Good People, Cool Things

Over 106 million people in the United States live in designated disaster areas, with millions more around the world. Flooding, earthquakes, fires, and other natural disasters can devastate miles of land and uproot families in one fell swoop. Trying to get back on your feet after experiencing something like that can be overwhelming. Russell Tuchman and Adrian Baker-Kang started Rebuildee as a way t...

Many people dream about starting a business, but not everyone will actually make it happen. Fewer still start a business with family, even though it can be a super rewarding experience. Well, the Painter Sisters, Stephanie and Hayley, ain't your average dreamers that rest on their laurels. They get stuff DONE — like getting their Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt into stores across the natio...

As a late 80s baby, I'm technically more of a kid of the 90s. Yet I know my birth decade has plenty of magical moments and pop culture touchstones that will live on forever. Chris Clews is a speaker and author of multiple books, most recently Raised on The '80s: 30+ Unexpected Life Lessons from the Movies and Music That Defined Pop Culture’s Most Excellent Decade. He knows just how important the d...

During the pandemic, many people decided to start businesses. No time commuting and sitting in traffic? Sign me up for that extra time! Beth Geddio was among that group, though her company, State of Being , was born out of frustration. Today, Beth is all-in on State of Being, which pairs scented candles with positive affirmations. There's a lot of chaos in the world, so having something soothing a...

Natalie Shay is a singer/songwriter from London who's been on a musical barrage lately. Her latest EP, MILK, came out in the fall of 2022 and she featured on other songs since then. And we're barely a month into 2023 but she's already dropped another single, "The Edge."We're talking all about her songwriting process, what people in creative fields should do to stay motivated, and perhaps the best...

Storytelling can be such an impactful tool for any individual or brand — but only if it's done correctly. Stefan Georgi is the creator of the Copy Accelerator mastermind and the RMBC process for developing effective copy. And he's used his words to generate over $1 billion, so it's safe to say he knows what he's doing. He's sharing a peek inside his success — let's roll.

Marketing has always been an important element of business, but in the digital world, there are just SO MANY options. What are the latest SEO tricks? Do I need to learn the ins and outs of TikTok? Are Facebook ads still even useful? It's enough to make anyone go mad. Amy Singleton spent more than a decade as a nurse assisting with major surgeries. Yet she thought she could do more to serve people,...

Whether you're just exploring starting a small business or have been working at yours for years, chances are you have a LOT on your plate. And that's a fast-track ticket to Burnout City. And not the fun type of fast-track, like the passes that can get you to the front of an amusement park ride. Veronica Kirin is a serial entrepreneur who found herself burnt out and frustrated. So, she decided to d...

Innovation is a word that gets thrown a lot, but it can be tough to know just what steps to take to actually innovate. How do you know what works and what's more futile than trying to talk to a friend during the encore of a rock concert? Hussain Almossawi has always looked at ways to innovate while blurring the lines between storytelling, visual effects, and design. And it's led to creative opport...

Can you imagine having to walk miles just to get water to drink? Or you can't use whatever comes from the sink when you brush your teeth? For more than 700 million people worldwide, this is a reality. They don't have access to clean drinking water.  Christoph Gorder is the Chief Global Water Officer of Charity Water, which seeks to provide clean drinking water for everyone. The nonprofit has alrea...

After experiencing her own obstacles, Rosemary Ikpeme made it her mission to share everything she's learned about personal development, goal setting, productivity, and mental resilience. She left a career in media to create  MYnd Map , which empowers individuals and organisations to achieve their goals efficiently, based on their values and purpose, with balance and mindfulness. We're talking all...

Seinfeld went off the air nearly 25 years ago, and yet it's still one of the most popular sitcoms ever. That's largely thanks to Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David creating terrific characters and storylines about the odd quirks of our society.  Even though Seinfeld isn't airing new episodes, Seinfeld is still touring. And this episode's guest, Mark Schiff, has been touring alongside him for decades....

Welcome to a classic podcast swap! I'm sharing an episode from Joe Casabona over at How I Built It because it's incredibly useful for you in your business and brand-building journey. In this sneak peek episode, Joe chats with Dr. Shanté Cofield on a ton of helpful stuff. Let's peep the highlights: On imposter syndrome: We need to get objective and trust the data. It’s easy to get down on yourself,...

If you've read anything online lately, you've probably heard about the trend of "quiet quitting." People get sick of their current company and role and either outright leave or decide to stay and do just the bare minimum to get by.  One of the common reasons people get discouraged by their jobs is that they're not having any fun. And, spoiler alert: unhappy employees don't usually do good work. So...

Fans of this podcast know I'm a big fan of creating "spooktacular" episodes around Halloween. We've explored musicians' worst gigs, chatted with ghost hunters, and heard a few horrific tales. This year, it's going to be a little different. I'm reading a chapter of my book Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships. This story is the creepiest one in the collection, so it's the...

Many artists, musicians, and other creative entrepreneurs want to own property. But because of the unique nature of their industries, they may not be paid as regularly as someone who has a 9-to-5. For example, an artist might get three lump sumps throughout the year instead of a steady paycheck. As a result, many artists and creatives struggle to get approved for a mortgage. Alejandro Szita has wo...

After a trip to Italy with a lot of wine drinking and pasta eating, Dave Martin wanted to shed a few pounds. As it turns out, ditching wine and replacing it with tequila had impressive results. And so, The Tequila Diet was born. We're talking all about the new book, Dave's worst gigs as a chef, and what brands should do when hiring outside consultants. Dave was also a contestant on the first seaso...

Welcome to one of the most exciting times in sports — the baseball postseason is upon us! And that means it’s the perfect time to talk about innovation in baseball and how the sport has evolved, particularly from a breaking-the-rules perspective. Dan Levitt is an award-winning researcher and board member of the Society for American Baseball Researchers. In short, he knows his baseball history. Alo...

Education is hard work, y'all. And creating environments where kids can excel takes a whole village. As a child, I listened to Dave Clark Five while doing homework. It worked for me, but another child might find that repulsive. "A band named after the drummer?!" they'd scoff. So, we need to start being more emotionally intelligent with the youths.  Alyssa Blask Campbell created Seed & Sew to g...

Over the past 15 years, David Richman has run more than 50 triathlons, ran four marathons back-to-back, and took a solo 5,000-mile bike ride around the country.  That bike ride is also a key part of his latest book Cycle of Lives, which explores 15 different emotional journeys of people who have experienced cancer. And 100% of the book's proceeds will be donated to nonprofits focusing on cancer re...

Imagine you're making a video to share with the world. You've found the PERFECT song for it, one that'll get everyone's toes tapping and praising your musical knowledge. Only there's one problem: you didn't get the proper rights to use the song, and now your video has been taken down. Thematic co-founder Audrey Marshall started her company to help creators and artists alike navigate this tricky wo...

Writing noir mysteries and stories about killers is a fine balance. You’ve got to build worlds that stay true to the setting while delivering characters that people still want to root for, even if they’re mired in some shady stuff. Faye Snowden has honed this craft, writing several noir mystery novels, short stories, and poems. Her latest book, A Killing Rain, is the second of a four-part Southern...

Do you dig speculative fiction, steampunk horror, and kickass fantasy? Then you're going to be a fan of Morgan Quaid. But even if those genres aren't your favorite, this episode has plenty to help you thrive. Morgan is a writer of comics, novels, and graphic novels. On top of that, he's a music composer and producer. He's done plenty of creative work, collaborated with great minds, and has tons of...

This may surprise you, but running a business is hard work. In fact, your to-do list probably just grew by about four tasks in the time it took to read this sentence. With so much going on, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Maybe your operations are in need of updates, or you want to grow your business but aren't sure where to start. Jessi Burg felt the same way, and she was discouraged by how little...

As a performer, Elisa di Napoli enjoyed creating and sharing stories through her music. But with severe performance anxiety, it became nearly impossible to actually take the stage. Elisa tried drinking wine, using beta blockers, and taking improv classes, but nothing worked until she learned how to be kind to herself. Today, she’s an artist coach, hypnotherapist, and multi-instrumentalist singer-s...