this episode originally aired in 2016, but it was actually 2019. Either way, it was The Before Times, so it's all the same, isn't it?)

SUPPORT THE SHOW + HELP FUND FUTURE STORIES:

1. Monthly/annual membership group, Make What Matters: makewhatmattersgroup.com

Tiny techniques, creativity concepts, business and buy-in support, and plenty of behind-the-scenes of Unthinkable and other projects.

***

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One original story and idea for making your audience's favorite things, sent each Friday morning.

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

But like any exceptional project or career, Tim's is not one that reveals any singular secret to success. In fact, it just might be the millions of "secrets to success" that we're drowning in today which are holding us back in our own projects and careers. 

Best practices. Tips and tricks. Cheats and hacks. Gurus and get-rich-quick schemes. Trendy new tactics. Conventional wisdom. These are all just spokes on a wheel. But if we truly want to make what matters, perhaps we're better off escaping that wheel -- or dare I say, we should break the wheel?

(This episode originally aired in 2018. I am re-airing this because it perfectly ties into our new journey to tell the stories of Idea Explorers -- people who made the shift from viewing themselves as experts to viewing themselves as explorers, and where that leads them in their creative work.)

SUPPORT THE SHOW + HELP FUND FUTURE STORIES:

1. Monthly/annual membership group, Make What Matters: makewhatmattersgroup.com

Tiny techniques, creativity concepts, business and buy-in support, and plenty of behind-the-scenes of Unthinkable and other projects.

***

2. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Playing Favorites: jayacunzo.com/newsletter

One original story and idea for making your audience's favorite things, sent each Friday morning.

***

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING!

Keep making what matters.

-Jay

Today, we explore the story of The Alchemist, makers of the industry sensation, Heady Topper. And we hear about a brutal setback they didn’t control, and how they rebounded stronger than ever  

-- -- -- 

If you like these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Get my weekly email for podcasters exploring what it might take for you to create your audience's FAVORITE show: marketingshowrunners.com/subscribe

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- Read my dailyish blog sharing 3-5 very short posts per week about making a difference through work you create: jayacunzo.com/blog

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

Thanks for listening!

---

If you like these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

If you enjoy these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

---

If you enjoy these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

If you enjoy these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

If you enjoy these stories, there are a few ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

Find Erik's Medium article, referenced in the story, right here.

If you enjoy these stories, there are 3 ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

---

Ryan's book, Welcome to Management, is now available on Amazon. You can find his podcast, The Learning Leader Show, on Apple and everywhere you podcast.

---

If you enjoyed this episode, there are a few ways to go deeper with my work:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

If you enjoy these stories, there are 3 ways to go deeper:

- Inquire about my keynote speaking for your next event or company meeting at jayacunzo.com

- Subscribe to my blog to get a few short ideas on creativity, finding your voice, and questioning best practices: bit.ly/acunzosub

- Support what I do by purchasing a copy of my book for you or a friend: bit.ly/break-the-wheel

In this episode, world-class photographer and the CEO of CreativeLive Chase Jarvis deconstructs a favorite project: his book, Creative Calling.

Subscribe to the I Made It feed separately wherever you podcast, or join the newsletter for the show at podia.com/podcast

To work with me, inquire about keynote speaking and show hosting/consulting by visiting jayacunzo.com