Unthinkable with Jay Acunzo - podcast cover

Unthinkable with Jay Acunzo

Jay Acunzojayacunzo.com
An inside look at the unconventional choices of quality-obsessed creators – and the memorable things they made as a result. It's a show about trusting your intuition and your craft more than best practices and blueprints. Since 2016, Unthinkable has inspired creators to ship more personal, powerful work. In the era of AI and endless commodity content, that type of work is now urgent. Hosted by Jay Acunzo, founder of the Creator Kitchen.
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Episodes

Creative Cafe: The Speaking Business

In the third episode of our miniseries featuring in-depth, behind-the-scenes conversations about makin' stuff, we shed light into the black box that is the professional keynote speaking industry. (Learn more about my keynote speaking at jayacunzo.com )

Apr 24, 20191 hr 1 minEp. 102

Thank Dog

Alex Cook's grandfather brightened every room he entered. Now, thanks to Alex, his brother, an old dog, and some lobsters, Tirrell Cook might just inspire every family to brighten the lives of their eldest members. Subscribe to the Marketing Showrunners newsletter : http://unthinkablemedia.com/subscribe Explore Nanagram: http://nanagram.co Hire Jay to keynote your next event or speak to your team: http://jayacunzo.com...

Apr 11, 201941 minEp. 101

Creative Cafe: How to Make a Great Show

In the second episode of our miniseries featuring in-depth, behind-the-scenes conversations about makin' stuff, we share never-before published thoughts and ideas learned by making this show for three years. Subscribe to the Unthinkable Media newsletter to get one exclusive big idea each month for making great shows, plus a roundup of insights, resources, and show deconstructions: unthinkablemedia.com/subscribe

Apr 03, 201940 minEp. 100

A Small Fiction

Inside the internet's smallest creative project (which is having a massive impact on its audience) through the eyes of its creator. Together, we uncover the two component parts to creative work that we can use to constantly exceed expectations over time. Buy a copy of James Miller's book and share your receipt with Jay Acunzo for a copy of HIS book, Break the Wheel, signed, with stickers, for free.. Find James's book, A Small Fiction, here: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Fiction-James-Miller/dp/17...

Mar 18, 201942 minEp. 99

Miniseries Update: Exceptions Now In Its Own Feed

You can find Exceptions anywhere you listen to your podcasts, including on... Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/exceptions/id1451633126 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tXUONfdFE0h9HculjEq36?si=mM6vCZnYSmSfaXkR5KgAvg Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1451633126/exceptions

Mar 13, 201942 minEp. 100

The Paradox of Exceeding Expectations

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER to get weekly inspiration and insights to help you challenge conventional thinking and create your best work: http://bit.ly/DamnTheBestPractices . WORK WITH ME Keynote Speaking: [email protected] or jayacunzo.com Creating shows for B2B clients: unthinkablemedia.com Get my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work: http://bit.ly/BTWbook ABOUT THE SHOW: Hosted by author and keynote speaker Jay Acunzo, Unthinkable is a swee...

Mar 05, 201919 minEp. 98

Bad Different | Eye-Opening Stories about Being Unique

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER to get weekly inspiration and insights to help you challenge conventional thinking and create your best work: http://bit.ly/DamnTheBestPractices . WORK WITH ME Keynote Speaking: [email protected] or jayacunzo.com Creating shows for B2B clients: unthinkablemedia.com Get my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work: http://bit.ly/BTWbook ABOUT THE SHOW: Hosted by author and keynote speaker Jay Acunzo, Unthinkable is a swee...

Feb 25, 201926 minEp. 97

Made to Stick | Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule

Anthony Thomas, the CEO of Sticker Mule, adores operations and manufacturing. Those are decidedly not-creative areas to adore. Or so I thought. JOIN THE NEWSLETTER to get weekly inspiration and insights to help you challenge conventional thinking and create your best work: http://bit.ly/DamnTheBestPractices . WORK WITH ME Keynote Speaking: [email protected] or jayacunzo.com Creating shows for B2B clients: unthinkablemedia.com Get my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone You...

Feb 18, 201931 minEp. 96

Creative Cafe: Dan Mills, Creative Director at Wistia

Introducing a new miniseries running within Unthinkable: Creative Cafe, the kind of emotional, insider, and cathartic conversations creative people always have over drinks that microphones usually ruin when we try to record them. In this first episode of the series, we talk to one of the most creative honey badgers around, Dan Mills, creative director at Wistia. We cover things ranging from careers in music, how art and business collide (and why art is taking over), and why Wistia chose to reinv...

Feb 13, 201947 minEp. 95

Resonance vs. Reach | Jack Conte, CEO of Patreon | Season 5 Premiere

A plea about creativity in the workplace, and a brief exploration of the evolution of the internet to learn why we should change how we communicate our value to others as creators. We're joined by Patreon's CEO, Jack Conte, as well as a collection of creative voices: Chase Jarvis (CEO of CreativeLive), Deb Aoki (Sr. Experience Designer, Adobe), Josh Bernoff (author, editor, and blogger at Without Bullshit), Juliana Casale (Head of Marketing, CrazyEgg), Angela Schneider (writer and photographer),...

Feb 04, 201920 minEp. 94

Kid President's Battle

Robby Novak's most popular video has been seen over 44 million times, and even though it's his face, his words, and his VIDEO, almost nobody watching knows his name is Robby Novak. Instead, they call him something else: Kid President. In this episode, hear why even the most enjoyable of videos KP has created -- and the best work from the best creators on the planet -- suffers from one issue that we must face as well. Watch Kid President's Pep Talk video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQ...

Jan 21, 201912 minEp. 93

The Worst Career Advice

I kick off Season 5 by sharing the worst advice I've ever received and announcing the next leg of our journey together to fight against conventional thinking in our work. As promised, here are the two links mentioned: TRAVEL LOG: http://bit.ly/jay2019log My transparent, public, and continually updated account (editorial calendar and more) of my work this year, packaged as a travel journal. We're fighting against one awful phenomenon in business (shortcut culture) and fighting for one major goal ...

Jan 07, 201912 minEp. 92

Why LESSONLY Prioritizes Psychological Safety Above All Else ["Exceptions" Ep.7]

In Episode 7 of my docuseries with brand partner Drift, we go inside a rising star in B2B, Lessonly. The company's internal principles guide everything they do, and they articulate some very atypical but refreshing principles. Underpinning every principle and every action spawned from those principles is one core concept: Psychological Safety. Hear why it's so dangerous to overlook this idea, and the very real ways it's changed Lessonly's team for the better. Plus, why is the company's VP of Mar...

Dec 26, 201839 minEp. 91

Why BUFFER Thinks About Traffic vs. Audience vs. Community ["Exceptions" Ep.6]

In Episode 6 of my docuseries with brand partner Drift, I continue to explore why the world's best B2B companies are betting big on brand. Today, we go inside social media software company Buffer. They're an exception for many reasons, but chief among them is how they increase emotional resonance between their team and their audience. In this episode, I define the differences between traffic, audience, and resonance, and we hear how Buffer executes against each. Special thanks to Brian Peters an...

Dec 17, 201840 minEp. 90

How FIRST ROUND CAPITAL Changed VC Brands Forever ["Exceptions" Ep.5]

In Episode 5 of my docuseries with brand partner Drift, I continue to explore why the world's best B2B companies are betting big on brand, with a twist: We go outside the world of product companies and talk to one of the world's most well-known VC firms in tech, First Round Capital. In the episode, we talk to Looker cofounder and CTO Lloyd Tabb about his experiences working with FRC, and then hear from Bill Trenchard, one of the partners at the firm. MORE GOOD STUFF: My book, Break the Wheel, is...

Dec 07, 201838 minEp. 89

Gravy

In the third of three Thanksgiving Week specials, we hear the incredible story of two individuals who so in-touch with WHY they do their work that they make decisions others can't possibly stomach, and overcome challenges most of us have never faced. It's Unthinkable ;) (For more weekly stories, subscribe to my newsletter, Damn the Best Practices: bit.ly/damnpractices )

Nov 21, 201832 minEp. 88

In on the Secret

In the second of three Thanksgiving Week special episodes, an old classic featuring a New York artist's odd but revealing experiment and the story of Frank Warren, creator of PostSecret. Why do we let judgment of our ideas affect our willingness to share them? How do we overcome that? Can we reach a place where we stop shoving others away when they criticize us, claiming they don't "get it"? (For weekly stories, subscribe to my newsletter, Damn the Best Practices: bit.ly/damnpractices )...

Nov 20, 201823 minEp. 87

The Picnic Experiment

Why do we gorge ourselves on holidays? Why do we do ANYTHING that seems mindless? "Because that's how we do things around here." In this story, the psychological phenomenon that explains this type of decision-making ... and what we need to do to break from it. This concept was pulled from my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work. Buy now on Amazon in print, ebook, or audiobook formats: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intu...

Nov 19, 201815 minEp. 86

How Did HELP SCOUT Build Customer Support's Most Refreshing Brand? ["Exceptions" Ep.4]

In Episode 4 of my docuseries with brand partner Drift, I continue to explore why the world's best B2B companies are betting big on brand. Today we go inside Help Scout an talk to CEO/cofounder Nick Francis, head of support Abigail Phillips, and an actual Help Scout customer. Plus, we hear from some of their employee's plants. MORE GOOD STUFF: My book, Break the Wheel, is now available on Amazon in print, ebook, and audio formats: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intuition/d...

Oct 30, 201844 minEp. 85

Short Story: The Choice That Makes or Breaks Great Work (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a story that originated in my newsletter, Damn the Best Practices. It got such a great response that I'm syndicating it here. You can subscribe at http://bit.ly/damnpractices Last time, I shared a psychological concept I uncovered while researching for my book, Break the Wheel. Today, the solution to that mental barrier blocking better decision-making at work. GET THE BOOK ON AMAZON OR AUDIBLE: Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work...

Oct 26, 201813 minEp. 84

Short Story: The Choice That Makes or Breaks Great Work (Part 1)

This story originated in my newsletter, Damn the Best Practices. It got such a great response that I'm syndicating it here. You can subscribe at http://bit.ly/damnpractices I first uncovered this psychological concept in the research for my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work, now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intuition/dp/1544501056/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Thanks for ...

Oct 17, 201811 minEp. 83

How Does INVISION Make Big Creative Projects Look Logical? ["Exceptions" Ep.3]

In Episode 3 of my docu-series with brand partner Drift, I continue to explore why the world's best B2B companies are betting big on brand. Today's most exceptional companies rely on creating great experiences to stand out from the commodity noise. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Damn the Best Practices, for one new story each week about questioning conventional thinking: bit.ly/damnpractices You can also say hi on Twitter @jayacunzo or Instagram @jacunzo My new book, Break the Wheel, is now ...

Oct 08, 201834 minEp. 82

Book Launch Day! Special AMA & Behind-the-Scenes Episode

Order your copy of Break the Wheel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intuition-ebook/dp/B07HQF97J7 ABOUT THE BOOK: Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, & Do Your Best Work Our world is flooded by advice, ideas, and experts, but we shouldn’t make decisions based on “best practices.” Instead, we should do what works best for us, building careers and companies with the sort of clarity that leads to exceptional work. Only, first, we need t...

Oct 01, 201856 minEp. 81

Short Story: What We Really Mean by "Visionary"

Break the Wheel's NEW publish date is Oct. 1, 2018! That means this is the final week to get signed copies plus bonus goodies sent to you in the pre-sale. Visit jayacunzo.com/book for that, or head over to Amazon to purchase your print, Kindle, or audiobook version of Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, Do Your Best Work. Today, the problem with dubbing an innovator or creator a "visionary," and how we, too, can act just like them. (Spoiler alert: The very idea that th...

Sep 24, 201816 minEp. 80

Why Is WISTIA So Creative? ["Exceptions" Ep.2]

Big News: My book, Break the Wheel, is now available for pre-orders at jayacunzo.com/book ! Today, Episode 2 of my new documentary series with brand partner Drift, where I go inside some of the world's best B2B companies to understand why and how they're proactively building their brands. "Brand" was a dirty word in many B2B companies for awhile, but these individuals are proving why it's arguably the most important strategy today for creating exceptional companies. Subscribe to my weekly newsle...

Aug 30, 201849 minEp. 79

Short Story: The Schreader [Plus, Signed Books for You]

Visit jayacunzo.com/book for the pre-sale in the United States. Purchase single or bulk, and get each signed. Available now through October 2018 when the book launches worldwide. Also ... a story (obviously).

Aug 27, 201817 minEp. 78

What Makes GUSTO Exceptional? ["Exceptions" Ep.1]

Episode 1 of my new documentary series with brand partner Drift, where I go inside some of the world's best B2B companies to understand why and how they're proactively building their brands. "Brand" was a dirty word in many B2B companies for awhile, but these individuals are proving why it's arguably the most important strategy today for creating exceptional companies. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Damn the Best Practices, for one new story each week about questioning conventional thinking:...

Aug 05, 201839 minEp. 77

Intuition [Re-aired]

While I work on Season 4 plus my book, Break the Wheel (Fall 2018), I wanted to share with you one of the most popular episodes from the backlogs: "Intuition." Insight into how the world seems to define intuition and why it's so darn broken. Then, we do something unthinkable: We try to define it together, not in some fluffy sense, but in a practical, real-world way, so we can proactively hone and use this skill. In this episode, we hear from one of the most legendary photographers on the planet ...

Jul 18, 201832 minEp. 76

Voices [Re-aired]

As I work on Season 4 of Unthinkable, I wanted to share with you one of the most popular episodes from the backlogs: Voices. The incredible story of Lisa Schneider and her warm, witty, and wonderful team working for ... the dictionary. What they did seemed unthinkable, until you hear their side of the story. Hope you enjoy! In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, sharing one new story every Monday for being better than best practices. That's at http://bit.ly/DamnTheBestPra...

Jun 28, 201825 minEp. 75

"Try to Be Awesome" - A Tribute to Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain inspired much of this very show. Though my style is a bit different than his, I've learned from his method, watched him work with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide, and aspire to be the Anthony Bourdain of the business world. His window into the human experience was food. Mine is careers. In this episode, a tribute, pulled from my newsletter "Damn the Best Practices." Subscribe to that weekly email at bit.ly/damnpractices . Thank you, Anthony Bourdain, for sharing your art ...

Jun 11, 201812 minEp. 74
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