Where There's Smoke

"Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating." Those are the words of John Cleese in a talk he gave back in 1991 on Creativity. In this episode we explore the concept of Creativity. What is it? Are YOU creative? Can you be MORE creative? And how DOES creativity impact other areas of our lives? We go on this exploration with author, artist, entrepreneur, and activist David Usher, who earli...

Why is it so hard to ask for things? Why do we resist? Why don't we do it when we need support? This week, Brett and Nick launch their Patreon campaign - but they process was a difficult one. First, they had to wrestle with asking their listeners for support! This led them to ask some questions about asking. What about asking makes us so uncomfortable? Through the journey, they had conversations w...

What is it about music that just takes you back to specific people, places, and moments? Well, this week, we explore how music intersects with our lives. Whether it's playing, listening, or escaping it, music is finds a way to bury deep within us and remind us of our own stories. Nick is running this show this week and opens with a story about love, loss, and the Bb concert scale. Next, Elizabeth...

"Be so good they can't ignore you." That's Steve Martin's advice for anybody looking to be successful. We hear some form of this idea from countless actors, musicians, athletes, scientists: Do good work. This week, we attempt to unpack what "good work" truly means. We're talking about "quality" - specifically as it pertains to situations where we are looking to break into a particular profession,...

Each day, roughly 205 billions emails are sent, 3.5 billion Facebook messages are posted, and 40 million tweets are shared. In short, we are talking, texting, tweeting, and chatting at a very high rate. But in this process of sharing so many words - both in speed and quantity - we ask: Do we treat words with the same care we once did? And, do we ever stop to truly consider their power? We also ask...

Lulu Miller of NPR's Invisibilia joins us this week to talk about curiosity. Well, she really wanted to talk about adventure, exploration, and discovery; but for reasons we discuss in the show, Brett just couldn't let curiosity go. Simply by asking, "What is curiosity?", we find ourselves confronted with another whole set of questions: How curious are you? How do you measure it? Could one believe...

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Robert Frost's classic poem, The Road Not Taken. Also, October 21, 2015 has become known as Back to the Future Day because it is the exact date that Doc Brown, Marty McFly, and Jennifer travel to in the movie, Back to the Future 2. Now, if you look at both of these works - The Road Not Taken and Back to the Future 2 - they might seem vastly different! But,...

Listeners asked and so our second season premiere covers a topic that everyone struggles with: Procrastination. Unfortunately for Brett and Nick, life quickly began to imitate art when they found themselves caught in their own web of procrastination to get the episode finished. Brett and Nick ask: Why do we put things off? Why do we avoid them? And, if procrastination is just a symptom of somethin...

For the past couple of years it seems like one of the biggest buzzwords in business and entrepreneurship is "Hustle". And most of the messaging around hustle is about "go, go, go!" - harder, faster, stronger, more. But what if that's not the whole story? What if hustle is also about slowing down, pausing, and being still? And what if it is in that stillness that the best hustlers are made? In this...

Whether we realize it or not, day after day, we're asked to make meaning out of our experiences. Why did something happen? What does it mean? What kind of person am I? The kinds of meanings that we pull out of these moments will have a huge influence on how our lives take shape. In this episode, Brett and Nick grapple to make meaning for themselves. Also, Nick speaks with Teri Griege - triathlete,...

Much of life is out of our control. Often we are in situations where our level of control is small, but the impact of not having control is potentially large. And these moments can challenge our character, hamper our forward progress, or just be incredibly frustrating. This week, we talk about how you can grasp control from the hands of defeat. How you can stay proactive in these situations where...

Two stories separated by two years. Two moments moved by music. Have you ever felt lost? Ever found yourself stuck in a moment where you look outside of yourself for answers? Or where an answer came from outside - even when you weren't looking? Throughout history music has played the role of the catalyst for everything from our individual lives to the direction of our societies. This week we explo...

What if you could be more satisfied your life? Strengthen your problem-solving skills? Raise your awareness and intuition? Change your attitude about things you dislike? Be more creative? More innovative? Enjoy waiting in lines? And what if the power to affect all these things could be attained in the simple, yet powerful, process of a walk? This week, we do something a little different for our 25...

Who do you consider wise today? Does anyone immediately come to mind? This week we explore the unexpectedly complex question: What is wisdom? Additionally, we discuss the state of wisdom today and how we can foster more of it in our world. Also, Nick & Brett pick themselves up from France's rejection and reach out to all of our listeners outside of North America. And our headlining act for today's...

Today's episode opens with a story about fathers and, yet, the show is just as much about mothers, grandparents, teachers, and friends as anything else. We explore several important moments to uncover the true meaning of gratitude and how we can best practice it in our lives. Also, Brett has a vulnerable conversation with Corporate Renegade founder Matthew Goldfarb and Nick shares how you can be a...

Superman can't lead for sh*t. That was a playful title in the mix as we crafted this episode on vulnerability. As you listen, you will start to understand what that means, and how vulnerability feeds creation, fuels innovation, dissolves barriers, and expands presence. This week's episode is an exploration of vulnerability -- why it's scary, how we can re-frame it, and why the world so desperately...

The road to frustration is paved with good intentions. Most of us can relate to having an experience, a conversation, taking a class, reading a book, listening to a podcast - and something grabs your attention. Sometimes it can feel like a 2X4 to your forehead. And you think, "I need to make a change!", "I am going to start doing that!", or "I'm going to stop doing that!" But then, contrary to our...

To get from Point A to Point B - there is always a process. Sometimes it's intentional and other times it just happens. Some aspects of that process may be effective and, ultimately, help an endeavor succeed. Other steps in the process can actually be a hinderance; and slow down or derail, even the best of intentions or ideas This week on Where There's Smoke - for our 20th episode - we sifted thro...

REMEMBER  to leave an iTunes Written Review for your chance to win free coaching from Brett, free consulting or editing from Nick, or a 30-second spot on the show. * * * Values guide our every decision, whether we are aware of it or not. And they also have the power to align our character, attract others to us, and impact our ability to influence. This week on Where There's Smoke we dig into value...

Experience. It's more than Jimi Hendrix's band. It is the thing which shapes and sculpts us throughout our lives. It is the process by which wisdom and mastery are created. This week on Where There's Smoke we explore the value of our experiences. We dig through our desire for instant gratification to discover that perhaps it just isn't that gratifying. And we have a conversation with author and ex...

Taste. What's good? What's bad? People often come guns blazing with their opinions on things - whether it be music, movies, art, food, or drink. But where do these ideas come from and why are they so deeply ingrained? This week on Where There's Smoke we talk taste. Producer Nick Jaworski joins Brett as co-host this week and shares a story involving Canada's top selling recording artist, the United...

Community is a living organism - it's always changing. And while it once only existed in a physical place, now it can also exist in just space. Technology has helped communities to evolve and become global. As Nick and Brett both leave Northern California for separate destinations, we explore what community is, why it matters, how we embrace it, and also... how to let it go. We also talk to intern...

Life is a series of moments and, these days, many people struggle to do two things - fully experience and fully capture their moments. And it turns out, doing both might be impossible. In this episode, we explore our modern tendency to use our smartphones to document everything around us. Then, we look to uncover a solution to more effectively live our moments and manage our memories. We also talk...

There is a saying, 'It's not how you start that matters, but how you finish." But what if how you finish is, in fact, dictated by how you start? Hard to say more than that without giving something away. Miracle Morning creator and author, Hal Elrod, joins us in the second half of the show to provide an almost foolproof method to start your days as your best self - present, grounded, focused, grate...

Is fear really the only thing we have to fear? In this episode we seek not to define fear, but to understand it - and, in turn, to get a better grasp on its antidote - courage. We have a conversation with consultant and speaker Brad Axelrad on the five specific fears that may be stopping you from creating your success. And Brett has a special Birthday wish…   Guest: Brad Axelrad Learn more about B...