The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Srinivas Rao•podcast.unmistakablecreative.com

Timeless Practical Wisdom For Living a Meaningful Life

Inspiring stories and practical advice from creatives, entrepreneurs, change-makers, misfits, and rebels to help you become successful on your own terms

Our listeners say, “If TEDTalks met Oprah you’d have the Unmistakable Creative.” Eliminate the feeling of being stuck in your life, blocked in your creativity, and discover higher levels of meaning and purpose in your life and career. Listen to deeply personal, insightful, and thought-provoking stories from the world’s leading thinkers and doers including best-selling authors, artists, peak performance psychologists, happiness researchers, entrepreneurs, startup founders, artists, venture capitalists, and even former bank robbers. Former guests have included Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Justine Musk, Scott Adams, Rob Bell, David Heinemeier Hansson, Elle Luna, Jordan Harbinger Brett Mckay, and Simon Sinek.

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Episodes

Using Non-Verbal Communication to Change Human Behavior with Mark Bowden

In this episode of the podcast Mark Bowden talks about the power of body language, and how non-verbal communication can be utilized for influence, persuasion and changing human behavior. D ealing with the stigmas that come with dyslexia Lessons from the world of visual and physical theater Using body language to change the feelings of an audience Why everything is learnable and teachable Using your own body language to influence and persuade other people The amazing impact of how body language c...

Mar 25, 2015•51 min

What Improv Can Teach Us About Creation, Collaboration, and Communication with Tom Yorton

In this episode of the podcast, Tom Yorton, CEO of SecondCity Works, Chicago’s world renown improv theater whose alumni include Steven Colbert, Tina Fey and many other high profile comedians talks about what the world of improv can teach us about creation, communication and collaboration. Finding different ways to connect with an audience The role that music played in Tom’s career Redeveloping curiosity and tolerance for risk Why the resume building approach to education hurts kids Developing ad...

Mar 23, 2015•50 min

The Voice That Whispers Inside

In today’s special solo episode of the podcast, I decided to share a short preview of our latest writing project, The Compass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 20, 2015•3 min

Learning to See Yourself as An Artist with Lisa Congdon

Lisa Congdon didn’t start drawing or painting until she was 30. In this episode of the podcast Lisa talks about her journey from doing education reform work in the non-profit world to making a full time living as an artist. Highlights A painting class that was the catalyst for a career change Infusing a spirit of generosity into the world of art The starving artist narrative that perpetuates our culture Dealing with fear of claiming your identity as an artist Identifying the special, important a...

Mar 18, 2015•50 min

The History of Money with Kabir Sehgal

In this episode of the show Kabir Seghal discusses his new book Coined, the history of money and how it is has shaped us. What’s happening in the brain when we deal with money Our physiological responses to money An interesting look at how different cultures react to money The currencies of social and financial debt The future of money in developed and developing countries Why our financial decision are not made on a conscious level The emotional meaning of money Carving out of unconventional op...

Mar 16, 2015•39 min

Lessons in Communication from a Fugitive on the Run with Peter Young

Peter Young is an animal right activist who went on a cross country run in which he cut fences to free mink from farms, which resulted in a potential life sentence, and becoming a fugitive on the run for 7 years. The punk rock roots of Peter’s calling Furthering the mission of communities through action Figuring out the only metric that matters in your work Lessons in persuasion and communication from protests A look into the inner workings of life as a fugitive on the run Interesting life hacks...

Mar 11, 2015•45 min

Finding the Thread Of Our Deepest Desire with Jen Louden

In this episode Jen Louden returns to the show discuss telling stories, finding out what’s true for you,and uncovering the thread of our deepest desire Creative roadblocks and falling apart moments Overcoming our environments to reach our creative potential Self trust and learning to choose what’s true for you Storytelling lessons from the world of film The stories we tell ourselves and the narratives of our lives Crux moments and leveraging them in our stories Discovering the thread of our deep...

Mar 09, 2015•42 min

Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities with Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday dropped out of college to spend his early 20’s working for masters of their craft like Robert Greene and Tucker Max. A conversation at a conference turned him on to the world of stoic philosophy and led to the publication of his most recent book The Obstacle is the Way Building a capacity for making terrifying decisions Recognizing pivotal moments in our own lives How we deal with difficult moments in our lives Learning to control our perceptions Making the best out of terrible situ...

Mar 04, 2015•42 min

Finding The Sweet Spot in Your Work with Michael Gebben

Michael Gebben found himself exhausted by his work, and hiding from this clients. In this inspiring conversation he talks identifying the sweet spot in our work and getting back to doing the things we love. Highlights: Going the extra mile in all the work you do Why becoming an entrepreneur is not for everybody Doing things with no expectation of anything in return Tuning out your external voices and turning them into fuel for your fire Taking baby steps to build some semblance of momentum Lesso...

Mar 02, 2015•1 hr 5 min

What to do When It’s Your Turn with Seth Godin

In this episode of The Unmistakable Creative, Seth Godin returns to the show to discuss his new book, It’s Your Turn. Leveraging books as a tool to change the people around you Writing a book that begs to be shared and gets under people’s skin The choice between creative or cog that we’re always making Why we must be willing to be wrong to do work that matters H ow the connection economy rewards people Our search for reassurance and how to stop it Learning to take your work seriously and not per...

Feb 25, 2015•44 min

Creating Your Immortal Beautiful Work with Jennifer Boykin

In this episode of the podcast, Life After Tampons creator Jennifer Boykin discusses what it takes to create your immortal beautiful work, getting comfortable with something unplanned happening and how we can use mastery of one craft to build confidence in others. Why you can have everything, but not at the same time Learning about your dreaming instead of pursuing it Meeting the enormity of what is possible for us in our lives Using small wins to build confidence and overcoming failure Why our ...

Feb 23, 2015•52 min

The Instigator’s Compass: A Sneak Preview

In this short episode of the podcast, I wanted to do something a little bit different. As I've mentioned in a few previous episodes, we're currently working on a new writing project called The Compass, a creator's guide to Instigating something that matters. One of the requests I had from a few of our listeners was to do an audio version of the project, so I decided to release a sneak preview via the podcast. Resources Mentioned The Instigator's Compass Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Feb 20, 2015•5 min

Finding The Work That’s In Your Heart with Faris and Rosie Yakob

When Faris Yakob proposed to his wife Rosie, he also suggested they quit their jobs and travel the world. The result has been a 98 week journey of creating work that’s in their heart, and the formation of their business, Genius Steals. Episode Highlights Doing the things that are interesting, fun and profitable Lessons in branding from working with Jay Z How being good at being you makes you irreplaceable Learning how to find your superpowers and push edges Lessons from the world of Maxim magazi...

Feb 18, 2015•54 min

The Power of Connectional Intelligence with Erica Dhawan

In this episode of the Unmistakable Creative, Erica Dhawan talks about connectional intelligence and how we can leverage knowledge, ambition and human capital to create something meaningful in the world. Episode Highlights Using business as tool for social change Harnessing communities to change the world How to connect, people, ideas and resources The difference between collaboration and connectional intelligence Using dance as form of expression and storytelling Creating value and meaning thro...

Feb 16, 2015•47 min

The Art of Skill Development With Dan Fagella

In this episode of the Unmistakable Creative, Dan Fagella talks to us about the art and science of skill development through the lens of martial arts and positive psychology. The tenets of sports psychology that can apply to your life Lessons from the world of Brazilian jujitsu Learning to leverage of our nervous energy or jitters Using rituals and routines to perform at our best Leveraging biographies and history to develop perspective A framework for the science of skill development Quotes We ...

Feb 11, 2015•37 min

The Business of Spreading Ideas with Al Pittampalli

Al Pitampalli’s frustration with endless meetings and other things that don’t seem to have a purpose led to what he calls a meetings revolution. In this episode we discuss his experience as one of Seth Godin’s first alternative MBA students, publishing a book with the domino project and why we must learn to become persuadable…that’s right not persuasive, but persuadable, and how this enables us to spread ideas. The importance of continually asking why Learning to explore our hidden assumptions T...

Feb 09, 2015•51 min

Drawing to Make Sense of the World with Dave Gray

In this episode, Dave Gray discusses his journey from the world of traditional journalism to helping large organizations clarify, communicate and achieve their goals. We also discuss how you can use drawing to make sense of the world and solve our own problems. Overcoming the starving artist objection Doing work that is truly aligned with who you are Finding a question that drives all your work Why people lose sight of their calling How the school system creates a lack of alignment Cultivating a...

Feb 04, 2015•45 min

The Power of Visual Note Taking with Mike Rohde

Mike Rohde found himself incredibly frustrated with his note taking efforts. Instead of trying to capture all of the information he was hearing ,he decided focus on capturing only those things that were most meaningful to him, and add visual elements to his notes. The result was sketch noting. Tapping into your desire to see something exist in the world The intersection of community and creativity How to create your very own logbook Embracing an experimental mindset Bringing constraints into you...

Feb 02, 2015•56 min

Designing Your Environment For Optimal Performance and Creativity with Jim Bunch

In this episode of the show we speak with entrepreneur and coach Jim Bunch about rapid transformation, why will power fails to change the behavior of 96% of people and, how you can design your environment for optimal performance and and creativity. Why transformation has been the glue that held together Jim’s businesses The importance of having a bigger brighter vision for the future A Look at why willpower fails to change the behavior of 96% of people How every environment we’re in inspires or ...

Jan 28, 2015•1 hr 9 min

How to Steal Like an Artist with Austin Kleon

Join us on Unmistakable Creative for an inspiring conversation with Austin Kleon, a New York Times bestselling author known for his unique approach to creativity in the digital age. In this episode, Kleon shares his journey from a child who never stopped drawing to a bestselling author of books like 'Steal Like an Artist,' 'Show Your Work,' and 'Newspaper Blackouts.' Discover how scheduling time to create can fuel a body of work and why Kleon found his best work after leaving school. Learn about...

Jan 26, 2015•55 min

The Journey of a Y Combinator Startup Founder with Mattan Griffel

As an NYU undergraduate, Mattan Griffel had aspirations for a career in finance. But getting rejected from over 100 jobs he applied drastically altered the course of his career ultimately leading to the launch of the Ycombinator startup One Month. Separating your self worth from experiencing rejection Using self education and online learning to accelerate your career path Why we have to make our own ideas happen How a series of blog posts turned into an online class with over 2000 registrants Th...

Jan 21, 2015•56 min

The Art of Producing Reality TV with Jerry Kolber

In this episode of the podcast, we speak with reality television producer about Jerry Kolber about his work on shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, National Geographic documentaries and Brain Games. We also talk about why the story you’re telling is so essential to any creative project you’re working on. Inside the NYU Ecosystem of Creative Professionals Using a meditation practice for career guidance A creative framework for working with limited resources Dealing with significant career f...

Jan 19, 2015•53 min

The Making of Macgyver With Lee Zlotoff

In this episode of the podcast we speak with Macgyer creator Lee Zlotoff about the making of his hit TV show which has remained on their air across the world for 30 years, and using what he calls the Macgyver methodd to engage the enormous capabilities of your subconscious mind to bear on effective problem solving. The 3 key elements that have caused Macgyver to be on the air for 30 years Creating global resonance and timelessness in your work Why this could be a critical century to the future o...

Jan 14, 2015•57 min

From Business School to Broadway Producer with Vivek Tiwary

In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Vivak Tiwary about his journey from business school to producing Broadway musicals and working with artists like Greenday, Alanis Morisette and many others. Highlights The cultural conflict of doing what you love versus doing what’s practical Why unorthodox paths are inherently difficult How Vivek used Brian Epstein’s life story to serve as a mentor for his career A look at the Broadway production of Greenday’s American Idiot Making the choices that ...

Jan 12, 2015•50 min

A Mission to Become Insanely Productive with Andrew Filev

In this episode of the show we speak with Wrike founder and CEO Andrew Filev about his mission to become insanely productive. Highlights Cultural influences of a post-Soviet world Building perseverance and becoming resourceful Why time is our most precious resource Recognizing the magic moments in your life The difference between your work managing you and you managing your work Developing a system to drastically change your results Using small wins to get to a really big goal Combining things f...

Jan 07, 2015•43 min

The Science of Gratitude and Simple Behavioral Change with UJ Ramdas

In this episode of the show, we speak with behavioral scientist and FiveMinute Journal Founder UJ Ramdas about the science of gratitude and simple behavioral change UJ’s earlier cultural influences The journey of self inquiry Why momentum is critical How the dots connect in life Using journals to find data about yourself Becoming a better student of yourself Simplifying Your Daily Gratitude Practice Managing cognitive load to change behavior Applying real world consequences to behavioral change ...

Jan 05, 2015•50 min

The Best of 2014: From Maximizing Income to Maximizing Impact with Nicke Reese

In this interview we wrap up 2014 by revisiting our interview with Nick Reese Like many young people, Nick Reese was wildly ambitious. While that ambition became the driving force of his entrepreneurial efforts, matters of the heart interfered. What started was a radical shift from maximizing income to maximizing impact. Starting a t-shirt company from a college dorm room Learning to recover from the failure of a business Having the audacity to go for what you really want Why Nick tied his self ...

Dec 31, 2014•59 min

Joe Loya- The Best of 2014: Confessions of a Bank Robber

Today we continue our best of 2014 series. Joe Loya’s life trajectory of rising up and moving forward took a radically different turn after losing his mother at an an early age, and stabbing his father in the neck at the age of 16. This was beginning of of a life of crime, and 14 month bank robbing spree in which he robbed 30 banks. In this amazing chat about his life, we discuss the amazing power of innovating with your story. Higlights The loss of a parent at a very young age Growing up with a...

Dec 29, 2014•1 hr 19 min

The Best of 2014: The Moment Everything Starts With Sarah Peck

In this best of 2014 episode, we revisit our interview with Sarah Peck. Sarah is an writer/designer/entrepreneur whose life has been deeply influenced by swimming and writing. In this chat we discuss lessons she’s learned on her journey from college swim team member to writer and open water swimmer, whose swims have included braving the treacherous waters of San Francisco bay to make it to Alcatraz and back. Highlights The “not good enough” narrative that we all deal with Changing our narratives...

Dec 24, 2014•59 min

The Best of 2014: Mastering the Craft of Writing with Dani Shapiro

In today's episode we look back at one of our best episodes of the year. Dani Shapiro has made her living as a writer for more than 20 years. In this interview we have an in-depth discussion about working artists and what it takes to master the craft of writing. Highlights: Why there are many trajectories to creative careers Dani's early exposure to working artists The importance of living and rebelling Why Having a story to tell matters so much Getting back to callings of our youth How a new ge...

Dec 22, 2014•1 hr 10 min

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