If you don’t know Brandon, you definitely know his work. Brandon is the creator of Humans of New York which has accumulated over 20 million followers worldwide and turned into two NYT-bestselling books ( Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories ). It has also spawned an entire genre of similar blogs. Hundreds of aspiring documentarians have followed in HONY’s footsteps, telling the stories of countries, cities, and communities across the world. During a PhotoWeek session we had at Crea...
Aug 22, 2018•43 min
Don’t make what “everyone” will like or do what “everyone” else is doing. Instead, make/do/follow/lead/create things you love. In this episode, As a social being, it’s natural for you to want everyone to like you and your work. Reject that natural feeling. There’s a 3 step process for finding success as a creative. 1: Create what you love. 2: Relentlessly share the work that you create. 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2. If your work is priced appropriately, you don’t need 10,000 people to love your work....
Aug 15, 2018•13 min
Danielle Krysa is the author of Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk, Creative Block , and Collage , all published by Chronicle Books. She is also the creator of the contemporary art blog The Jealous Curator . Danielle gave a talk at the CreativeLive studios on the Inner Critic, and shares a particular story that I think many of us can relate to. We all deal with the voice in our life that tells us what what we’re creating is not good, will never amount to anything, or how we’ll never make any money ...
Aug 08, 2018•45 min
You know Gregory Heisler, or at the very least, you've seen his work. Gregory is a prolific photographer best known for his 70 cover portraits for TIME Magazine and has graced the pages of Life, Esquire, Fortune, GQ, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and The New York Times Magazine. We recently had the pleasure of hosting Gregory in our CreativeLive studios to present his talk on embracing one’s own uniqueness. Now, I attend a lot of keynotes, speeches, and presentations. Not often do I stand in the aud...
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr 15 min
This week on the show we’ve got serial entrepreneur, marketer extraordinaire and SEO genius Rand Fishkin. Among other things, the guy is an online content legend, having built the legendary MOZ, one of the first online resources / communities helping creators optimize for SEO (yes search engine optimization...aka if you make content, it's helping your people find you on the internet) and now he’s got a new company you’ve gotta know about, and a new BOOK, called Lost & Founder - aimed at helping ...
Jul 25, 2018•2 hr 44 min
Today’s episode is a little subdued. Stripped down. Straight talk. Just you and me. We’re going deep into one of the biggest secrets I’ve learned about photography (or really ANY craft). If you’re looking to stand out, innovate, or generally get new and fresh ideas, this episode is for you. In this episode: * Take your art to the next level by adding something outside of its inherent form. An example would be if you’re a photographer, try adding text like stories or poetry that helps connect wit...
Jul 18, 2018•15 min
Meet Jordy, a 23 year old soccer player and student, who’s trying to find his way and figure out what to shoot for after college and how to get there. He’s optimistic, excited, and at a crossroads in his life. He’s just like I was at his age, and is probably just like you are now or have been in the past. In this raw, gritty, intimate, and windy 28 minute conversation we talk about what it takes to create success through chasing your dreams. We talk about the importance of checking in with yours...
Jul 11, 2018•34 min
Summer is in full swing (or winter snow season for my southern friends) and you’re busy, I get it. That’s why this week I’m hooking you up with a powerhouse of short and sweet creative guidance from my man, Austin Kleon up on the podcast today. If you're not familiar with Austin's work, definitely check out some of his best-selling books like Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work! Austin is a full spectrum mentor when it comes to harnessing creativity and this week we are chatting about the ne...
Jul 04, 2018•11 min
I have always believed in the notion that there’s a creator in all of us, and that includes those in engineering, coding, and literally every other discipline. Today I’m bringing you another exciting guest from the technology field, Ryan Carson. Not only is Ryan “in technology”, but Ryan is the Founder and CEO of Treehouse, whose mission is to help people get great jobs by teaching them how to code. Ryan and I talk about how he got started, and like many of us it has been a path of exploration, ...
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 11 min
Not too long ago I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of CreativeLive students attending a special week of programming in our Seattle studios. This conversation was never intended to be published, but after listening to this intimate conversation with some fellow creators, I had to share it. One of the things I really love about having students in the studio is 1:1 interaction and that non-tangible exchange that happens when a group of people gets together. I mean let's face it, the in...
Jun 20, 2018•52 min
Nigel Barker is an internationally renowned photographer, model, entrepreneur, TV star and author. You’ve seen him as a judge and photographer for 18 seasons on America’s Next Top Model , starring alongside Naomi Campbell on The Face , and as the host of Top Photographer . His entrepreneurial pursuits include having his own furniture line with Art Van Furniture, being the Artistic Director of the menswear brand Flag & Anthem, and co-founding the NYC gym, The Dog Pound. Oh yeah, and he’s publishe...
Jun 13, 2018•52 min
We’re now heading into almost 100 episodes of the podcast, that’s a crazy amount to learn from. So I figured there wasn't a better time to share a short convo I had with my good bud Tim Ferriss on his method for rapidly learning any skill. Tim’s got mad skills in breaking down big subjects and making them digestible which he does for us here, in all of his best selling books- 4 Hour Workweek, 4 Hour Body, 4 Hour Chef, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors - as well as on his podcast The Tim Ferr...
Jun 06, 2018•12 min
Elle is an artist and author and just a genuinely amazing human. You’ve seen her design work on Medium, Uber, and many other recognizable brands as she came out the legendary design firm, IDEO. She was part of the 30 Days of Genius series on this podcast where we took a deep dive into finding our calling with the help of her breakthrough book, The Crossroads of Should And Must. I’ve personally found the idea of Should vs Must as a powerful tool that helps explore the tension between the expectat...
May 30, 2018•2 hr 40 min
This week, I feel lucky enough to bring you not one, not two, but three masters of inspiration into the hot seat. Join me in this LIVE conversation from the WeWork Creator Awards where I was joined on stage by serial entrepreneur and investor Kevin Rose, interior designer Kelly Wearstler, and star of Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’ & fashion designer Tan France. All three of our panelists are built a life doing the things that they love, but like all of us, there were a lot of twists and turns. In this ep...
May 23, 2018•49 min
Today on the podcast we’re answering one of the most popular questions I receive: “how do I find my passion”. Yeah, not an easy one. Super tough! And if you’ve struggled with this or are struggling right now, this episode will help you find your way. In fact, my good friend Chris Guillebeau has spent years researching this exact topic and shares a formula that can help you unlock some missing pieces from his book called Born For This. This super short episode packs such a huge punch, I’m so pump...
May 16, 2018•15 min
Today on the podcast, the tables are turned. I'm in the hot seat on my pal Lewis Howes' podcast, The School of Greatness. I’m sure you are familiar with Lewis - he’s an entrepreneur, high performance business coach, keynote speaker, and author of the best selling book School of Greatness . In this episode, we discuss: The people who wrote the rules were no smarter than you. We talk about confidence to go against the grain, breaking rules and writing your own script. I share a few of my favorite ...
May 09, 2018•1 hr 7 min
Sally Kohn is the author of the fantastic book, The Opposite of Hate . which explores how we can bridge our differences and speak respectfully with those we passionately disagree with. She has has been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and delivered multiple TED Talks on emotional correctness, clickbait, and correcting the culture of hate. In this episode we go deep into what it means to fight hate. Sally shares how to use our creativity and vulnerability to bridge tough topi...
May 02, 2018•1 hr
There are two things that I love sharing more than anything else. Margaritas and answers to your creative questions. I couldn’t figure out how to get margaritas into your ears this week, but we’ve got some fantastic questions from The Daily Creative (my YouTube show where I answer YOUR questions about the challenges you’re facing on your journey to become an aspiring or professional creative) and some of my favorite answers from the show. In this episode: * Ian wants to know how to transition fr...
Apr 25, 2018•35 min
You guys know how much I love Brené. She’s been the show multiple times-- in fact, I think she holds the record for most number of times on the show. Her philosophies on fear, vulnerability, and courage are so so powerful and when you realize how these things are acting in your life, you can unlock a whole new level of understanding around the things that have been holding you back. Today I’m going into the archives to share her first ever conversation with me on the show three years ago. It’s n...
Apr 19, 2018•2 hr 32 min
Today you’re joining me in Jamaica where I gave a keynote to rising stars; part of Richard Branson’s Center for Entrepreneurship. What I love about this talk, and really engaging with the community at large is -- whether you are an entrepreneur, artist, or really pursuing anything, we all face the same challenges - fear, doubt, and finding our way. I share some of those things from my journey, but even more interesting and fun is getting to hear from 3 different entrepreneurs on stage with the g...
Apr 11, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Today I’m reaching into my quiver of keynotes to share a talk I gave at CreativeMornings here in Seattle. If you’re not aware of CreativeMornings it’s a breakfast lecture series for the creative community started by my good friend Tina Roth Eisenberg. These talks are hosted in hundreds of cities around the globe and a great way to connect with your local community. There are thousands of talks on their website, creativemornings.com. The theme of this talk was bravery, so I talk about my own expe...
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 3 min
Thomas Middleditch is an actor and comedian best known for his starring role on HBO’s Silicon Valley where he plays Richard, the struggling startup founder. He started his career doing improv theater for the likes of Second City and UCB, and certainly showed off his improv skills during our conversation. Silicon Valley is the only TV show that I watch religiously, due largely in part to its authentic portrayal of the startup world that I have one foot in the door of. Thomas lives the same authen...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 18 min
Melissa Arnot Reid is a mountain guide, speaker, and founder of the nonprofit organization, The Juniper Fund. She was the first American woman to summit and descent Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and also holds the record for summiting the tallest peak in the world more times than any other western woman with a total of 6 ascents. She’s a certifiable bone crushing badass with a lot of life experience to share from her years of sacrificing for her passions. In this episode, you’ll lear...
Mar 14, 2018•2 hr 38 min
David Heinemeier Hansson is a programmer, writer, and entrepreneur. He changed the future of technology with Ruby on Rails, has influenced the way businesses are being built and run with his books; Getting Real, Rework, and Remote; Office Not Required, and has helped many businesses (including my own photo studio) stay organized and productive with the integrated project management solution, Basecamp. David is passionate about finding alternative ways to do things. He loves looking at the status...
Mar 07, 2018•1 hr 22 min
Eugene Mirman is a stand up comedian, actor, and writer. You’ve heard his voice as “Gene” from Bob’s Burgers, seen his face on Comedy Central, Netflix, and Flight of the Conchords and recently found his podcast on Audible, Hold On. From the outside, Eugene has lived what we may think of as the typical struggling comedian’s career. It took him six years of failing before got a bit of traction. Most people quit well before the 6 year mark. How did he persevere through those years of struggle? He n...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 21 min
Todd Henry is a creator for creators. He makes tools and resources that help creatives succeed, personally and professionally. His four books, The Accidental Creative, Louder Than Words, Die Empty, and his newest Herding Tigers, cover all angles of succeeding as a creative; from finding your voice, to being creative on demand, to managing teams of creatives. He’s an arms dealer for the creative revolution. Whether you’re just starting a project and aren’t sure how to structure your days, weeks, ...
Feb 21, 2018•1 hr 11 min
No one has single-handedly given me better insight about the business side of art than the New York Times bestselling author, Ramit Sethi. He’s a business savant, mindset master, habit king, and money maker. Ramit is a regular on the show by now, and this episode is the first one we did together. It was such a hit and I still get so much positive feedback on how powerful his advice is that we had to share it with you on the podcast. Our conversation is packed full of both mindset shifts as well ...
Feb 14, 2018•2 hr 30 min
We all have fear. The question is: Is fear holding you back? In today's show, we're mixing it up with my friends Tim Ferriss, Brené Brown, Daymond John, Mel Robbins, and Neil Strauss. We take a look back at how they think about fear, some strategies to deal with it, and how we can play through it. In this episode, Fear isn’t all bad. There's a healthy level of fear, and Daymond John shares how it's helped motivate him in business. My man Tim Ferriss talks what he does to deflate his biggest fear...
Feb 07, 2018•14 min
You’re stuck. You’ve plateaued. You’re making great work but nobody is seeing it and you’re asking yourself “how do I get noticed?” How did the blowout successes of YouTube and Instagram get to their million+ followers? The answer: they created community. Whether you're an individual, a hustler, an artist, a creator, an entrepreneur, or you represent a company, the fundamental principle is that making something great and promoting it is only 50% of the work, and that the other 50% (the community...
Jan 24, 2018•26 min
Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, speaker, entrepreneur, photographer, author… He’s a hyphen through and through. But what he’s obsessed with these days is using technology to retrain and improve the use of our human brains, using it even to treat ADHD and other mental conditions. Now more than ever before the world is moving at a pace faster than our 2 million year old brains can catch up. Adam says that as a species our brains aren’t evolving quickly enough so we’re experiencing a cognition c...
Jan 17, 2018•1 hr 19 min
