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Explore every episode of the podcast Getting Work To Work

Dive into the complete episode list for Getting Work To Work. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
“Doubt: The Beginning of How to Think” with Darls Centola (GWTW885)03 Apr 202600:47:37

How do you grapple with resistance when writing about personal stories from your past? As today’s guest learned, “When you get to the pain, slow down.” Darls Centola is a psychotherapist, educator, and author of Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love.” In our conversation, Darls shares stories from her book including what it was like growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness in 1970s Los Angeles, being friends with Michael Jackson, and how her sister got them enrolled in a prestigious private school where they met the Jacksons. She also talks about her curiosity with neurobiology, the many paths she took to discover her calling, seeing people as they are, how doubt was the beginning of how to think, learning to listen to herself, and healing her relationship with her mother. Darls also provides practical advice on writing, discovering her adult voice, and how she worked on her craft in workshops and with coaches.

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“Crime, Absurdity & Chaos Corrected” with Tod Goldberg (GWTW884)31 Mar 202601:03:34

Have you ever wondered what a crime novelist can teach you about your own creativity? It turns out, a lot—and not just about weird crimes and sketchy people. Today’s guest is Tod Goldberg, the bestselling author of sixteen books, including the Gangsterland quartet and his latest, Only Way Out. Tod is also a professor of creative writing and the founder and director of the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Riverside. We start our conversation with Tod stating why intellectual curiosity is essential for writers to connect with people. We then talk about what it was like to grow up in a family of writers, the movies we watched as kids that we probably shouldn’t have seen, a snapshot into his writing and professional life, the importance of doing your job and letting your brain breathe, why true crime is popular in chaotic times, why he created a writing graduate program and how it’s different than other MFAs, and his love for the democratization of art.

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1,000 Rejections? (GWTW875)24 Jan 202600:16:59

Rejection is on my mind today. Yes, it’s because I got rejected for something I actually wanted. But there’s also a deeper reason: Somewhere along my creative journey, I learned to minimize rejection by playing-it-safe, making my dreams small, and maximizing my chameleon tendencies. Recently, Shae Omonijo shared a short video on Substack about her plan for 2026: “Collect 1K rejections.” A lot ran through my mind after seeing the video, “1,000 rejections? One hurt enough! Are you a glutton for punishment?” I think my brain short-circuited when I watched it, but it didn’t take long for the truth to be revealed: I’m a chicken and I’m tired of being scared. If you are someone who has big dreams, but shove them aside because you have an unhealthy relationship with rejection, then this episode’s for you. Oh, and don’t worry, I’m preaching to the choir here because this is the work I need to do for myself as well.

Seven ways to go from avoiding rejection to chasing 1,000 rejections?
  1. Know what you actually want.
  2. Adopt a rejection mindset.
  3. Stop waiting and start moving.
  4. Dream bigger and share often.
  5. Allow yourself to change.
  6. Learn to separate rejection from failure.
  7. Become an advocate for yourself, your wants, and needs.
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“Live to Bring Luvity” with auGi Garred (GWTW874)16 Jan 202601:10:48

How do you respond when moments of disruption happen in your life? Do you shake your fist at the sky, bemoaning, “Why me?” Or do you get curious and ask, “What’s around the next corner?” During every pivotal moment in the life of today’s guest, he learned what it would take to not only escape the assembly line, but to build a life worth living. auGi Garred is a storyteller, former comedian, multi-instrumentalist, beacon of fun on the horizon, and founder of Molting Men, a place for Gen-X creatives to reimagine their futures. In this conversation, auGi tells powerful stories centered around three key areas: Rush, the power of humor, and staying open to what is around the next corner. He talks about why you should always choose best friends over young love, the challenges of collaborating with a college grad who thought he was the next Ira Gershwin, how he earned the equivalent of a business school education by speaking with over 70,000 people at the world’s largest telecom company, and the power of excavating your origin story to shape your future. Most importantly, he shares how what he calls “luvity,” the fusion of love and levity, can make the lives of those around you better.

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“Focus on One Thing” with Scott Proposki (GWTW873)09 Jan 202600:47:49

When you cross paths with someone whose mission is incredibly clear, it’s hard not to want that clarity for yourself. Scott Proposki is a photographer, entrepreneur, and author; his mission is to help photographers all around the world to build a business to last a lifetime. In our conversation, Scott shares stories from his journey living the photography dream—National Geographic, events at the White House, corporate client shoots, millions in sales—then losing it all in 2020, and rebuilding from nothing. We talk about the role of listening in storytelling, the importance of self-awareness, crafting a 25-year plan, doing one thing instead of 20, why photographers aren’t screwed, and why photography is more relevant than ever before.

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Doing The Evolution (GWTW872)02 Jan 202600:11:04

2026 is upon us and it’s not just a new year thrusting us toward change, it’s everything: society, culture, technology, relationships, work, life—it’s all dynamic, frenetic. Some of us start the year clutching our resolutions tightly, convinced that this is the year we actually live up to them. Others rely on the thesaurus to shift the psychological burden from resolution to something else, anything else, in order to trick our brains into actually accomplishing the things that matter most: “I don’t have resolutions, I have goals.” But it’s going to take more than hacks and tricks to comprehend the amount of change we need in our daily lives. It’s about introducing system-wide curiosity that shifts change from being the end result of an enormous task with a binary value—yes or no—to a daily process that gives us time to explore and open our minds to new realities.

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“Imagine a Different Reality” with Dawn Andrews (GWTW871)26 Dec 202500:45:46

When was the last time you got permission to have fun in your business? For me, it’s been too long, so I’m grateful for today’s guest. Dawn Andrews is a business strategist, executive leadership coach, and podcaster who approaches her business as a playground to explore new tools and technologies that not only help herself, but also her clients. In this conversation, Dawn softens the fear around AI through an exploration of how she uses tools to boost her curiosity and creativity. She shares insights into the ways her brain and business work, how creativity can help us manage the world, the important mindset shift we need to make, how beginners can start using AI with a single piece of paper, and actual examples of AI in action.

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“W.W.G.D.” with gough (GWTW870)19 Dec 202501:03:19

Have you ever wondered what gough would do? I do, too. Fresh from his birthday celebration, gough is back on Getting Work To Work, again, to talk about his year-ending projects: a short documentary about a blind man traveling to see the greatest rock band in the world, an audio drama about the seedy underbelly of the podcasting world—sounds about right—and the Beernuts Productions podcast. We talk seriously about the reality of discrimination against people with disabilities, why gough uses silly t-shirts and humor to disarm people, his love for onion rings, the worst gym session ever in his life, jokes so old they can vote, how he found the most annoying voices for his podcasting audio drama, how he makes up the most important statistics to satisfy guests who only go on popular podcasts, the death of radio in Australia, and the weirdest podcast he went on to promote his work.

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“Let’s Talk About It” with Chanda Coston (GWTW869)13 Dec 202500:39:06

Sprinkled throughout today’s conversation is a phrase I absolutely love. No matter the situation or the statement, the response is simple, “Let’s talk about it.” Chanda Coston is a Navy Veteran, PMP, and Business Strategist who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs—especially women over 40—turn chaos into clarity and grow businesses that make sense (and money). In our time together, we talk about the need for clarity, the importance in telling our stories, and having people in our corner. Chanda also talks about her life as a professional pivoter, the reality that nothing happens overnight, trusting yourself, starting over and carving new paths, and systems as self-care. If you’re looking to make some changes, let this sink in: If Chanda can do it, so can you.

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Turn Off Your Autopilot (GWTW868)06 Dec 202500:14:27

I’ve been slowly waking up to the reality that I’ve been running my business and living my life on autopilot for far too long. It’s been six years since I really felt like I was in control and not operating by the whims of others and the seat of my pants. But here I am, staring at 2026 off in the distance, ready to shake the sleep from my eyes and do something completely different. In this episode, I’m going to share why I’m ready to shake things up, how I’m reconnecting with my vision, passion, and action, and how you can, too.

Reflection Questions, Part One

Before I go any further, I have some reflection questions for you. It might be useful to open your notes app or get a journal and pen out to write down your thoughts to these four questions:

  1. How loud is your fear?
  2. What is your fear saying to you?
  3. Do you know where you’re going?
  4. How long has your autopilot been engaged?
Reflection Questions, Part 2

Okay, before I dive into what these three words mean for me and my future, take a few moments in your notes app or journal and write down some initial thoughts to these three questions:

  1. What is my vision?
  2. How does my passion help bring that vision to life?
  3. What actions am I taking to make sure that my vision and passion become a reality?
Reflection Questions, Part 3

Now that I’ve shared a little about my own vision, passion, and action, I want you to return to your notes app or journal and go deeper with these questions:

  1. What really is my vision?
  2. What are my passion levels teaching me?
  3. What is the next action I need to take?
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“The Intriguing Nature of People” with Izzy Poirier (GWTW867)28 Nov 202500:49:51

I always enjoy meeting people who think deeply about the work they do, but also have a lot of fun doing it. Izzy Poirier is a designer, brand strategist, zine publisher, and community builder. From her earliest years, she’s been intrigued with the nature of people, their stories and identities, and making sure that they have a place to belong. In our conversation, we talk about the intersection of design, brand strategy, community building with the Ottawa Design Club, craft, and the art of zines. We also dive into Pivotal Moments, a zine featuring stories from creatives around the world, produced in collaboration with the Ottawa Design Club and New York Design Club. Izzy shares what went into producing the zine, curating the stories, the impact, and how a single font changed everything in the design phase of the project. If you’re looking for some inspiration as you consider new projects or pivots in your own future, then this is the episode for you.

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Human Hamster Wheel (GWTW866)21 Nov 202500:15:54

Even if you’ve never had a hamster for a pet, you’ve witnessed the spectacle of them running in a hamster wheel. They step inside a giant wheel in the center of their captivity and run, and run, and run. It’s so adorable when they do it. But what if I could tell you we have human hamster wheels, in the center of our captivity, and we run, and run, and run? They aren’t literal wheels, but they serve the same purpose: keep us distracted from the reality that we aren’t where we want to be, not doing the work that matters to us, and somewhere along the way, we took a wrong turn. It’s never been easier to numb out and just keep running, but one day, the call will come from inside the house, it’s time to answer the call, step off the wheel, and jack in to life.

Six ways to ditch the hamster wheel:
  1. Incorporate experimentation and research and development into your creative process.
  2. Look for ways to increase diversity in your work.
  3. Before you offload tasks to someone else or another system, make sure that what you’re building isn’t just a larger hamster wheel in disguise.
  4. Offload repetitive tasks to virtual assistants, employees, or AI and automation systems.
  5. Batch recording is great until it’s not.
  6. Don’t fool yourself, the hamster wheel is pernicious, don’t be afraid to step away.
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Let Boredom Guide You (GWTW883)23 Mar 202600:08:20

Be honest: How bored are you right now? In all this push to get seen, to be consistent and on-brand, you’ve managed to become more machine than human. Your processes all have systems that talk to each other, dashboards measure what matters instantaneously letting you know whether you’re succeeding or failing, and social media keeps you jacked in and distracted to what’s really going on within you. Boredom is often portrayed as something to be avoided, but what if it’s actually what you need? What if instead of clicking, swiping, scrolling, and tapping, you did absolutely nothing? What could you learn from a period of disconnection and introspection? The answers to these questions are anything but simple, but they are instructive and personal, specific to your circumstances and dreams. And perhaps, just the very thing to guide you into a more favorable future.

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Is Your Business Killing You? (GWTW865)07 Nov 202500:15:07

You might look at today’s title and think I’m trying to be humorous or sensational or clickbait-y, but I’m absolutely serious. It’s such an important question that it demands me to say it aloud right now: Is your business killing you? When you first start your business, you don’t think about the ways it overtakes your life, you let it gladly, because that’s the price you pay for building something that statistically could end in five years or less. But then, over time, you just keep letting it control your life. Social media and email dominate your existence on and off hours. Any hiccups in payments or acquiring new clients results in prayer, drinking, or worse, loans from online payment providers. Shutting it off means the potential for losing everything, or so you tell yourself. Before you know it, you’ve lost your vision and passion, but you keep powering on because at some point along the way, it’s what you do, and you’re also unemployable. If this is resonating with you, grab a cup of tea, take a seat, and let’s talk, because the truth is going to hurt.

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“Tales of Tricks & Treats” with gough (GWTW864)31 Oct 202500:58:27

It’s that time of year again, when pumpkin spice invades your latte, kids dress up like their favorite heroes, villains, nightmares, and corporate superstars hoping for a bag full of candy, and gough, your favorite Australian filmmaker, shows up on Getting Work To Work to talk about his latest film, Trick Or Treat. Armed with the biggest budget in the history of BeernutsProductions.com, a stable of actors dishing out sketches and monologues, 27 costumes, and nature balls, gough’s latest film pulls no punches against Halloween. In our conversation, we talk about the struggles he faced making the film in both casting and costumes, how he works through challenging emotions, stupid advice actors have received from their teachers that they have brought to the set, and all the hilarity fit for print and podcast.

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The Building Blocks of the Soul (GWTW863)30 Oct 202500:12:36

Weaving through the design, data, stories, and statuses on social media, I witnessed the human need to be seen; the longing to be discovered. I like this word, “longing.” I recently came across a book by Sue Monk Kidd called, Writing Creativity and Soul and she writes a lot about longing as a creative, a writer, woman, and a mother. What a word to sit and reflect upon: Longing. Merriam-Webster defines longing as “a strong desire especially for something unattainable.” In this episode, I explore the building blocks of the soul: deep questions that take time to answer.

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“Noir, Pools & Podcasts” with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett (GWTW862)27 Oct 202500:56:16

How far am I willing to go? How much work am I willing to do? Two powerful questions today’s guest asked herself at the start of her writing journey as she considered what it meant to be a writer. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett is a writer, podcaster, teacher, and publisher on the show to talk about writing, podcasting, and her latest book, Pool Fishing, a collection of stories connected by place and featuring characters who live on the fringes of society. In our conversation she shares insights into the act of writing and being a writer, the fluid nature of creativity, the challenges present in short stories, why writing dark fiction can help us make sense of the world, and rejection. We also talk about her podcast, Writers on Writing, which started as a radio show in 1998. 27 years later, it continues as a way for her to learn more about the writing process and share what she discovers with writers around the world.

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You’re Right On Time (GWTW861)23 Oct 202500:08:30

I’ve heard this phrase way too often in the past 25 years: “If you’re ignoring [enter the trending or disrupting technology], then you’re already behind.” While the phrase may be technically true, it does require a major assumption: equality. It assumes that every person has equal access to the technology, responds with openness and trust instead of skepticism and caution, and can actually see value through the veil of hype, fear, and propaganda. Those are big assumptions, but even bigger are the promises and the corresponding bubbles. Don’t worry about what doesn’t seem to be right, just go all in, because you’ll be able to cash out. Or so the “logic” goes. Do you want to know what I’ve never heard in relation to this notion of being behind? That you’re right on time. So, that’s what I’m going to focus on today because not only is it an accurate statement, it is also life-giving and dream-fulfilling.

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“The Business of Creativity” with Josh Simons (GWTW860)18 Oct 202500:44:10

How do you push creative boundaries and embrace opportunities as they come? You solve problems and focus on the people around you. Today’s guest on Getting Work To Work, Josh Simons, is no stranger to the creative business world. According to his bio, “he ran a record label, publishing function, film production company and was the lead singer of Australian indie rock band Buchanan.” Now, Josh is the Chief Executive Officer of Vinyl Group, Australia’s only ASX-listed music company, and founder of Vampr. In our conversation, Josh shares lessons he learned in his journey from recording studios to boardrooms. He talks about his curiosity with people and what motivates them, bands as a lens for looking at the business world, the objective nature of success, the creativity present in writing songs and leading people, why the asshole creative shouldn’t be the model for success, and how to manage the emotions in your mind with sticky and transient solutions.

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Pickled Brains & Legacies (GWTW859)16 Oct 202500:13:42

“Can I pick your brain?” Of course, you absolutely can. But I’ve noticed a lot more professionals expressing disdain for people reaching out and wanting to ask a few questions. But before I dive into a rant based upon passing comments and not a lot of data, I’m going to speak about the type of creative industry I want to be part of, one that is built upon the sharing of knowledge, not just online but person to person. Why? Because that’s how we build community, a reputation, and dare I say it, a legacy. In this episode, I’m going to share eight ways we can build up others around us from newbies to the competition. Can you imagine a creative world where everyone wins? I can and this is how we do it.

8 Ways We Can Build Up Others Around Us From Newbies to the Competition:
  1. Interview and share openly.
  2. Hold office hours.
  3. Maintain an FAQ on your website.
  4. Have a direct line of communication—dedicated email address, Discord server, Substack—for students and those starting out.
  5. Be a beginner and learn to ask questions of others.
  6. Open your space monthly or quarterly for a meeting of the minds.
  7. Don’t limit to just those who are starting out, welcome your competition.
  8. Be the community member you expect others to be.
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“We Are Makers” with Kate & Jack Lennie (GWTW858)10 Oct 202500:57:43

Their mission may be simple—”We Tell Makers’ Stories”—but hidden in every photo, interaction, page, and podcast is an unquenchable fire to build a global community. Kate and Jack Lennie are the visionaries behind We Are Makers, an independent print publication and podcast featuring makers all over the world. In our conversation, we talk about the power of storytelling and what makes a compelling story. Kate and Jack also share why they choose to produce a magazine, the ever-evolving nature of their work, how they stay strong as a couple, the visceral nature of failure when working with your hands, overcoming obstacles, the power of having a mission, and what it was like to distribute the first We Are Makers grant.

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Improving the Old-Fashioned Way (GWTW857)08 Oct 202500:13:45

How do you get better at your craft? Sounds like a potential start to a not so funny joke, but I’m serious: How do you get better at your craft? With skills that rely upon your hands and time—like woodworking or pottery or painting—you just have to do the work, go through the process, and see what comes out the other end. Is it good or is it crap? Probably. But in the digital world, it’s a little bit different (or so we tell ourselves), because we can create or buy or borrow systems that indicate when something is broken or going to lead to failure. They can also do a lot of the mundane work for us. As a programmer, you can generate an entire program in seconds of time, shifting your time burden from authorship to editor. But do you actually get better as a programmer? Maybe. Improvement comes in different ways, I guess. But the more I think about getting better at my craft, the less it has to do with what software I’m using or not using, and doing the actual work.

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“Making Secondhand Second Nature” with Kimberly Lau & Linda Young (GWTW856)03 Oct 202500:39:48

There is often a moment in every interview on Getting Work To Work that stops me in my tracks. In today’s interview with Kimberly Lau and Linda Young, they dropped the mic twice with these two mind-blowing moments: “We have enough clothing on the planet to clothe the next six generations” and “Since we opened nine months ago, we have saved 2,500 pounds in textile waste from the landfill.” In our conversation, they share the mission and purpose behind Project ReWear, a resale business that goes beyond reselling clothes by rebuilding a system through tracking and valuing donations, measuring real-time impact, and making secondhand second nature. They are finding a way to impact the planet positively for generations to come and here to show you how you can too.

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“This is Art Bar” with Sawa & Ira Ingram (GWTW882)14 Mar 202600:43:47

I believe art finds us when we need it most. When I picked up the first issue of Art Bar Magazine and read the welcome letter from the editor, I felt like they were speaking directly to me and welcoming me home. I sent an email inviting the founders of the magazine, Sawa & Ira Ingram to the show, and they graciously accepted. In our conversation, we talk about how their roots in filmmaking, photography, and skateboarding, led them to create a magazine that celebrates new artists, successful creators, and an inclusive art world where everyone belongs. We also discuss Sawa’s documentary, Passing Through, Ira’s work in skateboarding and the Professional Skateboarding League, building trust and relationships, mortality and the importance of living life, what creativity looks like as a couple, the differences between analog and digital, and the symbiotic relationship of art and skateboarding. If you have an idea to create something, then this episode is the permission slip you need to go and make it.

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Communication in Chaos (GWTW855)01 Oct 202500:13:46

What did Arthur C. Clarke have to say in 1968 about communication in the distant future? Buried in the middle of a single page in 2001: A Space Odyssey, on a trip to the moon, is an interesting description of Clarke’s imagined future and our realized present. It’s always uncanny when science fiction gets something right, but that’s not why I’m bringing this up. Instead, I’m more curious with this question: What can we learn from it? Yes, our communication is in chaos. It’s like we’re all standing around in the same room shouting, saying everything, hearing nothing. So, how do we filter the noise from the signal? Well, let’s go on a literary journey to the moon, and see what we can learn from Clarke’s Newspad.

Three Things We Can Learn from Arthur C. Clarke’s Journey to the Moon:
  1. Create time buffers for your mind and information to update responsibly.
  2. Create an environment of creativity that allows you to limit the amount of external chaos.
  3. Imagine a Utopia that isn’t dull and start bringing that to life, instead of contributing to systematic chaos.
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“Our AI Present & Future” with Ben Tasker (GWTW854)30 Sep 202500:55:39

As much as I love imagining dystopian and doomsday scenarios of AI overtaking humanity, talking with experts about positive implementation strategies is a better use of my time (and mental health). Building upon an education in Data Science and Analytics and AI ethics, Ben Tasker currently “leads a Data & AI Academy that upskills and reskills more than 36,000 employees in the public utility sector, preparing them to be AI-ready and future-ready.” In our conversation, he brings stories of real world applications of technology and AI. We also talk about how to actually upskill and reskill, why disruption isn’t new but the speed of change is, blended work environments and whether we’ll have AI bosses, AI as a system not a tool, practical ways to use AI, how to develop a learning plan and apply AI to it, and how AI can be used in small business.

ChatGPT Prompt for summary of the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report 2025: “What are the most important takeaways from the World Economic Forum’s report: The Future of Jobs Report 2025?”

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You Gotta Do the Work (GWTW853)25 Sep 202500:07:34

Hey there, you’re listening to Getting Work To Work on this fine day in late September 2025. I’m your host, Chris Martin, and I’m glad you’re here. What’s going on? Oh, not much? Head in the sand or just ignoring willfully the dumpster fire that is consuming everything everywhere? I pay attention, then I do my best to get to work. I had a good start to my day. I dropped my wife off at school and then headed to my favorite local coffee shop, got some snacks, and read a chapter in Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann.

While it’s fun to people watch at the coffee shop, it’s even more fun to bust out a hardcover book in the midst of a sea of laptops and retirees. What kind of person does that? Isn’t it more appropriate to give the air of importance while typing away feverishly on your laptop? Nah, because I too had work to do. Yes, I consider reading work.

This book has been on my radar for a couple of weeks. In my recent conversation with Stacy Bass, she mentioned she was looking forward to diving into the book. Austin Kleon also interviewed Sally recently as part of his typewriter interview series. I ordered it from my favorite local independent bookstore, Copper Bell Bookshop, in Ridgefield, Washington. While it took a little longer to get than if I had ordered it from Amazon, they don’t need my money. Copper Bell does, so I ordered and waited. The anticipation of getting and reading the book continued to build—I love that feeling—and then when it was time to pick it up! Yes! New book time!

Editorial Note: Chris doesn’t need more books, but he definitely needs more books.

Art Work hits a home run in the freakin’ prologue, in the very first paragraph! Here’s a taste:

“This is a book about how to get shit done. Or, more particularly, how I got it done. Or didn’t. And I guess that’s a big part of an artist’s life—getting other shit done besides the shit you’re supposed to be doing—the art, that is.” – Sally Mann

I love this framing of the duality of our work: the art—the stuff we’re supposed to do—and everything else. It gets me thinking of the backwards nature of modern life, where the label of “what we’re supposed to do” is affixed to everything but our art. Things like admin, networking, content creation, marketing, management. All important things, but would they be necessary (or even possible) if we didn’t have the art and continually challenge ourselves to make the art better?

Now, before I lose you using labels like art and artist, I don’t consider myself an artist, and maybe you don’t either. My art is my work, specifically projects like this podcast. So, with that in mind, I use the label creative entrepreneur. It’s a decent catch-all label for having multiple creative pursuits and several revenue generating services. I run a business of one, but it’s still a business. I’m an entrepreneur because the risk is on me. Even as I write this, I could replace entrepreneur with artist and it would still fit. Artists are entrepreneurs, but not all entrepreneurs are artists, you get the point. One term is societally praised while the other is reviled. I’ll let you decide which is what, but my point is this: labels don’t matter. What matters is doing the freakin’ work of your craft. Or, inline with Sally’s thoughts, getting shit done.

As I’ve shared in previous episodes, I’ve been struggling with writing my monologues. Underneath it all, something has shifted. The work is still sitting down at the desk, writing down my thoughts, recording, editing, and publishing a new episode. But what was once a quick process, has slowed down. I’ve been more distracted, but there’s also a new depth and complexity presenting itself in my thoughts. Sometimes, I get lost in that change. I stare at the sky while the dog eats and shoots leaves. I wonder what I’m going to write. But I’m not doing the work.

So, I sit down and the puppy wants in my lap. He sits in my lap and wants down, only to scratch to be let back up. I’ve got work to do puppy. I can give up and go sit on the couch so he can have a lap to sleep in, or I can do something different. I can get creative. So, I get his car seat and put it on a chair next to me. I pick him up, plop him in. He eventually gets used to it, puts his face on the edge of his seat nearest my arm and starts snoring. Good boy. Now I can dig deep into what I’m trying to say.

Type, delete, shameful surf of social media, type, delete, snore, type, type, scratch, type, type… YES! This is the work. This has always been the work of creativity. You have to go to your workspace and work. Alone (or with furry companions). Over and over again. And you’ll get so sick of it, you’ll long for something different, something new. You might go to social media or a coffee shop in search of a new rush of dopamine, another high, but over time, you learn (or you don’t) that the work is also getting used to the monotony of creativity, the loneliness.

I’m not complaining though, this is the work I signed up for, it’s just taken awhile for me to realize what my work was, the dual nature of it. As I look at my weekly task list in front of me, I see the work for clients and I see the work for myself. Earlier in my career, I couldn’t see how both could exist simultaneously, so I tried to pick one or the other. The highs and lows of trying to be one thing and changing my mind as to what that one thing was…exhausting. That’s probably why I burnt out multiple times along the way.

But the truth is that I gotta do the work: the work of the creative entrepreneur and business owner, and the work of the artist. Paying attention to the flow of that work is equally important. Some days, I’m in artist mode, writing, interviewing, editing. Other days, I’m in client mode, editing and producing. They both offer sustenance to one another. It’s just being aware of which one I need to focused on.

Hence, the need to sit in my workspace and listen to myself. To listen to the snores and the heartbeats of my creativity. That is also the work. But if everything is work, you want to know what isn’t work? Productivity. Efficiency. Time management. There’s just the work. Somedays it flows like a river through the Grand Canyon. Other days, the river is dried up waiting for the future promise of a flash flood. So, plan your journey, and go for a walk. You might get far or nowhere at all, but you’re no longer where you once were, and that’s the important thing.

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“Lightkeeper of Love & Loss” with Stacy Bass (GWTW852)19 Sep 202501:03:26

What is the connection between photography and memory? What are the stories beyond the frame of our most cherished family photos? What will we wish we had known about our loved ones? Profound questions and thoughtful answers with today’s guest, Stacy Bass, photographer and author of Lightkeeper: A Memoir Through the Lens of Love and Loss. Fulfilling her curiosity for behind the scenes stories, Stacy tells her own tales of writing the book, why she became a photographer, what she discovered about her parents through photographs and memories, what it’s like to be the de facto family archivist, the marriage of photography and writing, and how to keep the light of our loved ones alive after they are gone.

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In 12 Months Time (GWTW851)18 Sep 202500:08:32

Who will you become in 12 months time? This question stood out in my recent conversation with Georgee Darling, because change takes time, even though I want it to happen immediately. Often this question leads us to action steps we can take daily to become who we want to be—and yes, I’ll share several of my own action steps in this episode—but sometimes it keeps us stuck in our imagination, living in the land of what could be. What this question is really getting at has as much to do with vision as it does action. Not just over the next 12 months, but today, tomorrow, and up until your final breath.

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“The Freedom Route” with Georgie Darling (GWTW850)12 Sep 202500:44:33

If there’s a quote from today’s interview that sums it all up, it’s this: “What’s the point in building a business if you’re not gonna build one that you really love?” Georgie Darling is a freelance writer and coach who helps woman build businesses that lead to freedom. In our conversation, she shares her journey from the world of journalism and branded content to coaching and freelance travel writing. We talk about why you often have to leave behind what’s known to reveal the future, why people who travel to Bali become coaches, what it means to edit your life, burnout, quick wins versus long-term burns of meaning and purpose, unique ways Georgie uses ChatGPT, and the role community plays in finding freedom.

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Is Cheap Creativity Worth the Cost? (GWTW849)10 Sep 202500:11:54

I’ve had a hard time coming up with new podcast episodes lately. It’s not that I lack things to talk about, my mind is just in a million different places. Fortunately, a minute on Threads provided me with enough kindling to get my creative blaze started. Have you ever read something so hilariously ludicrous that you just couldn’t stop laughing? According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, a new tech company called Inception Point AI is going to create “a stable of AI talent to host podcasts, and eventually become broader influencers across social media, literature, and more.” The cost to do all this? $1 or less per episode. But that’s not what got me laughing. It was this quote from CEO Jeanine Wright: “I think that people who are still referring to all AI-generated content as AI slop are probably lazy luddites.” While that technically isn’t a joke—or anything to make people laugh at a comedy club—it does reveal three truths that we need to reckon with: 1) the cost of creativity; 2) who profits from it; and 3) the growing need for more critics.

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“The Search for Something Real” with Alex Woodard (GWTW848)05 Sep 202501:14:36

Have you ever listened to a song that completely changed your life? What about hearing a sax solo so intense, you end up moving across the country and changing careers? This is but one example of the power of art and music shared by today’s guest, Alex Woodard, writer, musician, observer, and storyteller. In our conversation, he shares his origin story of becoming an observational artist in the worlds of music and words. He talks about why leaving social media behind wasn’t the death knell for his creative career, why he produces companion albums for his books, the role of nature in his life and work, and our work as a record of our lives. Throughout, he sprinkles powerful questions and observations that will get you thinking a little deeper about how you’re living your own life.

“Once I get it on the page, it’s not about me anymore.”

“We got one chance and one shot—as far as I know—and you really gotta think about how you wanna spent that.”

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Reimagine a New Reality (GWTW847)04 Sep 202500:13:33

I’m trying to reimagine a new reality. Why? Because the one we’ve got right now has a few problems. But instead of a lengthy preamble, laying out the problems and having a healthy rant for fifteen minutes, I’m just going to dive into some solutions. But don’t worry, I’m still going to rant because this is infuriating, the problems are systematized, incentivized, and habituated, and the people who care are constantly gaslit to believe they don’t have the power to affect change. But power we have, especially when we band together. It’s also going to take a healthy amount of work, imagination, and resilience to overcome billions of dollars of investment in conformity that trains us daily to be distracted, compliant, quiet, and alone.

Solution #1: Live beyond the veil of technology. Solution #2: Discover new things beyond the algorithm. Solution #3: Build offline communities of learning, experimentation, and being. Solution #4: Imagine a world somewhere between utopia and dystopia and do something everyday to live up to that vision. Solution #5: Don’t wait for the politicians to do something you care about, find a way to make it happen. Solution #6: Be more hopeful and less realistic. Show Links
“Anatomy of a Con Artist” with Johnathan Walton (GWTW846)29 Aug 202501:09:42

How do you know the person you just met is who they say they are? A family member just called asking uncharacteristically to be bailed out of jail, what do you do? What do you say to someone whose offer to help is too good to be true? These are the questions at the core of today’s conversation with Johnathan Walton, author of the must-read book, Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves. In this conversation, Johnathan shares how getting scammed out of $100,000 led him to his life’s work of exposing con artists and helping people who have been scammed to find justice and peace. We talk about his journey from television reporter and reality TV producer to podcast producer and con hunter, why people don’t educate themselves about con artists, how technology can be used against you and what to do about it, how he developed unshakable resilience, and what we can learn about creativity from studying the inexhaustible creative work of con artists. In a world of AI and frictionless technology that can be used to craft stories and keep track of endless details, Johnathan’s work will prepare you for your own life’s work: protecting yourself from the scammers, grifters, and thieves.

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Your Inner Broadcast (GWTW881)07 Mar 202600:09:24

When was the last time you listened to your inner broadcast? You know the one. It’s your unique internal monologue full of beauty, curiosity, hope, imagination, wonder, and intrigue. It’s always broadcasting and we have the opportunity to tune in or drown it out with the noise of the world. I’ll be honest, it’s been hard to hear my inner broadcast lately. Focus is reserved for a handful of daily scattered moments of productivity. But the rest of the time? My mind wanders in the desert of this season of life. As I’ve talked about before, there are a lot of changes right now, but what I’m realizing is that no matter what happens, I need to listen to what’s going on within. If I don’t, I’m going to get steamrolled by the discordant soundtrack of the world, which just gets louder by the hour.

Five ways to tune in and learn from your inner broadcasts:
  1. Create intentional moments of silence and solitude where you can tune in to your inner broadcast.
  2. Pay attention to what’s being broadcast and write down what you hear.
  3. Spend 15 minutes in active curiosity mode with something that comes up.
  4. Spend 15 minutes in active creation mode with what you learn.
  5. Reflection allows you to gauge the quality level of your inner broadcast. It is through reflection where you see what needs to be strengthened, added, changed, or removed.
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You Will Change (GWTW845)29 Aug 202500:10:44

As I was lying in bed, my friend sent me a link to a conference and said, “Not seeing you on the speaker list.” I clicked to see if I recognized anyone and after scrolling through three days of talks and speakers, I recognized two names, no one else. Times—yes, they change—but so do we. It’s been at least eight years since I actively participated in that particular industry—web development for the curious—and honestly, I haven’t looked back, but for a handful of times. Why? Because early in my career, I was actively tracking all the changes to the industry, growing, learning, and chasing relevance. I bent to match the arc of change, and after 20 years or so, I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I had changed, but also recognized that I had more work to do, not in a particular industry, but within myself. So, I left behind web development and set out on a new journey of change, one that required me to wrestle, not with code but with my self.

Five ways you can approach change internally, in your own time, as the world turns and churns through ideas, outrage, utopia, and dystopia:
  1. Seek what lights you up and makes you feel alive.
  2. Speaking of time, you can’t change immediately, so take a long-term view of change; allow the river of time to shape the sharp edges of your life into something smooth.
  3. You’re allowed to change your mind, your direction, and your entire life’s narrative.
  4. Find the people who will accept you, no matter what.
  5. Change doesn’t have to make sense.
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“Fear: Our Greatest Teacher” with Guryan Tighe (GWTW844)25 Aug 202500:50:58

Have you ever met a Fear Technician? Well, in this episode of Getting Work To Work, you’re going to meet Guryan Tighe, a fear technician who works with people to unmask their fears. Her company was founded “on the belief that understanding and working with our fears, rather than trying to conquer them, yields more professional success and personal fulfillment.” In this conversation, Guryan and I have a deep conversation about fear and how it is our greatest teacher. She also talks about rational and irrational fears, the role of self-awareness in understanding how fear is holding us back or wanting us to move toward something new, why we should honor the cycle of our beingness, and engaging with our fears and empowering ourselves with curiosity, gratitude, and purpose. If you are looking for a different way to dance with your fear, then this conversation is for you.

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Don’t Follow the Leaders (GWTW843)21 Aug 202500:08:36

As a podcaster, I get a lot of emails about podcasting from podcast producers, thought leaders, and consultants. The emails are usually not about MY show—although I do get those emails that cold pitch their services—but about the podcasting industrial complex in general. The latest is about Amazon restructuring and cutting staff from Wondery, a premium podcasting studio and network famous for (I’m honestly looking this up and picking titles at random) Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Dying for Sex, and New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce.

With 13 pages of podcasts on the Wondery network, the question you might be asking is, “How were they making money?” Answer: “Bittersweet Amazon money.” But amid the complexities of corporate restructuring and creative accounting, which we definitely don’t have time for in this podcast, the question that the emails from podcast producers, thought leaders, and consultants are asking instead is “What will become of podcasts now?”

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“Baby Hawk and Other Tales” with Tom Epperson (GWTW842)16 Aug 202500:54:38

I love it when people come on the show with deep curiosities about life and what it’s all about. Why? Because that depth of exploration shows up not just in the conversation, but also throughout their creative journey. And today’s episode with writer Tom Epperson is one of those moments. Tom shares countless tales from his life including his creative origin story when he learned he wanted to be a writer, deciding to leave Arkansas with a childhood friend for Hollywood determined to make it, resilience in the face of adversity, the importance of keeping good things alive in yourself when surrounded by evil, and how characters come alive in his mind. We also discuss his most recent book, Baby Hawk, a novel in verse.

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Bored with AI?!? (GWTW841)15 Aug 202500:09:10

Greetings fellow dinosaurs! Did you know that we are living in the prehistoric age of technology and artificial intelligence? That kids born today “will never be smarter than AI,” according to Sam Altman, CEO and cofounder of OpenAI? When I first saw this headline repeated ad nauseam on social media, I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. Surely, we aren’t heading toward human depiction in Pixar’s brilliant film, WALL·E, right? In a recent article on Fortune, Altman’s comments as mentioned earlier were quoted, but I was more intrigued with this: “[Altman] also thinks his kids will be fully aware of that fact, and not mind it at all. ‘They will grow up vastly more capable than we grew up and able to do things that we just, we cannot imagine. And they’ll be really good at using AI,’ he added.” Who knows what the future holds, but I know that I’m more brontosaurus than tech bro, so I’m going to hang out by the pond, eat some leaves, and realize that there’s more to life today than AI.

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“Open to Life & Kindness” with Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman (GWTW840)08 Aug 202500:48:31

The best part of podcasting is meeting people who look at the world in ways that rewire your own vision. Today’s guest is Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman, author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs, speaker, entrepreneur, and former child refugee. Our conversation begins with a poem Neri wrote putting us right into a single moment of her life. From there, we talk about the beauty of ambition, how she learned to see opportunity in discarded materials, immigrant entrepreneurship and the lessons that immigrants can teach us, why legacy is more important than profit, and what she sees in the next generation that fills her with hope for the future.

“Resilience means you know that you can get back up…you have faith in yourself.” – Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman

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“Slip! Slop! Slap!” with gough (GWTW839)06 Aug 202500:56:20

For those new to Getting Work To Work, today’s guest is gough, a legally blind filmmaker from Australia. He’s also a comedic genius, raconteur, shameless self-promoter, and holds the distinction of being on this show 23 times. His latest film—available now at BeernutsProductions.com—is a dark comedy called MR. X about a blind hitman who falls in love. In our conversation, we talk about serious and important topics, such as the challenges of writing blurbs without giving too much away, ways to shake up the creative process, geography lessons, and the best ways to prepare kangaroo and emu. Oh, and I should probably give you a content warning. If you are sensitive to profanity, bad jokes (mostly on my part), or two guys making themselves laugh across three oceans (again, not great with geography), then tread lightly with this episode. But if that’s not you, let’s go!

Previously on the show: Show Links
“CoreSelf Positioning” with Tim Preston & Jonathan Thomas (GWTW838)04 Aug 202501:02:52

When you’re faced with challenges or struggles in your life and work, what do you do to get unstuck? Maybe you vent to a friend, go to therapy, or even hire a coach, but today’s guests—Tim Preston & Jonathan Thomas—have a tool that can help you to uncover your own solutions through a process they call CoreSelf Mapping. Through eight steps, the CoreSelf Map Process moves individuals and teams through three major questions: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How do I get there? In this conversation, I talk with Tim and Jonathan about the origins of this work, their three operating principles—slow down, trust the map, and question respectfully—and the concept of the internal observer and how it shows up throughout the process. We also learn more about Tim and Jonathan’s new book, CoreSelf Positioning: Getting on the Same Page, Literally.

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Give It All Away (GWTW837)30 Jul 202500:15:31

Earlier this week, I met up with someone who wanted to ask me questions about my podcasting journey. After sharing everything I could possibly think of, even the stuff that people don’t want to hear about, I looked at the clock and saw that we had been talking for almost two and a half hours. As we wrapped up our conversation, I wrote a quick note: “Give it all away—meeting people who want to learn from you.” Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea—no, this philosophy. As content creators, we have an unlimited wealth of knowledge buried in our minds. Not everything we know becomes a podcast episode, blog post, or social media thing though. Why? Because when we create, we are focused on an imagined audience. We chase trends, we want to be relevant. But this all changes when we are in conversation with actual people. We aren’t worried about being relevant, just helpful. In order to unearth everything we know, we must hold nothing back from the inquisitive mind. We must give it all away.

Five Doubt Killers When You Give It All Away:
  1. Just because you give it all away doesn’t mean you can’t profit from what you know.
  2. Giving it all away doesn’t make competition, it creates community.
  3. AI is going to disrupt everything and nothing with its approach to giving it all away.
  4. Even if no one cares that you give it all away, you benefit from the act.
  5. Giving it all away is a form of legacy planning for your inevitable death.
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“100 Little Pieces” with Kevin Murphy (GWTW836)25 Jul 202501:12:58

If you were to learn how to paint where would you start? Maybe you’d go to YouTube and watch some introductory videos, buy some cheap art supplies, and spend an afternoon giving it a shot. The results? A contact high from the paint and a lingering belief that you’re just not talented enough. So, you quit. Fortunately, today’s guest has found a better way. Kevin Murphy is a renowned illustrator, portrait artist, and founder of Evolve Artist, an online painting program studied around the world. In our conversation, Kevin shares the philosophy that drives not only his school, but also his life. He shares his journey into art and art education, what he learned about building businesses through the dismantling of a business, how expectations can trip us up and distract us from our work, the power of first impressions, and why his ideas won’t die with him.

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“Finding My Voice” with Mimi Nichter (GWTW880)27 Feb 202600:58:17

For almost 50 years, today’s guest didn’t talk about what happened to her on September 6, 1970 when the plane she was on was hijacked. But in her new book, Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience, Mimi Nichter recounts her story of what happened before, during, and after her hostage experience. In our conversation, we talk about her work as a cultural anthropologist and the ways observation and listening inform our ability to understand others. She also touches on how she found her voice in the writing process, choosing to write from memory instead of interviewing others, how images and stories helped memories to emerge, reconciling our past and present selves, the value of compassion, and why we need to talk about what happens to us. When we share our stories with one another, either in memoir or conversation, we connect not only to moments in time, but bear witness to the experiences that shape history itself.

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The Magical Art of Unproductivity (GWTW835)23 Jul 202500:10:47

When was the last time you sat around, maybe reading a book, definitely looking at the sky, but ultimately, doing nothing productive? Depending on who you are and what you do, that either sounds like heaven or hell. And if you’re tapped into all things tech, downright impossible. I mean, who are we if we aren’t online, am I right? But what if productivity is actually holding us back from discovering who we could actually be? In today’s monologue, I’m going to share a few recent experiences and epiphanies, surrounded by quotes from Adam Gopnik’s book, The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery.

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“Becoming Fearless” with Dr. Benjamin Ritter (GWTW834)18 Jul 202500:51:50

What fears are holding you back from the things that truly matter? Does your fear serve you? What could you learn from fear? What small action could you take to go from fearful to fearless? These four questions are a taste of my time with Dr. Benjamin Ritter, leadership and career coach, talent development executive, international speaker, and author of Becoming Fearless: 65 Strategies to Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Mastery. In our conversation, we dive right into the deep end of the pool, talking about what it means to live selfishly toward our values and how that allows us to be more present with others. Dr. Ritter shares his journey from losing everything to discovering what matters most to him, the Three C’s of Self-Leadership, fear and fearlessness, and how we can re-examine our relationship with work.

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(Re)calibrate Ambition (GWTW833)16 Jul 202500:09:26

You ever have one of those moments when the passing of time just hits you right in the stomach? The other day, I was driving home from running an errand, pizza in the trunk, music blasting, a typical northwest summer day. Apart from my sore back, I felt pretty good. Not a care running through my mind as I noticed my surroundings. “Wow, trees really have grown a lot in the past 20 years.” I’ve driven the route before—it avoids the busier roads—but something felt different this time—I felt different. Especially when I started thinking about who I was 20 years ago.

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  • Midjourney prompt for episode art: recalibrate ambition abstract surrealism –ar 16:9
“The Circus of Satan” with Jeffrey Konvitz (GWTW832)11 Jul 202500:41:29

How do you keep your imagination and productivity going year after year, decade after decade? By challenging yourself, doing your work to the best of your ability, and taking nothing personally. Today’s guest is Jeffrey Konvitz and is no stranger to the world of imagination. He’s worked in film as an entertainment attorney, screenwriter, and producer. He’s also the author of The Sentinel, The Guardian, Monster: A Tale of Loch Ness, and his latest book, The Circus of Satan: Murder, Revenge, and the Rise of Organized Crime. In our conversation, he talks about his writing process, why it took over 24 years to write the book, the differences between novels and screenplays, and how he tackles heavy issues without making it a slog.

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