This week we tackle a tiny little topic—enlightenment—with one of my all-time favorite authors and thinkers, Martha Beck. I have read all eight of Martha's books (two or three times each) as they helped me through some of my biggest transitions in life and work. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/52 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 04, 2016•50 min•Ep. 52
Many people want to avoid thinking about death, let alone talking about it—not to mention writing a book with "die" in the title. Not Todd Henry. True to the concept of memento mori, reflecting on death to be more present and grateful in life, Todd believes contemplating death helps us fully explore and realize our creative gifts. I absolutely loved this conversation and Todd's thoughts on how to "die empty" without feeling pressure to do it all; how to minimize minutiae and pursue great work wh...
Nov 20, 2016•44 min•Ep. 51
What an epic pivot point for our country with this presidential election. Wild week for all involved, as half the country celebrates with relief and the other half navigates its grief. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/50 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 13, 2016•21 min•Ep. 50
1 in 3 people say they want to write a book someday. Are you one of them? As Michael Larsen puts it, it's no longer a question of if you can publish a book, but when and how. This week's podcast, an excerpt from my 5-Day The (He)art of Book Publishing, dives into the how of getting a book deal with a traditional publisher. (Pardon the brief echoey-ness at points!) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/49 Learn more about your a...
Nov 06, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 49
How do you eliminate competition? According to Scott Stratten, who earns $1 million per year in speaking fees, the answer is simple: ignore it. Be yourself, and there is no competition. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/48 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 23, 2016•45 min•Ep. 48
Jonathan Fields' mission is to "live fiercely and study deeply." How does he do that while earning a living? That's what we unpack in this week's episode. According to Jonathan, "There are only two ways to earn a living: you're either solving a problem or delivering a delight. If you're lucky and creative, you do both simultaneously." 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/47 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Oct 16, 2016•50 min•Ep. 47
What do the most agile pivoters have in common? That's what I unpack in this week's episode with Professor Tom Guariello, founder of RoboPsych and my co-pilot in creating the Pivotability Index self-assessment. Researches often cite the "Big Five" personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (often listed under the acronyms OCEAN or CANOE). But in today's environment, we must all develop ourselves on a sixth dimension: pivotability, ...
Oct 10, 2016•59 min•Ep. 46
What happens just after you pivot? Can you sit at the edge of uncertainty—and its ensuing discomfort—and not try to fix it? After two very exciting weeks launching PIVOT, I returned home from a mini book tour and immediately got sucked into The Void. Although I knew it would come (I even blocked the entire last week off so that I had no meetings), and although I maintained all my mind-body practices leading up to the launch, the Furry Rest Monster still conspired with my couch to swallow me whol...
Oct 02, 2016•32 min•Ep. 45
How do hackers, innovators and icons accelerate success? Find out in this week's episode with one of my favorite authors, Shane Snow. I loved Smartcuts so much when I first picked it up that I would walk down the streets of New York holding the hardcover version so I could continue reading while walking. Move over annoying texting-while-walking pedestrians! I brought distracted strolling to a whole new level. Now that's a true testament to how hard this book was to put back down once I picked it...
Sep 15, 2016•50 min•Ep. 46
One of my favorite authors, bloggers and friends—James Altucher, author of Choose Yourself and the Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth—takes over the Pivot Podcast this week to interview yours truly. I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate the book launch—be sure to grab your copy wherever books are sold!! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/45 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 06, 2016•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 45
Neil Pasricha's writing is like a cup of hot chocolate, or as he would describe it in Awesome Thing #119, like watching butter melt on a hot piece of toast. It is comforting and delightful. His latest book is about what he learned along his own roller coaster ride of reaching smashing success with his 1,000 Awesome Things blog and books, then realizing he still wasn't happy. We break down topics like The Saturday Morning Test, the three time buckets, and many more. Enjoy! 📝 Check out full show ...
Sep 01, 2016•39 min•Ep. 44
What can people do that computers never will? According to Geoff Colvin, that's the wrong question. It is futile to ask what computers will never be able to do, since they are accomplishing new, previously unthinkable feats at an astonishing rate. Instead, we must ask what it is that humans will insist continue to be performed by other humans? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/43 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Aug 28, 2016•50 min
The final countdown is on! PIVOT: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One launches in two weeks . . . !!! Today's episode is an excerpt from one of my favorite chapters, High Net Growth. I give an overview of career operating modes, how to assess your risk threshold, and share my pivot story of leaving Google, then resuscitating my business when I almost "blew up" two years later. You can download this as a PDF here. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources ment...
Aug 21, 2016•27 min•Ep. 42
According to Gregg Easterbrook, "The men and women at middle-class standards or above in the United States and European Union now live better than 99.4 percent of the human beings who have ever existed," including most of the royalty of history. And yet, we are no happier. How can this be? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/41 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 14, 2016•48 min•Ep. 41
Have you fallen into the trap of thinking that all stress is toxic? If so, you may be unknowingly compounding the effects of it on your body and mind—or at least missing out on some of the benefits and insights stress has to offer. Kelly McGonigal, a pioneer in the field of "science help" and one of my favorite authors, debunks a number of stress myths in the episode. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentio...
Aug 09, 2016•47 min•Ep. 40
This week’s guest, long-time blog friend Srini Rao, raises the bar on creativity. Don’t just create art, he says, strive for unmistakable art—output so unique it doesn’t even require a signature, and by nature eliminates all competition. It is yours and yours alone. And of course, achieving this is not a simple, straightforward feat. Check out this week’s episode on what Srini has learned from his own lowest moments, and from interviewing over 600 guests for his Unmistakable Creative podcast ove...
Jul 31, 2016•37 min•Ep. 39
A week after I returned home from the safari, I fell into a bit of a bliss crash (as my dad would call it). The trip was so exciting and rejuvenating, and on my way home I realized: my book is launching in TWO MONTHS. Two months! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/38 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2016•24 min•Ep. 38
I always have a blast talking with Mike Michalowicz—Mike is the author of several business books, one of which—Profit First—completely changed how I handle my expenses and banking. But alas, today we’re talking about his latest book, Surge, on how entrepreneurs can make their own luck by learning to spot trend waves and ride them effectively, and when to “dump” a wave as it’s about to crash upon the shore. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http:/...
Jul 17, 2016•38 min•Ep. 37
I almost fainted when today’s guest, Kevin Kelly, said yes to be on the Pivot Podcast. Kind, brilliant and the king of techno-literacy, Kevin is one of the great technologists, futurists, and thinkers of our time. We talk about how to get better at systems thinking, become more techno-literate in an ever-changing environment that fosters a constant “newbie state,” artificial intelligence, centaurs and robot whispering, virtual and augmented reality, why now is the best possible time to start a c...
Jul 10, 2016•51 min•Ep. 36
What happens when you reach previously unimaginable pinnacles of success . . . and still find yourself miserable? I’m stoked to bring you today’s Pivot Podcast with Ryan Holiday—marketing master, studier of Stoic philosophy, and author of several bestselling books. His first, Trust Me, I’m Lying—which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller. His next books, Growth Hacker Marketing and The Obstacle is the Way were both published by Penguin/Portfolio, an...
Jul 03, 2016•40 min•Ep. 35
I have had such a blast talking with Penney Peirce about her Transformation Trilogy on intuition, frequency, and now perception. Talk about a dream come true! Today’s Pivot Podcast is our third in the series, and we dive deep into the nature of our holographic universe, the shift toward right-brain perception, why attention is the new intention (forget the law of attraction), how to find flow in projects, and how to navigate the void after major life or work phases are complete. 📝 Check out ful...
Jun 05, 2016•53 min•Ep. 34
Today I’m thrilled to share an interview with my good friend and business author doppelgänger, Dorie Clark. I interviewed Dorie while writing Pivot on the big ideas from her book Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It. When we’re not scrounging up interesting New York activities to try, we both love thinking about how to reinvent careers and the best way to develop and share ideas that make a difference in others’ lives. 📝 Check out full show notes from th...
May 29, 2016•33 min•Ep. 33
Meditation has re-wired my brain. I don’t walk on clouds every day, but I do feel like a new person three years in to maintaining a daily practice (and 120 days in to a consecutive streak). I know, I know. One shouldn’t promote meditation as a miracle cure. But if you have an active mind, one that veers toward anxiety and stress like me, take a listen to this week’s Pivot Podcast. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/32 Learn ...
May 22, 2016•39 min•Ep. 32
What are the key ingredients to leading a movement? How do you motivate fellow travelers to traverse the change process, within themselves and within your organization or community, even when all they want to do is quit? What happens when you hit a natural plateau in the growth cycle? These are the topics I explore in today’s show with Nancy Duarte, master of systems thinking, speech writing, and the subject of her latest book, Illuminate: How to Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremoni...
May 15, 2016•48 min•Ep. 31
Dreams. Although we often laugh them away today (if we remember them at all), many ancient and tribal cultures treated the dream world as absolutely real and worthy of our respect, an extension of the waking world. As Penney Peirce writes in Be the Dreamer, Not the Dream: A Guide to 24-Hour Consciousness (previously published as Dreams for Dummies), “Everything we do in the dream world is real; it’s just happening at other dimensions of our awareness.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
May 08, 2016•51 min•Ep. 30
When was the last time you were in the zone?There’s nothing I love more than working with time flying. The sun rises and sets and I barely notice because I’m so engrossed in my work. Cal Newport calls this deep work, and says that contrary to what many assume, it is a skill, not a habit. That means it takes deliberate practice, and is a cognitive muscle that can atrophy with disuse—something we are all prone to as we get sucked into network tools like social media and email. I loved this convers...
Apr 24, 2016•44 min•Ep. 29
All big projects require trade-offs. Scratch that, all big life choices do. What trade-offs are you making right now? What are your non-negotiables while working on a soul goal? What are you willing to let slide a bit in exchange for intense focus? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/28 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 17, 2016•21 min•Ep. 28
Intuition is an innate gift, one available to all of us, and a skill—a muscle that you can build with practice and attention. I am thrilled to bring you today’s podcast, an interview with intuition expert Penney Peirce, whose books have had an enormous impact on my life. Reading The Intuitive Way kicked off two years of coincidence tracking, intuition studying, and surrendering to serendipity—and completely transformed the way I go about my day-to-day life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as ...
Apr 10, 2016•58 min•Ep. 27
We have all had the experience of sharing something that’s on our mind with a friend, family member, partner, or co-worker — then bristling in frustration or quiet defeat as they jump straight into trying to solve our problem with their brilliant advice. What’s the alternative? Curiosity and a few simple coaching questions. That what I dig into on today’s Pivot Podcast with Michael Bungay Stanier, whose new book The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever launche...
Apr 03, 2016•50 min•Ep. 26
Why is it so challenging to say no to something good even when we know we have outgrown it? The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. We often accept “the devil we know” for longer than we should out of fear. Hey, at least there is some security and safety in our current devil. Who knows what lurks on the other side! And what if we can’t find a better one? What if we regret our choice to leave this devil behind? What if we are being too picky in the first place? Is the grass greener...
Mar 27, 2016•40 min•Ep. 25
