In this shorter, monologue episode, we learn from storytellers like Kazuo Ishiguro and Ira Glass just what it takes to speak and write in ways that instill the urge to act in others. Why would anyone pick you or stick with you? Why would they refer you to their peers or friends? What makes something truly resonate beyond simply holding your attention? After all, our jobs as communicators and storytellers isn't to "get in front of" them. It's to ensure they care. In this episode, you'll learn a s...
Oct 19, 2022•18 min•Ep. 198
In this story, we hear from Chris Lavigne, the head of production at video software company, Wistia. His story helps reveal what it really means to build a big, meaningful body of work -- no matter where you work -- and how, maybe, the worst thing you can do is focus on the expectations of others. Instead, what if your entire aim was something else? Paradoxically, focusing there might THEN help you exceed others' expectations with your work. Plus, we go inside the projects that Chris says keep c...
Oct 05, 2022•43 min•Ep. 197
One-Shots are monologue episodes complementing our longer-form narratives, which all seek to explore ideas like resonance, storytelling, and creativity in our work. Today, we learn how to tell stories about the seemingly mundane details in our lives. For a full written version of this episode, read the original story . REFER A FRIEND Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast *** MORE FROM JAY: Playing Favorites new...
Sep 21, 2022•19 min•Ep. 196
This story is a surreal, escapist journey into the true story about how the Savannah Bananas became exceptional by being the exception. This minor league baseball team has majorly passionate fans -- with more social media success than some of the biggest teams in the Major Leagues, and a plan to disrupt the MLB itself. This story is told through the ever-optimistic, yellow-tux wearing Jesse Cole, the owner of the team. Not a fan of the sport? No worries. This isn't really a story about baseball....
Aug 31, 2022•50 min•Ep. 195
One-Shots are complementary episodes to our longer-form narratives, which all seek to explore ideas like resonance, storytelling, and creativity in our work. As we continue our exploration, we have to stop to appreciate the tiniest mechanic that enables us to tell stories with the biggest impact. The more we master open loops, the more gripping our communication becomes -- and the more we inspire action in others. Isn't that our jobs? REFER A FRIEND Love the show? Help others find us in their fa...
Aug 25, 2022•16 min•Ep. 194
In this episode of Unthinkable, the story of two marketers and community leaders, Andrew and Pete, of the brand ... Andrew and Pete! They were heading down that now-familiar creator path of digital fame and fortune -- the speaking, the books, the followers -- when they decided to leave that behind. Instead, they've been helping OTHERS conquer fears and make leaps in their small businesses. So often, what we need to see greater results in our business isn't an improvement in productivity. It's no...
Aug 09, 2022•50 min•Ep. 193
Which books have shaped minds & changed lives? 2 Pages with MBS is described as a show where "brilliant people read the best two pages of a favorite book … a book that’s shaped them and changed them. Listen as authors, leaders, activists, academics, entrepreneurs, change agents and celebrities dig into the ideas that matter the most." This is the episode featuring Jay, only lightly edited to replace the intro and outro. It's unlike any other appearance you'll hear. Enjoy! SHARE THE SHOW: Hel...
Jul 22, 2022•49 min•Ep. 192
In this One-Shot, a list of better questions to ask others to learn from them (whether you want to hire them or publish their thinking) than the typical conventional wisdom provides us. Interviews are too important to drift through them, unhinging our brains in favor of the basic questions that yield basic answers. We need to dig deeper. We also talk about how to create an inviting, comfortable space for others to share more personally, as well as suggestions for unpacking responses to really as...
Jul 13, 2022•23 min•Ep. 191
In the fourth and final MINI-Series episode, we learn from sound designer, artist, and brilliant documentarian James T. Green about their philosophy and practice around sound design and creation. James is the founder of the studio Molten Heart, and their work has been heard in 99% Invisible with Roman Mars, The Met, Pop Up Magazine, and more. By unpacking and dissecting small pieces of sound and music from James, we learn the thoughtful, intentional art of sound design and the power that small a...
Jun 30, 2022•56 min•Ep. 190
Creativity doesn't mean BIG, and so we're exploring the tiniest pockets of the created work -- small bursts of making, or projects that fit neatly into the nooks and crannies of the internet. Today, joke writing and comedy songwriting with Matt Buechele. Matt is a writer, musician, and hilarious human who's performed original songs for Netflix commercials and worked as a writer on The Tonight Show, where he wrote jokes and music for the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Matthew McConaughey, and Lin-Manuel ...
Jun 16, 2022•40 min•Ep. 189
Resonating deeply doesn't require us to do anything big or expensive. The MINI-Series explores four types of created work that don't take up much space -- but still carry tons of meaning to those who encounter it. Last episode was about copywriting. This episode: illustration, featuring Haley Weaver of the wildly popular instagram account, Haley Drew This. Together, we unpack some of her seemingly simple but deeply emotional webcomics -- many of which uplift those suffering with their mental wel...
May 11, 2022•27 min•Ep. 188
In a new 4-part Mini Series, we're unpacking how we create little pockets of resonance. Through conversations with sound designers, copywriters, comedians, and creatives, we are mapping out how we can create work that can make audiences feel connected, validated, and seen. First up is a conversation with brilliant copywriter Margo Aaron who walks us through some of her most powerful copywriting blogs, her opinions on watching the news (links below) and what copywriting can feel like when it’s do...
May 04, 2022•55 min•Ep. 187
Maker monsters often creep in at the least opportune times, drag us backwards, convince us of defeat, fill us with self-doubt, so where do we go from here? And what does that mean for our creative, professional work? We hear from Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast host and producer Lizzie Peabody and poet and keynote speaker, Tucker Bryant, about how their maker monster, perfectionism, creeps into their creative work. We dive into how they conquer, co-exist, or accept defeat with their own internal ...
Mar 30, 2022•31 min•Ep. 186
Learn more about Elevate and apply here: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators The first group begins work April 11. MORE DETAILS: Achieve your creative goals with small working groups of B2B creators and marketers, led personally by me, Jay Acunzo. 8 weeks of guided work on your existing, most important projects, with 1:1 and 1:few time with me. Sharpen your ideas, be more creative, and earn more passionate fans and customers. Connect with successful, generous, c...
Mar 24, 2022•4 min•Ep. 185
In this one-shot, Jay reflects on a childhood writing lesson that continues to impact how he approaches his work today. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and...
Mar 23, 2022•14 min•Ep. 184
A story about a writer and entrepreneur with an audacious mission driving the organization he helps lead. Together, cofounder Stew Fortier and his community-led business Foster is helping writers who care about turning their ideas into timeless writing, not viral hits that quickly fade. They're here to fight back against the hollow noise, to develop important ideas from unique voices, crafted into writing that’s meant to resonate deeper, even as the internet trends shallow. But to do that kind o...
Mar 16, 2022•57 min•Ep. 183
In this episode, we hear from the founder of the media company New Rockstars, Filup Molina, and their first head of operations, Holiday Kinard, about how a small team of creative people operating out of one tiny room established themselves as just part of the viewing experience alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can find New Rockstars on YouTube and become one of their nearly 4M subscribers at https://www.youtube.com/newrockstars SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their fa...
Mar 10, 2022•58 min•Ep. 182
In the second installment of The Concept, we learn about the idea of learned helplessness, which causes us to hit our ceilings as creators or even refrain from pursuing an opportunity, never attempt to overcome a challenge, or simply avoid asking for help. We learn how learned helplessness forms in the brain -- and what it DOES to our brain -- through two experiments involving both dogs and humans. Then, we learn about the three parameters of how we explain the world to ourselves and how we can ...
Mar 02, 2022•41 min•Ep. 181
Patrick Campbell is cofounder and CEO of the software company ProfitWell, which sells tools to help subscription businesses (SaaS and DTC) reduce cancellations and optimize pricing and ultimately earn more revenue. Their media team -- a small group of about 6 full-time employees and a few freelancers -- has been setting the B2B marketing world on fire of late, as they've created 11 original series in audio and video form, plus dozens of other projects. The thing is, these projects don't feel muc...
Feb 23, 2022•48 min•Ep. 180
Suzy Batiz calls herself CEO to more conservative crowds, but PEO to everyone else. To define PEO, however, would be to make more than a few people blush. The Poo Executive Officer. Suzy is the founder of Poo-Pourri, a toilet spray that solves the problem of bathroom smells in a way that runs counter to conventional thinking. But more than the hilarious branding and advertising (and there's plenty of that, as we hear in this episode), Suzy and her company showcase the power of something called F...
Feb 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 179
In this one-shot, Jay unpacks one of Rocky’s most iconic scenes to better understand how we can approach our own constraints and begin to use them to our advantage. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancer...
Feb 02, 2022•17 min•Ep. 178
In the first installment of The Concept, we learn about telic and its opposite, paratelic. These ideas inform our own internal motivations -- or that of our teams -- and they can radically change the results we see from our work. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to...
Jan 26, 2022•51 min•Ep. 177
Today, we hear the story of Patreon, as told by cofounder and CEO Jack Conte. More pressing for our purposes as makers, however, is the driving belief Jack shares which is the beating heart of the creator economy -- or should be. There's a coming fork in the road we'll face if we want to create for a living and thrive. The decision is embedded into the very name of the movement: creator economy. I think the pendulum has swung too far towards the economy part, and we need to remember what this is...
Jan 19, 2022•27 min•Ep. 176
In this one-shot, we unpack how we can become more discerning about the real intent behind lists. Jay walks us through a very special ingredient list for his mom’s famous green bean casserole to give us a real-life example of how sneaky lists can be. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting ...
Jan 12, 2022•19 min•Ep. 175
It’s a team that borders on a circus, bucks baseball traditionalists, and is unapologetically authentic. It’s a team that deeply resonates with fans both near and far, whose players go through “Fan First U” to join the team, and then try all kinds of atypical things to entertain fans -- sometimes off the field, and often, on it. What’s the difference between a fan and a customer? Why should baseball's walks be sprints? From dancing grandmas to babies in banana gear, hiring people using "future r...
Jan 05, 2022•48 min•Ep. 174
What does it take to create work that resonates? This week, Jay unpacks his framing of resonance - why it matters, why we should prioritize it, and how to build it - with one of his creative sparring partners, Jay Clouse. From dissecting how competition comes into play to analyzing how it differs from reach, they look at resonance from all angles. It’s a raw, messy, and unfiltered conversation that gives listeners a behind the scenes look at being an investigator in our own daily work. SHARE THE...
Dec 29, 2021•58 min•Ep. 173
Every week Jay waits until the last minute to write his weekly newsletter, why? In this short episode, Jay unpacks why he puts a weekly constraint on himself and how that has served as a tactic to wrestle with, dance with, and address his persistent maker monster. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework...
Dec 22, 2021•13 min•Ep. 172
We often hear one word used to describe a person or team that's built something big: empire. They've built a business empire. For Chris Sharpe and Adriene Mishler, the idea might have applied ... but only at first. Chris (as CEO of YWA's company, Find What Feels Good) and Adriene (as the performer and personality) co-founded something that did expand in such a way that it felt empire-bound. But then they decided to make a switch. The reason why can be found hidden in how they speak to their audi...
Dec 16, 2021•48 min•Ep. 171
No matter how new or experienced we are at the craft, inevitably, we face maker monsters -- these internal barriers that hold us down and prevent us from doing our best work. These aren't external factors like budget, time, team, or tools. Instead, they sound like imposter syndrome or fear of rejection or procrastination. Today, we explore the fear of being unoriginal. In the working world, that might sound like "differentiation." Regardless of how it shows up, all we can do is learn to confront...
Dec 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 170
What does it look like when an organization, project, or individual’s work resonates so deeply that they have passionate fans and loyal followers who declare them a favorite ? This week we start in the sometimes bland, boring space of team training software and follow the story of a surprisingly dynamic, brilliant and captivating idea from 360Learning -- an original series called Onboarding Joei. This short docuseries follows Joei Chan, a new employee, as she navigates her first 3 months on the ...
Dec 01, 2021•59 min•Ep. 169
