“Vulnerability is a one-way ticket to trust,” says today’s guest Billy Anderson, founder of The Courage Crusade and mutual friend of longtime friendtor Michael Bungay Stanier (two-time guest of the Pivot Podcast). Billy is the author of Your Comfort Zone is Killing You: Finding the Courage to Be You. In this conversation we cover finding the courage to move past others’ expectations toward greater authenticity, transparency, vulnerability, and self-expression. Check out full show notes from this...
May 30, 2020•35 min•Ep. 231
When was the last time you experienced a truly ecstatic flow state when working? Where time was flying, and you didn’t even notice it passing? Do you know how to create more of these in the future? It took 10 years for The Office to find success after it aired. What would you create for the intrinsic reward of the project itself? What if you knew it wouldn’t find popular success until 10 years from now, if at all? Would you still create it? The very notion of a “flow” state was popularized and e...
May 29, 2020•23 min•Ep. 230
What do you wish you had that doesn’t exist? Whether it’s a podcast episode, an article, or a physical product — innovation requires pausing the “infinite stream” of passive content we consume in receiver mode, and intentionally pausing to ask the question: how can you create what you need? Your magnet means something . . . pause and pay attention to it. This episode ties into topics covered in 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV” and episode 219: Swimming Ups...
May 28, 2020•20 min•Ep. 229
If social media drains you, yet continues to dangle itself as a “sexy should,” this episode is for you. I share my own process—mindset shifts and business focuses—that allow me to keep moving, even without platform-building or posting on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tik Tok. From a business perspective, social media is a means to two primary ends: social connections and media (consuming and contributing). I share how I work toward both of those in ways that energize me, even without directi...
May 27, 2020•29 min•Ep. 228
When Michael and I were throwing together our very agile wedding at City Hall in New York City back in November 2018, with just a few weeks notice I asked two friends for a photographer recommendation. Both separately replied with the same person, today’s guest, which was all the serendipity I needed to say yes! That photographer is Phillip Van Nostrand, an instant friend and exactly the kind of guy you’d want on board for big events. When Phil told me how he was networking during the pandemic, ...
May 26, 2020•32 min•Ep. 227
Henna Inam is on a mission to impact one million people by 2030, partly by helping us “Marie Kondo our mindset.” In this episode, you’ll learn about the five shifts in agility we can all make and the antidote to burnout, starting with our built-in neuro-emotional capability for resilience and collaboration. She is the CEO of Transformational Leadership Inc., a company that helps Fortune 500 organizations grow transformational leaders. A former C-suite executive, Henna drove transformation throug...
May 25, 2020•35 min•Ep. 226
Dr. MJC is back for part two of our most recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series (listen to episode 224 first). In this session we riff on not quite feeling ready to leave our pandemic bubbles, the meta skill of self-education, and conscious luck (Gay Hendricks’ new book). What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/225...
May 24, 2020•22 min•Ep. 225
Dr. MJC is back for the first time since episode 203, when we talked about re-opening three weeks ago. Today we riff on a range of timely topics: Joe Rogan’s exclusive Spotify deal and how it mirrors larger pandemic and content-creation trends, “blue” versus “red” ocean when it comes to competition, the important meta skill of self-education, and not quite feeling ready to leave our pandemic bubbles. And for curious minds! Our new word of the episode: ar·ma·men·tar·i·um (är′mə-mĕn-târ′ē-əm) The ...
May 23, 2020•32 min•Ep. 224
Today I’m peeling the curtain back on the shifts I’ve made to move from weekly to daily podcast publishing during the pandemic across five key areas: mindset, motivation, systems, skills, and software. Interested in learning more? Join me LIVE for a much-requested update on my (He)art of Podcasting course! I’m facilitating a 3-hour masterclass on June 25 where you can ask me anything, get my best templates for visioning, interview prep, and post-production, and request walkthroughs of the most c...
May 22, 2020•25 min•Ep. 223
Can the universe possibly be always working “for” you and not just happening to you? How can that be if bad things that happen to good people? In this episode I respond to a listener question with my take on helpful ways to apply the placebo effect and pronoia, the belief that “the world around you conspires to do you good.” I talk about noticing what you’re noticing, and how to discern fears versus wants through your inner magnet (aka intuition). I recorded on a Saturday afternoon at the park, ...
May 21, 2020•26 min•Ep. 222
Don’t bench yourself before the game begins. Be willing to be the exception. What problems can you solve during this unique time? What skills can you teach yourself? For any disempowering article or statistic, what if the opposite were true? Systemic inequality, student debt, lack of social support — these are massively broken systems in America. But that doesn’t mean you need to hang your head in defeat from now until forever. This episode is a message to 2020 grads (and anyone else who needs t...
May 20, 2020•19 min•Ep. 221
Welcome to Part 3 of Wandering with Michael (Part 2 here) — we talk about my favorite band, how to protect your flame, the importance of not planning or problem-solving too much around one’s creative process . . . and then! Around minute 22, Michael jumps into facilitating (his first!) spontaneous guided meditation with more passion than most :) More background: Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate o...
May 19, 2020•38 min•Ep. 220
“Everything is the pandemic’s fault,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of nascent streaming platform Quibi last week. Is it? I share my thoughts in this week’s riff on how streaming companies are responding and piloting during this time. Building on episode 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV”, I share a tale of two platforms — and encourage you to examine where you might still be stuck in unhelpful thinking. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the P...
May 18, 2020•19 min•Ep. 219
I’m releasing exactly the kind of episode I can’t usually stand . . . but maybe that’s a good thing? Michael even said in all seriousness, “I don’t think you should release this one on the main channel.” We cover everything and nothing, and digressions in-between. Welcome to Part 2 of Wandering with Michael. Our alternative titles for this one are, “Infinitely Boring” and “The Household Ramble”— so listen at your own risk! More background: Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong ...
May 17, 2020•39 min•Ep. 218
Life on lockdown means a perfect opportunity to capture spontaneous thoughts from a very special guest . . . and no, it’s not Ryder :) Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :) List...
May 16, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 217
Dani Zoldan is a lifelong entrepreneur. In 2008, he purchased Stand Up NY, the famous comedy club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that made its name in the 80’s and 90’s with many of the world’s best comics including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Louis CK and Jon Stewart. Today, (at least pre-pandemic when we could still gather in person!) the club has been home to many current A-listers including Amy Schumer, Michael Che, Pete Davidson and Judah Friedlander. I met Dani through...
May 15, 2020•37 min•Ep. 216
Why are so many of us allergic to the word innovation, solving the wrong problems, and experiencing idea-fatigue? Because, as Stephen Shapiro brilliantly shares in his new book, Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems, what we’re really aiming for is relevance. How can you apply the 5D’s of disruption to solve difficult problems? We dive into that and so much more during this conversation—one I can’t wait to listen back to at least twice more to abs...
May 14, 2020•54 min•Ep. 215
Seth Godin recently described Mitch Joel (in celebration of his 700th episode) as “in the pantheon, one of the greats.” I couldn’t agree more. Mitch is a well-respected friend and colleague to so many of us in the business, writing, and speaking communities. He sees trends and platforms coming long before they hit mainstream, and his output, ideas, and incisive interviewing style consistently leaves me with inspiration and new information. He was gracious to have me on his Six Pixels of Separati...
May 13, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 214
Building on the previous episode that covered virtuous circles (or cycles), this is an excerpt from my Pivot to Profit course where I go deeper into Jim Collins’ Hedgehog and Flywheel concepts. This will help you think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating, unstoppable momentum. Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/...
May 12, 2020•21 min•Ep. 213
How can virtuous circles (or cycles) help us think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating momentum? That’s the topic of this episode; how we can transform even “time for money” or marketing activities into something more. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO revie...
May 11, 2020•33 min•Ep. 212
"If you truly are diversified, that means something is underperforming (in the short-term).” Today’s Pivot conversation is with wealth manager Kathryn Brown, whose mission is changing families’ traditional relationship with money to foster a healthy relationship between money and life for the families she serves. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod...
May 09, 2020•35 min•Ep. 211
Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book. Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. She’s been profiled or quoted in two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and even appeared on Oprah. Jen and I met way back i...
May 08, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 210
This riff is inspired by the synchronous confluence of two things: re-reading a note to self on “sensitivity as a tool for trend spotting” and a recent NYT interview with Jerry Seinfeld (who I also highlight in the chapter on pilots in Pivot), Jerry Seinfeld Is Making Peace With Nothing: He’s ‘Post-Show Business.’ Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/209 I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’...
May 07, 2020•24 min•Ep. 209
Part two of my recent Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20). Whether you’re creating a course, a speech, or a book learn how to map the transformation you’re trying to create, and the difference between different stages such as harvesting, thinking, outlining, writing, editing, and launching. As Richard Bach says, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Listen to part one at http://pivotmethod.com/207 I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 revie...
May 06, 2020•28 min•Ep. 208
In this replay of a Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20), I’m walking you through how to hone in on a powerful, resonant message that will connect with and help you build your ideal community, as well as next steps to getting it out into the world. As one of my earliest book mentors Michael Larsen said to me, "It's not a question of if you'll get published, but when and how." I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, p...
May 05, 2020•34 min•Ep. 207
A morning riff at the park, taking a page out of Valerie K. Martin’s podcast book ❤️ Thank you for listening! I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/206 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 03, 2020•19 min•Ep. 206
It’s right there in her last name: Maggie Reyes is a ray of sunshine who brightens every room she enters. Maggie’s energy in contagious, particularly when it comes to creating delightful, conscious relationships full of affection and appreciation. We’ve both hired each other as a coach, and in just three sessions (and a surprise book she mailed me), Maggie completely transformed my approach to sticky relationship situations. I hope you enjoy this conversation around what it means to create a “5-...
May 02, 2020•51 min•Ep. 205
Joining the Pivot Podcast today are two of my closest friends in NYC, Alex Jamieson and Bob Gower. I spend Friendsgiving with them almost every year, and Bob is actually featured in the Pilot section of Pivot. Alex and Bob are one of those couples we all admire—they are warm, loving, respectful, and creative. Today we’re talking about their new book, called Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business And Your Life. If you want to help them get a b...
May 01, 2020•49 min•Ep. 204
(Recorded 4/30/20) No matter when your area “opens back up,” when and how will you go on public transportation, or to restaurants, for example? (If you have the luxury to make that choice independent of your livelihood) These are the questions Dr. MJC and I tackle in this week’s pandemic podcast conversation. We start with a brief overview of how different states and countries are approaching re-opening, and how we are wrapping our minds around it. We don’t have the answers, but we are exploring...
Apr 30, 2020•51 min•Ep. 203
Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought. From the Three Principles Foundation website: “In 1973, Sydney Banks, an ordinary working man, experienced a spontaneous and profound spiritual enlightenment. His experience uncovered three foundational Principles; elemental principles that create and govern the human experience: Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought.” These are the three principles that guide Inside Out coaching, which I first heard about fro...
Apr 29, 2020•49 min•Ep. 202
