The Eric Koester Creator Institute

It's easy to put your ideas out there -- we're one click away from posting a tweet, sharing a video or publishing a blog post.  But in a world where it's so easy to create content, how do you create the depth to make your voice count. On this episode we go inside Ross Baird's journey to make 'Arguments with Integrity.'  As he shared, good ideas don't always win; but shared ideas will.  Hear how he intentionally used his venture firm and his book to build a community behind some powerful shared ideas he's convinced will change the world. Ross developed the Village Capital concept in 2009, and has led the development of programs worldwide.  He's the author of The Innovation Blind Spot: Why We Back the Wrong Ideas—and What to Do About It (includes forward by Steve Case). Before launching Village Capital, he worked with First Light Ventures, a seed fund focused on impact investments. Prior to First Light, Ross worked on the development of four education-related start-up ventures: the Indian School Finance Company in Hyderabad, India, the National College Advising Corps in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two ventures using technology to promote civic participation. He has a MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he was a Truman Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar.

"There are three steps to mastering your internal triggers and becoming an indistractable author. We have to reimagine the task, reimagine the trigger, and reimagine our temperament." Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. The M.I.T. Technology Review dubbed Nir, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Nir founded two tech companies since 2003 and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is the author of the bestselling book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir's writing has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today. Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies. Some of his past investments include Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Refresh.io (acquired by LinkedIn), Worklife (acquired by Cisco), Product Hunt, Marco Polo, Presence Learning, 7 Cups, Pana, Kahoot!, Byte Foods, FocusMate, and Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify). Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.

"It's painful to watch yourself on camera or listen to yourself interview someone on a podcast... but it's the single best way to get better." Jason Nellis had dreams of stardom on the big screen as a theatre major in college... but it took a little while (and many twists along the way) to land him on the screen as the host of Unboxed TV and head of marketing at Packagd.  His career in tech began as a bit of an accident when he got his first job at Hulu long before people really knew that it would be THE Hulu and then to his own agency as an entrepreneur. Along the way, Jason became the ultimate "learner" - but he learned by doing: - Launching a podcast - Helping create and run a conference - Developing a new daily video show - Even helping me develop my first 'book' class On our fun conversation we talk about the power of "learning out loud" -- trying things, getting it out there for feedback and improving.  And I loved hearing how he got past the 'I hate watching myself' and 'I hate listening to myself' to learn how to improve his performances. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

"I realized I learn differently." Dale Stephens has already had an incredible journey in his 20s, dropping out of elementary school (it's a great story), dropping out of college, becoming a Thiel Fellowship winner, launching a company, raising millions in venture capital and writing a book along the way.  You may look at that and think: "He's unique" or "That's not something I could do." But the interesting thing about Dale is his belief that all of us learn differently, and we just need to find the *best* way for each of us whether that's how we learn in traditional colleges or universities, how to learn on our own through new methods or how we dive into experiences that'll open our eyes in new and surprising ways.  Creation events are just another way to learn -- and in our conversation we talk about the power of 'meaty' and 'meaningful' experiences like books, podcasts, events, and others to really force us to learn and level up.  Link to full episode in the comments. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

In my today's podcast you have the chance to hear story of Alana Muller - a networking coach, consultant, workshop facilitator, keynoter and lecturer. Like she would say - she loves to connect with people around the world and to share stories on topics such as networking, entrepreneurship and women in business. She has been a contributor to Forbes, The Huffington Post, CNBC and other publications and was a featured speaker at TEDxOverlandPark. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein #CNBC #forbes #huffingtonpost #TEDx

"Do things with no right answer." Tina Seelig is an award winning Stanford University professor, serial author and speaker focused of creativity. And for her this "problem" was one that she didn't  truly discover until she was a doctoral student working in the field of Neuroscience. Like most of us, she'd been learning how to find the right answer - and excelled at each step of the way. But she quickly realized that the most powerful way to learn is when things *don't* have a right answer. Discovering is where we are the most vulnerable and experience the most growth. In this intriguing discussion, Tina shares her insights and experiences teaching creativity (yes it can be taught and learned) and offers a unique look into the emerging science of creativity, discovery and learning.  She offers a powerful framework to unlock our creativity - something that had me pondering for days after our chat. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

What are you waiting on? Jeff Morris Jr. is one of the top voices on building products as the director of product revenue at Tinder and investing in them through his own VC fund. But less than five years ago he couldn't get high potential startup companies to give him a second look. So he decided he'd learn to code through a General Assembly program.Only issue was the program didn't start for a few months... so he needed something to do. He thought he'd put this extra time to work and try to build a few things *without* knowing how to code. Over the next two months, those little mini-experiments resulted in him launching three #1 rated products on Product Hunt. Oh and he never wound up taking that coding bootcamp. On our fascinating conversation (as you'll hear, I am a huge huge fan of him), Jeff and I talk about our time together at Zaarly, Inc, his transition through the startup ecosystem and how through it all he's found a way to create his own path rather than waiting for someone to give him permission.  #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein #tinder #dating #app #venturecaptiral #vc     #creatorinstitute hashtag #product hashtag #vc hashtag #dating hashtag #producthunt

I royally screwed up the start of my interview with Scott Gerber. Thankfully he's a friend and a nice enough guy that he used it as a teaching lesson. My gaffe?  I called him "the ultimate networker." He politely corrected me... "Does anyone *want* to be known as networker?" And he's right.  On our fascinating conversation we dive into the very question -- how you can build real connection and collaboration today, something Scott has done with The Community Company.  Today more than ever before it's about rising above the noise, being authentic and trying to judge your 'network' on the number of people who'd really go to bat for you based on what you've done together, not how many tweets they retweeted.  #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein #networking

Startup Weekend legitimately changed my life. Yes, a single weekend did that. (I *did* just happened to do many many of these weekend events because I loved the experience so much). The experience was powerful because of the people and community I met.  Startup Weekend let me truly collaborate with people who changed my entire trajectory - Scott Case, Shane Mac, T. A. McCann, Brad Feld, Bo Fishback, Ian Hunter, Greg Gottesman, Steve Case, Mary Grove, Nick Seguin, Adam Hofmann, Franck Nouyrigat and many more. At the center of the experience was a way to create and build something with others - in a safe, collaborative & educational way. And for me it's what actually inspired my goal to teach through creation (like books, podcasts and more).  #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein   In this conversation, I chat with Marc Nager who lead the charge to transform entrepreneurship around the globe by building Startup Weekend into the force it is today.  We talk about why creating something *together* is at the core of this DNA. (Full conversation linked in the comments.)     #creatorinstitute hashtag #creators hashtag #community hashtag #entrepreneurship hashtag #startups

Tiffany Norwood is a global serial entrepreneur with a career spanning 30 years, seven start-ups, two IPOs and a patent. In her 20s, she raised $670 million to fund a global satellite radio start-up called WorldSpace, within a couple of years XM Radio was born and still exists today as part of Sirius XM. Tiffany is considered one of the pioneers of digital broadcasting. She personally did some of the first ever digital content licensing deals in the 1990s with Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg News) and Phil Kent (CNN). Also, she was an early collaborator with the Fraunhofer Institute and their MP3 and MP4 technologies, spending many nights at their labs in Germany more than 20 years ago. Check out her story!  #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

"I basically wrote a children's book so my kids could meet Elon Musk." Evan Loomis is the definition of an entrepreneur in everything he does. From founding multiple companies, investing in emerging startups and being a leading voice in Austin's startup scene, he's committed to the entrepreneurial life. When his kids began to get old enough to read bedtime stories, Evan realized that there weren't enough stories of real people that could inspire his children.  And in particular he found there weren't any stories about entrepreneurs to teach his kids to dream bigger. So he decided to write one about Elon Musk, the ultimate big-dreamer. "Elon Musk: This Is a Book About Rockets" has received tons of praise and excitement from parents, plus gave him a project to collaborate on with his kids.  Hear how it turned out to be WAY more work than he thought, what Elon said (or didn't) and what he learned along the way.  Find the link to our conversation below. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein #elonmusk #rocketman     

On today's show I talked with Katherine Waldock - she's an Assistant Professor of Finance at the McDonough School of Business and holds a courtesy joint appointment with the Georgetown Law Center. She and Luigi Zingales are co-hosts of Capitalisn't, a podcast about what's working (and what isn't working) in capitalist societies. She received a Ph.D. in Finance from the NYU Stern School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University. Her primary research interests are in corporate bankruptcy, law and finance, small businesses, and financial institutions. Also, Kate has worked as an intern for Lehman Brothers Inc. and the Office of Financial Research, and as a consultant to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post and WalletHub.  #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

On today's episode of the Creator Institute podcast, let me introduce you to Brian Wong - the co-founder and CEO of Kiip (pronounced “keep”), a category-creating mobile rewards network that is redefining mobile advertising through an innovative platform that leverages “moments of achievement” in games and apps to simultaneously benefit users, developers and advertisers. Backed by American Express, Interpublic Group, Hummer Winblad, Relay Ventures, True Ventures, Verizon Ventures, and others, the company has raised $15.4 million in funding to date. Kiip has been listed by Forbes as one of the 4 Hot Online Ad Companies to Watch, Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, and been named to the Dow Jones FasTech50 List. Hear his story! #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

What do you do if your boss tells you "no" -- no you can't launch a podcast or book or video show on your own time? For Aaron Watson, his first step in being told "no" that he couldn't launch his podcast (well actually he said "no, and we can revisit in 3 years) was to go out to his car and scream. But from there, he stepped back, refocused and built a new plan that has led him to become a dynamic force in media and content through his agency Piper Creative, his own podcast and his Going Deep annual conference. On this conversation we look at the emerging craft of Podcasting, particularly through the lens of a 20-something building his own voice, and he shares some of his core takeaways when life doesn't turn out the way you'd planned.  Link to the full episode in the comments. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein  

What's your hedge?  How can you be more strategic about covering your downside?  For Justin Nguyen, on the surface he looks like a gigantic risk taker. But dig a little deeper and you'll see its quite the opposite.  He's leveraged the 'strategic hedge' to build his own path. Today he's become one of the top voices on LinkedIn, runs his own firm and produces content on his podcast and beyond.  So why does hedging often get a negative impression? Justin joined me on the podcast to chat about his own path and how he's leveraged content creation to convince himself (and his parents) that what looks like the risky path is the right path.  It's a fun conversation and big thanks to him for sharing his story. Full episode linked in the comments. #creatorinstitute #entrepreneur #content #podbean #podcast #spotify #itunes #podcasting #soundcloud #youtube #podcasts #stitcher #podcastlife #applepodcasts #radio #podcaster #radioshow #radiopersonality #googleplay #podcasters #music #tunein

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Harry Campbell -- CEO of Durrie Vision and Author for Get-Real Leadership/Culture -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Harry S. Campbell has raised nearly $750,000 for cancer research. When his wife was diagnosed with brain cancer, Harry felt helpless. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help. So he decided to raise money to support cancer research -- and took stock of how best to do it. He decided he could raise money for cancer research organizations by giving speeches -- and if he had a book people would pay him more. So he wrote a book -- not about the cancer -- but about what he knew: authentically leading high performing people across his time a multiple billion dollar companies. He's donated every penny from the book and speeches to cancer research raising nearly $750,000. Having this important reason for writing a book about leadership pushed him to write a better book, to share the message further and to continue to "support" both his wife and the cause near to them both. It's a powerful lesson about why we create -- for Harry it was to showcase his commitment to his spouse, to raise money for something he cared about and spread his message. You really can win with Generosity.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Sarah Peck -- founder and CEO of Startup Pregnant, a media company documenting the stories of women's leadership across family and work -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

As they say, it's not the destination... but the journey. For Sarah Peck, she thought her destination was publishing a book -- a project she undertook with her typical gusto -- but along the way she learned that the conversations she was having with other ambitious women were just too good *not* to share.  As she thought long and hard about what to do with it, she leapt and launched Startup Pregnant, a podcast designed to build a community of women sharing their stories of pregnancy, motherhood and balancing it all in startup, innovative and high ambition jobs. My conversation with Sarah came as she was evaluating her own path -- she decided to take her passion project of the podcast and work to turn it into a business venture.  And not to be outdone, she was doing this while pregnant (and as the journey continued with another small human in her home).  The thoughtfulness of Sarah's own thinking and evaluation is something each of us can learn from -- it's certainly not easy to change what we think we are doing especially when it's to an area we know very little about. But that constant sense of re-evaluation and alignment is what has made her succeed along the many twists and turns.  It's a fun conversation and really dives deeply into why sometimes we need to change the medium to best align to our message.

Does making a choice mean you close the door on the choice you *don't* make? That fear of making the wrong choice can hold many of us back researchers say -- described as the paradox of choice.  But Greg Gottesman offers a perspective that says quite the opposite: making a choice -- and always staying curious regardless of that choice -- can actually open MORE doors than you imagined. I've had the good fortune to know Greg for the better part of a decade, and yet in our conversation I realized that my personal experiences with him -- seeing him operate as a partner at one of the top venture capital investment firms, launch a pet company at a weekend hackathon that has gone on to become a unicorn, and to leave venture full time to start a startup studio creating multiple startups under one umbrella -- is just a microcosm of Greg's history.  He's always been one to jump into an experience and commit fully, but to be aware of the unique opportunities that it presents.  He's operated in top law firms, top investment banking, venture capital and now startups.  And we share how much of that interest may have been spurred early in his career while a college student who published a book about -- college. It's a fascinating conversation that offered the opportunity to look at the power of curiosity to open more doors than you ever thought possible. 

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Allen Gannett -- founder and CEO of Track Maven which was acquired in 2018 and the author of the critically acclaimed book the Creative Curve -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next. 

How did you market your book? According to Allen Gannett, he basically didn't.  Allen realized that today most people don't *really* respond to marketing. Sure, it's helped people recognize him, trust him and see him as credible.  But when it came to actually selling copies of his book... well, as he admits in our conversation, that was all about creating one-on-one relationships with the thousands of people who'd eventually go on to buy his book. Many of us wrongly believe that posting on social media or doing advertising will get people to act.  However, research has proven time and time again that while these sorts of actions can make us more likely to purchase or engage, there isn't anything quite like the human touch to drive action.  And as Allen shares throughout this unique and engaging episode recorded the week of his book launch, a marketing maven who runs one of the largest social media analytics companies, recognized that our ability to connect with humans is rarely one to many... but one on one. Allen is the founder and CEO of Track Maven which was acquired in 2018 and the author of the critically acclaimed book the Creative Curve. Plus he's a friend I'm proud to have had many rounds of breakfasts with in the startup ecosystem.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Jessica Carson -- founder of Wired This Way and the creator of the Colorful Cortex -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How do you go from just creating content to creating content that drives impact?  Jessica Carson was wrestling with that very question -- she was a frequent blogger, had robust relationships in the community and was active in the speaking circuit. But she hadn't had that breakthrough... her inflection point. Many of us struggle to find out how to stand out in a world where more and more people are contributing to the dialogue. The secret may be right in front of us: showcasing our depth.  In researching some of the most successful 20-somethings, we found that over 80% of them created something taht enabled them to highlight their depth -- typically something that took them 6-12 months to complete. On this episode we'll talk to Jessica about her 'inflection' moment when she created and released her "Disruptors Series", an 8-part article series that pulled together some of the core research and insights she'd been thinking, speaking and blogging about for the past several years.  It was in that moment to step back, invest in something more substantive that would showcase her depth that things began to really explode. Jessica is the founder of Wired This Way, a community of innovators focused on finding balance, resilience, and alignment as an entrepreneurial spirit and has a forthcoming book detailing her insights on the psychology of creators.  

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Evan Baehr -- founder of Able Lending, author of Get Backed and professor of Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Should I find a co-author or a co-host for my project?  It's a common question and on the surface seems like it should obviously be a good idea.  Work with someone, divide the contribution, provide accountability and extend your reach.  But as Evan Baehr shares, co-authoring a book is probably a lot like cofounding a startup venture... or even a bit like a marriage. That's not to say you *shouldn't* work on a project with someone else, but a big part of the project is ensuring your at the same point, have the same goals and are both willing to make the shared contribution.  On this conversation we chat about Evan's path as a creator and dive into his experiences of co-authoring a book with Evan Loomis (the "other" Evan as Baehr told me). Evan Baehr is a serial founder of technology companies, venture investor and advisor, best-selling author, and university professor. Baehr is currently the Founder/CEO of Teneo, a national leadership organization, author of Get Backed from Harvard Business Press, professor of marketing at the University of Texas, and cohost of the podcast Our American Experiment.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Gini Dietrich -- one of the nationals preeminent voices in public relations and publicity, the creator of the Spin Suck site and community and the author of "Spin Sucks" -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How do you balance transparency and marketing?  Or can you?   David Perell has begun championing the 'Naked Brands', brands that are transparent, are founded by social media influencers, and prize on-going communication with fans and customers. Gini Dietrich is a public relations guru and she says you can actually balance the two, and describes the power in being transparent AS a marketing tactic and strategy. She took aim at the very industry that was her livelihood -- public relations -- first by launching a blog called Spin Sucks followed by a book of the same name.  Attacking the industry as fixated on spin and marketing over transparency?  Feels like a recipe for getting shunned by that industry. But quite the opposite has happened as Dietrich has become one of the most powerful voices for a new type of publicity and public relations driven by a transparent and ongoing conversation.  And it's worked. On this episode we'll talk about how to re-think transparency as the marketing strategy in and of itself.  Why more of us should be sharing what we're proud of, what we struggle with, how we need help and where we need support.  That openness has led Spin Sucks to become the largest community of public relations professionals on the internet, and an example of why oftentimes it's the community that helps you create the book or the podcast, not the other way around.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Carl Schramm -- the author of "Burn the Business Plan" and a person the Economist named the "evangelist of entrepreneurship" -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Are you curious?  Researchers have found curiosity as a way to improve our self esteem, to increase our sense of purpose and even a way to learn faster. And yet, Carl Schramm worries we're doing it lip service as more student choose STEM fields forsaking the humanities.  Schramm should know as he spent a decade at the helm of Kauffman Foundation the world's largest entrepreneurship focused research institution.  In fact, he believes we should shut down business schools as they've done less to make us more creative and curious than the rest.  Our conversation comes on the heels of the release of Carl's book "Burn the Business Plan" where he examines how to train people to think more entrepreneurial, how to build better businesses and most importantly how to be more curious. 

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Ryan McKee -- Emmy-Winning Producer at the Late Late Show with James Corden and the founder/editor of the Modest Proposal Magazine -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Can you "fail forward"?  Is it possible to fail at something and yet come out ahead?  For Ryan McKee, the failure of the comedy magazine he'd founded stung hard -- it never gained much traction outside of a few places and what momentum it created in his early comedy career was wiped away with a cross country move to New York City in 2008 at the height of the Great Recession.  And yet, just a few years later with the experiences and failures in his back pocket, he's now a two time Emmy-Winning Producer at the Late Late Show with James Corden creating content that makes us laugh, smile and sometimes wonder "what is going on inside that crazy brain."  On the second part of our conversation, we'll discuss how to leverage failure -- much like Ryan did with the failure of Modest Proposal Magazine -- to build our own path and direction.  

Can you "fail forward"?  Is it possible to fail at something and yet come out ahead?  For Ryan McKee, the failure of the comedy magazine he'd founded stung hard -- it never gained much traction outside of a few places and what momentum it created in his early comedy career was wiped away with a cross country move to New York City in 2008 at the height of the Great Recession.  And yet, just a few years later with the experiences and failures in his back pocket, he's now a two time Emmy-Winning Producer at the Late Late Show with James Corden creating content that makes us laugh, smile and sometimes wonder "what is going on inside that crazy brain."  On the first part of our conversation, we'll explore his decision to take a risk, pour his life savings into a magazine just as the digital age was rising and why despite the naysayers he 'went for it'.  

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Justin Lafazan -- founder and CEO of Next Gen Summit and the author of What Wakes You Up?: Designing Kick-Ass Lives Through Entrepreneurship -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How do you build the largest network in the world of ambitious and successful 20-somethings?  According to Next Gen Summit founder and CEO Justin Lafazan, you just ask questions.  Justin had a 'mid-life' crisis at 18 years old before beginning college, deferred his start and decided to go on a gap year.  As he began mapping out what he'd do, he was advised he should try to create something... he was ambitious enough to start to create a book and a conference aimed at younger, ambitious, entrepreneurial people much like himself.  And since then his life has been a whirlwind creating Next Gen Summit which counts thousands of the most successful teen- and 20-somethings in its ranks, hosts events and conferences across the country and inspires others.  But at the very start of all of this was that decision to use a book to ask questions of people he admired -- a lesson Justin believes everyone should apply.  As you'll hear from Justin, it's not necessarily about the finished product, but the process you go through to learn and meet amazing people.   What started as a gap year -- funny enough Justin *still* hasn't even graduated yet -- has led him on an epic adventure that in some ways is still just getting started. And hear how he continues to find excuses to have conversations with people he admires.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Alec Ross -- NY Times Bestselling Author of Industries of the Future, Senior Advisor for Innovation in the State Department and former candidate for Governor of Maryland -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Observe. Take Notes. Review Your Notes. Hunt for Patterns. Share the Patterns. This is the secret of learning out loud like Alec Ross, a NY Times Bestselling Author and former candidate for governor of Maryland.  Yes, Ross had a super cool and unique job: he was the former Senior Advisor for Innovation for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the duration of her term as Secretary of State and through it traveled to every corner of the globe to learn and observe technology's impact in the Arab Spring, farming in India and natural disaster recovery in the Philippines.  But he also was noting what he was seeing and looking for those patterns.  Those patterns served as the basis for his book Industries of the Future, named 2016's book of the year by TriBeCa Film Festival's Disruptive Innovation Foundation.   While you may not be traveling the world and meeting with global dignitaries, we all can observe what's going on in our world, take notes as to what we're seeing, review those notes and find patterns that help us understand. Then -- and this is the secret -- share what you learn for feedback and further growth. It's the power of Learning Out Loud, and all of us can unlock it by observing and hunting for patterns to share.   

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Chris Luecke -- the creator and host of the Pubcast Worldwide podcast and the Manufacturing Happy Hour YouTube show -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How do you feel about your job?  For most people the "its complicated" status would probably be a good answer -- it's mostly good with some elements of not good, and a splash of 'there's something missing to make it better.'  Chris Luecke was one of those people.  He was early in his career and steadily advancing up the ranks of a large Fortune 500 company, but "I was missing that creative element from my job."  He contemplated graduate school -- and that probably would have been seen as the normal, logical, safe play.  But he decided to do something that would end up enabling him to create his own MBA. In the span of a year, Chris launched a YouTube show featuring him drinking beer with his customers -AND- a podcast featuring him drinking beer at famous bars, breweries and festivals. (Notice a theme here?)   But the results have been remarkable, helping Chris combine his passions, increase his exposure inside the company (yes all the way up to the company's CEO) and move from 'it's complicated' to 'I love what they let me do.'  In this episode, we examine how Chris has designed his own 'MBA' that lets him explore his creative side, learn new hands on skills, and develop mastery for future opportunities (maybe a CMO one day).  It's illustrative for many people who are at that transition point in their 20s or 30s where they aren't dissatisfied with their job or their work, but feel like something lacking -- and why most managers crave employees who take risks, try new things and build their own path like Chris has.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Diane Mulcahy -- the author of the Gig Economy and award-winning Babson professor -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

36% of the U.S. workforce has freelanced this year -- and it may offer one of the best ways to grow and manage your own career path. According to author and Babson Professor Diane Mulcahy, the future is quickly becoming about developing a portfolio of work -- perhaps its a full-time job and something on the side to scratch our creative itch or perhaps its a freelance career made up of multiple clients and a variety of work. In our conversation we'll go deeper into how Diane is coaching MBAs and undergrads to re-think careers through the lens of building a portfolio of meaningful work, and how a new set of skills -- the creator skillset -- is critical as each of us makes that transition.  The New Yorker calls her book Gig Economy "part economic argument and part how-to guide."  And in this episode we'll explore how you can reframe work through a portfolio approach and you can have more control, attain more financial flexibility and discover more meaningful work. BUT you might have to do something a little different than those around you.

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Chris Voss -- former FBI Hostage Negotiator, the founder of Black Swan and the author of Wall Street Journal Bestseller Never Split the Difference -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Every human interaction is a negotiation -- we just usually don't think of them that way. But what if you thought of these everyday human interactions as negotiations where your life literally depended on the outcome?  Would you act differently? Would you listen to the demands? Chris Voss is the author of Never Split the Difference and worked in the FBI (and the police force) for over 20 years as a top hostage negotiator, working over 150 kidnappings (probably more but he says he lost count). He shares the power of empathy in every interaction as a way to re-think our engagements and get better outcomes. And he shares one of my favorite insights about the power of generosity on getting what we want -- why psychologically nearly all of us want to 'repay' the favors done for us.  You'll learn how to think purposefully about each interaction to get what you want, when you want it without having to split the difference. Plus I learned what to do if I was ever taken hostage to dramatically improve my chances of making it out alive.  

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Joe Mechlinski -- the founder of SHIFT and the author of NY Times Bestseller Grow Regardless and new release Shift the Workplace -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Researchers say that can a good thing -- some of the world's best like Tom Brady or Steve Jobs use their resentment to prove people wrong again and again. But it can also stop us in our tracks if we fixate on these insecurities. For Joe Mechlinski, he grew up in a rough part of Baltimore until a football scholarship landed him a Johns Hopkins with limited reading and writing skills.  Just how does that guy wind up publishing a NY Times Bestseller that bumped 50 Shades of Grey from the top spot? That chip on his shoulder. Our discussion talks about how to use the insecurities and resentment we all have somewhere -- and continue to create things -- companies, books, podcasts, teams -- and grow.  That "prove it" mentality comes when we decide to invest in creating things that others can judge for themselves, and how each of us can use our own chips for good.  

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Donna Khalife -- the founder and CEO of children's educational company Surprise Ride, author and Shark Tank alum -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How do you decide?  Experts say our decision-making process as either rational or emotional -- meaning we are carefully deliberate, or just act and go with our gut. For Donna Khalife her life was a series of rational, deliberate decisions that led her to the top Business School and job offers in Wall Street and Silicon Valley.  And she took "none of the above", choosing a life following her passions that has led her to the hills of Hollywood, a top rated author and today a Shark Tank alum who's company Surprise Ride has raised millions after first being passed over by the Sharks.  In the second part of our discussion, we'll explore her experiences as an entrepreneur -- how a chance opportunity to appear on Shark Tank forced her and her sister to find their way, overcome rejection and build the business that would make their parents proud.  You'll understand how to prepare for your moment when the clock counts down, the lights go on and it's your chance to pitch in front of millions on a nationally televised stage. 

How do you decide?  Experts say our decision-making process as either rational or emotional -- meaning we are carefully deliberate, or just act and go with our gut. For Donna Khalife her life was a series of rational, deliberate decisions that led her to the top Business School and job offers in Wall Street and Silicon Valley.  And she took "none of the above", choosing a life following her passions that has led her to the hills of Hollywood, a top rated author and today a Shark Tank alum who's company Surprise Ride has raised millions after first being passed over by the Sharks.  In the first part of our discussion, you'll hear how Donna acted 'rationally emotional' by choosing to create her own path that in hindsight isn't all that risky or crazy -- and how you can do the same.  It's a fascinating conversation showing the power of winning in the decision-making moment. 

On this bonus "library" episode, you'll hear what Aneesh Chopra -- the founder and CEO of CareJourney and the country's first Chief Technology Officer under President Obama -- is reading, writing and thinking about creating next.

How can we convince people to bet on us?  It happens all the time -- getting hired, landing an investment in our startup and even people the people who we convince to date or eventually marry us!  For President Obama's first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, he'd assumed politics was his path and ran for Lt. Governor of Virginia... but he lost.  Hoping to break into startups, he soon realized he'd need to raise big bucks to attack the huge problems he saw in the health care sector.  So what could a lifetime policy wonk and government bureaucrat do to get cofounders, VCs and employees to bet on him?  Eric talks with Aneesh about his time in the White House -- including being coined "The Indian George Clooney" by John Stewart on the Daily Show -- and how sometimes what we create is often just as important as what we've done to get others to bet on us.  Eric shows how making a bet on ourselves can help us learn where to go, and offer powerful evidence to others we hope to influence.

New episodes every Tuesday.