Getting Work To Work

What is the work you want to put out into the world so you can experience it? What’s keeping you from doing it? Today’s guest not only thinks you should do it, but he also genuinely believes in you. I know I needed to hear that. Ian Honeyman is a film composer, songwriter, and founder of Film Score Academy. In our conversation, we talk about his limitless curiosity and creativity for writing and producing music that resonates with people. He shares a lot about the process of writing music, what it’s actually like working on Hollywood films, collaborating with metal band Voodoo Kungfu on projects, his journey from Wisconsin to Los Angeles, the role of luck and tenacity when doing creative work, building community, and why you should never stop sharing your work. No matter what type of creativity fuels your work, Ian’s warmth and love for the craft will undoubtedly inspire you. Show Links Ian Honeyman Film Score Academy How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success by George Newman The Monkey King Theme Song (Main Theme) Voodoo Kungfu Ian’s Cannes 2026 Film Festival Recap on Instagram The Odyssey (2026) Disclosure Day (2026) Backrooms (2026) TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize Episode photo from Envato Elements: Classical Musical Score Sheets with Elegant Typography

How would you describe your talent? I know, not a comfortable question to start with today, but I think a lot about what talent is and how we choose to celebrate it as a society. The simple view of talent is this: whatever you want to do, as soon you share your dream with the world, you’re immediately put into a category, a genre, an industry, and judged against the best and the brightest. The result? You either have it, or in most cases, you don’t. We see this pattern play out in school, at work, in corporate America, and the entrepreneur’s garage. And let’s not forget the other side of talent: participation trophies. Don’t worry about talent, everyone’s equal and this trophy shows just how much we want you to believe that. I could go on and on, but I can’t stop wondering: What if we got talent all wrong? Show Links The Work of Art: How something comes from nothing by Adam Moss The Hours by Michael Cunningham Episode photo from Envato Elements: Colorful Swirls of Paint: Abstract Background Texture

When I find myself getting in my own way or needing a creative pick-me-up, I tune into what Heather Crank is doing with art, AI, design, and technology. She was one of the first artists in my circle to adopt AI, and since we last talked on Getting Work To Work three years ago, she continues to forge her message of shaping the future of AI by using and understanding it. In our conversation, we dive right into the topic of the decade: AI. We talk about what AI is as a tool, why we shouldn’t use it as it’s sold to us, trust, the importance of not being passive with AI, how she uses AI in her art and life, what the future of business might become, the boring nature of conformity, using AI to create propaganda, and maintaining our own cognitive sovereignty. Beyond AI, we talk about The Developing Life podcast and her recent participation in TEDxBend. If you are a creative wondering how you can challenge the status quo, Heather provides a few possible ways for you to take the power back. Previously on Getting Work To Work: “Entering a New World of Art” with Heather Crank (GWTW663) “Champion for a Creative World” with Heather Crank (GWTW365) Show Links Crahmánti Heather Crank (crahmanti) on Instagram “Netflix Lighting” and the Death of Cinematography by Robert Tolppi Why Does Every Netflix Show Look the Same? An Investigation. by Josh Rosenberg Palantir James Victore Artificiality Institute Refik Anadol Sougwen Chung The Diary of a CEO Ex-Google Officer: You Only Have 3 Years Left Before It Hits! – Mo Gawdat The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin with Neil Strauss Raising AI: An Essential Guide to Parenting Our Future by De Kai The Developing Life Podcast Is AI Making Our Brains Weaker? WALL·E (2008) TEDxBend Tess Posner RESONANCE | Tess Posner What Is Intelligence? Lessons from AI About Evolution, Computing, and Minds by Blaise Agüera y Arcas

As I examine my life, I find that I am in the middle of a massive pivot. I’m no longer who I once was, the young entrepreneur who wanted to work for anyone and everyone doing anything creative. I’m slowly becoming someone different, the thinker, writer, and artist who wants for more than just relying on formulas and routines to make ends meet. Yes, you could label this as a midlife crisis, but frankly, it’s more than that, it’s a life-altering process of reinvention. It’s not easy, it hurts as I get forged by the hammer of reality, and I could easily bemoan my existence. I could blame the economy or AI or globalization or automation or about a million other things for inflicting this shift upon me. But the truth is that I’ve known what I needed to do for at least a decade, and I’ve been too scared to do it. Until now. In today’s episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to talk about how I’ve been forging a creative life of strength, exploration, and experimentation that’s been working behind the scenes preparing me for what’s next. Show Links The Art & Craft of the Blacksmith: Techniques and Inspiration from the Modern Smith by Robert Thomas How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success by George Newman The Work of Art: How something comes from nothing by Adam Moss Episode photo from Envato Elements: Abandoned factory from the inside

How do you work through and process awful events that happen in your life? For today’s guest, author Liz Lazarus, she turns them into psychological suspense novels including her brand new book, Dawn Before Darkness. In our conversation, she shares her journey to becoming an author and the importance of educating while entertaining. She also talks about how she approaches multiple pursuits, recognizing and taking opportunities as they present themselves, the joy of writing characters, how spreadsheets organize her creativity, emotional management while writing, and perhaps the best writing tip I’ve ever heard. Whether you’re a fan of genre fiction, a writer looking for inspiration, or someone like me who lives in both of those worlds, Liz’s wisdom and enthusiasm for life is just what you need. Show Links Liz Lazarus Dawn Before Darkness by Liz Lazarus The Anatomy of Motive: The FBI’s Legendary Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Catching Violent Criminals by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker Matt Dinniman Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield Change Your Attitude…Change Your Life Jennifer Jill Araya Episode photo from Envato Elements: Mesmerizing view of the narrow footpath in a dark forest

The only prescription you need to get through today is one for laughter. Fortunately, dr. gough—fear not, it’s an honorary title—is in the house, pad in hand, to talk about his latest film, The Proposal, now available to download at beernutsproductions.com. We talk about stuff, lots of stuff, funny stuff, and even some serious stuff, all the while chuckling like two idiots who find everything funny. Things like why being busy keeps the demons at bay, exercise routines for comedy writers, the culinary hell that is the scotch egg, why gough’s face can’t hide a lie, how influencers influenced this mockumentary, supporting live entertainment, the travesty of Australian TV, our shared love and admiration for Stephen Colbert, and why it’s never been easier to make your own content. Show Links The Official Beernuts Productions Category on Getting Work To Work Beernuts Productions The Proposal Trick Or Treat Brisbane VLOG The Beernuts Productions Podcast gough’s parliament house speech The Gathering Magners Irish Cider Texas, Queensland Rome, Georgia Roma, Texas Rome, Italy (the good one) The Whitlams – Blow Up The Pokies (Official Video) The Whitlams Bassoon Flugelhorn John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads (Official Audio) Brisbane Lions Charlie Cameron Pricasso (Yeah, not safe for work, but talent is talent) ilia chidzey Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend BritBox A Musical Life… hosted by Scott Whatman Metamucil The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wanton Destruction Of CBS Property – Letterman & Colbert Toss Stuff Off The Roof Of The Ed Sullivan Episode photo from Envato Elements: Talented Violinist Playing Music with Orchestra in Studio

Today’s guests couldn’t have said a more profound statement during our conversation: “Art is our gift to the universe.” Ashley Wren Collins and Jordan Rockwell are the co-authors of She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story, here to talk about their shared love for art and romantic comedies. In our conversation, they talk about their creative partnership, cracking jokes on the beach of St. Martin, and how they worked together to write a novel, record an audiobook, and produce a podcast. We also talk about the rules of romantic comedies, bringing personal experiences to fictional stories, seeing themselves in their characters, and how writing can heal ourselves. Most importantly, Ashley and Jordan are shining examples of why you explore creative projects outside of your preferred genre, you end up having a lot of fun telling good stories with great characters. Show Links Ashley Wren Collins Jordan Rockwell She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story – Official Website She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story by Ashley Wren Collins & Jordan Rockwell She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story on Audible Interstellar (2014) Lawrence of Arabia (1962) NASA Artemis II Multimedia Monica Bellucci Wild Orchid (1989) George R.R. Martin Quote – Two Types of Writers The Shawshank Redemption (1994) David Lean Thriller by Michael Jackson Apocalypse Now (1979) The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Sweet Valley High book series Danielle Steel 500 Days of Summer (2009) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 10 (1979) Rebel Wilson Melissa McCarthy Robert Redford American Psycho (2000) Sydney Sweeney Seth Winston Rocky (1976) Harrison Ford Shrinking (TV Series 2023–) Wes Craven The Last House on the Left (1972) Red Eye (2005) Sidney Sheldon Peacemaker (TV Series 2022–2025) The Pitt (TV Series 2025–) The Criterion Channel The Making of FANNY AND ALEXANDER Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Project Hail Mary (2026) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Black Rabbit (TV Mini Series 2025) Heat 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner on Audible Episode photo from Envato Elements: Abstract Colorful Bokeh With City Night Background. Double Exposure

What got you interested in the work you do? Maybe you experienced a work of art that drove you to an easel or a grandparent put a camera in your hands and you couldn’t stop taking pictures. For today’s guest, it was watching a TV show about a doctor at a young age that led him to medicine. Dr. Kenneth Ro is a physician, creator of the RECLAIM Method, and author of PRIME: How to Win the Second Half of Life. In our conversation, we talk about his journey to become an ER doctor with zero backup plans. He also shares how asking deep questions and becoming a patient himself, led him in a new direction to not just help people get better, but become healthier. We touch on a lot including why we should focus on strengths not inadequacies, learning to assert calm and collectedness in chaotic situations, why he focuses on the convergence of science, story, and soul, the difference between stress and stress response, the distraction epidemic, and the power of presence, especially when it comes to leadership. Show Links Kenneth Ro, MD PRIME: How to Win the Second Half of Life by Kenneth Ro, MD Byron’s Babbles: Ontological Humility Marcus Welby, M.D. ER (TV Series 1994-2009) Scrubs (TV Series 2001-2010) The Pitt (TV Series 2025-) Erik Erikson’s Stages Of Psychosocial Development Your Inner Broadcast (GWTW881) The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday Amor fati Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz Ryan Holiday Through the Fog and Fire (GWTW886) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim Collins Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins Episode photo from Envato Elements: Person standing on a snow covered cliff over the breathtaking view of mountains under the sunset

Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a friend about perfectionism. I asked, “What triggers perfectionism for you?” They shared some thoughts, generally around being a beginner, but when they asked the same question to me, I took it another direction. I responded, “When I’ve done things for a long time and feel like I need to prove myself.” It’s amazing how experience can be both positive and negative. Without it, I would lack the confidence needed to do my job, but too much? Perfectionism. Fear of judgment. Constant comparison. It’s amazing how certain questions can unlock a state of reflection, but how can we actually do something with them? That’s what this episode is all about: Curious Questions for Change. 7 Curious Questions to Ask Yourself to Inspire Change and Find the Next Steps to Take: What triggers perfectionism for you? How do you rein in your curiosity when so much intrigues you? How do you pick one thing when you do many things? What curiosities lead to flow state (challenge/reward)? How can curiosity reveal the next step in your pivot or reinvention? What do you want to less of so you can do more of the things that matter to you? What are you waiting for? Show Links Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The skills needed in the 21st century Episode photo from Envato Elements: Question Marks on Paper Create a Pattern

What’s the first thought that enters your mind when you hear the word networking? Mine is some form of a sigh, usually ugh. But what if networking isn’t what we’ve made it out to be? What if it’s something you can do at your own pace, in your own way? Today’s guest is Monique Kelley, a professor, consultant, and author of Redefining Networking: How to Lead with Your Unique Value. In our conversation, we dive into all things networking including her three-step strategic approach: 1) Identify your value, 2) Find an audience, and 3) Communicate your value. She also shares how to overcome generational stereotypes with research and curiosity, why the best networkers are foodies, how anyone can be a connector, the importance of listening, how to make the time each week for connecting with people, and leading with win-win opportunities. We also redefine networking through several role-playing scenarios. If you hate networking, then this episode’s for you. Show Links Redefining Networking: How to Lead with Your Unique Value by Monique Kelley The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses by Mita Mallick Episode photo from Envato Elements: Network of figures connected on painted gray backdrop

What does it mean when a book that is not self-help actually helps more than most books in the category? No shade to those authors, I’m sure their books are helping people, but they probably didn’t embark on a 10-year research project in search of the answer to the question, “What to make of a life?” When I picked up What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins at my local library, I saw the title in capital letters, flipped through the pages, and thought I’d give it a shot. What surprised me the most was that I couldn’t put it down. It not only helped me to make sense of where I’m at in my life, but it also gave me tools to think about the future. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to dive into the seven most impactful quotes from Collins’s book, share a few stories from my life, and encourage you to search for your own answer to the question, “What to make of a life?” The seven most impactful quotes from What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins: Quote 1: “The sign of good research is that you end up in places you never expected. If after years of research all you do is reconfirm your own preconceptions, then what is the point of doing research? The whole point is to discover, to be surprised, to come to see the world and how it works differently than you did before” (p. 11). Quote 2: “It’s not about finding what you can do better than others, but about finding what you can do exceptionally well relative to other ways you could expend yourself” (p. 59). Quote 3: “…one of the conclusions of this entire effort is that no one can tell you what to do with your life or how specifically to lead your life. And if they do, they’re almost certainly wrong” (p. 23). Quote 4: “If your life is knocked sideways or torn asunder by a cliff, and especially if that cliff comes with mourning a loss and/or feeling the deep pain of grief, you can find yourself lost in thick, murky fog for a very long time” (p. 152). Quote 5: “Fog is when you go through a phase of immense uncertainty and lack of clarity about the best path forward, perhaps even having no clear idea where you want to go…. In the thickest fog, you can feel truly lost” (p. 157). Quote 6: “Fog is normal, natural, common, and highly prevalent…. Even the most successful, capable, energetic, ambitious, and otherwise clearheaded and self-directed people can find themselves in a major fog funk” (p. 168). Quote 7: “Extend Out/Circle Back: This is a continuous dynamic process of extending yourself—growing, learning, experimenting, expanding capabilities, discovering new encodings—while simultaneously drawing upon encodings discovered and capabilities developed earlier in life” (pp. 118-119). Show Links What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins Google AI Professional Certificate Arduino 101- Crash Course w/ Mark Rober Arduino Shapr3D Bambu Lab Episode photo from Envato Elements: Abstract Orange Smoke Plumes on Dark Background

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. Show Links Darls Centola, LCSW Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love by Darls Centola The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. Somatic Experiencing Internal Family Systems The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of Personal Transformation by Dennis William Hauck The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Episode photo from Envato Elements: Fresh Lemons Pattern Background. Copy space. Top view.

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. Show Links Tod Goldberg The Story Behind The Stories – Tod Goldberg The Gangsterland Series by Tod Goldberg Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg Dune by Frank Herbert Lee Goldberg The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams The Godfather (1972) Red Dawn (1984) The Outsiders (1983) C. Thomas Howell Big Trouble in Little China (1986) The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) Escape from New York (1981) Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Todd Marinovich Linda Woods Artworks Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino The Jesus and Mary Chain Tod Goldberg, author of ONLY WAY OUT Marty Supreme (2025) Home – Harris Ranch Beef Company Ben Folds Five – Brick – YouTube Joe Loya Dead Man Walking (1995) Premier Low-Residency MFA | UC Riverside Palm Desert Creative Writing | Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA John Cheever John Updike Martin Scorsese Jane Campion Taxi Driver (1976) Lee Strasberg Office Chairs | La-Z-Boy Alta Journal: Stories of California and the West At the Knee by Tod Goldberg Sacrament by Susan Straight Jason Isbell – Official Website Episode photo from Envato Elements: The sun sets on the horizon as cattle graze in the field

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. Show Links Episode photo from Envato Elements: Teenagers Holding Decorative Colorful Masks on a Sofa edX: CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python Coursera: Figma UI/UX Design Essentials Coursera: Google AI Professional Certificate

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. Show Links Art Bar Magazine Sarah Remetch Ingram Passing Through (2024) Professional Skateboarding League Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Kurt Vonnegut Valen Lambert Jason Kulp Spike Jonze: The Photos That Started It All | Epicly Later’d – YouTube Jason Lee – Stereo Skateboards Mark Gonzales – Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum Ed Templeton Jacob Rosenberg Ty Evans Atiba Jefferson Bryce Kanights Tobin Yelland Amie Mcnee Tommy Mitchell Thrasher Magazine – RIP IN PEACE: Zane Timpson Philip Glass – YouTube Nils Frahm – YouTube Cormac McCarthy Soc. Heroin Skateboards Big Special Episode photo from Envato Elements: Artist painting on canvas

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: Create intentional moments of silence and solitude where you can tune in to your inner broadcast. Pay attention to what’s being broadcast and write down what you hear. Spend 15 minutes in active curiosity mode with something that comes up. Spend 15 minutes in active creation mode with what you learn. 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. Show Links “Input, More Input!” Johnny 5 Goes Crazy | Short Circuit (1986) Episode photo from Envato Elements: Aerial view of highway junctions. Bridge roads shape in structure. Top view. Urban city

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. Show Links Mimi Nichter Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience by Mimi Nichter Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Episode photo from Envato Elements: Aerial Drone, Where Desert Meets the Ocean, Sandwich Harbour, Namibia, Africa

What do you do when you get stuck? Maybe you’re like me and you let doubt and despair slow you down or even stop you. Today’s guest has a different answer: keep it moving. Bishop Kevin Foreman, “The People’s Bishop,” is a man of many pursuits—pastor, church planter, bishop, success coach, speaker, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur—and in this conversation he shares how curiosity, faith, and divine conviction help him to keep his life and work moving. We talk about his insatiable thirst for knowledge, the art of letting go, building the essential skill of reframing, liberating versus limiting beliefs, how faith and data work together when making decisions, why prioritization matters more than balance, and his constant drive to bring the best out of people. Show Links Bishop Kevin Foreman History Makers by Bishop Kevin Foreman Sins of the Fathers: Breaking Generational Curses by Bishop Kevin Foreman Evolutionaries: Unlocking the New You by Bishop Kevin Foreman Groundhog Day (1993) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Episode photo from Envato Elements: Texture of layers in orange and gray colors

Do you ever feel like you’re making the same mistakes over and over again? Yeah, me too. There are some parts of my life and work where curiosity and experimentation are endless, but when it comes to money, I’m stuck on a treadmill of feast and famine. I know enough of the lingo to talk a good game, but really, I’m still doing business like I did when I started 20 years ago. Underneath it all, I’m stuck in a shame spiral wondering if it will ever change. The truth is that something broke a long time ago and instead of fixing it, I kept repeating my mistakes making the break worse and worse. But as I watch my wife heal from a broken leg, it’s time for me to heal my own brokenness. Show Links Wisdom Takes Work: Learn. Apply. Repeat. by Ryan Holiday Shrinking (TV Series 2023–) Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future by Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato The Daring Creatives Episode photo from Envato Elements: broken glass, impact, overlay, realistic

There’s a lot that holds us back as creative individuals, but today’s guest thinks one question is the death of our creativity: who cares? The work begins when you shift from asking the question to stating, “I care.” As a literary publicist, Kim Dower—also known as Kim-from-L.A.—is celebrating 40 years of putting authors on the map, booking them on shows, and getting their books in the hands of people like myself. But Kim is also a poet, “ordained” and “blessed with the gift,” as she shares in our conversation. Her latest book of poems is titled What She Wants: Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria. Our conversation weaves between the worlds of art and entrepreneurship, starting with the clouds and the sky, reflecting on the magnificent sounds of nature, exploring Kim’s evolving relationship with persistence, lamenting the loss of nostalgia, and documenting our obsessions throughout our lives. Not to mention, a love for words, both written and spoken, conversationally between two people on Zoom. Show Links Kim Dower What She Wants: Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria by Kim Dower Kim-from-L.A. Charles Baudelaire The Stranger by Charles Baudelaire Thomas Lux Wallace Stevens Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara Dorothy Parker Bill Knott Limerence Parasocial Relationships: The Nature of Celebrity Fascinations Friends (TV Series 1994-2004) The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Why Write Love Poetry in a Burning World by Katie Farris A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker: 1925-2025 Photo by Chris J. Davis on Unsplash