We’ve spent this season on the podcast exploring the beauty of an excellent life. And our listener-heroes have some difficult questions about the process of daring to excel. You asked: What role does FEAR play in advancing our best work? Is the rise of entrepreneurship bringing with it a destructive rise of SELF-CENTEREDNESS? How do you protect the INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY of your brand’s frameworks? Today, Jeffrey tackles the themes of fear, self-interest and intellectual property in the life of a...
Nov 26, 2019•46 min•Season 3Ep. 7
What happens when the personal and professional life we have planned comes unraveled with a series of setbacks? Is there a way to reframe the most stressful period of our lives as an opportunity? Marc and Angel Chernoff contend that the way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives, and when they came up against back-to-back tragedy, the couple ruthlessly examined their everyday habits. And one by one, they started to incorporate new daily rituals. Little things that got them closer to whe...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 6
As humans, we yearn for artistic experiences that disrupt the day-to-day and wow us with a greater reality beyond our to-do list. That’s what draws us to the wonder of film and literature and art exhibits. In the absence of such experiences, we fall down the rabbit hole of digital distractions, scrolling Instagram for the unpredictability, the excitement of discovery we’re not getting from our physical environment. But what if we didn’t have to go to a gallery or a theater to encounter these tra...
Nov 12, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Corporate culture perpetuates the idea that we need to fake it ‘til we make it, pretending to have all the answers and projecting confidence in our abilities—whether we feel it or not. But what if there are advantages to not knowing? What if living rich, creative entrepreneurial lives requires that we let go of what we think we know, step into new territory and expand our mental map of the world? Today, Jeffrey considers the benefit of naïveté in creativity and entrepreneurship with Sequoia Blod...
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 4
We are barraged by digital distractions to the point where it can warp our perspective. It’s profoundly challenging to hear ourselves think, let along carve out an identity of our own. So, how can we step out of this Matrix-like web of endless bombardment and live our own version of an excellent life? How can we learn to listen to and rely upon our own point of view? What does that take? Are there skills of self-reliance we can practice? Today, Jeffrey explores the art of mastering the entrepren...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Do you have an abundance of ideas for potential projects? But never enough time to reach the finish line? What holds you back? Is it really that there aren’t enough hours in the day? And what’s the cost of not finishing the projects that matter? What if you could take steps today to act on your most essential ideas—and get closer to your vision for an excellent life? Today, Jeffrey explores the idea of finishing our most important work with Charlie Gilkey, the Business Growth Strategist behind P...
Oct 22, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Have you spent years building your one business or brand, honing your craft, refining your core skill set to build out a set of services around your distinct expertise? Or do you experiment with multiple fields, crossing boundaries to pursue excellence with your diverse background? Fearlessly shifting shapes and testing your versatility in new spaces? Is your motivation to excel at your work born from a need to be the best? Or are you driven by something deeper? Today, Jeffrey introduces us to t...
Oct 15, 2019•17 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Some social critics argue that the Internet Age has ushered in a culture of mediocrity and amateurism. But maybe there’s another story. Maybe these bewildering times prompt in us a new kind of drive. Almost all of us want to get better at something, whether it is being a better business owner or painter, prototyper or parent. Inherent in this desire to improve is the drive to excel: A daring to flourish in our work, our creativity, and our humanity. Is it possible that if we dared to excel toget...
Oct 07, 2019•1 min
This season on the podcast, we explored the idea of designing our lives and work for more curiosity, more purpose, more openness… More WONDER. We went behind-the-scenes of wonder-making in films, video games and art exhibitions and studied experience architecture in our families and our brand communities. But have you ever wondered how Jeffrey and his team design the podcast itself or the business of Tracking Wonder as a whole? Today, Tracking Wonder team members Jeffrey Davis, Erin Haworth, Bri...
Nov 27, 2018•53 min•Season 2Ep. 8
We long to belong. The desire to be a part of a community is a fundamental human yearning, yet broad swaths of Americans have never felt more isolated. In fact, four out of ten report regularly feeling lonely, and very few have more than two people they consider confidants. Why is this happening? What can we do about it? Is there an opportunity for businesses and organizations to fill the void? And if so, how do we design for belonging in brand communities? Today, Jeffrey takes a deep dive into ...
Nov 20, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We have spent the last several weeks exploring how to design memorable moments for our customers and communities, our audiences and even our families. But how do we design a life of wonder for ourselves? How do we juggle our own creative calling with the needs of our clients and communities? Is there a way to approach marketing as a craft, making it part of our path to mastery? How do we realize our best creative selves, pursuing mastery and meaning in every aspect of our lives? Today, Jeffrey e...
Nov 13, 2018•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Perhaps you want to bring more magic into the world in the form of an animated film or video game. Inevitably, such a significant undertaking will face big challenges. What gives filmmakers and game designers the drive to persist over the years it takes to complete such substantial projects—when there is no guarantee or reward or recognition? Today, Jeffrey goes behind-the-scenes of wonder-making with filmmaker, animator, director and producer Mark Osborne, whose film The Little Prince received ...
Nov 06, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In a cultural moment characterized by divisiveness, we ache for community. We go through our days surrounded by people, but we have forgotten how to connect. Does art have the capacity to foster the kind of openness and connection we need right now? Is it possible that a provocative experience of unfamiliarity or disorientation might help us engage with each other? What if we could learn to follow the artist’s example and explode every day with wonder? Today, Jeffrey studies art as a conduit of ...
Oct 30, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 4
We live in a culture of busy, wearing our overwork like a badge of honor. We complain that there aren’t enough hours in the day—and blame our jobs and our kids for the fact that we can’t enjoy life. We even feel guilty when we make time for fun. Busy is a virtue. Idleness is irresponsible. But what if we have a greater responsibility to be our best selves for the people around us? Is it true that we don’t have time to pursue activities that bring us joy? Or is that simply the story we’re telling...
Oct 23, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The #2 hotel in Los Angeles cannot compete with the Hyatts or the Hiltons of the world when it comes to expensive amenities. What makes the Magic Castle special is the staff’s ability to design surprising experiences, like a red phone by the pool coined Popsicle Hotline. By breaking the script, the Magic Castle inspires delight in their guests—and consistently ranks higher than high-end, luxury hotels in the city. How can we follow the lead of the Magic Castle and create a workplace of wonder? H...
Oct 16, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 2
‘It doesn’t take long for our feet to wear a rut born of habit in our daily, default path. But if we’re fortunate, during any given day, something surprising startles our heart long enough to arrest the bustle and disrupt our rut.’ The question is, do we have to wait for that something surprising to happen spontaneously? Or can we build the experience of awe into our daily lives? Can we design for wonder? Today, Jeffrey introduces us to his working premise for Season 2: Wonder is not an accident...
Oct 08, 2018•21 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome to season 2 of Tracking Wonder! This season we're tracking the theme of designing for wonder. Wonder is not an accident. Wonder is designable. Join us each Tuesday, and learn how innovators design work, customer experience, and life for more openness, curiosity, and surprise.
Oct 06, 2018•2 min
The most fulfilled innovators and influencers who lead lives of mastery and meaning—at some point get cracked open by wonder, get cracked open to a purpose greater than themselves. Today, Jeffrey reflects on Season 1 of Tracking Wonder, looking back at his conversations with leaders, change-makers, artists and creatives to identify the wonder switch in each of their stories, those moments when they were opened up to a greater-than-you purpose that drives the work they do today. Jeffrey begins wi...
Jun 19, 2018•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
You have to have a purpose bigger than profits. The landscape of branding has changed over time, and with the advent of two-way communication via the internet, a mission statement that prioritizes a financial responsibility to shareholders simply won’t cut it anymore. People want to support—and be a part of—the companies that aspire to a higher purpose and align with their own personal values. How does a brand go about identifying its purpose? How do you do good AND do good business at the same ...
Jun 12, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 11
As entrepreneurs and creatives, we know the feeling of pouring our whole heart into our work. Of devoting all our attention to the project at hand in pursuit of something greater than ourselves. How do we balance that quest for our best work with the desire to nurture our long-term, loving relationships? How do we make room for the people we love—and love us back? What if the qualities necessary to sustain our long-term, loving relationships are the very same qualities we use to sustain our comm...
Jun 05, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of leading creatives is relinquishing control. Creative professionals have success when they are in control, perfecting their craft to make great work. Yet, the best leaders are the ones who are humble enough to realize that their team members need the freedom and autonomy to take risks and grow. The trick is to lead with influence, to elevate everybody else’s game and inspire your team to do the best work of their lives. But how exactly do you do that? How do...
May 29, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 9
We are, indeed, wired to aspire. But what is it that drives you? A need to do better than the person next to you? Or are you in competition with yourself, battling against your own personal best? And how do we balance our ambition with the need to be a part of a community? Jeffrey is exploring these ideas with marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker and best-selling author Dorie Clark of Clark Strategic Communications and serial entrepreneur, growth strategist and award-winning autho...
May 22, 2018•59 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Yes, leadership is built on developing relationships with other people. But there are several key character strengths of leadership that we hone in solitude, including creativity, self-regulation and bravery. And leaders throughout history have made difficult decisions and designed creative solutions in solitude. In the digital age, however, solitude is a lot harder for leaders to come by. How can we discipline ourselves to put away the smartphone and be with our thoughts long enough to think th...
May 15, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Jeffrey’s Premise: “The people who lead lives of meaning and mastery let a force of character - a young genius - guide them as they pursue their most meaningful work and ideas.” ‘You are seven years old.’ What if we approached each day with a childlike mindset? Would it cultivate original thinking? Recapture a spirit of play and exploration? Bring us back to our young genius—the unique force of character we were born with? We have reached the halfway point of Season 1, and Jeffrey is stopping to...
May 08, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Jeffrey's questions: "When you're wanting to make a radical change in your work life or advance your best ideas, how much collaboration do you need, and how much time alone is best for you to generate and then advance your best ideas?” In her book, The Creative Habit , celebrated choreographer Twyla Tharp suggests that “a clearly stated and consciously shared purpose is the foundation of great collaboration.” What else do you need to facilitate a successful collaboration? What role does solitude...
May 01, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Jeffrey's premise: "Sometimes our most important discoveries for our projects and our life happen in the margins of our attention.” We live in a culture that trusts conscious attention and labor over intuition and mind-wandering. Yet those moments of contemplation and daydreaming are what set us apart as humans and give our unconscious minds the time and space to rest. It is in those breaks from conscious effort that our creative subconscious continues to work on problems and innovate new soluti...
Apr 21, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Jeffrey's premise: "The most influential and fulfilled entrepreneurs and artists can toggle between getting stuff done and dreaming stuff up so they can experience those moments of opening that keep them lit up with meaning."No doubt you’ve had the experience of being busy all day, yet getting absolutely nothing done. You work through the easy tasks on your to-do list, avoiding the ones that are truly important—because those projects scare you to death! How could you learn to focus on the things...
Apr 21, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Jeffrey's premise: "One factor that helps high-achieving creatives and fulfilled entrepreneurs face daily challenges is that they have some sense of purpose that helps remind them why they're doing what they're doing every day."You are what you pay attention to, and if your willpower, focus and time are spent trying to control your body image, for example, that quite simply distracts you from becoming who you want to be. Too many young women lose their voices—and ultimately their purpose and pas...
Apr 21, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Jeffrey's premise: "There is one human experience above all others that resides at the crux of a meaningful life, of meaningful relationships, and of meaningful and challenging work. It resides at the impulse to make something novel, useful, and beautiful: wonder."What is the key ingredient of a meaningful life? As entrepreneurs, we are called to create—to make something novel, useful, and beautiful. That impulse is wonder. And if we can reframe our work as a quest and approach each day with ope...
Apr 20, 2018•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1
What do Haruki Murakami, the Heath Brothers, & Susan Piver have in common? They're about to change the way you think about the pursuit of big ideas & meaningful work. Episodes every Tuesday.
Apr 19, 2018•2 min
