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Happy New Year 2026! I love January and the opportunity to start afresh. I know it's arbitrary in some ways, but I measure my life by what I create, and I also measure it in years. At the beginning of each year, I publish an article (and podcast episode) here, which helps keep me accountable. If you'd like to share your goals, please add them in the comments below. 2026 is a transitional year as I will finish my Masters degree and continue the slow pivot that I started in December 2023 after 15 years as an author entrepreneur. Just to recap that, it was: From digitally-focused to creating beautiful physical books; From high-volume, low cost to premium products with higher Average Order Value; From retailer-centric to direct first; and From distance to presence, and From creating alone to the AI-Assisted Artisan Author. I've definitely stepped partially into all of those, and 2026 will continue in that same direction, but I also have an additional angle for Joanna Penn and The Creative Penn that I am excited about. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Leaning into the Transformation Economy The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community Webinars and live events Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn Other possible books Experiment more with AI translation Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway Double down on being human, health and travel You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. Leaning into the Transformation Economy I've struggled with my identity as Joanna Penn and my Creative Penn brand for a few years now. When I started TheCreativePenn.com in 2008, the term ‘indie author' was new and self-publishing was considered ‘vanity press' and a sure way to damage your author career, rather than a conscious creative and business choice. It was the early days of the Kindle and iPhone (both launched in 2007), and podcasting and social media were also relatively new. While US authors could publish on KDP, the only option for international authors was Smashwords and the market for ebooks was tiny. Print-on-demand and digital audio were also just emerging as viable options. While it was the early era of blogging, there were very few blogs and barely any podcasts talking about self-publishing, so when I started TheCreativePenn.com in late 2008 and the podcast in March 2009, it was a new area. For several years, it was like howling into the wind. Barely any audience. Barely any traffic, and certainly very little income. But I loved the freedom and the speed at which I could learn things and put them into practice. Consume and produce. That has always been my focus. I met people on Twitter and interviewed them for my show, and over those early years I met many of the people I consider dear friends even now. Since self-publishing was a relatively unexplored niche in those early years, I slowly found an audience and built up a reputation. I also started to make more money both as an author, and as a creative entrepreneur. Over the years since, pretty much everything has changed for indie authors and we have had more and more opportunity every year. I've shared everything I've learned along the way, and it's been a wonderful time. But as self-publishing became more popular and more authors saw more success (which is FANTASTIC!), other voices joined the chorus and now, there are many thousands of authors of all different levels with all kinds of different experiences sharing their tips through articles, books, podcasting, and social media. I started to wonder whether my perspective was useful anymore. On top of the human competition, in November 2022, ChatGPT launched, and it became clear that prescriptive non-fiction and ‘how to' information could very easily be delivered by the AI tools, with the added benefit of personalisation. You can ask Chat or Claude or Gemini how you can self-publish your particular book and they will help you step by step through the process of any site. You can share your screen or upload screenshots and it can help with what fields to fill in (very useful with translations!), as well as writing sales descriptions, researching keywords, and offering marketing help targeted to your book and your niche, and tailored to your voice. Once again, I questioned what value I could offer the indie author community, and I've pulled back over the last few years as I've been noodling around this. But over the last few weeks, a penny has dropped. Here's my thinking in case it also helps you. Firstly, I want to be useful to people. I want to help. In my early days of speaking professionally, from 2005-ish, I wanted to be the British (introvert) Tony Robbins, someone who inspired people to change, to achieve things they didn't think they could. Writing a book is one of those things. Making a living from your writing is another. So I leaned into the self-help and how-to niche. But now that is now clearly commoditised. But recently, I realised that my message has always been one of transformation, and in the following four areas. From someone who doesn't think they are creative but who desperately wants to write a book, to someone who holds their first book in their hand and proudly says, ‘I made this.' The New Author. From someone who has no confidence in their author voice, who wonders if they have anything to say, to someone who writes their story and transforms their own life, as well as other people's. The Confident Author. From an author with one or a handful of books who doesn't know much about business, to a successful author with a growing business heading towards their first six figure year. The Author-Entrepreneur. And finally, from a tech-phobic, fearful author who worries that AI makes it pointless to create anything and will steal all the jobs, to a confident AI-assisted creative who uses AI tools to enhance and amplify their message and their income. The AI-Assisted Artisan Author. These are four transformations I have been through myself, and with my work as Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, I want to help you through them as well. So in 2026, I am repositioning myself as part of The Transformation Economy. What does this mean? There is a book out in February, The Transformation Economy by B. Joseph Pine II, who is also the author of The Experience Economy, which drove a lot of the last decade's shift in business models. I have the book on pre-order, but in the meantime, I am doing the following. I will revamp TheCreativePenn.com with ‘transformation' as the key frame and add pathways through my extensive material, rather than just categories of how to do things. I've already added navigation pages for The New Author, The Confident Author, The Author-Entrepreneur, and The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, and I will be adding to those over time. My content is basically the same, as I have always covered these topics, but the framing is now different. The intent is different. The Creative Penn Podcast will lean more heavily into transformation, rather than just information — And will focus on the first three of the categories above, the more creative, mindset and business things. My Patreon will continue to cover all those things, and that's also where I post most of my AI-specific content, so if you're interested in The AI-Assisted Artisan Author transformation path, come on over to patreon.com/thecreativepenn I have more non-fiction books for authors coming, and lots more ideas now I am leaning into this angle. I'll also continue to do webinars on specific topics in 2026, and also add speaking back in 2027. It's harder to think about transformation when it comes to fiction, but it's also really important since fiction books in particular are highly commodified, and will become even more so with the high production speeds. Yes, all readers have a few favourite authors but most will also read a ton of other books without knowing or caring who the author is. Fiction can be transformational. Reader's aren't buying a ‘book.' They're buying a way to escape, to feel deeply, to experience things they never could in real life. A book can transform a day from ‘meh' into ‘fantastic!' My J.F. Penn fiction is mostly inspired by places, so my stories transport you into an adventure somewhere wonderful, and they all offer a deeper side of transformative contemplation of ‘memento mori' if you choose to read them in that way. They also have elements of gothic and death culture that I am going to lean into with some merch in 2026, so more of an identity thing than just book sales. I'm not quite sure what this means yet, but no doubt it will emerge. I'll also shape my JFPennBooks.com site into more transformative paths, rather than just genre lists, as part of this shift. My memoir Pilgrimage always reflected a transformation, both reflecting my own midlife shift but I've also heard from many who it has inspired to walk alone, or to travel on pilgrimage themselves. Of course, transformation is not just for our readers or the people we serve as part of our businesses. It's also for us. One of the reasons why we are writers is because this is how we think. This is how we figure out our lives. This is how we get the stories and ideas out of our heads and into the world. Writing and creating are transformative for us, too. That is part of the point, and a great element of why we do this, and why we love this. Which is why I don't really understand the attraction of purely AI-generated books. There's no fun in that for me, and there's no transformation, either. Of course, I LOVE using Chat and Claude and Gemini Thinking models as my brainstorming partners, my research buddies, my marketing assistants, and as daily tools to keep me sparkly. I smiled as I wrote that (and yes, I human-wrote this!) because sparkly is how I feel when I work with these tools. Programmers use the term ‘vibe coding' which is going back and forth and collaborating together, sparking off each other. Perhaps that I am doing is ‘vibe creation.' I feel it as almost an effervescence, a fun experience that has me laughing out loud sometimes. I am more creative, I am more in flow. I am more ‘me' now I can create and think at a speed way faster than ever before. My mind has always worked at speed and my fingers are fast on the keys but working in this way makes me feel like I create in the high performance zone far more often. I intend to lean more into that in 2026 as part of my own transformation (and of course, I share my experiences mainly in the Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn ). [Note, I pay for access to all models, and currently use ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking, Claude Opus 4.5, and Gemini 3 Pro). So that's the big shift this year, and the idea of the Transformation Economy will underpin everything else in terms of my content. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community The Creative Penn Podcast continues in 2026, although I am intending to reduce my interviews to once every two weeks, with my intro and other content in between. We'll see how that goes as I am already finding some fascinating people to talk to! Thank you for your comments, your pictures, and also for sharing the episodes that resonate with you with the wider community. Your reviews are also super useful wherever you are listening to this, so please leave a review wherever you're listening this as it helps with discovery. Thanks also to everyone in my Patreon Community, which I really enjoy, especially as we have doubled down on being human through more live office hours. I will do more of those in 2026 and the first one of the year will blearily UK time so Aussies and Kiwis can come. I also share new content almost every week, either an article, a video or an audio episode around writing craft, author business, and lots on different use cases for AI tools. If you join the Patreon, start on the Collections tab where you will find all the backlist content to explore. It's less than the price of a coffee a month so if you get value from the show, and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn My Books and Travel Podcast is on hiatus for interviews, since the Masters is taking up the time I would have had for that. However I plan to post some solo episodes in 2026, and I also post travel articles there, like my visits to Gothic cathedrals and city breaks and things like that. Check it out at https://www.booksandtravel.page/blog/ Webinars and live events Along with my Patreon office hours, I'm enjoying the immediacy and energy of live webinars and they work with my focus on transformation, as well as on ‘doubling down on being human' in an age of AI, so I will be doing more this year. The first is on Business for Authors, coming on 10 and 24 January, which is aimed at helping you transform your author business in 2026, or if you're just getting started, then transform into someone who has even a small clue about business in general!Details at TheCreativePenn.com/live and Patrons get 25% off. In terms of live in-person events, it looks like I will be speaking at the Alliance of Independent Authors event at the London Book Fair in March, and I'll attend the Self-Publishing Show Live in June, although I won't be speaking. There might be other things that emerge, but in general, I'm not doing much speaking in 2026 because I need to … Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture This represents a lot of work as I am doing the course full-time. I should be finished in September, and much of the middle of the year will be focused on a dissertation. I'm planning on doing something around AI and death, so that will no doubt lead into some fiction at a later stage! Talking of fiction … Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn The Masters is pretty serious, as is academic research and writing in general, and I found myself desperate to write a rollicking fun story over the holiday break between terms. I've talked about this ‘tall-ship' story for a while and now I'm committing to it. Back in 1999, I sailed on the tall-ship Soren Larsen from Fiji to Vanuatu, one of the three trips that shaped my life. It was the first time I'd been to the South Pacific, the first time I sailed blue water (with no land in sight), and I kept a journal and drew maps of the trip. It also helped me a make a decision to leave the UK and I headed for Australia nine months later in early 2000, and ended up being away 11 years in Australia and New Zealand. I came home to visit of course, but only moved back to the UK in 2011, so that trip was memorable and pivotal in many ways and has stuck in my mind. The story is based on that crossing, but of course, as J.F. Penn my imagination turns it into essentially a ‘locked room,' there is no escape out there, especially if the danger comes from the sea. Another strand of the story comes from a recent academic essay for my Masters, when I wrote about the changes in museum ethics around human remains and medical specimens i.e. body parts in jars, and how some remains have been repatriated to the indigenous peoples they were stolen from. I've also talked before about how I love ‘merfolk' horror like Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, and Merfolk by Jeremy Bates. These are no smiling fantasy mermaids and mermen. They are predators. What might happen if the remains of a mer-saint were stolen from the deep, and what might happen to the ship that the remains are being transported in, and the people on board? I'm about a third in, and I am having great fun! It will actually be a thriller, with a supernatural edge, rather than horror, and it is called Bones of the Deep, and it will be out on Kickstarter in April, and everywhere by the summer. You can check out the Kickstarter pre-launch page with photos from my 1999 trip, the cover for the book, and the sales description at JFPenn.com/bones Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com I've dipped my toe into merch a number of times and then removed the products, but now I'm clear on my message of transformation, I want to revisit this. My books remain core for both sites, but for CreativePennBooks, I also want to add other products with what are essentially affirmations — ‘Creative,' ‘I am creative, I am an author,' and variants of the poster I have had on my wall for years, ‘Measure your life by what you create.' This is the affirmation I had in my wallet for years! For JFPennBooks, the items will be gothic/memento mori/skull-related. Everything will be print-on-demand. I will not be shipping anything myself, so I'm working with my designer Jane on this and then need to order test samples, and then get them added to the store. Likely mid-year at this rate! How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn I have a draft of this already which I expanded from the transcript of a webinar I did on this topic as part of The Buried and the Drowned campaign. It turns out I've learned a lot about this over the years, and also on how to make a collection, so I will get that out at some point this year. I won't do a Kickstarter for it, but I will do direct sales for at least a month and include a special edition, workbook, and bundles on my store first before putting it wide. I will also human-narrate that audiobook. Other possible books I'm an intuitive creative and discovery writer, so I don't plan out what I will write in a year. The books tend to emerge and then I pick the next one that feels the most important. After the ones above, there are a few candidates. Crown of Thorns, ARKANE thriller #14. Regular readers and listeners will know how much I love religious relics, and it's about time for a big one! I have a trip to Paris planned in the spring, as the Crown of Thorns is at Notre Dame, and I have some other locations to visit. My ARKANE thrillers always emerge from in-person travels, so I am looking forward to that. Maybe late 2026, maybe 2027. AI + religion technothriller/short stories. I already have some ideas sketched out for this and my Masters thesis will be something around AI, religion, and death, so I expect something will emerge from all that study and academic writing. Not sure what, but it will be interesting! The Gothic Cathedral Book. I have tens of thousands of words written, and lots of research and photos and thoughts. But it is still in the creative chaos phase (which I love!) and as yet has not emerged into anything coherent. Perhaps it will in 2026, and the plan is to re-focus on it after my Masters dissertation. I feel like the Masters study and the academic research process will make this an even better book, But I am holding my plans for this lightly, as it feels like another ‘big' book for me, like my ‘shadow book' (which became Writing the Shadow) and took more than a decade to write! How to be Creative. I have also written bits and bobs on this over many years, but it feels like it is re-emerging as part of my focus on transformation. Probably unlikely for 2026 but now back on the list … Experiment more with AI translation AI-assisted translation has been around for years now in various forms, and I have experimented with some of the services, as well as working with human narrators and editors in different languages, as well as licensing books in translation. But when Amazon launched Kindle Translate in November 2025, it made me think that AI-assisted translation will become a lot more popular in 2026. AI audiobook narration became good enough for many audiobooks in 2025, and it seems like AI-translation will be the same in 2026. Yes, of course, human translation is still the gold standard, as is human narration, and that would be the primary choice for all of us — if it was affordable. But frankly, it's not affordable for most indie authors, and indeed many small publishers. Many books don't get an audiobook edition and most books don't get translated into every language. It costs thousands per book for a human translator, and so it is a premium option. I have only ever made a small profit on the books that I paid for with human translators and it took years, and while I have a few nice translation deals on some books, I'm planning to experiment more with AI translation in 2026. More languages, more markets, more opportunities to reach readers. More on this in the next episode when I'll cover trends for 2026. Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway You have to reach readers somehow, and you have to pay for book marketing with your time and/or your money. Those authors killing it on TikTok pay with their time, and those leaning heavily on ads are paying with money. Most of us do a bit of both. There is no passive income from books, and even a backlist has to be marketed if you want to see any return. But I, like most authors, am not excited about book marketing. I'd rather be working on new books, or thinking about the ramifications of the changes ahead and writing or talking about that in my Patreon Community or here on the podcast. However, my book sales income remains about the same even as I (slowly) produce more books, so I need to do more book marketing in 2026. I said that last year of course, and didn't do much more than I did in 2024, so here I am again promising to do a better job! Every year, I hope to have my “AI book marketing assistant” up and running, and maybe this will be the year it happens. My measure is to be able to upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' and then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. We have something like that already with Amazon auto-ads, but that is specific to Amazon Advertising and only works with certain books in certain genres. I have auto-ads running for a couple of non-fiction books, but not for any fiction. I'd also ideally like more sales on my direct stores, JFPennBooks.com and CreativePennBooks.com which means a different kind of marketing. Perhaps this will happen through ChatGPT shopping or other AI-assisted e-commerce, which should be increasing in 2026. More on that in trends for the year to come in the next show. Double down on being human, health and travel I have a lot of plans for travel both for book research and also holidays with Jonathan but he has to finish his MBA and then we have some family things that take priority, so I am not sure where or when yet, but it will happen! Paris will definitely happen as part of the research for Crown of Thorns, hopefully in the spring. I've been to Paris many times as it's just across the Channel and we can go by train but it's always wonderful to visit again. Health-wise, I'll continue with powerlifting and weight training twice a week as well as walking every day. It's my happy place! What about you? If you'd like to share your goals for 2026, please add them in the comments below — and remember, I'm a full-time author entrepreneur so my goals are substantial. Don't worry if yours are as simple as ‘Finish the first draft of my book,' as that still takes a lot of work and commitment! All the best for 2026 — let's get into it! The post My 2026 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.
Our Mothers Knew It with Maria EckersleyA Creative Study of Come, Follow MeOLD TESTAMENT [GENESIS 1–2; MOSES 2–3; ABRAHAM 4–5]January 12–18 2026OBJECT LESSONS:“ALL THINGS…WERE VERY GOOD”: CREATION PYRAMID BOOKLET (CHART)BY MINE ONLY BEGOTTEN I CREATED: STICKY NOTE TRUTH TESTCHAPTERS=========00:00:14 INTRO00:04:06 INSIGHTS00:41:35 QUESTIONS 100:43:32 QUESTIONS 200:44:36 QUESTIONS 300:46:23 CREATIVE OBJECT LESSONS00:47:39 OBJECT LESSON 100:50:44 OBJECT LESSON 200:56:22 WRAP UPLINKS=====WEB: https://www.gather.meckmom.comETSY: https://www.etsy.com/shop/meckmomINSTAGRAM: Instagram @meckmomlifePODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER=================================This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved, or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Welcome back to When Words Fail, Music Speaks, the podcast where host James Cox explores how music can lift us out of depression and open doors to imagination. In today's episode, James sits down with the multitalented composer‑author Christopher Kaufman—a Brooklyn‑based classical composer, storyteller, and environmental sound‑artist whose work fuses symphonic scores, natural soundscapes, and illustrated fantasy.We'll hear Christopher describe life in his peaceful Brooklyn neighborhood, the eclectic musical “vibes” that swirl from jazz ensembles to full‑blown orchestras, and how his lifelong love for Stravinsky, Metallica and classic fantasy literature fuels his creative engine. Through a rapid‑fire “lightning round,” he reveals his artistic rituals—ink versus instruments, favorite mythic creatures, and the superpower he'd pick for a day (perfect emotional pitch).Christopher then takes us inside his magnum opus, Tales of the Ocean City, a series of eight immersive “audio‑books” that blend orchestral storytelling, original illustrations, and video‑book experiences. He explains how musical tension and resolution shape narrative arcs, how his telepathic Pegasus‑like “Parianths” echo his childhood bond with a beloved dog, and why an organ‑driven theme for King Brohuyn and an electric‑guitar leitmotif for the bard Elah perfectly capture each character's spirit.We'll also explore his belief that imagination can literally heal: by turning the gray sameness of modern life into vivid, musical worlds, we can push back against depression and find hope. Finally, Christopher shares upcoming projects—book 8 of the series, his “Fantastic Theater” performances, and the ever‑growing sound‑artist community on SoundArtists.com, Instagram, and Facebook.Stick around for a sneak‑peek audio excerpt from Tales of the Ocean City, and discover why, for James and Christopher, when words fall short, music tells the whole story.
What actually worked in 2025, and what is starting to fade in 2026?In this year-end panel, Jessey and Kevin sit down with Kay Walker, Josiah Ronco, and Scott Morongell to break down what's still working, what has slowed down, and how each investor is adjusting to new market realities. Direct mail is still strong. Infill lots are more competitive. Creative financing is helping close deals. This is a real look at how investors are shifting their approach and planning for what's next.What you'll learn:- What worked in 2025 and what did not- How infill lot demand is changing- Why creative financing is becoming essential- Direct mail strategies that are still working- Why some investors are mailing while others have stopped- What to expect from tighter markets and shifting buyer profiles
Our year end giveaway where we gave away everything but the kitchen sink
Espresso is proudly powered by our sponsor, Unleashed!
Life's responsibilities can slowly pull us away from the things that light us up. In this episode, Kessonga explores how mindfulness helps quiet external pressure, making room for creativity to return naturally — whether as a hobby, a passion project, or a simple moment of presence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Margo is joined by Sarah Walsh for part two of their heartfelt conversation where they discuss finding inspiration, committing time and energy to yourself, slowing down, and Sarah's Domestika class amongst more. Sarah is an illustrator, painter and designer with home goods, children's books, socially conscious based projects, nature and loves tapping into mystical subject matter as the mainstays of her work. She is also the co-proprietor of the illustrative product based brand Tigersheep Friends. She collects books, new and old, plants, adores folk art and also loves cooking, thrifting, listening to records, haunting coffee shops with her sketchbook and spending time with her favorite humans. Connect with Sarah www.sarahwalshmakesthings.com https://www.etsy.com/shop/Tigersheepfriends www.instagram.com/sarahwalshmakesthings Connect with Margo: Website: www.windowsillchats.com Instagram: @windowsillchats www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry
Grab your tissues and your matcha - we're doing a full 2025 emotional autopsy.Today I'm taking you through my personal year in review: space-cowgirl birthday parties, devastating loss, AI-induced mental glitches, and finally learning how to stop abandoning myself in relationships. This was one of the most plot twist-filled years I've ever had - like WTF happened?!Themes from the episode:The Cape Town summer that was pure lightning in a bottle - and why watching my entire friend group simultaneously couple up while I navigated complex relational issues sent me into an existential spiral about missing invisible boats.Setting the container and having THE scary conversation - how I stopped swallowing feelings to avoid looking "too sensitive," ugly-cried through total honesty, and learned that vulnerability won't actually kill you (even when your nervous system disagrees).When my friends passed in a rafting accident and grief rewired everything - and how loss demolishes your understanding of what actually matters.The AI creativity binge that nearly broke my brain - what happens when you're alone with no friends, no language skills, and only ChatGPT validating your 47th brand iteration until everything you're obsessed with feels boring and nothing matters anymore (scary AF)Maturity as staying put instead of booking another escape flight - why I'm extending in Lima, joining local studios, and forcing myself to deal with shit instead of using travel as emotional avoidance (growth! so sexy!).My 2025 was an invitation to stop performing identities that don't fit me anymore, start saying what I mean, befriending my demons, and contemplating my 200 year plan. Let's spiral together :)Connect with Chelsea:
You don't cultivate joy in a vacuum. You practice it at the dinner table, in hallway drive-bys, during crunch time, and when the person you love most has the office door shut… again. In this episode, I invited my family into the conversation to talk honestly about what the last year and a half of writing Joyosity actually looked like from the inside. Writing a book may have my name on the cover, but it was never a solo act. This episode is tender, funny, occasionally chaotic, and deeply honest about the cost and beauty of meaningful work. Spoiler: This is a much longer than our typical episodes, but it has gummy bears, procrastibaking, missed dinners, deflated balloons, and a lot of love. Here's What's in the Episode: Joy is not a personality trait—it's a practice. And it shows up (or doesn't) in how we handle stress, conflict, and discouragement at home and at work. Big work affects the whole system. Writing a book, leading a team, or building a culture always asks something of the people around you. Creative work always has a “this is terrible” phase. You don't get to skip discouragement—you get to move through it. Leadership lessons are transferable. The same principles that work in organizations show up in dorm rooms, summer camps, theater companies, and families. Joy has to be durable. If joy only works when things are easy, it's not joy—it's a balloon waiting to pop. Moments You'll Hear (and probably laugh at) How my family knew the book was getting intense (hint: missing mugs and increased gummy-bear consumption) The rise and fall of procrast-baking (including truly terrible cookies) What changed in our household rhythms—and what was harder than expected Why writing forces distillation, and why that's both humbling and necessary The story behind the deflated “Y” balloon on the Joyosity cover How joy, play, and leadership show up in real-life conflict (siblings included) Family-Level Truths One of the most honest moments in this conversation is naming what was hard: less availability, missed conversations, unpredictable timelines, and watching someone you love doubt themselves. We also named what made us proud: the integrity of the work, the impact it's already having, and the reminder that meaningful things are rarely easy—but they are worth it. Key Takeaway Big leadership moments don't happen on stage—they happen in kitchens, hallways, and hard conversations. About the Guests: The Whitmer Cavalcade My four kids Chase, Stuart, Sabrina, and Annalise, and my husband, Michael Whitmer. About the Host: Jenn Whitmer Jenn is an international keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and the founder of Joyosity™, helping leaders create positive, profitable cultures through connection, curiosity, and joy. With a background in communication, conflict resolution, and team dynamics, Jenn helps leaders and organizations navigate complex people challenges, reduce burnout, and build flourishing workplaces. Her insights have resonated with audiences worldwide, blending real-world leadership expertise, engaging storytelling, and a dash of humor to make the hard stuff easier. Whether on stage, in workshops, or with coaching clients, Jenn equips leaders with the tools they need to solve conflict, cultivate communication, and lead with purpose. Her book Joyosity and the Joyosity Works Playbooks hit shelves December 9, 2025, offering leaders a fresh approach to joy at work that builds real results. Resources & Links: Get Joyosity and the Joyosity Works Playbook Joyosity: How to Cultivate Intense Happiness in Work & Life (Even If Things Are What They Are) Joy isn't extra. Joy is how you thrive. This book gives leaders the tools to turn exhaustion into resilience and build cultures where work is a joy, people are whole, and organizations flourish. Joyosity Works Playbook: Practical Plays and Strategies for Joy at Work and Beyond is the official companion workbook to Joyosity to help you practice joy every day. Find links to purchase at https://jennwhitmer.com/books Ready to Make a Plan: Joyosity™ Jumpstart → Get crystal clear on what you want, what's in the way, and how to move forward with traction. Starting the Journey: Enneagram Navigator → Stop guessing your type. In this 1:1 session, get clarity on your motivations and blind spots. Ready to Dive In: Joyosity™ Intensive → A one-day transformative experience to realign with your values and build a practical plan for joyful leadership. A Party for More: Bring Jenn & the Joy to Speak → Bring the spark (not just the spark notes!) to your whole team with contagious joy, practical tools, and plenty of laughter. Loved this episode? Rate, review, and share with a fellow leader who's ready to ditch the drama and lead with more joy, curiosity, and clarity.
On this episode of The Tudor Dixon Podcast, Tudor sits down with Johnny and Heidi Bulford of Creative Vets, a nonprofit that uses songwriting and music as a powerful tool to help veterans heal from trauma and reclaim their stories. They share the emotional journey behind their work, including the unforgettable story of World War II veteran Irving Locker, whose life inspired a song that continues to educate younger generations about sacrifice, service, and American history. Learn more about Creative VetsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textThe marketing landscape changed fast in 2025—and sports teams felt it in their revenue. In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine, Jeremy Neisser breaks down 13 real-world marketing lessons that directly impacted ticket sales, renewals, and average order value. No trends, no platforms, no vanity metrics—just the decisions that actually showed up on the revenue report and matter heading into 2026.Key Topics CoveredWhy buying friction quietly kills impulse ticket salesHow revenue exposes bad marketing faster than engagement metricsWhy timing beats messaging when it comes to conversionsThe costly mistake of choosing clever over clearHow personalization (not tech) drove higher salesWhy owned channels became the safest revenue engineHow creative replaced targeting in paid mediaWhy familiar offers outperform “new and shiny” ideasBundles vs. discounts—and why bundles winThe overlooked revenue power of single-game buyersHow promotions train (or damage) fan behaviorWhy retention quietly became cheaper than acquisitionHow top teams turned marketing into a revenue system, not a departmentEpisode Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Why these aren't trends, platforms, or vanity metrics01:30 – Lesson 1: Buying friction kills impulse sales04:53 – Lesson 2: Revenue exposes bad marketing07:15 – Lesson 3: Timing > messaging09:07 – Lesson 4: Clarity always beats cleverness10:54 – Lesson 5: Personalization as a revenue lever13:32 – Lesson 6: Owned channels = owned revenue15:28 – Lesson 7: Creative became the new targeting17:24 – Lesson 8: Familiarity sells faster than novelty19:20 – Lesson 9: Bundles beat discounts20:17 – Lesson 10: Single-game buyers as a growth engine21:42 – Lesson 11: Promotions train fan behavior23:09 – Lesson 12: Retention beats acquisition25:00 – Lesson 13: Marketing as a revenue systemCall to ActionIf this episode sparked an idea—or exposed something you need to fix—reach out at sportsmarketingmachine.com or connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn. And if alignment still isn't happening between sales and marketing on your team, this episode is required listening.Why This Episode MattersThe teams that won in 2025 didn't shout louder or spend more—they reduced friction, showed up at the right moment, personalized their offers, and aligned sales, marketing, and data around revenue. These 13 lessons are your blueprint for turning marketing into predictable ticket sales in 2026.Links mentioned:Episode 140: Mystery Park Promo that Sold 700 TicketsEpisode 137: Make Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Offer So Good! Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine
This episode covers one of the least sexy but most dangerous blind spots in mobile ad monetization:If you don't actively control what ads appear in your game,your retention is being taxed without you noticing.Felix breaks down how creative & category blocking really works across networks and why most publishers misunderstand it.Key truths from the episode:Blocking is mostly reactive, not proactiveMediation is not a global kill switch — you must block ads on every networkCategory blocking alone is never enoughSome networks give full control, others give almost noneAggressive end cards silently kill retentionRevenue loss from cleaner ads is much smaller than people fear (~12%)Having a centralized block list is a massive operational advantage“Parity” is the only language networks respect when negotiating ad formatsGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — Why ad quality quietly kills retention01:45 — Why blocking is mostly reactive03:30 — Category blocking: what it actually solves05:40 — Why category blocking is never enough07:20 — Mediation myth: why ads aren't blocked globally09:40 — Why you need a centralized block list12:00 — Network-by-network control differences14:40 — Aggressive end cards & hidden retention damage17:30 — Revenue trade-offs (the real numbers)18:45 — Final takeaway---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Team Simon is revisiting some of the episodes you helped make our favorites of the year until A Bit of Optimism returns on January 27, 2026, with brand-new episodes.We're rewinding back to August, when talented polymath Elle Cordova joined the show and unpacked how we're all wired to chase the next spark. We scroll, swipe, refresh, and repeat—but some of our brightest ideas sneak in when we stop chasing, let boredom settle in, and give our minds room to wander.Elle knows the power of that pause. When the pandemic hit pause on her life as a touring musician, she stumbled into new creative territory—making offbeat comedy videos about delightfully nerdy topics like particle physics, grammar, and fonts. Those sketches went viral, and suddenly she was thriving as a social media creator with a devoted following.In this episode, Simon and Elle talk about finding what truly lights you up, pushing through writer's block, working with anxiety—and yes, Star Wars makes an appearance (because of course it does). Plus, Elle treats us to a live, in-studio performance of her song “Roswell.”This… is A Bit of Optimism.---------------------------For more on Elle, check out: https://www.ellecordova.com/
*Previously aired episode* Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel talk with Casey Mericle about his innovative approach to commercial real estate investing through creative financing. Mericle shares his strategy of acquiring properties at higher prices in exchange for favorable seller financing terms, which he then leverages by moving the mortgages to other value-add properties. He explains how he structures deals to solve multiple parties' problems simultaneously, particularly in helping 1031 exchange investors find temporary parking spots for their capital. The conversation provides detailed insights into using options, navigating seller financing, and creating win-win scenarios in today's high-interest-rate environment. Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/ Join the Best Ever Community The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria. Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at www.bestevercommunity.com Podcast production done by Outlier Audio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's solo episode, I'm back with Part Two of my 2026 Glow Up Series, and we're diving into what it actually takes to become your healthiest and hottest self. I break down my current wellness routine—from daily walking habits and my exact workout split, to the supplements I swear by and how I structure my meals to feel energized, strong, and satisfied. We talk about protein, fiber, hydration, and why having a weekly food plan is key if you want consistency without burnout. I also share my non-negotiables for sleep, wind-down routines, and supporting your nervous system so your body can truly recover. This episode is all about building sustainable habits that make you feel good in your body, confident in your choices, and glowing from the inside out. Enjoy!To connect with Siff on Instagram, click HERE.To connect with Siff on Tiktok, click HERE.To learn more about Arrae, click HERE. To check out Siff's LTK, click HERE.To check out Siff's Amazon StoreFront, click HERE. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.If you have been eyeing their internet famous 12 piece cookware set, now is the perfect time to buy! You can shop Caraway Risk-Free! Enjoy fast, free shipping, easy returns, and a 30-day trial. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/DREAMBIGGER you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase. This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit Carawayhome.com/DREAMBIGGER or use code DREAMBIGGER at checkout. Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern.Use code DREAMBIGGER at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only. Vionic Shoes. Wearable well-being for your feet.Go to shopify.com/DREAMBIGGERProduced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the final days of 2025, Jen and Pete noodle on what should be the top priority to have prepared as we move in to 2026.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:Why is it important to have an idea of what success looks like for you?What is an outcome goal? What is a process goal?How might we measure and take an audit of our existing assets?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).
In this New Year's Eve's Eve episode, Michael Raso, Mat Marrash, Trev Lee, Leslie Lazenby, Mark O'Brien, and Owen McCafferty reflect on 2025 and share their creative aspirations for 2026. Trev discusses his first experience shooting with a Lomography MC-A 35mm camera, while Mat gives thumbs up to the new Intrepid Mark IV large format cameras. Plus, listener letters round out the episode. “Sometimes the best creative reset is just picking up a different camera and seeing where it takes you.” - Trev Lee. TheDarkroom.com “Large format is alive and well, and Intrepid keeps making it more accessible.” - Mat Marrash, marrash.com “The goal for 2026 is simple: shoot more, overthink less.” - Michael Raso, FilmPhotographyProject.com
Get the inside scoop on how Sam Demma became the youngest Certified Speaking Professional and booked over 750 paid speaking gigs, all before 2025. In this episode of Speakernomics, Sam breaks down the exact outreach and sales strategies that built his thriving speaking business in the education market.Here's what you'll learn in this episode:* How Sam focused and expanded his market from local schools in Ontario to the entire US and Canada* The concrete sales and outreach tactics he used to land hundreds of gigs, including video emails and social media* Why value always wins over budget objections—and how to position yourself for higher fees* The three-part sales playbook (pre-call, during-call, post-call) Sam uses to consistently close 30-40% of leads* Creative ways to turn “no” into new opportunities and keep your speaking pipeline fullIf you want a no-nonsense blueprint for growth as a professional speaker, this episode is packed with actionable advice you can use right away! Become an NSA Member! https://nsaspeaker.org/join/#membership THRIVE 2026! You NEED to be here! https://thrive.nsaspeaker.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"1% for the planet…the way it works is that we have businesses who are our members, and they're actually supporting environmental partners at the level of 1% of revenues….You invest in the things that matter and the planet matters.…(to) drive impact at scale. And so, in terms of that scale, last year we certified US$100million of support going from these companies to environmental partners….When a company joins, they pay a dues fee to us, but then the rest of their 1%, they will give directly to environmental partners….And then at the end of each year, we certify that giving." ate Williams on Electric Ladies Podcast This time of year we are likely making donations, but this episode is about a creative way to make a bigger difference – and all year long with the normal stuff you buy. You'll hear about businesses, partnering with nonprofits, leveraging each other's strengths and networks to have a much larger impact. We sure need to have a much larger impact right now. So, how do we scale donations and impact? Listen to Kate Williams, CEO of 1% For The Planet on how they help companies of all sizes and shapes leverage and certify their donations strategically in this fascinating discussion with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson. You'll hear about: How 1% For The Planet works – and why they certify their members' donations. How their Planet Impact Fund works – and the four areas they focus on. Stories of donations that made a big difference, and creative ways they did it Trends they have seen I the corporate donations over the past 10 years. Plus, insightful career advice, such as… "A couple things. One is, step forward and step up before you think you might be ready.… Becoming a CEO or C-suite can be one way that you progress, but you can also just become really deeply knowledgeable in a particular area.… Sometimes as women and just as humans, we can maybe hold ourselves back. So, I would say like, step up before you're ready.…(S)upport appears when once I've taken the step….The other thing is stay open to serendipity…We may forget that serendipity is sometimes how the opportunities that we get to step into are shown to us…. So, stay open." Kate Williams on Electric Ladies Podcast Read Joan's Forbes article about this new report here and more of her articles here too. You'll also like: · Zainab Salbi, Cofounder of Daughters for Earth, one of the partners in One Earth – and Founder of Women to Women International and its former CEO · Rosemary Atieno, Women Climate Centers International – on how they are helping women in rural Kenya grow their economies and address climate change at the same time. · Justin Winter, Cofounder, One Earth, on "philanthro-activism". · Laur Hesse Fisher, MIT's Environmental Solutions Initiative on making a difference from where you are. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our podcasts, blog, events and special coaching offers.. Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson
Today, host John Parker and Executive Producer Jim Pounds wrap up 2025 and preview 2026!Here's what we discuss:Where was our podcast listened to this year? Did we make any chart rankings this year?Press coverage!Favorite episodes of 2025Preview of upcoming episodes in 2026Share with us the queer book that saved your life on the podcast!Will you join the podcast as an Associate Producer in 2026?Our BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John ParkerExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Troy Ford, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, Sofia Nerman, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the show
What happens when a luxury flip goes over budget, over timeline, and still makes six figures? In this episode of the Get Creative Podcast, host Jordan Whittenburg sits down with real estate investor Adam Colburn to break down a real-world creative finance luxury flip in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Adam walks through how he used a Subto + novation-style structure to acquire a dated home in a prestigious neighborhood, renovate it with minimal capital out of pocket, and still walk away with nearly $100,000 in profit — despite unexpected rehab overruns and a 14-month timeline. Connect with Adam: https://www.instagram.com/theadamcolburn/ ➡️ Meet Pace on the Creative Nation Tour: https://bit.ly/GetCreativeNationTour ➡️ Download the Free SubTo A-Z e-book: https://subto.sjv.io/qzd0Vb ➡️ Get the CRM that will take you further: https://www.gohighlevel.com/pace ➡️ Use Creative Listing for FREE to buy and sell creatively: https://bit.ly/CreativeListing ➡️ Join the SubTo Community: https://subto.sjv.io/RG6EDb ➡️ Become a Top Tier Transaction Coordinator: https://toptiertc.pxf.io/yqmoxW ➡️ Discover the Gator Method: https://gator.sjv.io/6yYWBG ➡️ Get to the SquadUp Summit Conference: https://bit.ly/GetToSquadUpSummit COMMUNITY MEMBERS! ➡️ Get Featured on the Get Creative Podcast: https://bit.ly/GetCreativeGuestForm Refer a Friend to SubTo: refer.nre.ai/subto Refer a Friend to TTTC: refer.nre.ai/tttc Refer a Friend to Gator: refer.nre.ai/gator PLUG IN & SUBSCRIBE Creative Real Estate Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativefinancewithpacemorby Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacemorby/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaceMorby TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pacemorby X: https://x.com/PaceJordanMorby The Pace Morby Show: https://www.youtube.com/@thepacemorbyshow
In this transformative episode, I sit down with Gabriela Blandy—writer, life coach, breathwork facilitator, and shamanic practitioner—to explore the deeper reasons behind creative resistance and procrastination. Gabriela reveals that most of us weren't taught that our dreams are our most precious possession, leading to automatic patterns of looking away from our creative urges. She explains how childhood conditioning creates physical tension in our bodies that literally blocks creative energy from flowing, and why traditional productivity tips often fail when deeper emotional and energetic wounds haven't been addressed. Through practical techniques like chakra-based body diagnostics, specific movement practices, and reconditioning journaling prompts, Gabriela offers accessible ways for writers to identify where they're holding tension and learn to welcome creative energy back into their bodies. This conversation goes beyond surface-level writing advice to address the root causes of creative blocks, helping writers understand that procrastination isn't about lack of commitment—it's about safety and the need to heal our relationship with creativity itself.For more on The San Francisco Writers Conference, visit here.For more on Gabriela: Website | SubstackFind more on Nicole : Website | Substack
Creative RabbiBoth Michelle and Rabbi Yitzi discuss how their passions have empowered them in their careers, with a focus on teaching, uplifting others, and creative expression.Balancing ValuesRabbi Yitzi talks about the Jewish tradition of asking questions and balancing competing values, drawing parallels to the story of "Fiddler on the Roof."SummaryIn this engaging conversation, Michelle Zeitlin interviews Yitzi Wiener, a rabbi and media entrepreneur, exploring his journey from aspiring architect to rabbi, and now to a media figure. They discuss the importance of teaching, storytelling, and the role of questions in learning. Yitzi shares insights on journalism, the impact of current events on personal health, and the dynamics of family life. The conversation culminates in a reflection on passion and purpose, emphasizing the importance of uplifting others through meaningful work.TakeawaysYitzi's journey from aspiring architect to rabbi was driven by a desire to help others.The role of questions in Judaism encourages deeper thinking and engagement.Storytelling is a powerful tool for learning and sharing experiences.Yitzi aims to create uplifting content through his media ventures.The importance of focusing on commonalities rather than divisions in society.Navigating the challenges of journalism in a polarized world is crucial.Personal reflections on current events highlight the emotional toll of global issues.Family dynamics change as children grow and learn to support each other.Passion for teaching and uplifting others is central to Yitzi's mission.Finding purpose in one's passions can lead to a fulfilling life."A question makes you think."Turning the Tables: Yitzi Wiener's JourneyBecoming a Rabbi: The Path to Smicha (or Semicha) Teaching and Media: Bridging Two WorldsAuthority Magazine: A New Kind of JournalismThe Importance of Questions in JudaismStories as a Learning ToolThe Role of Journalism in Today's SocietyCreative Writing and Community EngagementNavigating Current Events and Jewish IdentityReflection and GoalsMichelle Zeitlin reflects on the past year and discusses her excitement about the interview with Rabbi Yitzi Weiner, highlighting the importance of reflection, goal setting, and learning from experiences in the arts and entertainment industry.Rabbi Yitzi Weiner's JourneyRabbi Yitzi shares his journey to becoming a rabbi, emphasizing the extensive learning required and his focus on teaching Torah to help others live a refined life.Authority MagazineRabbi Yitzi discusses the founding of Authority Magazine, aiming to provide empowering and nourishing stories, contrasting with the often negative and addictive nature of traditional news.Importance of StoriesThe conversation highlights the power of stories in teaching and learning, with Rabbi Yitzi emphasizing that stories are a fundamental way humans learn and connect across generations.
This episode originally aired on October 31, 2023. We'll be back with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf on 1/7/26. Happy Holidays!Dave sits down with Jared Taitel, Director, eCommerce Marketing at PepsiCo, for a wide-ranging conversation on scaling creativity in one of the world's most complex digital commerce environments.Jared shares how PepsiCo approached creative automation early - and how the partnership with It'sRapid helped his team move away from one-off asset creation toward a more scalable, repeatable model across thousands of SKUs. The conversation explores what it takes to operationalize creative at enterprise scale, without sacrificing quality or brand standards.Dave and Jared also discuss Jared's unconventional path from the music industry into marketing leadership, the mindset shifts required to navigate constant change, and how emerging technologies, including generative AI, are reshaping retail media, content production, and team workflows.Connect with Jared on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It'sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It'sRapid's Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
If you've ever found yourself with 82 browser tabs (mental or literal!) open while simultaneously achieving nothing, this conversation is for you.Ways to connect, more info & resources - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/albert-bramanteDr. Albert Bramante joined me to talk about why performers and educators are especially vulnerable to self-sabotage and what we can actually do about it. As a performance psychologist and talent agent who's spent over 20 years working with actors and teachers, Albert has seen the patterns that keep talented people stuck.The conversation got real pretty quickly when Albert pointed out something most of us don't want to admit: that nervous feeling before you perform or teach is physiologically identical to excitement. Your body can't tell the difference between stage fright and anticipation. The only thing that changes is the story you tell yourself about those butterflies.Albert explained that chronic procrastination and perfectionism are just two sides of the same coin. When you want something to be perfect and you know it never will be, you just never start. Or you start so late that failure becomes inevitable. It's a beautiful self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps you safe from ever really trying.Teachers and performers face unique pressure because there's rarely immediate feedback. You might impact someone's life and never know it. A student might not realize what you taught them until years later. An audience member might be deeply moved but never say a word. That absence of validation feeds impostor syndrome like nothing else.We also dug into the myth of multitasking. Spoiler: it doesn't exist. What we call multitasking is actually just rapid task-switching, and it's killing our productivity. Albert recommended the three to five tab rule (yes, I felt personally attacked), and pointed out that when you have too many choices or too many things open, you get paralyzed and accomplish nothing.One of the most powerful moments came when we talked about trauma and grief. Albert made it clear that if you can't talk about a traumatic event the way you'd describe what you had for breakfast last week, you still have work to do. And that's okay! Healing isn't linear! You can get all the way to acceptance and wake up the next day right back in anger.His advice for anyone caught in the self-sabotage cycle is to remember that you are enough. Most people walk around thinking they're not worthy of success or happiness, and that belief becomes the script they follow.The practical takeaway that hit hardest: if opening your email makes you feel like you're drowning, if you're always tired but never resting, if every year feels the same as the last one, you're probably holding yourself back. And the first step to changing it is just noticing that it's happening.Because self-sabotage isn't usually conscious. Nobody wakes up and decides to ruin their own day. But once you see the pattern, you can start to change it.This conversation was a reminder that getting in your own way isn't a character flaw. But it IS a protection mechanism that's outlived its usefulness. Your brain thinks it's keeping you safe by convincing you to wait for the perfect moment or do more research or tell yourself you're too tired. Safe and stuck look pretty similar from the outside. If you're a teacher wondering if you're making any difference, or a creative person tired of your own excuses, or just someone who's spent too many years in the same place wondering why nothing ever changes, this episode might be the wake-up call you didn't know you needed.
We're starting this episode on a high — celebrating our Spotify Wrapped 2025 win, looking back at the things we actually showed up for this year, and recapping how 2025 really went. From there, things spiral in true MOS fashion. We play Guilty or Not?, debate whether Goa is still the default New Year's Eve personality. The conversation then takes a sharp turn into rich-people behaviour. Somewhere in between, Kim Kardashian's pubic hair wig enters the chat — followed by a much-needed, grown-girl conversation on intimate hygiene in collaboration with Lactacyd, the world's No.1 intimate care brand. Lactacyd's scientifically formulated intimate wash is designed specifically for intimate skin, helping maintain hygiene and comfort as part of your everyday self-care routine — because taking care of yourself should be normal.We also launched the MOS website's Gossip Wall, sharing ways people catch cheaters, and finally hosting the MOS Awards 2025. #ADCheck out @India.Lactacyd – the world's no. 1 intimate care brand. Scientifically formulated wash for your intimate skin. Buy on Amazon:https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0882C147Q/?m=A3SSLR4ZHBRG20/ref=lacamdec(00:00) – Hello hi, we've entered the chat(02:11) – Spotify Wrapped said we won(04:17) – 2025 recap: things we actually did right(06:54) – Christmas 2025 ft. vibes, chaos & snacks(09:03) – Game time: Guilty or Not? (be honest)(11:38) – Is Goa still NYE core or are we tired now?(14:13) – Healing is switching to whole wheat (16:45) – Rich people things: Anant Ambani, Rolex & us observing(18:45) – Return gifts but make them rich(23:34) – Watching The Crown as an Indian = free rage therapy(26:33) – Burj Khalifa dreams vs Delhi bungalow reality(28:57) – Traitors, Rebel Kid & internet opinions we didn't ask for(30:56) – Kim K's pubic hair wig + Lactacyd moment(33:22) – Saif Ali Khan attack news & collective shock(36:05) – Did you stalk our website yet? Gossip Wall is LIVE(40:45) – How to catch a cheater (45:36) – MOS Awards 2025(50:40) – Like, subscribe, share, hype & help us manifest 100KVisit our website- https://mos-pod.com/Follow MoS on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/momentofsil...Credits: Naina Bhan - Co-host and certified overthinkerhttps://www.instagram.com/nainabee?ig...Sakshi Shivdasani - Co-host, balancing out Naina's overthinking with a healthy dose of not thinkinghttps://www.instagram.com/sakshishivd...Senior Producer- Amruta P. www.linkedin.com/in/amruta-bandivdekar-01879925Produced by Handmade - Our personal cheering squad https://www.instagram.com/thehandmade...Creative direction by Tinkre, Keeper of MoS' signature “Pookie” energy Natascha Mehrahttps://www.instagram.com/tinkre.in/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/natascha.zip/?hl=en Researched by our very own curiosity engineer - Aashna Sharma https://www.linkedin.com/in/aashna-sharma-913146179Disclaimer: This content is for general awareness and reflects my personal experience. It is not medical advice and isn't meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Helps match natural pH” refers to the known action of lactic acid as supported by published literature. Individual results may vary, and no therapeutic benefits are implied. ( Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2023;89:729-32 | Antibiotics 2020,9,55) Helps provide comfort from itching, irritation, burning and bad odour (: J Pak Med Assoc 2016 May;66(5):521-7). Please consult a registered medical practitioner for any medical advice.MAT-IN-2501422 v1.0.12.25The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are for entertaining purposes only and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts, the production team, or affiliated brand. We don't claim to be experts- just two people with Wi-fi and feelings. While we encourage open dialogue, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information shared. Listener discretion is advised — especially if you're allergic to strong opinions.
DMN487 การตลาดโลกฟุตบอลของ Nike by CREATIVE TALK
Another year ends, and once more, it's time to reflect on our creative goals. I hope you can take the time to review your goals and you're welcome to leave a comment below about how the year went. Did you achieve everything you wanted to? Let me know in the comments. It's always interesting looking back at my goals from a year ago, because I don't even look at them in the months between, so sometimes it's a real surprise how much they've changed! You can read my 2025 goals here and I go through how things went below. In the intro, Written Word Media 2025 Indie Author Survey Results, TikTok deal goes through [BBC]; 2025 review [Wish I'd Known Then; Two Authors], Kickstarter year in review; Plus, Anthropic settlement, the continued rise of AI-narrated audiobooks, and thinking/reasoning models (plus my 2019 AI disruption episode). My Bones of the Deep thriller, pics here, and Business for Authors webinars, coming soon. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. J.F. Penn books — Death Valley, The Buried and the Drowned, Blood Vintage Joanna Penn books — Successful Self-Publishing, 4th Edition The Creative Penn Podcast and my community on Patreon/thecreativepenn Unexpected addition: Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester Book marketing. Not quite a fail but definitely lacklustre. Reflections on my 50th year Double down on being human. Travel and health. You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. J.F. Penn — Death Valley. A Thriller. This was my ‘desert' book, partially inspired by visiting Death Valley, California in 2024. It's a stand-alone, high stakes survival thriller, with no supernatural elements, although there are ancient bones and a hidden crypt, as it wouldn't be me otherwise! The Kickstarter campaign in April had 231 Backers pledging £10,794 (~US$14,400) and the hardback is a gorgeous foiled edition with custom end papers and research photos as well as a ribbon. As an AI-Assisted Artisan Author, I used AI tools to help with the creative and business processes, including the background image of the cover design, the custom end papers, and the Death Valley book trailer, which I made with Midjourney and Runway ML. The audiobook is also narrated by my J.F. Penn voice clone, which took a while to get used to, but now I love it! You can listen to a sample here. I published Death Valley wide a few months later over the summer, so it is now out on all platforms. J.F. Penn — Blood Vintage. A Folk Horror Novel, and Catacomb audiobook I did a Kickstarter for the hardback edition of Blood Vintage in late 2024, and then in 2025, worked with a US agent to see if we could get a deal for it. That didn't happen, and although there were some nice rejections, mostly it was silence, and the waiting around really was a pain in the proverbial. So, after a year on submission, I published Blood Vintage wide, so it's available everywhere now. My voice clone narrated the audiobook, listen to a sample here. I also finally produced the audiobook for Catacomb, which is a stand-alone thriller inspired by the movie Taken and the legend of Beowulf set in the catacombs under Edinburgh. I used a male voice from ElevenLabs, and you can listen to a sample here. The book is also available everywhere in all formats. J.F. Penn — The Buried and the Drowned Short Story Collection One of my goals for 2025 was to get my existing short stories into print, mainly because they exist only as digital ebook and audiobook files, which in a way, feels like they almost don't exist! Plus, I wanted to write an extra two exclusive stories and launch the special edition collection on Kickstarter Collection and then publish wide. I wrote the two stories, The Black Church, inspired by my Iceland trip in March, and also Between Two Breaths, inspired by an experience scuba diving at the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand almost two decades ago. There are personal author's notes accompanying every story, so it's part-short story fiction, part-memoir, and I human-narrated the audiobook. I achieved this goal with a Kickstarter in September, 2025, with 206 Backers pledging almost £8000 (~US$10,600) for the various editions. I also did my first patterned sprayed edges and I love the hardback. It has head and tail bands which make the hardback really strong, gorgeous paper, foiling, a ribbon, colour photos, and custom end papers. The Buried and the Drowned is now out everywhere in all editions. As ever, if you enjoy the stories, a review would be much appreciated! Joanna Penn Books for Authors Early in the year, How to Write Non-Fiction Second Edition launched wide as I only sold it through my store in 2024, so it's available everywhere in all formats including a special hardback and workbook at CreativePennBooks.com. While I didn't write it in 2025, I made the money on it this year, which is important! I also unexpectedly wrote the Fourth Edition of Successful Self-Publishing, mainly because I saw so much misinformation and hype around selling direct, and I also wanted to write about how many options there are for indie authors now. The ebook and audiobook (narrated by human me) are free on my store, CreativePennBooks.com and also available in print, in all the usual places. If you haven't revisited options for indie authors for a while, please have a read/listen, as the industry moves fast! All my fiction and non-fiction audiobooks are now on YouTube After an inspiring episode with Derek Slaton, I put all my audiobooks and short stories on YouTube. Firstly, my non-fiction channel is monetised so I get some income from that. It's not much, but it's something. More importantly, it's marketing for my books, and many audiobook listeners go on to buy other editions especially non-fiction listeners who will often buy print as well. I'm one of those listeners! It's also doubling down on being human, since I human narrate most of my audiobooks, including almost all of my non-fiction, as well as the memoir, and short stories. This helps bring people into my ecosystem and they may listen to the podcast as well and end up buying other books or joining the Patreon. Finally, in an age of generative AI assisted search recommendations, I want my books and content inside Gemini, which is Google's AI. I want my books surfaced in recommendations and YouTube is owned by Google, and their AI overviews often point to videos. Only you can decide what you want to do with your audiobooks, but if you want to listen to mine, they are on YouTube @thecreativepenn for non-fiction or YouTube @jfpennauthor for fiction and memoir. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community It's been another full year of The Creative Penn Podcast and this is episode 842, which is kind of crazy. If you don't know the back story, I started podcasting in March 2009 on a sporadic schedule and then went to weekly about a decade ago in 2015 when I committed to making it a core part of my author business. Thanks to our wonderful corporate sponsors for the year, all services I personally use and recommend — ProWritingAid, Draft2Digital, Kobo Writing Life, Bookfunnel, Written Word Media, Publisher Rocket and Atticus. It's also been a fantastic year inside my Patreon Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn so thanks to all Patrons! I love the community we have as I am able to share my unfiltered thoughts in a way that I have stopped doing in the wider community. Even a tiny paywall makes a big difference in keeping out the haters. I've done monthly audio Q&As which are extra solo shows answering patron questions. I've also done several live office hours on video, and shared content every week on AI tools, writing and author business tips. Patrons also get discounts on my webinars. I did two webinars on The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, which I am planning to run again sometime in 2026 as they were a lot of fun and so much continues to change. If you get value from the show and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn We have almost 1400 paying members now which is wonderful. Thanks for being part of the Community! Unexpected goal of the year: Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester During the summer as I did my gothic research, I realised that I was feeling quite jaded about the publishing world and sick of the drama in the author community over AI. My top 5 Clifton Strengths are Learner, Intellection, Strategic, Input, and Futuristic — and I needed more Input and Learning. I usually get that from travel and book research, but I wasn't getting enough of that since Jonathan is busy finishing his MBA. So I decided to lean into the learning and asked ChatGPT to research some courses I could do that would suit me. It found the Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester, which I could do full-time and online. It would be a year of reading quite different things, writing academic essays which is something I haven't done for decades, and hanging out with a new group of people who were just as fascinated with macabre topics as I am. I started in September and have now finished the first term, tackling topics around thanatology and death studies, hell and the afterlife in the Christian tradition, and the ethics of using human remains to inspire fiction, amongst other interesting things. It was a challenge to get back into the style of academic essay writing, but I'm enjoying the rigour of the research and the citations, which is something that the indie author community needs more of, a topic I will revisit in 2026. I have found the topics fascinating, and the degree is a great way to expand my mind in a new direction, and distract me from the dramas of the author community. I'll be back into it in mid-January and will finish in September 2026. Book marketing. Not quite a fail but definitely lacklustre. I said I would “Do a monthly book marketing plan and organise paid ad campaigns per month for revolving first books in series and my main earners.” I didn't do this! I also said I would organise my Shopify stores, CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com into more collections to make it easier for readers to find things they might want to buy. While I did change the theme of CreativePennBooks.com over to Impulse to make it easier to find collections, I haven't done much to reorganise or add new pathways through the books. I'm rolling this part of the goal into 2026. I said I would reinvigorate my content marketing for JFPenn, and make more of BooksAndTravel.page with links back to my stores, and do fiction specific content marketing with the aim of surfacing more in the LLMs as generative search expands. I did a number of episodes on Books and Travel in 2025, but once I started the Masters, I had to leave that aside, and although I have started some extra content on JFPennBooks.com, I am not overly enthusiastic about it! I also said I would “Leverage AI tools to achieve more as a one-person business.” I use AI tools (mainly ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) every day for different things but as ever, I am pretty scatter gun about what I do. I lean into intuition and I love research so I am more likely to ask the AI tools to do a deep research report on south Pacific merfolk mythology, or how gothic architecture impacted sacred music, or geology and deep time, rather than asking for marketing hooks. I intended to use more AI for book marketing, but as ever, I was too optimistic about the timeline of what might be possible. There's lots you can do with prompting, finessing things and then posting on various platforms, but I'm not interested in spending time doing that. My gold standard for an AI assistant is to feed it the finished book and then say, “Here's a budget. Go market this,” and not have to connect lots of things together into some Frankenstein-workflow. That's not available yet. Maybe in 2026 … Of course, I still do book marketing. I have to in order to sell any books and make money from book sales. We all have to do some kind of book marketing! I have my Kickstarter launches which I put effort into, as well as consistent backlist sales fed by the podcast, and my email newsletter (my combined list is around 60K). I have auto campaigns running on Amazon Ads, and I have used Written Word Media campaigns as well as BookBub throughout the year. This is basically the minimum, so as usual, must do better! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only author saying this! However, my business has multiple streams of income, and I have the podcast sponsorship revenue as well as the Patreon, plus sporadic webinars, which add to my bottom line and don't require paid advertising at all. Reflections on my 50th year I woke up on my 50th birthday in March in Iceland, by the Black Church of Budir out on the Skaefellsnes peninsula. As seals played in the sea and we walked in the snow over the ancient lava field under the gaze of the volcano that inspired Jules Verne Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and my short story, The Black Church, which you can find in my collection, The Buried and the Drowned. On that trip, we also saw the northern lights and had a memorable trip that marked a real shift for me. I've been told by lots of people that 50 is a ‘proper' birthday, as in one of those that makes you stop and reconsider things, and it has indeed been that, although I have also found the last few years of perimenopause to be a large part of the change as well. A big shift is around priorities and not caring so much what other people think, which is a relief in many ways. Also, I don't have the patience to do things that I don't think are worth doing for the longer term, and I am appreciating a quieter life. I'd rather lie in a sunbeam and read with Cashew and Noisette next to me then create marketing assets or spend time on social media. I'd rather go for a walk with Jonathan than go to a conference or networking event. In my Pilgrimage memoir, I quote an anonymous source, “Pilgrim, pass by that which you do not love.” It's a powerful message, and I take it to mean, stop listening to people who tell you what is important. Listen to yourself more and only pay attention to that which you feel drawn to explore. On pilgrimage, it might be turning away from the supposedly important shrine of a saint to go and sit in nature and feel closer to God that way. In our author lives, it might be turning away from the things that just feel wrong for us, and leaning into what is enjoyable, that which feels worthwhile, that which we want to keep doing for the long term. Let's face it, as always, that is the writing, the thinking, the imagination. As ever, I have this mantra on my wall: “Measure your life by what you create.” It's the creation side of things that we love and that's what we need to remember when everything else gets a little much. Many authors left social media in 2025, and while I haven't left it altogether, I don't use it much. I post pictures proving I am human on Instagram @jfpennauthor which automatically post to Facebook. I barely check my pages on Facebook though. I'm also still on X with a carefully curated feed that I mainly use to learn new cool AI things which I share with my Patreon Community. Double down on being human. Travel and health. Yes, I am a human author, and yes, I continue to age! When you've been publishing a while, you need to update your author photos periodically and I finally had a photoshoot I loved with Betty Bhandari Photography, which means I can add the new pics to my websites and the back of my books. Are you up to date with your author photos? (or at least within a decade of the last photoshoot?!) Here are a few of the pictures on Instagram @jfpennauthor. Healthwise, I gave up calisthenics as it was too much on top of the powerlifting and the amount of walking I do. I did another British Powerlifting competition in September in the M2 category (based on age) and 63kgs category (based on weight). Deadlift: 95kgs. Squat: 60kgs. BenchPress: 37.5kgs. While this is less overall than last year, I also weigh less, so I'm actually stronger based on lift to body weight percentage. I have also done a few pull-ups in the last week with no band, which I am thrilled with! On the travel side, Iceland was the big trip, and I also had a weekend in Berlin for the film festival, where I met up with a producer and a director around an adaptation of my Day of the Vikings thriller. That didn't pan out, as most of these things don't, but I certainly learned a lot about the industry — and why it doesn't suit me! Once again, I dipped my toe into screenwriting and then ran away, as has happened multiple times over the years. When will I learn? … Over the summer of 2025, I visited lots of gothic cathedrals including Lichfield, Rochester, Durham, York, and revisiting Canterbury, as part of my book research for the Gothic Cathedral book. I have tens of thousands of words on this project, but it isn't ready yet, so this is carried over into 2026 as it might happen then, depending on the Masters. I spoke at Author Nation in Las Vegas in November 2025, and before it started, I visited (Lower) Antelope Canyon, one of the places on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. What a special place and no doubt it will appear in a story at some point! How did your 2025 go? I hope your 2025 had some wonderful times as well as no doubt some challenges — and that you have time for reflection as the year turns once more. Let me know in the comments whether you achieved your creative goals and any other reflections you'd like to share.The post Review Of My 2025 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.
What if you could buy millions in self-storage without using any of your own money? In this episode, I break down how I acquired over $5.1 million worth of storage facilities in just 17 months—with zero capital out of pocket. The secret? Understanding how to structure creative financing and building strong, trust-based relationships. I walk you through three real-world case studies that showcase how I used a mix of SBA loans, seller financing, private lenders, and equity partners to close big deals. I also share exactly how I positioned these opportunities, structured the funding, and even got paid $250K to close on one of the facilities. This episode isn't theory—it's a blueprint for how you can get into storage without waiting on savings or perfect conditions. You'll Learn How To: Buy storage facilities using SBA loans, seller financing, and private lenders Structure deals where everyone wins—including you, the seller, and your partners Find hidden equity and fund your deals without your own cash Build and nurture relationships that unlock funding when deals arise Overcome the "I need money to invest" mindset that keeps most people stuck What You'll Learn in This Episode: [0:00] The biggest myth in storage investing—and why it's holding you back [2:55] Case Study #1: How I used SBA and an equity partner to buy a $1.59M facility [5:22] The step-by-step on securing 85% financing and raising the rest [7:43] Case Study #2: Seller financing 90% on a $2.1M deal—and how we filled the gap [10:01] Structuring private money for renovations and deal entry [12:19] Why seller financing works so well in storage—and how to pitch it [14:42] Case Study #3: How I got paid $250K to buy a storage facility with built-in equity [17:04] Creative funding options that most investors overlook [18:30] The mindset shift that unlocks capital—and how to build lender-ready relationships Who This Episode Is For: Beginners who think storage is out of reach due to lack of capital Aspiring investors who want real, step-by-step strategies that work Experienced real estate pros exploring how to scale with storage Action takers ready to find and fund their first facility Why You Should Listen: Money is not your problem—lack of belief and strategy is. In this episode, I give you the confidence and real-life examples you need to see what's truly possible. If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the "right time" or more cash, this is your wake-up call. The capital is out there. This is how you go get it. Follow Alex Pardo here: Alex Pardo Website: https://alexpardo.com/ Alex Pardo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexpardo15 Alex Pardo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexpardo25 Alex Pardo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexPardo Storage Wins Website: https://storagewins.com/ Have conversations with at least three to give storage owners, brokers, private lenders, and equity partners through the Storage Wins Facebook group. Join for free by visiting this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/322064908446514/
Tyler and Jordan Drake of PetaPixel (http://petapixel.com/)catch up on the year with the best in tech, cameras, apps and more in the 11th annual Gear of the Year episode Watch the episode (https://youtu.be/wrc1pFVVCB4) Special Guest: Jordan Drake.
Josiah and Micah Kennealy sit down with creative director and brand strategist Katlyn Bishop (Monarch Collective) to talk about unlocking creativity in the Church, overcoming imposter syndrome, and how to communicate the gospel in a language the next generation actually understands. From Art Basel and Vous Church to The Brand Sunday and Target shelves, Katlyn shares how God moved her from the agency world into full–time Christian creative work—and why churches should be the most creative spaces on earth. Connect with Katlyn and her business, Monarch Collective, to potentially collaborate on projects: https://www.monarchco.studio/about More about us: -Learn more about youngadultstoday: www.youngadults.today -Consider a Year End Gift to propel the ministry forward: https://tithe.ly/give?c=5350133 Resources: -Free eBook "10 Steps to Starting a Successful Young Adult Ministry": https://www.youngadults.today/book/starting-a-successful-young-adult-ministry -Join our FaceBook Group Community with 2500+ leaders: https://www.facebook.com/groups/796270437396021 -Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youngadults.today/ -Join us for the FREE Digital Conference Wednesday, January 21st 11am on Zoom: www.youngadults.today/digital-conference -See you in Minneapolis this March 13-14th for the youngadultstoday leader conference: www.youngadults.today/conference -Limited Spots are available for our Coaching Communities launching February 16th: www.youngadults.today/coaching-communities
Your Limit is a Lie!Meet D. Logan!Logan is a Researcher, Speaker, Author, Philosopher, Activist and Creative.Logan is a high-impact transformational speaker who's redefining personal development through the lens of combat-tested grit, radical self-leadership, and unapologetic truth.Logan was raised in a religious cult and became suicidal by the age of eighteen. He ran from the pain, joined the Air Force, and served two combat tours in Iraq.But when he came home, the mental war raged on, anxiety, depression, divorce, and a life stuck in the comfort zone. After hitting rock bottom, he fought back, pursued his dream, and became a successful live TV director.Drawing inspiration from real world experience, science and research, Logan brings a unique blend of battlefield-tested discipline, neuroscience-backed strategy, and soul-awakening conviction to every stage, screen, event and person.Listen as Logan shares:- how he grew up in a cult- the suicidal thoughts from isolation- how being in a war zone affected him- reaching rock bottom and all falling apart- the motivation behind giving up alcoholism- the truth about neuroplasticity- crafting your own identity- letting your old self die- shattering limiting beliefs...and so much more!Connect with Logan:Website: https://www.theloganunlimited.com/Listen to the Podcast, subscribe, leave a rating and a review:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-do-you-believe-about-yourself-create-a-new/id1614151066?i=1000743060988Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/52tuAC2LmyfuPqpP2cKr4n?si=qLFSxfV3S8q1eXbO3qvVhwhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/52tuAC2LmyfuPqpP2cKr4nYouTube: https://youtu.be/66z8o3UTtE4
In this episode: What Trump Accounts are, who qualifies, and why parents of young kids should pay attention in 2026. How the "no tax on tips/overtime" headlines are misleading and what employers need to prepare for now. Why hobby losses are red flags for the IRS, especially for side gigs that never turn a profit. A timely breakdown of gift tax rules, including how to move money to family members tax-free and when you do have to file something. Creative ways to give to charity, including donor-advised funds and how businesses can deduct donations as advertising.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Caleb Latreille has spent most of his adult life wandering across both the planet and creative disciplines. As a youth, he was a prolific writer, writing and directing for the theatre and becoming deeply involved in the North American zine scene of the late 1990s and early aughts. After a move to Halifax, Nova Scotia, his work with paper shifted towards music: creating posters, fliers, and cassette booklets as a DJ/organizer and selling handmade mixtapes at local craft and record fairs; and to mail art, keeping ties with friends made through zines or while travelling across North America as a record collector, a hitchhiking banjo player, and an occasional roadie and tour manager. A growing focus on DJing led to moves to Melbourne, Montreal, and Negril, and to music production and audio engineering. Eventually, buying a camera to document life at a volunteer-run recording studio in Halifax, he fell in love with photography and has since concentrated his efforts on portraiture. Owing to his past, youth culture and nostalgia are prominent themes in his work. He is currently in the process of immigrating to Lusaka, Zambia.Check his work out @caleblatreille
To help our clients reach and engage the best possible prospects while getting the most out of every dollar spent, our Creative Team relies on what we call the three pillars of marketing: Content, Strategy, and Design. Together, these pillars ensure we reach the right people with the right messaging at the right time and in the right ways, all for maximum institutional growth. In this special episode, HabChat Producer Jason Ortiz sits in for hosts Patrick and Susan to interview Cory Kibler (Manager of Copy & Content), Tracy Munoz (Senior Creative Strategist), and Gail Dishman (Art Director) about the respective roles they play in creating effective top-tier print and digital marketing for our valued clients. We'd also love to hear from you. After you listen, visit haberfeld.com/habchatfeedback to share any questions you have for the Creative Team, and we'll answer them in a follow-up episode!
Namaste! Welcome back to Kidacity! In this episode, I'm bringing you something a little different as part of Growing Up To Be!. Instead of a big-city profession or a high-profile career, we're stepping into the quiet, narrow streets of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, to meet someone whose work carries centuries of history.During my winter break travels through Central Asia, I stumbled upon a small studio that read Miniature Paintings. Inside, I met Mr. Mir Sharif, a third-generation papier-mâché artist and painter. In this episode, you'll hear a short recorded conversation with him, where he talks about continuing his family's legacy, the challenges of working with papier-mâché today, and why the Tree of Life is such an important symbol in his art.Beyond the recording, I also share stories from our longer conversation—about patience, preserving local culture, and why not every meaningful career needs to be loud or glamorous. I connect his story to artisans from around the world, showing how similar legacies exist across cultures.If you've ever wondered what it means to truly carry forward tradition—or how everyday crafts shape identity—this episode is for you.Until next week, goodbye, and Jai Hindh from Kidacity!Instagram: @samarthchittaTwitter: @samarthchittaEmail: samarth.chitta@gmail.com
We lay out our 2026 predictions for mobile gaming - from ad monetization ceilings and creative stealing to web-to-app onboarding, roguelite growth, and AI's real impact on UA. No hype. Just incentives.What we cover• $3M/day ad-monetized games• Why creative stealing will go mainstream• Which genres are about to be hijacked• Block Blast vs Free Fire DAU fight• Web → App onboarding for games• Playables as scaling templates• The next roguelite wave• Why AI hits marketing firstKey takeaway2026 won't reward originality - it will reward efficiency at scale.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — Why predictions usually suck03:10 — $3M ad-revenue day prediction07:40 — Black Friday eCPMs explained10:30 — Creative stealing goes mainstream14:00 — Hijacking organic genres (Solitaire → Runners)18:40 — Block Blast vs Free Fire DAU war22:40 — Web → App onboarding for games28:30 — Playables as scaling templates33:30 — Roguelites as next growth genre38:10 — AI impact: marketing vs game design45:00 — Open-source AI & creative quality leap51:30 — Final reflections & 2026 outlook---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Also: is shortsightedness part of human nature? This episode originally aired on May 30th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Comedian/host/author Chris Duffy (@chrisiduffy) returns to the show to talk with Jesse, Andy and Matt about his new book Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy, his radio show/podcast You're The Expert, his TED podcast How To Be a Better Human, the unintentionally phallic Covid-era Terry Crews video Chris worked on with Matt and Andy, prescribing standup to improve mental health, training Swedish crows to pick up cigarette butts and a frozen worm revived after 46,000 years.
In this solo episode of the Create! Podcast, host Ekaterina Popova explores why maintaining a personal art practice is essential not only for artistic growth, but for mental and nervous system regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. Whether you are a professional artist navigating deadlines or a creative seeking to reconnect with your practice, this episode breaks down the neuroscience behind why our brains need art. Kat shares research-backed insights, practical studio strategies, and mindset shifts to help you build a sustainable creative routine, even with a busy life. This episode is both grounding and actionable, offering permission to create imperfectly and consistently, without pressure or performance. Join the 100 Day Painting Challenge: https://www.paintwithkat.com/challenge In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why art-making is a powerful tool for nervous system regulation. How creative flow quiets the inner critic and reduces anxiety. Why habit and process matter more than finished results. Simple ways to lower friction in your studio and make starting easier. How to separate the creator from the editor to protect your daily practice. Key Takeaways: The Science of Art Research from Drexel University found that just 45 minutes of art-making led to a significant drop in cortisol levels for 75 percent of participants, regardless of skill or experience. Silencing the Inner Critic Entering a creative flow state—a concept popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi—quiets the Default Mode Network (DMN), the part of the brain linked to rumination and self-judgment. The "Bad Art" Rule Strong bodies of work are built by allowing yourself to make "bad art" and prioritizing consistency over perfection. The focus should be on habit formation rather than a final product. Mise en Place for the Studio Borrowing from the culinary world, preparing your materials and workspace in advance (even if just a simple setup) reduces friction and makes it easier to begin your next session. Creator vs. Editor When you are in the studio, you are the creator; judgment and editing come later. Separating these roles prevents the pressure to produce "portfolio-ready" work from paralyzing your practice. Memorable Quotes: "When I say come home to your art, I mean physically altering your brain chemistry to reduce stress, silence your inner critic." "The nervous system does not give a crap... it cares about the process, it cares about the meditative act of art making." "The key isn't necessarily finding more time is protecting the time that you have and prioritizing your own work over everyone else's." "At its core, [art] is a survival mechanism for sensitive people. It's the way we process life." "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." — Andy Warhol (referenced in episode) Mentioned in This Episode: Your Brain on Art (Book) Atomic Habits by James Clear Drexel University Cortisol Study Connect & Resources: Join the 100 Day Painting Challenge: https://www.paintwithkat.com/challenge Website: https://www.createmagazine.co Substack: https://createmagazine.substack.com
Interview Date: October 12th, 2025Episode Summary:In this inspiring episode, international choreographer, performer, and TV judge MELCHARLOT shares her powerful journey from Montreal to the global stage. Known for her work with Lizzo, Beyoncé, Cardi B, and her Broadway debut in Holler If You Hear Me, MEL opens up about the challenges, sacrifices, and growth that shaped her as both an artist and mother.She reveals her evolution from competitive dancer to world tour performer, her experiences assisting industry legends like Tanisha Scott, and the life-changing opportunities that led to her judging roles on Révolution and Danse avec les Stars. MEL's story blends passion with purpose as she discusses her commitment to mentorship, cultural representation, and balancing career with family.Listeners will take away invaluable insights on confidence, leadership, artistic identity, and creative process—from managing time and mental health to trusting your path even when it doesn't go as planned. Whether you're a student, professional, or aspiring choreographer, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and the business of dance.Shownotes:(0:00) – Welcome & intro to MELCHARLOT and her global career(6:54) – From Montreal roots to working with Beyoncé & Lizzo(13:21) – Landing Broadway's Holler If You Hear Me(22:45) – Becoming a judge on Révolution & Danse avec les Stars(41:31) – Performing on the Lizzo World Tour & family support(49:00) – Lessons on leadership, humility, and teamwork in dance(53:40) – Rejection, perseverance, and full-circle So You Think You Can Dance moment(58:30) – Balancing motherhood, marriage, and a dance career(1:06:26) – Creative process: how MEL builds choreography from emotion(1:53:12) – Closing inspiration: mentorship, gratitude & never stop being a studentBiography:Mel Charlot is a respected choreographer, creative director, and celebrated television judge on Révolution (Canada's #1 dance show) and Danse avec les Stars (Dancing with the Stars in France). Born and raised in Montreal, Canada in a Haitian household filled with music, she discovered her passion for movement at a young age—a passion that has carried her across stages and screens worldwide.Her career has spanned over two decades, evolving from competitive dancer to professional performer, Broadway artist, and now a sought-after choreographer and visionary in the entertainment industry between Canada, US and Europe. Charlot has worked with global icons such as Lizzo, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, P. Diddy, Kanye West, Faith Evans, Omarion, and many others. She has also been featured in major campaigns with Jordan/Nike, L'Oréal, and Makeup Forever, and has choreographed on hit television productions including So You Think You Can Dance, Lip Sync Battle,The Masked Singer and more…A World Choreography Award and UKMVA nominee, Mel Charlot continues to push creative boundaries while mentoring the next generation of dancers and choreographers. She brings a unique blend of artistry, professionalism, and authenticity to every project—whether on stage, on screen, or in the studio.Beyond her career, Mel is a proud wife and mother whose resilience and passion inspire others to live and move with purpose, power, and grace.Connect on Social Media:Website :Www.melcharlot.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/melcharlot/
Our Mothers Knew It with Maria EckersleyA Creative Study of Come, Follow MeOLD TESTAMENT [MOSES 1; ABRHAM 3]January 5–11 2026OBJECT LESSONS: “IT IS DARKNESS UNTO ME”: DALMATION/SKUNK ANALOGY“I WILL MULTIPLY THEE…LIKE UNTO THESE”: STAR MAKER DOMECHAPTERS=========00:00:14 INTRO00:04:20 INSIGHTS00:41:47 QUESTIONS 100:43:28 QUESTIONS 200:44:52 QUESTIONS 300:46:35 CREATIVE OBJECT LESSONS00:50:13 OBJECT LESSON 100:52:42 OBJECT LESSON 200:56:23 WRAP UPLINKS=====WEB: https://www.gather.meckmom.comETSY: https://www.etsy.com/shop/meckmomINSTAGRAM: Instagram @meckmomlifePODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER=================================This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved, or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Our Mothers Knew It with Maria EckersleyA Creative Study of Come, Follow MeOLD TESTAMENT [INTRODUCTION]December 29–January 4, 2025-26OBJECT LESSON 1: Books of the Old Testament: Brainstorm GameCHAPTERS=========00:00:14 ANNOUNCEMENT00:05:02 INTRO00:15:23 CREATIVE OBJECT LESSONS00:17:49 OBJECT LESSON 100:22:00 WRAP UPLINKS=====WEB: https://www.gather.meckmom.comETSY: https://www.etsy.com/shop/meckmomINSTAGRAM: Instagram @meckmomlifePODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER=================================This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved, or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In this video, we explore how EEG brain scan data reveals deeper insights into all 16 MBTI types and their subtypes—Dominant, Creative, Normalizing, and Harmonizing—with coaching applications featuring Dario Nardi.☆Check out what I'm up to!☆Hi there! I'm Joyce, a certified MBTI® Master Practitioner, Enneagram Coach, Jungian Typology Expert, Master NLP Practitioner, and Gallup® CliftonStrengths Coach.WONDERING WHICH ONE OF THE 16 PERSONALITY TYPES YOU ARE?Book a session to get my take on your type. I'd love to help guide you on your type-discovery journey!Here is my scheduling link to arrange a time with me:https://calendly.com/joycemengcoachingI charge $85 for a typing session. Another colleague of mine certified by Personality Hacker will work alongside me and we will give you our independent assessments of you.Want to go deeper? For $97, you can purchase a typing session with 1 hour of additional coaching with me.Or maybe you know your personality type already and are seeking some type-based coaching? As a trained coach, I can help you apply type concepts to all areas of your life for lasting change. The coaching session rate is $75 per hour for a bundle of 3. :)By purchasing a session, you will help support the Type Talks channel and gain personalized mentorship and guidance from an experienced industry expert with over 12 years of experience.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at joycemeng22@gmail.comFor those of you who are interested, I am also launching a website and releasing a typology book next year! Here's a link to my coaching website if you'd like to learn more about me and the services I offer: https://www.joycemengcoaching.com/Connect with me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoyceMeng22Like the show? Buy me a coffee! (it means the world to me): https://ko-fi.com/joycemengShow your support by becoming a monthly patron! https://ko-fi.com/joycemeng/tiersWant to know when the next Type Talks video is premiering? Join our Discord community for the latest updates! (Inactive now, looking for moderators) https://discord.gg/ksHb7fmMcm☆Check out the "Jung for Life" Workshop mentioned at the beginning of the video!☆Here is the registration link for the event:https://forms.gle/mBcTvfd8F8jTm9ux8Here is the 3-page flyer PDF detailing more information here:http://www.radiancehouse.com/JUNG-FOR-LIVING.pdfHere is the link to the webinar recording to preview Jung for Life:https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/1CDR6Haz7L8fbsIcHJHIItdXWObJI06vL-RVBtdlN-MLlL9wPRohm4VwUhTuoljK.6jhbSkvp1AGlYlVq The video I recorded with Dario unpacking my brain scan results in detail:https://youtu.be/jqXj0ie3uvg☆Check out Dario Nardi!☆Decode Your Personality: Go Beyond Myers-Briggs With 64 Brain-Based Subtypes: https://www.amazon.ca/Decode-Your-Personality-Myers-Briggs-Brain-Based/dp/B0CMJ5W5DX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28Z0X3NUWUI0C&keywords=go+beyond+dario&qid=1704488749&sprefix=go+beyond+dario%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1Radiance House: https://radiancehouse.sellfy.store/#INTJ #16Types #DarioNardi #neuroscience #16personalities #MBTI #carljung #eightfunctionmodel #infj #infp #intp #enfp #esfp #entp #estp #enfj #esfj #entj #estj #istj #isfj #istp #isfp
Another fractal! The sisters dive into the intricacies of storyboarding and structuring in their writing process and how visual mapping can aid in organizing thoughts and ideas. Also, how to balance structure vs. chaos.---TRANSCRIPT---SUPPORT OUR SHOWhttps://www.patreon.com/Endoftheworldshow---HTS ESSENTIALSSUPPORT Our Show on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/EndoftheworldshowPEEP us on IGhttps://www.instagram.com/endoftheworldpc/
Do you still consider Meta a targeting platform? If so, that mindset is probably costing you scale, efficiency, and confidence in your numbers. We see too many marketers clinging to old playbooks, such as hyper-specific audiences, exclusions, and lookalikes, without realizing the platform has fundamentally changed. In this episode, we continue our discussion on the evolution of Meta advertising, from the early days of right-hand rail ads and insane third-party data to what's happening right now. We break down why targeting used to do the heavy lifting, why that era is over, and how AI-driven delivery flipped the model on its head. If you're running ads or managing clients who are, this series on Meta's history and current strategies will recalibrate how you think about Meta before launching your 2026 marketing plan.In This Episode:- Early Facebook monetization and newsfeed ads- Facebook Beacon and other early failures- The birth of Facebook's ad engine- Facebook's IPO and Instagram acquisition- AlexNet and the foundation of AI ads- When targeting started ruling Meta ads- Creative replaces targetingMentioned in the Episode:Facebook's Failed Beacon Project: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/facebook-shuts-down-beacon-marketing-tool-1.832698 Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Podcast Channel:Follow and listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-traffic/id1022441491 Follow and listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/59lhtIWHw1XXsRmT5HBAuK Subscribe and watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetual_traffic?sub_confirmation=1We Appreciate Your Support!Visit our website: https://perpetualtraffic.com/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/perpetualtraf Connect with Ralph Burns: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphburns Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ralphhburns/ Hire Tier11 - https://www.tiereleven.com/apply-now Connect with Lauren Petrullo:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/laurenepetrullo/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenpetrullo Consult Mongoose Media - https://mongoosemedia.us/Mentioned in this episode:
If you're in the creative space, you already know this tension: the pressure to create never really shuts off. Content still needs to go out, even when your ideas dry up. So what happens when your mind stalls? How do you get unstuck without forcing it or burning out and still create ideas your audience actually cares about when life is full and inspiration feels miles away? In this episode, I sit down with Cat Shanu to tackle those questions and help you break free from creative ruts. We dig into what really causes creative blocks, how perfectionism quietly kills momentum, and what to do when inspiration feels out of reach. Cat shares her own pause from creating, and I open up about staying consistent as a CEO, father, and host, even during low-energy seasons. Whether you're a content creator, an entrepreneur, or simply trying to build more consistent habits, this episode will help you reconnect with your creative rhythm and move forward with intention. In this episode, we discuss: [00:00:00] Why creators struggle to make content [00:01:21] The natural ebb and flow of creativity and why forcing it backfires [00:02:33] Finding inspiration by immersing yourself in what moves you [00:04:09] Cat's four-month creative pause and how she reignited her spark [00:04:17] Building LinkedIn systems—batching, scheduling, and staying consistent [00:06:22] Turning a Beastie Boys Reddit post into content gold [00:07:10] How music and ChatGPT fuel momentum when ideas stall [00:08:17] Treating each post like a temporary tattoo [00:12:52] Using audience engagement to break creative blocks [00:13:31] Why creating for one person beats creating for everyone [00:14:51] Telling real stories instead of chasing perfection [00:19:45] Using simple prompts to generate endless ideas [00:22:05] Cat and Billy's peak creative workflows [00:26:12] Matching tasks to energy for better output [00:29:29] Creating consistently while leading, parenting, and podcasting [00:33:33] Building your catalog of inspiration and learning from top creators [00:38:15] Why breaks sharpen creativity and awareness [00:45:26] Letting go of perfection and taking small steps forward Notable Quotes [00:42:21] “When stuck, don't generate, retrieve, go get that information from somewhere else.” - Billy [00:12:52] “Treat your post like a temporary tattoo. It's not a permanent tattoo, it's a temporary tattoo. Therefore it doesn't matter.” - Billy [00:16:08] “When you think of your community, not as your followers, but as a friend. You can definitely leverage them to just guide you.” - Cat [00:24:14] “It's easier to think of creative ideas than when you focus on the whole big picture.” - Cat [00:32:54] “Most people will cancel an appointment they make for themselves, but they'll always attend appointment they have with somebody else.” - Billy [00:49:56] “The only true, perfect thing I can think of is God. And we put this idea in our head that we need to show up as perfection.” - Cat Cat Shanu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-shanu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefemmeguide/ Billy Samoa Saleebey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billysamoa/ Email: billy@podify.com and saleebey@gmail.com Insight Out Website: https://www.insightoutshow.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tune in as the team discusses:Why age is not a barrier—and may be an advantage—in land investing.How investors over fifty use life experience, grit, and focus to accelerate success.The role of purpose, legacy, and family motivation as powerful drivers for older entrepreneurs.Tech fears, learning curves, and how delegation and simple systems make the model accessible.Real stories of older land investors who transformed their finances and their lives.How community, friendship, and shared mindset create unexpected rewards beyond money.Creative ways to start investing even with limited capital or experience.Why the land business acts as “land therapy” for buyers and sellers alike.The importance of routines, mindset, and lifelong learning at every age.TIP OF THE WEEKMark: Try replacing your morning coffee with Keith's Cacao—a cleaner, more intentional ritual that boosts energy and focus.Scott: Build a simple daily routine for your land business; consistency is the foundation of longevity and success.Mike: Use land arbitrage to get started with minimal capital—control property without buying it outright and profit from the spread.Jon: When using agents, choose realtors who specialize in raw land; the right listing partner makes a massive difference in results.WANT MORE?Enjoyed this episode? Dive into more episodes of AOPI to discover how to build real passive income through land investing.UNLOCK MORE FREE RESOURCES:Get instant access to my free training, a free copy of my Bestseller Dirt Rich Book, and exclusive bonuses to accelerate your land investing journey—it's all here: https://thelandgeek.ac-page.com/Podcast-Linktree."Isn't it time to create passive income so you can work where you want when you want, and with whomever you want?"
This is a special HOLIDAY episode featuring the chat I had on Katherine May's Podcast “The Clearing” where guests explore their ideal real or fantasy retreat. Here's what Katherine said about the episode: The ADHD and autistic tendency to rest in motion is fully realised in American author and illustrator Andy J. Pizza's vision of the ideal retreat. Choosing an extraordinary fictional setting which incorporates an ingenious method of traveling the world, this episode showcases the wonder of a brilliantly creative, neurodivergent brain. Along the way, and with many fascinating tangents, Andy and Katherine discuss the power of Miyazaki films, their shared love of Fraggle Rock and longing for direction from the universe. A meticulously thought out and fully realised world that accommodates his own personal experience of ADHD, Andy unveils the most beautifully zany and imaginative dreamscape. An absolute treat. SHOW NOTES: Fraggle Rock Last of the Summer Wine Wiki The Master and his Emissary book about left and right brain The Little Prince Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices