Joy and frustration can be equally motivating. Sometimes joy pulls our focus like a magnet to where it needs to be. On the other hand, sometimes being grumpy and frustrated is a sign we need to pivot in another direction. They both help us understand what roles or activities, or ideas we need to say no to to make sure we have enough space for what we want to say yes to.  Today, I’m joined by recurring guest host Adrian Klaphaak, who is just returning from a two-month parental leave after welcoming his second child into the world. We’re talking about preparing for, and returning from, time off; the challenges of parenting while running a business; and working toward sustainable joy and focus amidst it all. Are you working on a Pivot-in-progress? For guidance on reconnecting with what lights you up and creating an action plan to move forward, check out Adrian’s flagship Career Pathfinder Program and apply promo code PIVOT at checkout. More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, therapist, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: If you’re feeling dread upon returning to work after a break (or even just the weekend), ask: What am I resisting coming back to? See the resistance as a message from a wiser part of yourself telling you something might be off. Surrender to the reality of your life, and remember that you’ve chosen it, even amongst the challenges. Life is long, if we’re lucky, and no situation lasts forever. Sometimes you have to say no and clear space first, before clarity on next steps emerges. Be patient: the biggest dreams take time. ✅ Try This Next: What do you want to say no—or not now—to right now? 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama 🔗Resources: Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder (promo code PIVOT) Articles: Startup Parent Substack, Parable of the Trapeze Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path that Fits Podcast: Startup Parent Podcast 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: Pivot x Career Pathfinder Playlist (previous episodes with Adrian) 204: Radical Alignment: Getting to Hell Yes with Alex & Bob Free Time 166: Crashing into Quiet Time 🏝️ 320: The Beauty of Late Bloomers with Jenna Valovic ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to 'casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/314 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is change whispering to you? For Khe Hy, a former investment banker on the fast track of keeping up with the corporate Joneses, the discomfort from following the status quo first started feeling like a pebble in his shoe. “Psst! There’s more out there for you,” it whispered.  In this conversation, we talk about his decision to leave Black Rock, how he follows his instincts when building his new content and education business, and how sneaky “shoulds” and insecurity often stem from unmet needs we had growing up. Be sure also to check out Khe’s episodes on Free Time: 163: Leveraging Idea Kernels to Create Compelling Content with Khe Hy, and 129: The $10K Work Framework with Khe Hy. More About Khe: Khe Hy is the founder and CEO of RadReads, an online education company that helps professionals lead productive, examined, and joyful lives. Khe is creator of the $10K Work productivity method and teaches the popular cohort-based course Supercharge Your Productivity. RadReads provides guides, trainings, and coaching for over 36,000 professionals to help them gain back free time, scale their impact and make their little dent in the universe. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Make an angel investment in yourself: Designate (and save) an amount of money you can afford to lose that would give you enough time to pursue your ideas and experiment to see what sticks.  The 5 Whys Concept can help you identify the real feelings and motivations for your decisions. Ask yourself why you did something. Then ask why the answer is important to you. Then why that answer is important to you. After 5 “whys” you will almost always be at the root of what you want or feel. Manage your energy instead of your time. Email, for example, can usually be done when feeling low-energy rather than using your best and highest energy on it. Techniques like RIZE (Reach Inbox Zero Everywhere) can help you do it quickly, efficiently, and in appropriate amounts.  ✅ Try This Next: Twice a week, take a piece of paper and a pen, go somewhere quiet, and reflect on a question about your life or business. Ask yourself, "What is the pebble in my shoe?” or, “If everything went great, what would my life look like in ten years?” This is less about having precise answers and more about creating the space for reflection. 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, Life After College The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Mate 🔗Resources: Khe on the web, Twitter, LinkedIn Courses: Supercharge Your Productivity, Life Operating System, $10K Work Accelerator Free Time Operations Dashboard Video: Sheng Wang on Coscto Pants  Articles: The Magic of Doing $10,000 Per Hour Work, How to be the Chief Unblocking Officer (Article), CNN: Meet Khe He, the Oprah for Millennials 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 282: The Honor Roll Hangover with Melody Wilding 296: Top 3 Do’s and Dont’s When Leaving a Corporate Job 272: Love It or Leave It with Samantha Clarke Khe on Free Time 163: Leveraging Idea Kernels to Create Compelling Content with Khe Hy and 129: The $10K Work Framework with Khe Hy ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to 'casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/313 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the saying goes, “Worrying is praying for what you don’t want.” A close cousin is future-tripping: projecting and living in the future instead of being present with what is actually happening, keeping an open mind about whatever might happen next.  If you are inclined to catastrophize, you’re not alone! But getting caught in a fictional movie can mean missing out on important opportunities, ideas, and relationships. Today, I’m talking about why we do this, how future-tripping manifests, and strategies for shifting into what I call present-calming instead. 🌟 15 Strategies for Shifting from Future-Tripping to Present-Calming: Notice when you’re in a movie where you’re projecting events and possibilities rather than being present to the actual facts at hand.  Be compassionate with your fearful side, as being hard on yourself doesn’t help. Take a page from The Work with Byron Katie by asking, “Is that true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true?” Pause and reflect: What are the facts versus what am I assuming? Reframe what you are experiencing as an open-ended, creative question. Trust yourself to be creative and resourceful at every next step as it arises. Intuition happens in the moment, so ground yourself in the present. Be grateful for the abundance that the problem you are facing represents. Create and hold a positive vision of what is possible if all goes as well as it possibly can (instead of worst-case catastrophizing). Listen to relaxing podcasts or meditations if you have trouble sleeping due to anxious thoughts.  Take a small step or positive action toward a solution. Limit your exposure to negative news. Or all news, for that matter! Get your endorphins flowing with 20-minutes of cardio or yoga Talk to an energizing friend or family member to get an outside perspective Surrender. Ask for clarity on what action to take (or not) and for grace and patience in the meantime. ✅ Try this next: Notice when you’re caught in a movie of the future, generating anxiety from a problem or situation causing you stress. Ask to be shown one next step, and stay attuned to clues or hits of inspiration or intuition in your environment. Do you have any strategies for present-calming? Send me a note at hello@itspivotmethod.com or leave me a voice memo at pivotmethod.com/ask. 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall Rosenberg 🔗Resources: Byron Katie: TheWork.com and Judge Your Neighbor worksheet TV Series: Harlem via Amazon Prime (clip pulled from S2 E4) JB’s Ideal Day Madlib Sleep Foundations: The Best Podcasts for Sleep  Jordan Harbinger: 6-Minute Networking Course 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: [Best Of] Penney & Jenny 1: Intuition and Frequency (listen to the full Spotify playlist of the Penney & Jenny Show) 282: The Honor Roll Hangover with Melody Wilding 260: Everyday Rituals and the 'Sparkling of the Sacred' with Casper ter Kuile 69: Worrier's Guide to the End of the World with Torre DeRoche Free Time 138: ⛵️ Stop Sailing the Sea of Shiny Shoulds ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/312 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time to leave guilt spirals, perfectionism, and hedging behind. Today’s guest, Lia Garvin, is sharing her favorite tools for reframing frustrating situations through powerful questions and helpful feedback. More About Lia: Lia Garvin is the bestselling author of UNSTUCK: Reframe Your Thinking to Free Yourself From the Patterns and People that Hold You Back, leaning into nearly ten years of experience working in some of the most influential companies in tech, including Microsoft, Apple, and Google to explore the power of reframing to overcome common challenges found in the modern workplace. In her popular TEDx talk, “Your decisions aren't wrong, your inner critic is“, Lia shares the secret to reframing the stress we feel around making decisions. As the Founder & CEO of The Workplace Reframe organizational strategy firm, speaker, and coach, Lia is on a mission to humanize the workplace, one conversation at a time. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: If you find yourself stuck in the “nosebleed section” of a problem, especially if it’s a situation you don’t have direct control over, consider: What can this vantage point offer me? What can I learn from it? What might I consider for next time? A decision is a best guess: Separate the drivers from the outcomes of your next move. Unhook your self-worth from your work, and reframe your relationship to feedback: This project doesn’t have to be everything or for everyone; it doesn’t have anything to do with who you are as a person. If the feedback hits a nerve, collect more data. ✅ Try This Next: The next time you’re feeling stuck, try reframing your questions from “why?” to “what?” Write down all of the questions you are asking yourself, and re-construct them. So, “Why didn’t they pick me?” becomes: “What else might be going on in the situation that I’m not aware of?” and “Why does this always happen to me?” becomes “What else might be possible?” 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College UNSTUCK: Reframe Your Thinking to Free Yourself From the Patterns and People that Hold You Back 🔗Resources: Lia on the web, IG: @lia.garvin, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube Bonuses: Do's and Don'ts for Talking About Your Work with Confidence, 5Tips to Unlock the Best in Your Teams Article: Psychology Today’s Maximizers vs. Satisficers: Who Makes Better Decisions? TEDx: Your decisions aren't wrong, your inner critic is Masterclass: Chris Voss’ Win Workplace Negotiations, The Art of Negotiation 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 289: Stealing Wi-Fi as Career Strategy with Jenny Wood 283: What Are You Here to Do? How to Find a Path That Fits with Adrian Klaphaak 182: Collective Problem-Solving + Negotiating Fearlessly with Mori Taheripour 26: Tame The Advice Monster With Michael Bungay Stanier ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/311 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m complete. Have you ever landed on that sense of satisfaction, perhaps after a peak experience when you’ve given everything you could? Often what quickly follows: Now, what’s next?  My guest this week — the very first partner coach I brought on to help in my business — pivoted out of academia after an accomplished trajectory into running her own coaching practice. Several years ago, she was featured in Shana Gaynor’s wonderful Business Insider article, I went to a career coach, so you don't have to—and it was a rude awakening, that has been bringing clients our way ever since! In this conversation, we discuss creating the impact you want to have in the world, crafting jobs and roles to fit your strengths, and how to navigate the nerves of striking out on your own. More About Rebecca: Rebecca Fraser-Thill is a Pivot Career Coach, the Senior Contributor at Forbes on meaningful work, and the owner of Fraser-Thill Coaching & Consulting, based near Portland, Maine. Rebecca taught psychology at Bates College for 18 years, where she led the design of their Purposeful Work program. She holds a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. You can find her at www.RebeccaFT.com 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Are you a coaching skeptic? The feedback, insight, and accountability can be transformative in ways you don’t expect. Job crafting: Take every step you can to make the most of a current opportunity before making bigger moves, to know you gave it everything you had and gain clarity on when it will be time to go. Look for hidden strengths that come so naturally to you that you barely recognize them for the advantages they are. We often downplay our own abilities, so ask for feedback from coaches (and friends and colleagues!). ✅ Next Action: Find a list of work-related or adjacent values online (or generate your own) and write them on index cards or slips of paper. Next, physically put them in order of what is most important to you. Return and reorder them over a week until you have no more changes. This list of values will help you make decisions and rules about your work—if something doesn’t align, it becomes much easier to say no to.  📘Books: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College Don't Call It Quits: Turn the Job You Have into the Job You Love by Shana Lebowitz Gaynor Agile: Essentials of Team and Project Management. Manifesto for Agile Software Development by Alex Campbell 🔗Resources: Rebecca on the web, Twitter, LinkedIn Learn more and schedule a Pivot Coaching intro call with Rebecca Business Insider: I went to a career coach so you don't have to—and it was a rude awakening Therapy Apps: Better Help, Talkspace Career Values Lists: Mindtool, James Clear The Tim Ferriss Show: What Is Important to You 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 308: Pivoting in Place with Adrian Klaphaak 303: What is Your Soul Path for 2023? Follow What’s Most Alive — With Adrian Klaphaak 299: Juggling Risk and Pursuing Passion while Pivoting in a Recession with Adrian Klaphaak ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/310 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Sensitive Leader is a wayfinder, not a truth teller” with all the answers. Learn how serendipity helped today’s guest, Ciela Hartanov, successfully pitch an internal project to co-found and lead The Google School for Leaders; why sense-making is an essential skill when pivoting; and how to “right-size” a proposal until you get a yes.  We also discuss what it means to develop “identity agency,” how Ciela knew it was time to go out on her own, why building a personal brand isn’t the end-all-be-all, and how to build trend-spotting skills. More About Ciela: Ciela Hartanov was part of the founding team of The Google School for Leaders and Head of Next Practice Innovation and Strategy at Google, where she developed projects designed to shape the future of leadership and work. She currently runs humcollective, a boutique strategy and innovation firm that helps companies, executives, and teams make sense of the forces shaping the future and prepare strategically, and cohosts a podcast called Questioning Work. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Sense-making means asking: “What’s interesting here? What’s going on here?” It’s about entering more into playfulness than problem-solving. Tension is essential in the innovative process because it provides energy to continue working on new ideas. Identity agency: Develop a sense of who you are outside of your public-facing brand or even the brand association from working at a well-known company. ✅ Next Action: Build your trend-spotting skills by taking a walk in your neighborhood. What are you noticing? What are the things you haven’t been seeing? What does that tell you about the world? 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College Reclaiming Sensitivity (early 2024) 🔗Resources: Ciela on the web, IG: @cielarose, Twitter: @CHartanov, LinkedIn, Medium Ciela’s Podcast: Questioning Work Articles: It’s Finally Time to Retire ‘Good to Great’ From the Leadership Canon Tool: chatGPT 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 277: Expansive Impact and Spacious Scheduling with Sarah Young 52: Martha Beck on Enlightenment and Messages our Bodies Send 301: The Future is Analog and Books Aren’t Going Anywhere with David Sax 282: The Honor Roll Hangover with Melody Wilding 260: Everyday Rituals and the 'Sparkling of the Sacred' with Casper ter Kuile 228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media 306: ⛵️Stop Sailing the Sea of Shiny Shoulds (Free Time Crossover) 75: Become a Trend Curator + Non-Obvious Trends for 2018 with Rohit Bhargava 172: Self-Care for Empaths and HSPs with Sarah Santacroce Free Time 154: The Hard No ❌ ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/309 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“No [person] ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and they are not the same [person].” —Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher from ~500 BC I share this quote in nearly every Pivot keynote because it speaks to the reality of uncertainty in every aspect of our lives, even when we’re not intentionally pursuing bigger career changes. Every day we are different, as are the companies we work for, the broader economy, our community, and even our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional bodies. Today, recurring guest Adrian Klaphaak and I are exploring how to keep moving and build momentum, even when you aren’t in a position to take big risks. How do you double down on your strengths and take small steps to pivot in place, creating room for bigger opportunities down the road? Are you working on a pivot-in-progress? For guidance on reconnecting with what lights you up, and creating an action plan to move forward, check out Adrian’s flagship Career Pathfinder Program and apply promo code PIVOT at checkout. More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, therapist, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: “What should I do?” is the second question. It should come after “Who am I?” when you are thinking about how to improve your work circumstances without leaving your role entirely. Sometimes the role you want doesn't exist yet at your organization. Lean on faith and follow the clues your soul is guiding you with to create the space you want to occupy. Relationships are what make everything happen. Talk to the people you like the most and who seem to be doing the most interesting work. Investing in those relationships gives you more access to opportunities.  ✅ Next Action:  the work activities that you get the most joy, energy, and flow from. How can you build upon those through smaller pilots? 📘Books: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization? by Aaron Dignan  🔗Resources: Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder, promo code PIVOT Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path the Fits Articles by Jenny on Oprah.com: The Questions You Need to Ask Yourself if You're Bored and Restless at Work, What Is Your Happiness Formula? Newsletter: Adjacent Possible by Stephen Johnson Podcast: In the Arena with Leah Smart 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: Pivot x Career Pathfinder Playlist (previous episodes with Adrian), 289: Stealing Wi-Fi as Career Strategy with Jenny Wood ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/308 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leaving the cool shade of a corporate tree with a great salary and benefits to start a business is never easy. But making the call mere months before a global pandemic hits seems on the surface to be ill-timed—to say the least. Or perhaps cosmic.  Don’t feel bad for Tony McGaharan, who is a pro at finding the silver lining in any situation. Suddenly the market for his budding business went from Belfast to global through virtual events, and his business is thriving because of it. In this conversation, we cover how he knew it was time to give his two-weeks notice (and not just pivot internally), how he addressed financial fears of leaving a six-figure salary, navigating the first few months of the pandemic as a new business owner, and how he builds relationships to generate new business—including Google still a key part of his client roster. As his coach says to him, “Be careful what you do because what you do, you do more of.” More About Tony: Tony is a Leadership Development expert who previously worked for Google's People Operations in Dublin, Singapore, and London. He is an experienced leader, effective facilitator, and qualified coach on and off the basketball court. He founded People Playbook in 2020, host of the Three Points podcast, and has partnered with a diverse range of organizations across the globe to design and deliver purpose-built leadership development programs. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: You’ll have more options and less pressure when pivoting if you live lean by lowering expenses and your expectations. Silver linings are everywhere; lean into conditions that seem subpar Set expectations with yourself after pivoting as you design your day-to-day: What are your goals? What do you expect to do with your time and your days? What do you want to do outside of work? ✅ Next Action: Outsource your confidence if you need a boost. We can get stuck in our own heads and not see ourselves clearly, so ask friends and family what they see your strengths as and what they think you can bring to the world. 📘Books: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, Life After College 🔗Resources: Tony on the web, IG: @peopleplaybook and @SilverLiningsQuiz, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Tony’s Podcast: Three Points People: Peter Barron, Producer Matt Thompson, Pamela Slim, Charlie Gilkey, Josh Muxen Podcasts: Best of Belfast, Jenny on Three Points — Freeing Your Time with Jenny Blake 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: Pivot 296: Top 3 Do’s and Dont’s When Leaving a Corporate Job 297: Create a Failure Resume Free Time 153: Behind the Podcast — Increasing Serendipity Surface Area — Mic Flip with Matthew Thompson 117: Tiny Marketing Actions with Pamela Slim 091: Quarterly Planning with Charlie Gilkey Exploring Time, Money, and Energy Capacity with Tara McMullin and Charlie Gilkey (Replay) ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/307 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year? Larry David, one of my favorite curmudgeons, would say yes — I have surpassed the HNY statute of limitations. While the “new year, new you” energy is still fresh, I invite you to conduct a calendar audit: What are your shiny shoulds? The coulds? The so goods? Today I’m sharing a crossover from the Free Time podcast and book about one of the most popular topics that readers ask me about most: Sailing the Sea of Shiny Shoulds. This also ties into one of the Pivot Paradoxes I share in the Pilot stage of Pivot: The Fauxspiration Foe. If you haven’t already, grab your copy of Free Time—winner of six book awards!—and subscribe to the w3 award-winning podcast wherever you listen » You’re invited! I would love for you to join us in BFF, my private community for small Heart-Based business owners. If you want accountability, support, and strategies to stop sailing the sea of shiny shoulds so you can set more time free to do your best work. Visit itsfreetime.com/bff, and enter promo code PODCAST at checkout for a discount. 🌟Key Takeaway: If you want to dabble in something that might be a Shiny Should, treat it like an experiment. Set rules for engagement that respect your time, including firm start and end dates, then evaluate the impact on your energy and your business. Is the juice worth the squeeze? ✅ Action Step: Observe your calendar and projects for the next two weeks: What is most energizing? What’s most draining? Within the most energizing people and projects, conduct a second audit (you can do this by drawing three columns on a blank piece of paper or digital note): What are your shiny shoulds? The coulds? The so goods? 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks The Genius Habit: How One Habit Can Radically Change Your Work and Your Life by Laura Garnett Find Your Zone of Genius: Break Free from burnout, Reduce Career Anxiety, and Make the Work Your Doing Matter by Making Your Job The Right Job for You by Laura Garnett 🔗Resources Mentioned: Jenny’s private BFF Community for Heart-Based Business owners Article: The New York Times Workologist feature: Climbing Down the Corporate Ladder Without Alarming Your Boss  Strategic Social Media Sprints: Stephanie Huston Podcast: SPARKED by Jonathan Fields, Free Time 🎧Related Podcast Episodes JB episodes on SPARKED with Jonathan Fields Pivot: 292: True Fun vs Fake Fun with Catherine Price 305: Is What You Are Wanting Actually What’s Best For You? With Luke Burgis  303: What is Your Soul Path for 2023? Follow What’s Most Alive — With Adrian Klaphaak 228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media 183: Cultivating Opposites and Checklists with Alexandra Franzen 076: On Plan Z, Creative Finish Lines and the Graceful No—with Alexandra Franzen Free Time: 134: How I Prepare for In-Person Speaking Engagements  075: Coaching Through the Free Time Framework with Wade Brill 012: Generating Personal MBA Momentum with Josh Kaufman 152: Do Less — On Entropic Bloat & Business Haircuts ✂️ 154: The Hard No ❌ 096: Book Sales Stats—One Month Post-Launch ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/306 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The opening epigraph to Luke Burgis’ brilliant book gave me such a chuckle that I can’t resist sharing it here: “We want what other people want because other people want it, and it’s penciled-in eyebrows all the way down, down to the depths of the nth circle of hell where we all die immediately of a Brazilian butt lift, over and over again.” —Dayna Tortorici via n+1 (as quoted in Wanting) In today’s conversation, we’re talking about mimetic desire and our relationship to wanting. It’s a fundamental aspect of the fact that humans are social creatures: I see, therefore I want; I want, therefore I am. But if what you’re wanting isn’t serving you, this conversation will be just the medicine you need to turn your attention inward again. As Luke says, “Mimetic desire is like gravity—it just is. Gravity is always at work. What gravity is to physics, mimetic desire is to psychology.” We can get better at escaping relational riptides and the rat race. Listen in to learn more about why Wanting is the key to unlocking our deepest desires and ridding ourselves of toxic comparison and competition. More About Luke: Luke Burgis has co-created and led four companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He’s currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship where he also teaches business at The Catholic University of America. He writes and speaks regularly about the education of desire, and is the author of two books on these topics: Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person and Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Our desires often don’t originate with us, but we do have agency and the freedom to rise above them We often experience mimetic rivalry with those closest to us Thick desires are ones in alignment with our own integrity and most meaningful pursuits, where status and recognition are byproducts (but not the aim) of deeper satisfaction ✅ Next Action: Be like the hawk (as featured in today’s conversation!)—notice what your subconscious Michelin Stars are and examine, Are they serving you? Do they represent your “thickest” desires, or merely what others in your life and industry tell you that you should want?   📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One  Life After College Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life (Luke Burgis) The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It: On Social Position and How We Use It by Will Storr 🔗Resources: Luke on the web, Instagram: @lukeburgis, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Articles: Dayna Tortorici’s n+1 article My Instagram, The New Yorker—The Floating World: Have’s and the Have Superyachts Videos: Rivalry: How to beat a basic instinct, How to know what you really want, movie trailer for Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 294: Confidence Conundrums and Attention Budgets with Terri Trespicio 278: Radically Content with Jamie Varon 299: Juggling Risk and Pursuing Passion while Pivoting in a Recession with Adrian Klaphaak Additional interviews with Luke Burgis (via Spotify)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/305 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Even when you think something is set in stone—literal, actual stone—it changes.” Take it from actor-turned-entrepreneur and rock-climbing aficionado Ryan Devlin: successful pivots involve constant micro-adjustments. Even when you feel most stuck, you can find a new way forward, but you’ll need to double down on your unique skills and abilities. I had so much fun chatting with Ryan about starting his give-back company, This Saves Lives, and his journey from a successful actor living the Hollywood life to an experimental entrepreneur piloting a new podcast based on his passion. Ryan shares why chasing celebrity can be a slippery slope, how getting used to rejection helps with business-building, contributing to something bigger than you, finding flow, and why getting bored in your career isn’t always bad. More About Ryan: Ryan Devlin is a social entrepreneur, rock climbing enthusiast, and actor known for roles on shows like Brothers & Sisters, Veronica Mars, Cougar Town, Jane the Virgin, and Grey’s Anatomy. He hosts The Struggle Climbing podcast, where climbers share their struggles and breakthroughs in nutrition, training, tactics, and the mental game. He is also co-founder of This Saves Lives, a company dedicated to feeding children and helping them thrive. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: What are the unique things that only you can do? What connections, skills, or insights do you have that no one else does? There are opportunities that only you can identify and take advantage of because of the skills, abilities, and connections that are unique to you. From Tony Hsieh’s book, Delivering Happiness, consider three levels of happiness: something ephemeral (like shopping), flow state (over when the activity is over), and service (being part of something bigger than yourself). The more you pivot, the more comfortable you become with change. Take comfort in knowing that if your next move doesn’t work, you can figure out how to adapt from there. ✅Next Action: Pick a niche passion of yours that has a zing of energy and excitement to it; what is one creative project you might be able to tackle in and for this area? Bonus: go to a local climbing wall!   📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One  Life After College Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good by Paul Newman The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It by Will Storr Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh  Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel 🔗Resources: Ryan Devlin on the web, Instagram: @ryandevlinoutside and @thestruggleclimbingshow Company: This Saves Lives Podcast: The Struggle Climbing Show, Guests: Tommy Caldwell, Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold Emily Holland: Podcast Coach, host of the Nature Untold Podcast 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 242: Nahko—Take Your Power Back + "Love Letters to God" Live 305: Is What You’re Wanting Actually What’s Best For You? With Luke Burgis 136: Why I Stopped Exploring Selling the Pivot Brand and Business   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/304 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎉 Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business celebrates its one year bookiversary on 3/22/23!  In this episode I'm walking you through the Free Time Framework—Align, Design, Assign—so you have a technique to move from friction to flow in any project or area of your life and work in 2022. Resources Mentioned: Books: Free Time, Pivot, Who Not How Podcasts: Free Time #052: Perceived Capacity vs. Actual Capacity, Centered in the City with Wade Brill Websites: Agile Manifesto for Software Development This episode originally aired in December 2022. 🎁 Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in 2023 by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus, back for a limited time. Here's how it works: Buy One: Order the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo Get One: Within one business day, you'll get access to the audiobook and Free Time Toolkit with over 15 new templates to set your time free in 2023! Give One: You will get details on how to gift audiobook access to a friend :) Thank you for listening! I can't wait to hear how you start freeing up time, and what you do with it :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy new year, my friends!! Transitioning from holiday time off to the frenetic energy of returning to work and regular life can be rough — so today, recurring guest (and my first career coach) Adrian Klaphaak joins me back on the pod to jam about calmer ways of reentering a new year, and recentering to decide what kind of planning and tracking is the most joyful for you.  More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, therapist, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Goals can be a loaded concept: they can be helpful or box us in. Try exaggerating your goals so far beyond what you would set typically, and see how your consciousness and creativity change to adapt to the new challenge.  To calculate your personal year number in numerology: Add the digits of your birthday, birth month, and year (i.e., 2023). For example, February 3, 2023. The personal year number would be 0+2+0+3+2+0+2+3 = 13 = 1+3 = 4. Then read the corresponding profile here » Before committing to something new, ask, “Is this really necessary?” Sometimes the easiest way to find more time and ease is to simply do less. What can you do less of next year, and what might that additional time mean for you?   ✅Next Action: Take a breath before launching into a new goal or declaration for the year. Rest and recharge, then came back to the questions of: What do I really want? What is most exciting to me? What do I most want to give my energy to? What is a project that aligns with my soul’s path? 📘Books: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College  Life Cycles: Your Emotional Journey To Freedom And Happiness by Christine DeLorey Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins 🔗Resources: Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path That Fits Article: Trip vs. Vacation (Why traveling with kids is never a holiday)  Creative Numerology 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 283: What Are You Here to Do? How to Find a Path That Fits with Adrian Klaphaak 288: Embracing Uncertainty — Mic Flip with Adrian Klaphaak 299: Juggling Risk and Pursuing Passion while Pivoting in a Recession with Adrian Klaphaak Penney & Jenny Show Free Time 123: “Pricing is Branding” — Anti-Time Management with Richie Norton Free Time 056: Set Your Compass—Systems vs. Goals Free Time 152: Do Less — On Entropic Bloat and Business Haircuts ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/303 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode originally aired on April 4, 2021. Casper ter Kuile is helping to build a world of joyful belonging. He is the author of The Power of Ritual and the co-host of the award-winning podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Casper is a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School and the co-founder of startup Sacred Design Lab - a research and design consultancy working to create a culture of belonging and becoming. He also co-authored “How We Gather” and collaborated with Holstee on his Ritual Life Planner. Resources Casper on the web, Twitter: @caspertk, IG: caspertk_, Facebook: @caspertk86, LinkedIn: caspertk, Newsletter: caspertk.com Tech sabbath from sundown Fri-Sat. Sacred Design Lab Articles: NYT feature: God Is Dead. So Is the Office. These People Want to Save Both Podcast: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text Books: Pivot The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices Co-author: How We Gather Ritual Life Planner Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver Agnostic by Lesley Hazleton Wintering by Katherine May Authors: Richard Rohr Abraham Joshua Heschel Byron Katie Tosha Silver Related Pivot Podcasts: 105: Tools for Transitions—Just Ahead Mentors, Jealousy Antidotes, and Powerful Small Steps to Find Jobs (or Clients) with Dev Aujla 83: Pivot From Working in the Morgue to the Ministry with Former Forensic Pathologist Dr. Thomas Andrew 114: Illuminating Invisible Privilege with Karen Pittelman (and Why She Gave Away Her $3 Million Trust At 24) ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned: https://pivotmethod.com/260 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I don’t want fans, I want friends.” This is one of many approaches to relationship-building that I admire in this week’s guest, super-connector Jon Levy. I learned that when Jon texts with “free for dinner tonight?” you cancel all plans and say YES. Both times I did, I ended up at one of his influencer dinners with famous actors, public figures, pro athletes, and C-suite executives.  Jon’s secret? Designing experiences to facilitate a shared sense of awe, connection, and accomplishment—with job titles revealed only at the end of the evening. Today we’re talking about these principles and more behind his bestselling book, You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! This episode originally aired on July 24, 2022. More about Jon: Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author known for his work in trust, human connection, belonging, and influence. More than a decade ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives, to artists and musicians. Guests cook dinner together, but can’t discuss their career or give their last name, and once seated to eat, they reveal who they are. Over time, these dinners developed into a community. With thousands of members, Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Say yes to invites. If you want higher levels of creativity, new relationships, new ideas—it’s going to happen outside of your standard routines. Novelty is critical if you want to be noticed. What are you doing that only you do? Make that one of the key things you talk about and promote. Instead of asking why you’re not on social media, or forcing yourself into it, ask “Why should I be on social media? If you don’t have a good reason, don’t stress about it!   ✅Next Action: What next group invitation can you send? How can you create a memorable experience around it?  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One The 2 AM Principle You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Jon on the web, Instagram: @jonlevytlb, Twitter: @JonLevyTLB New York Times feature: Want to Meet Influential New Yorkers? Invite Them to Dinner Video: Ted Talk: What Makes Us Influential?, Fortune: The Science of Adventure Resources: Upwork, Notion TV Show: Old Enough Reddit.com 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media 263: Conduct a Relationship Audit with Ximena Vengoechea   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/285 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your calendar reflect your values and priorities? Do you pause before responding to requests, or are you saying yes to things out of fear, pressure, or obligation? I’m delighted to be in conversation with my dear friend Sarah Young this week on creating clear containers, clean vs. dirty energy, navigating “spiritual tornados of leadership,” handling inevitable criticism, and moving past people-pleasing toward acting in the path of highest integrity. Be sure to check out Sarah’s beautiful book, Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments, and subscribe to her fantastic Friday Favorites newsletter! It’s one of my favorite messages in my inbox every week :) This episode originally aired on April 3, 2022. More About Sarah: Sarah Young is the Founder and CEO of Zing Collaborative and the author of Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments. She works with a handful of highly conscious and committed clients who want to elevate and expand their leadership capacity. Sarah runs retreats, workshops, and speaking events to help leaders further develop through an approach that blends corporate experience, research, mindfulness, leadership, coaching, and experiential learning. She has a deep appreciation for nature, travel, sunshine, warm weather, paddle boarding, rescue dogs, cooking, coffee, and the precious hours of the early morning. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: If you find it hard to create time for yourself, building time for personal projects and R&R right into your calendar. Ask to meet over the phone or while walking, instead of screen-fatigue inducing video calls. Use a decision filter before saying yes. Ask yourself: “is this fully in line with my values and priorities?”  Remember that you can do everything right to communicate clearly and with integrity, and sometimes it still may not work if the other person doesn't have the desire to meet you halfway.   📝 Permission: Skip the comment section. You don’t need to engage where the energy doesn’t feel right. Sometimes people are just waiting to pounce, and you don’t have to provide the opportunity. ✅ Do or Delegate This Next: Pause. Find a moment in the day where you can pause before you respond to something, reflecting on whether it connects with your values and how you want to engage in the world.   📘 Books Mentioned:  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Sarah Young on the web, Instagram, LinkedIn Sarah’s book: Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments Articles: 999 Problems, Why I don’t have Comments by Seth Godin, An Ex-Google Career Coach Tells Why Pleasing Everyone Will Never Help You in Your Career Quiz: Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Related Podcast Episodes: Free Time 077: Happy Launch Day! Antonio Neves Guest Hosts (Part 1) Pivot Episode 132: The Making of a Manager with Julie Zhuo   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/277 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"For generations, we’ve been taught there are two ways to succeed—either from talent or practice." My guest today, Ron Friedman, shares a powerful third path: reverse engineering. In this conversation you will learn how to unpack others' success to spark breakthrough ideas of your own, with an original twist. This episode originally aired on November 28, 2021. More About Ron: Ron Friedman is an award-winning social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. His first book, The Best Place to Work, was named an Inc. Magazine Best Business Book of the Year. His new book, *Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success,* was selected by Amazon's editors as one of this year's best non-fiction books. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Ron: Ron on the web Twitter: @RonFriedman Instagram: @Nilofer, LinkedIn Videos: Susan Cain The Power of Introverts, Sir Ken Robinson Changing Education Paradigms, Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing Masterclass Related Pivot Podcast Episodes: 155: Becoming a Successful Speaker with Grant Baldwin, 207: How to Develop Your Book and Big Idea, 209: On Seinfeld, Sensitivity, and Trend Spotting Related Free Time Episodes: 010: Batching & Boundaries with John Lee Dumas, 022: Become a Thought-Listener, 031: Eleventh-Hour Creative Gremlins, 034: Organizing Research and Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #1, 036: Shaping Big Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #2 ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When life takes you down, it changes you. You’re not the same after,” says Dr. Susan Biali in her new book, The Resilient Life. “When I look back on my career, my most cherished accomplishments all came with significant stress.” And yet, sometimes, that work-related stress can tip into burnout if we’re not careful—something particularly prominent these last few years. Susan is one of my longest-time friendtors (fifteen years and counting!), and in this long-overdue Pivot conversation, we talk about what personality traits make someone most prone to burnout, social overwhelm the power of small doses of relaxation response activities, and more. More About Susan: Dr. Susan Biali Haas is an award-winning medical doctor, internationally recognized for her expertise in mental health, stress management, burnout prevention, and resilience. Today we’re talking about her new book, The Resilient Life: Manage stress, prevent burnout, improve your physical and mental health, and live with more resilience. **** In addition to her twenty years of primary care experience, she also coaches a broad range of clients — from senior executives to physicians and other health professionals — to take control of their mental and physical well-being. Dr. Susan’s popular Psychology Today blog has over 10 million views, and she has been featured in media such as the Today Show, Forbes, BBC World Service, Oprah.com, and others. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Even 10 to 20 min of mindful Relaxation Response activities can have a 24-hour positive impact on your mood and health. When is burnout not burnout? Sometimes what we think is burnout is actually a psychological crash that feels very intense but can be worked through with extra rest, sleep, and other self-care. Real burnout is more serious and often needs the care of a professional to recover from. Leverage your parasympathetic nervous system to counteract your stress response; take a few deep breaths and pay attention to how you feel afterward.   ✅Do This Next: What do you need and want most? Create a social inventory of the different people in your life and interactions you want to have with them, and reflect on how those relationships are showing up or present in your life and if you are happy with that, or want to make changes.    📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College The Resilient Life Live a Life You Love 🔗Resources: Susan on the web, Instagram: @drsusanbiali, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Articles: Susan’s Psychology Today column, Don’t Try to Reason with Unreasonable People, Create Free Time Within Your Overwhelmed Work Life Podcast: The Jordan Harbinger Show Big 5 Personality Test Video: Relaxation Response Demonstration Research: Resilience Research Center led by Dr. Michael Unger 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 60: How Emotionally Agile Are You? Strategies for Setbacks with Susan David 45: Post-Launch Pivot Point + Visit From the Furry Rest Monster Free Time 063: On Burnout and Business Intuition with Azul Terronez of Authors Who Lead Free Time 006: Going Pro on Podcasting with Jordan Harbinger   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/302 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you write a book called The Revenge of Analog, only to find a pandemic relentlessly converting everything to virtual a few years later? David Sax answered the call with a follow-up book, the only one he could write from the confines of home, describing the malaise of digital pushed to its extremes, again making the case for RR: Real Reality (and you know we couldn’t resist a few pirate jokes to follow). I know you’ll love this conversation as much as I did about the timeless nature of our most meaningful moments; the future of books, book clubs, and bookstores; and why the metaverse has nothing to do with our salvation as a species. More About David: David Sax is a technology critic and bestselling author of five books, including Save the Deli, The Tastemakers, The Revenge of Analog, and The Soul of an Entrepreneur. His new book, The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World, highlights the resurgence of analog goods and ideas in a digitally proliferated world. He reminds us all that we should look for community and humanity, not convenience and technology. 🌟Key Takeaway: There are things that are just better in AR: Actual Reality (as opposed to digital). Books, speaking engagements, school, bookstores. There’s nothing saying we have to choose the metaverse despite how relentlessly it’s marketed to us.   ✅Next Action: When someone asks you about your plans for the future, consider: What makes you feel the most human? What kind of connection do you crave and desire? How can you bring more of that into your life? Take something back that has gone digital and return to analog, whether it’s buying a hardcover book or sending a handwritten thank you note. 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One  Life After College A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport  The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning by Scott Galloway The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway 🔗Resources: David on the web, Twitter, LinkedIn Article: New York Times—This is Life in the Metaverse Scott Galloway: Newsletter, The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway Podcast: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 287: Solving Pivot Puzzles with A.J. Jacobs 265: Free Time Crossover — Eliminate Email with Cal Newport 122: Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport 29: Deep Work: Ditch Cognitive Junk Food with Cal Newport 143: Transmogrify with Neil Pasricha 44: Want Nothing, Have Everything: The Happiness Equation with Neil Pasricha JB on SPARKED with Jonathan Fields: On Putting Yourself in the Path of Pivot, How to Choose Freedom Over Familial Responsibility, How to Scale While Staying True to Yourself, and How to Know When to Jump Into Your Side Hustle Free Time 134: How I Prepare for In-Person Speaking Engagements   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/301 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since launching this show in September 2015, the podcasting landscape has grown and changed tremendously. What was once a niche sandbox of independent producers pursuing passion projects has blossomed into an abundant field where it seems as though every major media property, celebrity, side hustler, and business owner decided to throw their hat (mic?) into the audio arena. Since I’m not nearly ambitious or prolific enough to share three hundred lessons learned in honor of today’s major milestone, or even thirty, I thought I’d boil it down to my top three creative lessons learned in seven years of creating content in a constantly changing space. Before going any further, thank you from the bottom of my heart—this show wouldn’t be nearly what it is without you here listening and sharing with friends. Thank you for listening these last seven years, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the years ahead bring us! 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Challenging myself to do a daily creative bootcamp for three months has made the production (and idea generation) process easier ever since. Delegating is a game-changer, such as investing in a full-service production team—even before I was 100% ready. It truly helped me shift from sporadic, overwhelmed output to energized, consistent creativity. Success is anything over a small handful of listeners: staying focused on the intrinsic rewards, the “autotelic” joy of podcasting, no matter the metrics, has kept the creative fires burning brighter. Bonus: Most of all, have fun! When things get too hard, pause: there’s a mantra I repeat to myself often, “Let it be easy, let it be fun.” Or as my friend Leanne asks, “How can I fall in love with this again?” 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, Life After College  The Work Revolution: Freedom and Excellence for All by Julie Clow Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins  Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin 🔗Resources: Free Time Operations Dashboard Podcast Production: One Stone Creative Podcast Recording: Riverside.fm Audio and Video Editing Software: Descript Jim Collins: The Flywheel Concept Creative Coach: Jay Acunzo 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 223: Stepping up Systems—How I Shifted to Daily Podcasting 254: The Practice—On Generosity, Peculiarity, and Showing Up with Seth Godin 276: Behind the Free Time Pivot 100: Ten Lessons Learned in 3+ Years of Podcasting 291: Free Time Crossover – Protect Your Idea Factory, Build a Creative Flywheel, and Go Behind-the-Scenes of Book Publishing with Todd Henry 213: Flex Your Flywheel (for Solopreneurs) and 212: Virtuous Circles in Pivot Portfolio Planning 292: True Fun vs Fake Fun with Catherine Price 304: Through the Crux—Pivoting from Acting to Entrepreneurship with Ryan Devlin Free Time: 077: Happy Launch Day! Antonio Neves Guest Hosts (Part 1) and 079: Behind the Launch with Antonio Neves (Part 2)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/300 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When times are uncertain should we be playing it safe? We all have a different relationship to risk—and recession-talk tends to turn the dial up on anxiety about what the future has in store. Today, I’m back in conversation with Adrian Klaphaak, talking about how to be pragmatic, taking the economic environment into account, while also keeping a flame lit for pursuing our bigger dreams. More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” Are you looking for a little support and guidance on finding your purpose, or best next step? Check out Adrian’s Career Pathfinder Program and use the code PIVOT for a special offer on the group training.  🌟3 Key Takeaways: Your calling can evolve over time and adapt to your changing situation. Be open to altering or amending your immediate next steps to meet current needs while still working towards your ultimate purpose. Even when it’s not a good time to make a big change, you can still plant seeds for the future: cultivate your relationships, enhance your skills and abilities, and start a new project.  We ask a lot of careers: that they provide for us financially, fulfill our emotional and aspirational goals, and meet our social needs, among other responsibilities. If your career can’t do all of that, the solution might not be to replace it but to add what is missing elsewhere. ✅Next Action: Take a success inventory for something you are feeling insecure or unsure about: What gifts has this area given you? What have you gained? When you listen deeply, what’s in you that wants to be expressed? Identify what is working, and decide from there if you need to make changes.  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgess 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path the Fits 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  283: What Are You Here to Do? How to Find a Path That Fits with Adrian Klaphaak 288: Embracing Uncertainty — Mic Flip with Adrian Klaphaak 114: “Failure is the Frame, Not the Picture”   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/299 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever gotten a sudden sense of certainty that you need to pursue something — maybe something totally different than your career or typical areas of interest?  I had the pleasure of podcasting in-person with today’s guests, Alisa Cohn and Dorie Clark, to learn more about how their interest sparked to co-found a Broadway theater investing company together. Building upon their successful careers in the business arena, we talk about what it’s like to start from scratch in a new industry when it comes to networking, investing, collaborating, and experimenting. More About Dorie: Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She is a keynote speaker and teaches executive education for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. Dorie is the author of The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World (her latest), Reinventing You, Stand Out, and Entrepreneurial You. More About Alisa: Alisa Cohn has been coaching startup founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up. A one-time startup CFO, strategy consultant, and current angel investor and advisor, she was named the number one “Global Guru” of startups in 2021 and has worked with startup companies such as Venmo, Etsy, and more. She was also featured on Tim Ferriss’ podcast in episode 539, where she shared publicly for the first time that she coached his team for several years   🌟3 Key Takeaways: When you’re starting something in a new industry, build your network in that direction by hosting, not just waiting for invites.  Try Alisa’s go-to opener for conferences—so simple it’s easy to skip: “Hi, my name is X, What’s yours?” At networking or professional events, most people are there because they want to make connections.  On failure: There is a difference between asking yourself, “Did you make a good decision?” and, “Did you get a good outcome?” If you are confident in your decisions, the outcome becomes less important.   ✅Next Action: Host an event in the next few months where you can bring together a variety of people who wouldn’t ordinarily meet each other, ideally in an industry you are passionate about (even if you’re new to the space). 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business,  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business by Alisa Cohn  The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World by Dorie Clark 🔗Resources: Dorie on the web, Instagram: @dorieclark, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube  Alisa on the web, Twitter: @AlisaCohn, LinkedIn: @AlisaCohn  Alisa’s Podcast: From Start-Up to Grown-Up Videos: The Real Reason You Feel So Busy and What to Do About It (Dorie's TEDx talk), How to Start Investing in Broadway Theater Podcast Recording: Gotham Recording Studio 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 058: Monetize Your Ideas with Dorie Clark 066: Create Multiple Streams of Income with Dorie Clark 033: Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following with Dorie Clark 297: How to Create a Failure Resume Free Time 043: From Start-Up to Grown-Up (and Coach to Author) with Alisa Cohn and 035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your favorite kind of failure? The question isn’t if you’ll fail or get rejected, but when. So don’t let it stop you from taking action or making decisions. Today I’m sharing more on a favorite practice that I’ve heard others espouse: creating a failure resume.   🌟3 Key Takeaways: Being afraid is fine. Ask, “Is it enough to stop you?” If the answer is yes, what can you do to sidestep that issue or shift direction? How do you define failure? Are you thinking about quantitative outcomes like financials or metrics, or is your definition more qualitative? Remember to consider the third side of the coin: the neutral middle where you can reflect, learn, and adapt.   ✅Next Action: Compile your failure resume. List everything that you personally consider a failure, including a few rejections large and small. While you’re doing so, consider what the outcomes of those failures were: What did you learn? Who did you meet? What next action did it inspire? 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies by Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Jenny’s private BFF Community for Heart-Based Business owners Submit your best do’s and don’ts by leaving Jenny a voicemail  Share this episode with a fellow Pivoter Articles: Create a Failure Resume, Do You Keep a Failure Resume?, and Wearing Your Failures on Your Sleeve TheFailCon.com Videos: The Gambler, Three Sides of the Coin Podcast: FLOPS: A Podcast About Failure 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  296: Top 3 Do’s and Dont’s When Leaving a Corporate Job 118: Union Theological Seminary—Reflections on My First Month of Grad School 123: Peeking Out from the Plateau — My Latest Pivots (and Why Plateaus Actually Signal Progress!) 60: How Emotionally Agile Are You? Strategies for Setbacks with Susan David 127: Live from the Vulnerability Hangover! Launching @LifeOfALebaneseArtist with Michael Karsouny JB on SPARKED with Jonathan Fields 112: My 3 Biggest Business Regrets 114: “Failure is the Frame, Not the Picture” 019: Most Valuable Activities with Dave Crenshaw   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/297 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have had so many shakeups in the last couple of years that I’d be surprised if most of us haven’t considered pivots large, small, and totally surprising. Inspired by a thread in our BFF Community, I’ve put together a list of do’s and three don’ts for leaving a corporate job. How you leave any relationship is as important to how you begin, especially if there are personal or professional connections you want to bring forward with you! If you’re all set, but you know someone who is in the midst of a big career transition, you can share this episode with them via pod.link/pivotmethod, allowing them to open the episode in the podcast player of their choice :)  If you have a question about navigating what’s next, leave me a voice note at Pivotmethod.com/ask » ✅ Do’s Add work friends to LinkedIn while you work at your current organization. Even better, make a list and set reminders of the top 20 that you want to proactively keep in touch with over the next few years. Craft a heartfelt message sharing what you’ll be up to in your next phase and ways to get in touch. Make sure to send one to your internal contacts and one to people outside of the company, like vendors you have good relationships with. Spend time on your internal resume, focusing on reach, results, and impact of the projects you worked on. Bonus: Create a guide to the role. What does the next person need to know? What will help them get up to speed? What would you suggest changing? 🚫 Don'ts Leave the next team member in a lurch when it comes to your role and responsibilities. Create a transition doc with as much documentation and project next steps. Fail to set boundaries for how available you will be to questions after you go. Decide in advance: how/when/for how long can people get in touch? Worry if you need a month (or more) to downshift and decompress. If you can, take a pre-cation before starting your next opportunity, or you might risk a visit from the Furry Rest Monster!   Bonus: Don’t be hard on yourself if the next move doesn’t quite pan out…remember, decisions are data! 📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, Life After College  Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport 🔗Resources: Jenny’s private BFF Community for Heart-Based Business owners Submit your best do’s and don’ts by leaving Jenny a voicemail  Share this episode with a fellow Pivoter Podcast: SPARKED by Jonathan Fields Articles: Why You Should Take a Pre-Cation Before Starting a New Job and For Millennials, Is a "Pre-Cation" the Next Big Perk?  🎧Related Podcast Episodes: JB on SPARKED with Jonathan Fields: How to Choose Freedom Over Familial Responsibility, How to Scale While Staying True to Yourself, and How to Know When to Jump Into Your Side Hustle Pivot 045: Post-Launch Pivot Point + Visit From the Furry Rest Monster Free Time 125: How to Create Your Own CRM with Alex Sherwood   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/296 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty years ago, my dear friend and today’s guest, Inna Aizenshtein, moved to New York City to pursue a career in fashion. She succeeded despite dealing with a succession of demanding, stress-inducing bosses and eventually realized she was no longer willing to suffer the health consequences of doing work that was no longer aligned. Today we’re talking about the many small shifts that led to a more monumental pivot into a completely different career, now running her own business as a hypnotherapist, leveraging the power of TikTok to attract clients.  More About Inna: Inna Aizenshtein is a hypnotherapist and coach who examines the role that shame and fear play in the unfolding of our lives. Prior to her career in hypnotherapy, Inna worked in the fashion industry for 14 years, most recently as a creative director. Inna initially became interested in hypnotherapy while searching for a healing modality to help repair her nervous system after years of physical and emotional burnout. She now helps people work through and release outdated subconscious blocks so they can reclaim their worthiness and become more magnetic, primarily through TikTok shorts (where she has over 1.5 million views) and in 1:1 sessions with clients.  🌟3 Key Takeaways: The subconscious mind is responsible for the majority of your actions and impulses. When you can access it, a huge amount of your own mind becomes available to you. Creating a memory of your future self, seeing yourself having achieved what you want to achieve, gives you the feeling of freedom, health, and happiness. Then your body can help you understand how to get there. Be willing to notice when a scarcity mindset kicks in. Remember to allow more to come to you. Life is a creative process, and nothing is wasted.   ✅Next Action: The next time you’re “in the grip” of a stressful experience, change your state by first noticing how those emotions feel in your body, allowing all sensations to have their say. Name what you are experiencing, and if you can, journal on what you are going to do about it.  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self 🔗Resources Mentioned: Inna on the web, Instagram, TikTok 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  016: Stacy Sims On Somatics: Why How You Sit Might Cause Stress 027: Intuition And Frequency With Penney Peirce Free Time 111: Building a Second Brain with Tiago Forte Free Time 137: Attracting Clients Through TikTok (without Letting the Algorithm Drive You) with Inna Aizenshtein   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/295 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Creativity is a muscle, not a metric.” If you hold back because you’re afraid of feedback, you won’t have a life infused with creativity. After all, your attention budget is limited, so where do you want to spend it?  My friend Terri Trespicio is joining me today (in person!) to talk about navigating compliments and criticism, keeping our creative muscles strong, and slowly but surely building confidence along the way. More About Terri: Terri Trespicio is an award-winning writer, speaker, brand advisor, and author of Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You (Atria / Simon & Schuster, December 2021). Her TEDx talk Stop Searching for Your Passion has more than 7 million views, and Hubspot named her one of the Top 18 female speakers who are killing it. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: If you can’t trust yourself, trust your audience — see what it feels like to be warm, open, connected, and vulnerable. This can go a long way in terms of how confident you feel and appear. Uncouple wanting something from the idea of missing or lacking something. You can desire without coveting, and that wanting keeps us striving.  Having an intermediary can help you hold boundaries, especially when you know you may be likely to negotiate yourself down.   ✅Next Action: Hit publish on something (anything!) even if you’re not fully confident in it yet, giving yourself the chance to be surprised.  📘Books:  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, Life After College  Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life Think and Grow Rich The Practice: Shipping Creative Work 🔗Resources: Terri on the web, Unfollow Your Passion, Instagram: @ttrespicio TEDx talk: Stop Searching for Your Passion Videos: Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup, What Female Military Leadership Can Teach Us about Overcoming Self-Doubt Marketing Mentor: Ilise Benun Jenny’s blog post from 2017: Self-Love Formulas Are Bulls**t 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 269: How to Stand Out When Everyone is Peddling the Same Sh*t with Terri Trespicio 277: Expansive Impact with Sarah Young 254: The Practice—On Generosity, Peculiarity, and Showing Up with Seth Godin 107: How to Know When You’ve Gotten Pricing Wrong with Jacquette M. Timmons 020: Pricing Psychology with Jacquette Timmons 123: “Pricing is Branding” — Anti-Time Management with Richie Norton 228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💻 Check out Jenny’s Pivot courses on LinkedIn Learning: Figuring Out Your Next Move, Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team, Managing Introverts, Coaching New Hires, and Coaching New Managers 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you an asker or a guesser? In 2015 while I was deep in hermit mode writing Pivot while living in a tiny studio apartment in Nolita (North of Little Italy), a friend texted: “Hey, do you mind if I crash on your couch tomorrow night?” To this day, I still feel somewhat bad about my answer . . . but every bone in my body was saying, “Yes, I mind.” I said no. Years later, I still wonder: Should I have rolled with the punches, accepted the spontaneous company, and just said yes? Today I’m sharing a framework that changed my life when I first read about it in Jocelyn Glei’s book, Unsubscribe—the difference between ask culture vs. guess culture. Or, as I like to think about it, spaghetti throwers vs. spaghetti twirlers. Which one are you? 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Would you go out of your way to initiate what someone just asked you for? If not, say no! Build awareness about your own style: Are you a giver, taker, or matcher? A spaghetti twirler or a spaghetti thrower? If you know what you are by nature, you can respond to (and make!) requests more intentionally. As Jocelyn Glei writes, “What if you stepped into the asker's shoes every time you got an email that felt like an imposition? Reframe the situation, put the ask in perspective, and consider the opportunity with a relaxed attitude.”   ✅Next Action: Establish your own rule of thumb for asking and giving in your relationships. Do you want to wait for 10 touchpoints before making a request like Alex Rodriguez? A year of time like Dorie Clark? Find something that feels joyful and in integrity to you. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Unsubscribe: How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Articles: Tangerine’s (Andrea Donderi) reply to What's the Middle Ground Between FU!' and 'Welcome!'? and Oliver Burkeman’s Guardian column: Are You an Asker or a Guesser? Podcast episode: Clearer Thinking—Ask Culture vs. Guess Culture 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  Free Time 035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark Jocelyn Glei’s Hurry Slowly Podcast 254: The Practice—On Generosity, Peculiarity, and Showing Up with Seth Godin 205: Delightful "5-Star" Relationships with Marriage Coach Maggie Reyes 282: The Honor Roll Hangover with Melody Wilding   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/293 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Fun isn’t just a result of human thriving; it is a cause.” Our guest today, Catherine Price, is breaking down the difference between True Fun (the intersection of playfulness, connection, and flow) and Fake Fun, the hypnosis of passive consumption. Fun creates the ultimate flow state: a self-reinforcing cycle that helps us prioritize the things that bring us joy. Life isn’t all joy, of course, and we also talk about the nerves that can result from things like preparing to give a TED talk. We discuss overcoming those nerves and how Cathering gave one of the most well-received talks that year. More about Catherine: Catherine Price helps people scroll less, live more, and have fun. She is a science journalist, speaker, and the author of books including How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. Catherine is also the creator and founder of Screen/Life Balance. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Fun is a feeling, not an activity. It can result from anything, even trivial things! Seek out what gives you the feeling of playful connected flow. What are your fun magnets? The situations, settings and groups you know are likely to be fun. If you identify where you’re the most likely to have fun, you can plan for it and enjoy it more often - but keep your mind open for unexpected, serendipitous fun, too. Notice and call out the moments when you are having real fun. The more new experiences you have, and the more aware you are of the fun you’re having, the more opportunities you are going to have for it.    ✅Next Action: Provided by Guest Conduct a mini-science experiment on yourself to identify your fun magnets. Think of a few moments recently where you have felt true fun (playful, connected flow) and write them down. Do they have anything in common like people, setting, activity, and mood? Once you have identified something likely to be fun, try to schedule it for yourself in the next week. Notice if you have fun doing it, and what kind of impact it has on your energy and mood.  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life  The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again  VITAMANIA: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food Mindfulness: A Journal  101 Places Not to See Before You Die  The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook 🔗Resources Mentioned: Catherine on the web, Instagram, Twitter Personality Quiz: What's Your Fun Personality Type? TED Talks: Why Fun is the Secret to a Happier Life, Flow, the Secret to Happiness  NYT Quiz: What's Your Fun Vibe? 🎧Related Podcast Episodes: 281: Feeling Impostery? Become a Qualified Curator Instead of an Expert 251: Listener Q&A on (Furry) Imposter Monsters 228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media 059: Captivate: Secrets from Viral TED Talks with Vanessa Van Edwards   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/292 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is a crossover from the Free Time podcast. Enjoy! Today’s guest is an expert in cultivating creativity — and in remaining consistent over the long arc of content creation. Todd Henry is the author of six books, and today we’re talking about how to stay motivated in the publishing industry, where the market reflects winner-take-all dynamics, and the long tail is verrrry long.  More About Todd: Todd is the author of six books, including The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, and Motivation Code, and host of The Accidental Creative podcast and the Herding Tigers podcast. He empowers companies and teams to be creative, prolific, and brilliant in their work through his books, podcasts, and keynote speaking. Today we’re going behind the scenes His new book, Daily Creative: A Practical Guide for Staying Prolific, Brilliant, and Healthy, encourages you to thrive as a creative through daily practice. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Solve a problem that people know they have; frame your products and services in terms of how they accomplish a job that people need done. Your creativity is one of your most precious resources. Protect your Idea Factory and measure the quantity and quality of ideas you generate Set Wildly Important Goals; Todd’s are: quality, awareness, and revenue diversity. Every day you should be figuring out how your work will help you achieve them. 📝Permission: Practice pruning; there’s probably something you’re doing right now that has already served its purpose and run its course. You hereby have permission to drop it! ✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Outline your business model as a flywheel. For help with this, read Jim Collins’ fantastic monograph, Turning the Flywheel. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need The Motivation Code: Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't The Practice: Shipping Creative Work 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Todd on the web, Instagram: @toddhenry, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Todd’s Podcasts: The Accidental Creative podcast, Herding Tigers podcast Articles: NYT on the long tail of book publishing: Will the Biggest Publisher in the U.S. Get Even Bigger?,  Video: Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talks: Your Elusive Creative Genius, Success Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating   Cal Newport: Write an Attention Charter Disney Business Model 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  111: Building a Second Brain with Tiago Forte 123: “Pricing is Branding” — Anti-Time Management with Richie Norton Pivot 051: Die Empty with Todd Henry Pivot 088: Artist Seth Price on Finding Freedom in Bad Ideas, Balancing Commerce and Creation in Business Pivot 254: The Practice—On Generosity, Peculiarity, and Showing Up with Seth Godin   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/291 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The [drugs] exist only for my mind, each orange prescription bottle a subconscious reminder that I Am Depressed and I Am Broken and I Need Fixing.” Brooke Siem returns to the podcast today to talk about her new memoir, May Cause Side Effects, and her conviction that: “It’s not my responsibility to edit my story for the sake of somebody else’s feelings.” Brooke believes that you can recover from long-term chronic depression, and after huge trauma and grief—that your brain and your body are primed to be in a state of healing, but you have to help. We also discuss the writing and publishing process, and how she stays true to herself while discussing these sensitive and often controversial topics. If you haven’t already, you might consider listening first to episode 107: (Un)Medicating Grief—Recovering Feeling After Decades on Anti-Depressants with Brooke Siem. More About Brooke: Brooke Siem is the author of the upcoming book, May Cause Side Effects: A Memoir, in which she reveals the messy reality of antidepressants and withdrawals. She is also an award-winning chef, Food Network “Chopped” champion, and co-author of the cookbook, Prohibition Bakery. Brooke understands first-hand how antidepressants are not the solution to combating depression; ultimately it takes deep self-work to come out on the other side of depression. For the full backstory of her experience going on and off prescription drugs, listen first to our previous Pivot conversation: 107: (Un)Medicating Grief—Recovering Feeling After Decades on Anti-Depressants with Brooke Siem. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Antidepressants don't help everyone, and there's nothing wrong with you if they don’t. Similarly, roughly 50% of people will have withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants. That’s a huge chunk of people, and it’s not a reflection on anything about you if it happens.  Stream-of-consciousness writing can unearth surprising details and memories. If you set yourself a word quota and have to meet it whether or not you’re feeling inspired or on-topic, you can come up with some surprising ideas.   📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One May Cause Side Effects: A Memoir Prohibition Bakery 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Brooke Siem on the web, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn Articles: Washington Post: I spent half my life on antidepressants. Today, I’m off the medication and feel all right. New York Times: Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit, NYT: This Teen Was Prescribed 10 Psychiatric Drugs. She's Not Alone, NYT: What if the Placebo Effect Isn't a Trick?, Brooke's NY Post article: Why We Should Stop Casually Prescribing Antidepressents to Teens Brooke on Medium Videos: The Legacy Show: Taking Control, Chopped - Season 32, Episode 6 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  107: (Un)Medicating Grief—Recovering Feeling After Decades on Anti-Depressants with Brooke Siem  073: What's more important to you than perfection? With Jenny Blake  103: Strong Inside Out—Pivoting from OCD and Depression toward Mind-Body Alignment with Amy Clover 083: Pivot From Working in the Morgue to the Ministry with Former Forensic Pathologist Dr. Thomas Andrew Free Time 079: Behind the Launch with Antonio Neves (Part 2)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/290 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, you can get mentorship from anyone you’d like by employing a strategy today’s guest calls “stealing Wi-Fi.” According to today's guest, Jenny Wood, the creator of Own Your Career at Google, you can get mentorship from anyone you like by paying closer attention to what they do and how they do it.  In this episode, The Jenny-s dig into multiple elements of career strategy, including navigating plateaus, sidelining imposter syndrome, and course-correcting when you screw up.  More about Jenny Wood: Jenny is mom to Ari, aged six, and Noa, aged almost five, and the Director of Americas Media Operations at Google. She is currently working on her first book. Learn more at ItsJennyWood.com.  🌟3 Key Takeaways: When you’re asking for someone to sponsor you (or provide any other kind of mentorship), make it specific and time-bound, and don’t forget to include what you can provide to them as well. When at a plateau: Consider making a lateral move. Sometimes a little zig-zag can help you push through stagnation.  Keep a failure resume, and celebrate those failures as reminders of when you take risks and make mistakes; remember that being vulnerable and sharing those stories allows others to empathize and connect with you.    ✅Next Action: Ask for what you want. Your manager is busy, they don’t remember what you’re working on, what you need, or even what types of project excite you most. Remind them. (For pointers on this, check out Jenny’s LinkedIn Learning course, Figuring Out Your Next Move). 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career Untamed: Stop Please, Start Living Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Jenny on the web, LinkedIn Jenny’s Articles: Serendipity: 1, Spreadsheet: 0, Did Your Company Just Go Through A Reorg? Here's How to Thrive In It, The Rule of 3 David Moldower of Bookitect 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  Bethanie Baynes’ podcast, Working Wife, Happy Life! Three Points Podcast with Tony McGarahan 275: Charisma and Cues with Vanessa Van Edwards Dorie Clark episodes: 184: Reinventing You + Pivoting in the Crisis with Dorie Clark, 066: Create Multiple Streams of Income with Dorie Clark, 058: Monetize Your Ideas with Dorie Clark, 033: Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following with Dorie Clark Free Time episodes 103: How to Land a Literary Agent and Publisher with David Moldawer (Part One) and 105: “Don’t write the wrong book!” with David Moldawer (Part Two)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/289 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When did you discover what you wanted to do with your life? I knew from a young age that I wanted to connect and communicate with people, and later refined that into a lot of people, helping them feel a sense of relief when navigating change, with plenty of practical tools to circumvent unnecessary confusion.  Learning to trust myself, and trusting that there is always something new emerging even when I’m in a dip, has been a lifelong process. My guest today, Adrian Klaphaak, returns to the show by interviewing me about career drivers and ongoing challenges. Be sure to also check out our earlier conversation in episode 283: What Are You Here to Do? How to Find a Path That Fits.  Do you ever feel that you are meant to be doing something else? Adrian has a special offer for Pivoters: If you aren’t sure what career path is right for you, check out his signature Career Pathfinder coaching program. It has helped thousands of people find their calling and use it to take their career to the next level. Visit apaththatfits.com/pivot and use the promo code PIVOT when you enroll. Happy pathfinding! More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, therapist, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” 🌟 Key Takeaways: You don’t need to settle on a single title or elevator pitch when asked “What do you do?” Share whatever you’re most excited to talk about at the moment. Try to emphasize curiosity when you’re in the thick of uncertainty, even when you are getting impatient. Trust that solutions will emerge, but often take longer than your mind might think they should.   📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One 🔗Resources Mentioned: Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path the Fits Voxer Coaching Pilot 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  047: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields 067: What Does Your Soul Know? Flow and Transparency with Penney Peirce 283: What Are You Here to Do? How to Find a Path That Fits with Adrian Klaphaak Free Time 028: When the Financial Tides Recede ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/288 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like puzzles? If you do, you’re far from alone. An estimated 50 million people do crosswords every day and more than 450 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold. People like puzzles. In his new book, today’s guest, A.J. Jacobs, quotes Maki Kaji—the late godfather of Sudoku, who said puzzles are a journey, articulated with just two punctuation marks: ? → ! “Kaji said the key is to embrace the middle part, the arrow, the journey. Don’t be obsessed with endings and perfection.” Today, we’re talking about that arrow, the journeys we find ourselves on, and the different ways puzzles can come up in our lives. More About A.J.: A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer, and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor, and a dash of self-help. Today we’re talking about his latest book, The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: While outsourcing is critical to growing your business and freeing up more of your time, consider keeping research on your own desk. No one else will pick up exactly the same key ideas, details, or inspiration that you will.  Many of our ideas go nowhere, and that’s fine because that 1% that sticks can be huge. If an idea keeps popping up for you weeks after having it, pay attention to it.  Don’t keep up with the details of every news story. It’s bad for you, and for the world. It keeps you from seeing the big picture of how you can help the world. Wear overalls.    ✅Next Action: Try to go a week without gossiping. Some gossip can be good and valuable, but most of it isn’t helpful. Long term, it won’t make you feel good, so try not saying any negative things about people for a week and see how you feel. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World  The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses  🔗Resources Mentioned:  A.J. Jacobs on the web, Twitter: @ajjacobs, Facebook, LinkedIn  Article: My Outsourced Life World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship  Spelling Bee Duolingo 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  061: Virtual Freedom: Overcome Superhero Syndrome and Start Outsourcing with Chris Ducker 207:How to Develop Your Book and Big Idea (Part 1) 208: Your Book and Big Idea (Part 2) 273: On Powerful Questions and New Neural Pathways Arm Chair Expert: A.J. Jacobs (on puzzles and living biblically) Making Sense: #110—The Change Artist, A Conversation with A.J. Jacobs Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Farming Without Sun or Soil and Eating Manna From Heaven: TMSIDK Episode 35  Free Time: 113: Pivoting from Breather to Practice While Setting Better Boundaries with Julien Smith   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/287 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you living in a pressure cooker? One of my all-time favorite meals is two-day slow-cooked ribs from a fancy restaurant, where the meat is so soft it falls right off the bone. (Sorry to my vegetarian and vegan friends who might not appreciate today's metaphor!)  I have an Instant Pot at home — a pressure cooker that produces a meal in mere minutes. Take stock about the work you’re doing and the path you’re taking: are you unnecessarily “cooking” your projects and goals with high-pressure settings, sacrificing quality in the process?  Today’s episode is about making sure that you’re spending time where you get the most joy and value, and being intentional about what you throw in the pressure cooker to complete quickly (and overcome perfectionism in the process). 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Put your time and care into the projects that matter most, and try to be patient with yourself; as the Zen saying goes, “Nature doesn’t rush a flower.” The glass could be half full or half empty, but is it the right container for what you want to drink? Don’t get so caught up in the details that you forget to ask if you’re going in the right direction. Keep what Penney Peirce calls “an idea pantry” full of insights and nuggets that you can rummage through when you need to get something shipped quickly.    ✅Next Action: Start a file or folder where you can collect ideas, inspirations, snippets, quotes and anything else you might want to revisit. When you need to create quickly, you’ll have a ready-made place to start thinking. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One 🔗Resources Mentioned: Instant Pot 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  056: Perfection Detox with Petra Kolber 073: What’s More Important to You Than Perfection? 112: Whose Voice is in Your Head? Perfection Detox Round 2 with Petra Kolber 160: 11 Ways to Maintain Momentum for Solopreneurs,  246: What is your job today? (You Decide) Free Time 034: Organizing Research and Ideas - Notion Walkthrough #1   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/286 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I don’t want fans, I want friends.” This is one of many approaches to relationship-building that I admire in this week’s guest, super-connector Jon Levy. I learned that when Jon texts with “free for dinner tonight?” you cancel all plans and say YES. Both times I did, I ended up at one of his influencer dinners with famous actors, public figures, pro athletes, and C-suite executives.  Jon’s secret? Designing experiences to facilitate a shared sense of awe, connection, and accomplishment—with job titles revealed only at the end of the evening. Today we’re talking about these principles and more behind his bestselling book, You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! More about Jon: Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author known for his work in trust, human connection, belonging, and influence. More than a decade ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives, to artists and musicians. Guests cook dinner together, but can’t discuss their career or give their last name, and once seated to eat, they reveal who they are. Over time, these dinners developed into a community. With thousands of members, Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Say yes to invites. If you want higher levels of creativity, new relationships, new ideas—it’s going to happen outside of your standard routines. Novelty is critical if you want to be noticed. What are you doing that only you do? Make that one of the key things you talk about and promote. Instead of asking why you’re not on social media, or forcing yourself into it, ask “Why should I be on social media? If you don’t have a good reason, don’t stress about it!   ✅Next Action: What next group invitation can you send? How can you create a memorable experience around it?  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One The 2 AM Principle You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Jon on the web, Instagram: @jonlevytlb, Twitter: @JonLevyTLB New York Times feature: Want to Meet Influential New Yorkers? Invite Them to Dinner Video: Ted Talk: What Makes Us Influential?, Fortune: The Science of Adventure Resources: Upwork, Notion TV Show: Old Enough Reddit.com 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media 263: Conduct a Relationship Audit with Ximena Vengoechea   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/285 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Trust is not just a feeling. It’s also an action, and it’s a process that happens over time. Be slow to take, and quick to give.” These are just some of the gems that Grant Golliher has picked up in three decades of horse whispering, training, and teaching the art of trust-building. Today we’re talking about what horses can teach us about reading people and intuition. More About Grant: Grant Golliher is a horseman and the proprietor of the historic Diamond Cross Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he teaches corporate executives, coaches, celebrities, and families from all around the world the skills necessary to tame troubled horses and become leaders and better people. Today we’re talking about his new book, Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy. 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Honor the smallest try; congratulate the smallest progress. We like to work hard for people we respect. We need to lead by example and be the type of leader that people are excited to be loyal to. An argument can be made that we’re so afraid of abuse that we’ve stopped disciplining. There is an important place in work and life for firmness and boundaries. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Grant’s books: Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy, Horses Never Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Grant on the web, Instagram: @grantgolliher, @diamondcrossranch Articles: Wyoming Honor Farm: ​Inmate/Wild-Horse Program Video: The Superpower in You, How to Train Your Dog to Leave It with No Command   🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  140: What Horse Whispering and Entrepreneurship Have in Common with Eileen Kenney Tim Ferriss interviewing Susan Garrett — Master Dog (and Human) Trainer (#200) Susan Garrett’s Shape by Dog Podcast   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey ☎️ Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/284 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instead of asking, “What should I do?” Ask yourself, “Who am I?” Today you’ll hear from someone who has been deeply influential in my life and career: my very first coach and longtime friendtor, Adrian Klaphaak, founder of A Path That Fits. More about Adrian: Adrian Klaphaak is a coach, purpose guide, entrepreneur, therapist, and founder of A Path That Fits Career and Life Coaching. His coaching approach is holistic—a constant balance between getting results and a quest for meaning and fulfillment. He describes himself as “a deep seeker with a constant itch to make things happen.” 🌟3 Key Takeaways: Getting discouraged is a part of figuring out what you should be doing with your life. The ‘dip’ is normal, and the way out is to explore your gifts and interests. You can be laid off from a job, but you can’t be laid off from your purpose. Knowing your purpose is the ultimate protection. Name the parts of you that feel the most strongly about the decisions you are making, it will make it easier to explore how you are really feeling.   ✅Next Action: Be yourself. There are so many expectations for us to be a certain way, but we all have our own genius and unique way. The path to a fulfilling life is being authentic, using your gifts, and doing what you love to do. 📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Adrian on the web, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn Course: Career Pathfinder Articles: New York Times: The World’s a Mess. So They’ve Stopped Saving For Tomorrow, How to Discover Your Purpose Video: Finding Your Calling by a Path the Fits 🎧Related Podcast Episodes:  177: Pivot Method as 4-Stage Coaching Framework [Workshop Replay] 47: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields 67: What Does Your Soul Know? Flow and Transparency with Penney Peirce 16: Stacy Sims on Somatics: Why How You Sit Might Cause Stress 72: BREATHE. From Burned-Out Bodybuilder to Yin Strength Trainer with Anders Varner 89: Turning Pain Into Purpose: Blind Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer on Kayaking the Grand Canyon, Climbing Everest and Building No Barriers   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/283 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, your emotions are a competitive advantage: 90 percent of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence, and 92 percent of executives rate soft skills like the ability to manage emotions as a critical priority in today’s business environment. That said, if you relate to the idea of being a Sensitive Striver, you may still be suffering from what Melody Wilding calls The Honor Roll Hangover—a tricky trifecta of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overfunctioning. Listen in to this conversation for the antidote. More About Melody: Melody Wilding, LMSW is an executive coach, human behavior expert, and author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work. She is a human behavior expert and executive coach and teaches graduate-level human behavior and psychology at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in New York.  🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Leave margin in your life for serendipity and fluctuations. Don’t be afraid to book yourself to only 80% capacity. Protect your time and energy by protecting your calendar. Sensitive strivers need the time to switch gears between activities. Trusting yourself is the antidote to perfectionism, overfunctioning, and people-pleasing. Depend on your intuition more.   📝 Melody’s Permission List: I hereby grant myself complete and unlimited permission to:  In order to: Specifically, I have permission to feel:  I have permission to be: Specifically I have permission to push when:  I have permission to rest when:  I have permission to start:  I have permission to try:  I have permission to stop:  I have permission to let go:  Giving myself full permission and wholeheartedly believing in myself is important right now because:  I trust myself to:  📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Melody on the web | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Video: Celebrating one year of Trust Yourself Articles: Medium Article on Trust Yourself, Forbes on Being an Overfunctioner at Work Related Podcast Episodes:  The Penney & Jenny Show (12 episodes) 277: Expansive Impact and Spacious Scheduling with Sarah Young 172: Self-Care for Empaths and HSPs with Sarah Santacroce 148: Penney & Jenny Show—Pivoting From Toxic Situations Toward Self-Entertainment 112: Whose Voice is in Your Head? Perfection Detox Round Two with Petra Kolber 73: What's more important to you than perfection? With Jenny Blake 56: Perfection Detox with Petra Kolber 78: How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t — With Andrea Owen   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/282 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-doubt isn’t all bad. It means you’re stretching outside of your comfort zone, that you’re willing to learn, and that you aim to surround yourself with people who challenge you. So if you often grapple with imposter syndrome (or as I like to call it, an Imposter Monster sitting beside you), you are not alone. If you sometimes fall into the trap of feeling like you’re not good enough or ready yet to tackle your biggest creative aspirations, here’s a new perspective to consider. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: There is a big difference between acting like you are the ultimate expert, and being a curious and informed curator of ideas and resources.  One of the biggest gifts you can give others is curating people, and allowing them to connect and share with each other. We have no control how a project is going to land in the world, so “don’t suffer twice,” in terms of worrying before you hit publish and after — just put it out there, then deal with what follows in the moment.   ✅ Next Action: Shift your mindset from “I need to be an expert before . . .” to “I’m curious.” Start curating the people and ideas that inspire you, then share them with others through your unique lens and experiences. 📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Perfection Detox: Tame Your Inner Critic, Live Bravely and Unleash Your Joy You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Connection, Trust, and Belonging The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Shane Snow’s article on Intellectual Humility Related Podcast Episodes:  251: Listener Q&A on (Furry) Imposter Monsters 112: Whose Voice is in Your Head? Perfection Detox Round Two with Petra Kolber 86: Grab Bag! Upcoming NYC Workshop, BookRx on Interviewing Tips, and the Upside of Awkwardness 56: Perfection Detox with Petra Kolber Penney & Jenny 8: Embracing Liminal Space (July 2019)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/281 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Energy introduces you before you even speak.” We all sense that energy is contagious; the question is, how well are you protecting and recharging yours? That’s what we’re discussing today with Simon Alexander Ong: strategies for creating a not to-do list, for recognizing energizers and drainers in your life, and why slowing down is a superpower.  More about Simon: Simon Alexander Ong is the author of the brand new book Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment. He is also a personal development entrepreneur, coach, and public speaker. His work has seen him invited onto Sky News, BBC Radio London and LBC Radio to be interviewed, while in 2018, Barclays UK featured him in a nationwide campaign asking him questions on how families could embrace better lifestyle habits. His insights have been featured in HuffPost, Forbes, Virgin, and the Guardian. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Stop treating your health as a side hustle, and shift your focus from time management to energy management. Create a “Not-To-Do” List of items you commit to not do that will free up time to focus your energy on things that really matter to you.  Say “no” more often so that you can say “yes” to bigger opportunities later.    📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive The Go-Giver: A Surprising Way of Getting More Than You Expect The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Simon on the web, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Exercise: Ideal Day Mad Lib Video: Bill Gates and Warren Buffett on Charlie Rose Josh Allan Dykstra, #lovework, LoveWork Related Podcast Episodes:  047: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields 275: Cues - On Charisma with Vanessa Van Edwards 027: Intuition And Frequency With Penney Peirce 047: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields Free Time 035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark Free Time 039: Permission to Glow with Kristoffer (KC) Carter   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/280 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is adapted from a workshop I teach within organizations for managers, mentors, and coaches on how to apply the four-stage Pivot Method framework as a 1:1 coaching framework. I’m sharing seven of my go-to coaching questions and practical tips to make rapid progress and generate memorable aha moments in any career coaching conversation. What’s your favorite strategy for accelerating aha moments? Share with me for a future follow-up podcast episode at http://pivotmethod.com/ask. If you’re interested in hosting a session like this within your organization, learn more at http://pivotmethod.com/companies. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Breathe life into idea balloons: Pay attention to the little clues in body language and/or voice tone, then prompt them by noticing and inviting them to “say more about that.” You don’t need the most creative or original questions of all time—or even original at all. Simple is best: What do you really want to happen? What else? What’s important to you about that?  Ask for insights or aha moments: Invite your coachee to share what stood out most from your conversation, and what small resonant steps they want to take action on.   ✅ Next Action: Practice allowing awkward silence, especially when you ask a zinger like, “What does your gut say?”   📘 Books Mentioned: Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want mBraining: Using Your Multiple Brains to Do Cool Stuff 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Coach: Adrian Klaphaak  Adrian’s Program: Career Pathfinder  Jenny’s LinkedIn Learning Courses: LinkedIn Learning—Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team  LinkedIn Learning—Figuring Out Your Next Move Coaching New Hires Coaching New Managers Managing Introverts Related Podcast Episodes:  273: Powerful Questions and Neural Pathways 177: Pivot Method as 4-Stage Coaching Framework 153: How to Create an Internal Coaching Program for Your Organization 26: Tame the Advice Monster with Michael Bungay Stanier   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/279 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From cupcake tweetups to avoiding compare-and-despair traps, Jamie Varon is a long-time friend—the first person I met from Twitter back in 2008—who I always appreciate catching up with. Today we’re talking about her debut book, Radically Content: Being Satisfied in an Endlessly Dissatisfied World.  More about Jamie: Jamie Varon is a writer, designer, course creator, and creative consultant. Her writing has been featured across the internet for over a decade, from Complex to the Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, The Liberty Project, and GOOD. 🌟Key Takeaways: Recognize and choose not to play the unwinnable games like looking a certain way, or being liked by everyone. Mind the gap. Appreciate the time and space in between where you are and the outcomes you’re working towards for the joyful journey it is, rather than waiting for a finish line that might never come.  Have conviction in the work you create, and promote it confidently.   ✅ Next Action: Embrace non-conformity. It may feel like a flaw, but it is the source of your strength and creativity. Cherish it. 📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want Radically Content: Being Satisfied in an Endlessly Dissatisfied World Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Jamie on the Web, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,  Jamie’s Course: Live with Intention Jim Carrey on Being Famous (Start at 18:25)  Related Podcast Episodes:  047: Live Fiercely, Study Deeply . . . While Earning a Living — with Jonathan Fields Work in Progress with Sophia Bush Podcast Ep 128 Free Time 031: Eleventh-Hour Creative Gremlins   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/278 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your calendar reflect your values and priorities? Do you pause before responding to requests, or are you saying yes to things out of fear, pressure, or obligation? I’m delighted to be in conversation with my dear friend Sarah Young this week on creating clear containers, clean vs. dirty energy, navigating “spiritual tornados of leadership,” handling inevitable criticism, and moving past people-pleasing toward acting in the path of highest integrity. Be sure to check out Sarah’s brand new beautiful book, Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments, and subscribe to her fantastic Friday Favorites newsletter! It’s one of my favorite messages in my inbox every week :) More About Sarah: Sarah Young is the Founder and CEO of Zing Collaborative and the author of Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments. She works with a handful of highly conscious and committed clients who want to elevate and expand their leadership capacity. Sarah runs retreats, workshops, and speaking events to help leaders further develop through an approach that blends corporate experience, research, mindfulness, leadership, coaching, and experiential learning. She has a deep appreciation for nature, travel, sunshine, warm weather, paddle boarding, rescue dogs, cooking, coffee, and the precious hours of the early morning. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: If you find it hard to create time for yourself, building time for personal projects and R&R right into your calendar. Ask to meet over the phone or while walking, instead of screen-fatigue inducing video calls. Use a decision filter before saying yes. Ask yourself: “is this fully in line with my values and priorities?”  Remember that you can do everything right to communicate clearly and with integrity, and sometimes it still may not work if the other person doesn't have the desire to meet you halfway.   📝 Permission: Skip the comment section. You don’t need to engage where the energy doesn’t feel right. Sometimes people are just waiting to pounce, and you don’t have to provide the opportunity. ✅ Do or Delegate This Next: Pause. Find a moment in the day where you can pause before you respond to something, reflecting on whether it connects with your values and how you want to engage in the world.   📘 Books Mentioned:  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business  Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) 🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Sarah Young on the web, Instagram, LinkedIn Sarah’s book: Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments Articles: 999 Problems, Why I don’t have Comments by Seth Godin, An Ex-Google Career Coach Tells Why Pleasing Everyone Will Never Help You in Your Career Quiz: Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Related Podcast Episodes: Free Time 077: Happy Launch Day! Antonio Neves Guest Hosts (Part 1) Pivot Episode 132: The Making of a Manager with Julie Zhuo   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/277 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Pivot ecosystem and this podcast aren’t going anywhere, when my speaking gigs stopped during the pandemic I gave myself permission to also branch out and start talking about something new. Specifically, doubling down on and digging into my passion for businesses powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams — and helping other heart-based entrepreneurs do the same. This week I am taking you behind-the-scenes of launching the Free Time book and podcast. Reminder: through end of March If you order a hardcover you can get a free audiobook - go to ItsFreeTime.com (Once you’ve read it, please consider leaving a rating and review on Amazon - it’s a huge support!)   📘 Books Mentioned:  Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One,  Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business,  Life After College The Lean Startup Quit (Annie Duke) Find Your Zone of Genius (Laura Garnett) 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Penny and Jenny Show   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/276 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that we can predict a leader’s charisma based solely on five seconds of exposure? That nonverbal signals account for 65 to 90 percent of our total communication? Today we’re talking about cues, specifically the formula for charisma (hint: a combination of cues that project warmth and competence). As a self-described “recovering awkward person,” Vanessa’s secret sauce is combining the latest research, real-life case studies of success, and fascinating examples of notable figures (like Oprah and Britney Spears) with practical strategies you can start using immediately. More About Guest Vanessa: Vanessa Van Edwards is a speaker, researcher, and national bestselling author. More than 50 million people have seen her engaging YouTube tutorials and in her viral TED Talk, You Are Contagious. Vanessa is Lead Investigator at Science of People. She is the bestselling author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, translated into 16 languages. Today we’re talking about her new book, Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.  Key Takeaways: Your all-important first impression starts at the very first moment of an experience with someone: when you walk into the room, or when the camera flips on, and not with the first word you speak. We all have patterns for when we feel awkward and out of place, which are not the ingredients for charismatic communication. But we also have patterns for when we are at our most confident and natural. Tracking those and taking advantage of them to give yourself more comfort and ease in your communications can immediately increase your charisma. It’s extremely hard to lie with your voice, so spending time (and creating the best environment) for your body is going to make your competence and warmth much more evident in the subtle cues of your voice.  ⭐️ Permission: Skip the happy hour! Drop the scheduled phone calls! Think about the times and places where you feel the happiest and most confident, and engage with people then, instead of sticking to the ‘normal’ times and places you feel you should. ⭐️ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Practice “I see you” acknowledgments when you first start talking to people in person or over video. A wave, a nod, or a smile all show the people you are talking to that they belong.  📘Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business,  Pivot,  Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication 🔗Resources Mentioned:  Vanessa on the Web, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn Charisma Diagnostic Cues Bonuses Learn the Secrets Behind the Best Shark Tank Pitches of All Time  8 Powerful Ways to Tap Into Your Intuition (That Work!) http://pivotmethod.com/274 The First Year of Parenting—What I Wish I Had Known Related Podcast Episodes:  Pivot Episode 59: Secrets from Viral Ted Talks with Vanessa Van Edwards Pivot Episode 155: Becoming a Successful Speaker with Grant Baldwin Free Time Episode 11: Pitching Shark Tank with Sarah Apgar   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/275 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a big decision you’re facing: What if you could suspend judgment or disapproval from others? What if you didn’t have to make anyone else happy? Would that make it easier to follow your heart? It might - and you can! Using the steps in the Pivot Process: Plant, Scan, Pilot, and Launch, you can separate the decision you need to make from the fact that you need to communicate it to others. This gives you the space to be clear and honest with yourself about what you really want to do. In this episode you’ll learn how to separate the decision itself from the pressure to communicate it to others, giving you space to be clear and honest with yourself about what you really want to do. Key Takeaways: Often what keeps us stuck in decision fatigue is worry about how it will impact others - you can create a sense of psychological safety by making the decision itself a separate task from talking about it.  You can try on a decision like an outfit, just to see how it feels. Everything else related to the decision; acting on it, and communicating it, can come later. If you’re feeling conflicted about a decision, take a moment and ask yourself three questions: 1) What does my head say? 2) What does my heart want? And 3) What does my gut say? Your gut is often the referee between the others.   Books Mentioned: Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One  Resources Mentioned: Pivot Coaching (Use code PODCAST at checkout)   ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/274 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you ask someone a question they’ve never heard before? Today I’m answering a question from a listener about what questions do to our brains and exploring the magic of neuroplasticity: the property of our brains that allow them to physically change to encourage creative thinking and new knowledge. Books Mentioned:  Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work  The Coaching Habit Resources Mentioned: Pivot Coaching (Use code PODCAST) Neural Pathways - Wikipedia What Effect Do Questions Have On Our Brain?  How Experience Changes Brain Plasticity  The Neuroscience of Asking Insightful Questions  Related Episodes: 177: Pivot Method as 4-Stage Coaching Framework [Workshop Replay] ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/273 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it time to break up with your work? Samantha Clarke is a happiness consultant, TEDx & Keynote Speaker & author of Love It or Leave It: How To Be Happy at Work. She is on a mission to help individuals decide whether to LOVE IT or LEAVE IT and get to the crux of what it means to work and live with real meaning, purpose and intention. Books Mentioned: Pivot, Love It or Leave It: How To Be Happy at Work Resources Mentioned: Samantha on the web, Instagram: @Samanthaand_, Love It or Leave It, Be a Changemaker Podcasts: Love It or Leave It and How to Be a Changemaker TEDx: Are You Ready to Break Up With Work? Related Episode: Take a Stand with Antonio Neves ❤️ Enjoying the show? I'd be grateful for a rating and/or review! Even better? Share this episode with a friend :) 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/272 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is anyone else exasperated by too much time working from home? If so, you are not alone! Whether it's the level of distractions or monotony, many of us are ready for a break—even if we still aren't interesting in returning to an office full time. In this episode I'm answering a listener question from Omar who says, "It's getting to the point where I just extremely dislike it." Resources Mentioned: Books: Free Time, Pivot Pivot Podcast: 🦠163: 25 Favorite Tips for WFH (Working From Home), 246: What is Your Job Today? (You Decide), 250: Staycation in the City Free Time Podcast: 018: Workcation in the City, 052: Perceived Capacity vs. Actual Capacity Websites: WeWork OnDemand ($29/day) App: HotelTonight — Use my code JBLAKE9 to get up to $50 back after your first booking Amazon: Foam Door Hangers if you live with others, for indicating what type of meetings you're in, whether you're open to interruptions or not 🎉 Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business launches on 3/22/22! Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in the new year by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus. Here's how it works: Buy One: Preorder the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo Get One: Within one business day, you'll get early access to the audiobook and brand new Free Time Toolkit with over 15 new templates to free your mind, time, and team! Give One: You will get details on how to gift early audiobook access to a friend :) Thank you in advance for your support! I can't wait to hear how you start freeing up time, and what you do with it :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎉 Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business launches on 3/22/22!  In this episode I'm walking you through the Free Time Framework—Align, Design, Assign—so you have a technique to move from friction to flow in any project or area of your life and work in 2022. Resources Mentioned: Books: Free Time, Pivot, Who Not How Podcasts: Free Time #052: Perceived Capacity vs. Actual Capacity, Centered in the City with Wade Brill Websites: Agile Manifesto for Software Development 🎁 Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in the new year by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus. Here's how it works: Buy One: Preorder the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo Get One: Within one business day, you'll get early access to the audiobook and brand new Free Time Toolkit with over 15 new templates to free your mind, time, and team! Give One: You will get details on how to gift early audiobook access to a friend :) Thank you in advance for your support! I can't wait to hear how you start freeing up time, and what you do with it :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎉 Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business launches on 3/22/22!  Give the gift of free time to yourself and others in the new year by participating in our Buy One, Get One, Give One bonus. Here's how it works: Buy One: Preorder the hardcover edition and submit proof of purchase at http://itsfreetime.com/bogogo Get One: Within one business day, you'll get early access to the audiobook and brand new Free Time Toolkit with over 15 new templates to free your mind, time, and team! Give One: You will get details on how to gift early audiobook access to a friend :) Thank you in advance for your support! I can't wait to hear how you start freeing up time, and what you do with it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you "stand out when "everyone is peddling the same sh*t"? That's what Terri Trespicio and I are talking about today—a deep dive into how her early experiences with poetry writing, jewelry sales, magazine editing, and stand-up comedy gave her lifelong career skills and taught her what it really takes to stand out. More About Terri: Terri Trespicio is an award-winning writer, speaker, brand advisor, and author of Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You (Atria / Simon & Schuster, December 2021). Her TEDx talk, “Stop Searching for Your Passion,” has more than 7 million views and Hubspot named her one of the “Top 18 female speakers who are killing it.” More at territrespicio.com. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Terri: Terri Trespicio Instagram: @ttrespicio Terri's book: Unfollow Your Passion TEDx talk: “Stop Searching for Your Passion” Books Mentioned: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, The Long Game: How To Be A Long Term Thinking In A Short Term World, Sell or Be Sold: How To Get Your Way In Business And Life Related Pivot Podcast Episodes: 264: Embrace Your Onlyness with Nilofer Merchant Related Free Time Episodes: 012: Generating Personal MBA Momentum with Josh Kaufman, 035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"For generations, we’ve been taught there are two ways to succeed—either from talent or practice." My guest today, Ron Friedman, shares a powerful third path: reverse engineering. In this conversation you will learn how to unpack others' success to spark breakthrough ideas of your own, with an original twist. More About Ron: Ron Friedman is an award-winning social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. His first book, The Best Place to Work, was named an Inc. Magazine Best Business Book of the Year. His new book, *Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success,* was selected by Amazon's editors as one of this year's best non-fiction books. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Resources Mentioned: Connect with Ron: Ron on the web Twitter: @RonFriedman Instagram: @Nilofer, LinkedIn Videos: Susan Cain The Power of Introverts, Sir Ken Robinson Changing Education Paradigms, Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing Masterclass Related Pivot Podcast Episodes: 155: Becoming a Successful Speaker with Grant Baldwin, 207: How to Develop Your Book and Big Idea, 209: On Seinfeld, Sensitivity, and Trend Spotting Related Free Time Episodes: 010: Batching & Boundaries with John Lee Dumas, 022: Become a Thought-Listener, 031: Eleventh-Hour Creative Gremlins, 034: Organizing Research and Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #1, 036: Shaping Big Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #2 Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you tuned into radio station WRRY, playing your "downer mind's" favorite hits? If so, Jeffrey Davis is here to help you shift from worry into wonder. Today we're talking about his new book, Tracking Wonder: Reclaiming a Life of Meaning and Possibility in a World Obsessed with Productivity (Sounds True, November 2021). Ask yourself instead each morning: What am I devoted to? What am I curious about today? More about Jeffrey: Jeffrey Davis is an author, team culture consultant, educator, and CEO of Tracking Wonder Consultancy. For over 25 years, he's inspired thousands of change-makers, leaders, and creatives to unlock their best ideas through the pursuit of curiosity, innovation, and wonder. In addition to Tracking Wonder, he **is also the author of Obsessed with Productivity (Sounds True, November 2021), The Journey from the Center to the Page (Monkfish Publishing) the poetry collections City Reservoir (BarnBurner Press) and Coat Thief (Saint Julian Press), and other books. He lives with his wife and two daughters in a farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Resources Mentioned: Jeffrey on the web: Tracking Wonder Instagram: @JeffreyDavis11 Twitter: @JeffreyDavis108 Books: Tracking Wonder, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, How to Take Smart Notes, Bittersweet Related Free Time Episodes: 027: Time Management for Mortals with Oliver Burkeman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special preview from my forthcoming book: Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business (launches March 22, 2022). I talk in Pivot about pivoters being high net growth; Free Timers optimize for another central value: high net freedom, If you want to join the book launch team to get insider access and community leading up to the launch, sign-up at itsfreetime.com/join and you’ll be the first to know when that kicks off! 📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Join the Free Time Book Launch Team, BFF with Jenny Blake ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join 🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask 📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! http://itsfreetime.com/episodes/044 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you for your patience as I've been in deep work hibernation mode behind the scenes! I launched my new podcast Free Time in March of this year, and I'm really excited to bring you a crossover episode, one of the early listener favorites with Cal Newport on his latest book, A World Without Email. I also *just* sent my next book to the printer, which I was honored to have Cal provide a cover blurb for! Free Time: Lose the Busy Work, Love Your Business launches in March of 2022. Cal is not pulling any punches with his latest treatise on how we can combat Hyperactive Hive Mind with smarter systems for communication. Email has become a source of guilt and stress for so many of us — listen in for strategies to reclaim your peace and focus. About Cal Newport: Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. He is the author of six books, including Deep Work, which argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the modern workplace. His latest, A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload, is in many ways his magnum opus on the topic of technology and the workplace. Be sure to also check out his podcast, Deep Questions. Key questions: How can you approach email as a process observer (and architect), not a do-er? What people or workflows can you put in place to eliminate email? Where are you still reacting to the Hyperactive Hive Mind? What experiment can you run this week? 📘 Books Mentioned: Pivot, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, So Good They Can’t Ignore You 🔗 Links Mentioned: Cal on the web...and he’s not on Twitter! Or Facebook. 🎙Related Podcasts: 122: Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport, 29: Deep Work: Ditch Cognitive Junk Food with Cal Newport 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join 📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! http://itsfreetime.com/episodes/002 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the difference between uniqueness and Onlyness? Nilofer Merchant is here to help us figure out how the room changes when we walk in, how to turn feeling othered or overworked into opportunities to help ourselves and everyone around us shine. More About Nilofer: Nilofer Merchant is ranked by Thinkers50 as one of the world's leading business thinkers, and has personally launched more than 100 products netting $18 billion in sales. In 2013 she gave a top-ranking TED talk, "Sitting is the Smoking of Our Generation." Her most recent book is The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World (2017). By centering on that source of all innovation, Onlyness, Nilofer Merchant enables you to create more value. Her cover story for Harvard Business Review (HBR) Magazine is a case study in the crucial role trust plays in creating scale. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With exhaustion and empathy fatigue encroaching upon so many of us, perhaps it's time to take a relationship audit: who are the takers in your life and work, and who are the energizers? Equally important, how are you showing up for others? In her new book, Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection, and in this conversation, Ximena Vengoechea is helping us elevate our listening lenses so we can be more present with others, while still managing our own energy reserves. Ximena Vengoechea is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator whose work on personal and professional development has been published in Inc., The Washington post, Newsweek, and Huffington Post. She is the author of the new book, Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection. Ximena is best known for her project The Life Audit. An experienced manager, mentor, and researcher in the tech industry, she previously worked at Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and private feed. 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your sun, moon, and rising? That’s the shorthand for our inner blueprint, created the moment each of us took our first breath, based on where the planets were in the sky. In this conversation, we’re talking about her brand new book Cosmic Health: Unlock Your Healing Magic with Astrology, Positive Psychology, and Integrative Wellness. Jennifer Racioppi is a certified Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach, a holistic health counselor, a Positive Psychology coach, and an astrologer. In fact, she is the first person who ever gave me a natal chart reading, which sparked my own great love for—and deep dive into—astrology! ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned: https://pivotmethod.com/261 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casper ter Kuile is helping to build a world of joyful belonging. He is the author of The Power of Ritual and the co-host of the award-winning podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Casper is a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School and the co-founder of startup Sacred Design Lab - a research and design consultancy working to create a culture of belonging and becoming. He also co-authored “How We Gather” and collaborated with Holstee on his new Ritual Life Planner. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned: https://pivotmethod.com/260 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Friends! As I mentioned in the last solo episode, my team and I have been hard at work creating a brand new podcast that will run in parallel to Pivot! I'm thrilled to welcome you to Free Time — your home for Heart-Based Business. I'm sharing the inaugural episode here with you on Pivot, but be sure you go subscribe to that one too, if the subject matter interests you! Search for "Free Time with Jenny Blake" or click here to subscribe in your favorite podcasts app. In this preview episode, I share what inspired me to start the show, how I’m handling the Imposter Monster sitting right next to me, and what’s next for Jenny Blake Enterprises. A pivot for Pivot, if you will :) ❤️ Enjoying the show? The best way to say thank you is leaving a rating or review. Free Time is listener supported—consider donating to become a podcast BFF Insider and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny and a private podcast feed 📘 Books Mentioned: Pivot, Essentialism, Finite and Infinite Games 🔗 Links Mentioned: Gimlet Media’s StartUp, Pivot podcast episodes 228 (how I run my business without social media) and 251 (Imposter Monsters) 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join 💸 Enroll in the Mini-Course: Free-up Founder Time 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey 🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: http://pod.link/freetime 📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! http://itsfreetime.com/episodes/001 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Friends! I’m back with another “staycation” solo episode on what I’ve been up to. It’s a quick take on systems to support seasons of retreat for creativity and rest, my favorite books of the year so far, and a peek into my forthcoming projects. Key questions: What are you ready to let go of? How can you say no to “good” to say yes to what’s next? For your new projects, ask: Who Not How? (Strategic Coach, Impact Filter PDF) How can you design systems to support cyclical work? (Check out Stefan Sagmeister’s TEDx Talk on 7-year sabbaticals) 📘 Books Mentioned: Pivot, Wintering, Who Not How, Clockwork, The Power of Full Engagement 💸 Enroll in the complimentary Free-up Founder Time mini-course before the price goes up ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m thrilled to be back from holiday hiatus (and a deep work creation cave on my new book and podcast - more on that soon!) with an episode from someone who inspires me greatly in heart-based business: Sarah Santacroce. Sarah’s new book is called The Gentle Marketing Revolution: A Radical Business Approach to Get New Clients with Integrity and Kindness. I was honored to co-write the foreword with Penney Pierce in a fun, delightful, in the moment, flowing way. You'll hear more about that and how to launch with serendipity and ease in this episode! Be sure to also check out Sarah’s Gentle Business Revolution Manifesto, and our most recent conversation on her podcast, Kindness in Business. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Subscribe to the PivotList newsletter, a curated weekly(ish) round-up of my favorite finds ‘round the web: http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/257 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When discussing fraught, divisive, or high-stakes issues it's so easy to get defensive, triggered, and hurt—sometimes even doing irreparable damage to relationships we hold dear. Communications pro Bob Gower returns to Pivot to help us understand something crucial before we engage in our next argument: is this discourse or a debate? He outlines the difference between the two in his fantastic piece, Rules of Engagement: 5 Steps to Better Arguments: "In discourse, the goal is to eventually align. Debate is discourse's more flamboyant cousin where people with opposing views intend to remain that way at the end of the conversation.” In this wandering conversational stroll, we explore what it means to be a “good person,” when "agree to disagree" does and doesn't work, intent versus impact, when not to "poke the bear," releasing the urge to have an opinion on everything (or enter into an argument with every person in the first place), why Bob shut-down several of his social media profiles, and how he boils this all down into his day-to-day practices and intentions. As longtime listeners know well by now, awkward is the name of the game for subjects as tricky as these! For intrepid listeners, our hope is that by hearing us work through (in real-time) some of these more challenging aspects of tough conversations, it will give you a chance to explore where you stand and what approach you want to take—knowing there isn't always just one "right" answer. Resources Mentioned: Bob’s website, LinkedIn, Instagram Bob's books: Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business and Your Life and Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity Articles: Rules of Engagement: 5 Steps to Better Arguments, How to Be Wrong Like a Man, From Sex Cult to C-Suite Podcast: Conspirituality Book: Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain Reddit: Late Stage Capitalism Related Pivot Podcasts: 204: Radical Alignment: Getting to Hell Yes with Alex & Bob, 240: The Beauty of Conflict with CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke, 148: Penney & Jenny Show—Pivoting From Toxic Situations Toward Self-Entertainment ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/256 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pandemic-response expert Dr. MJC is back for our Sweet 16th (!) installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series. We discuss updates on the Pfizer vaccine trial he’s participating in, fantasies about “when there’s a vaccine,” challenges to global rollout, our reaction to the election results, and the need for deep rest after all that we’ve collectively been through this year, and particularly this season. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/255, and our related (previous) conversation: 🦠248: Horseshoe Theories and Ongoing Pandemic Pivots with Dr. MJC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The marketing-industrial complex has been on a tear for a hundred years to make almost everyone feel inadequate, because it's the single best way to sell you something. If that game isn't giving you joy, don't play that game.” My next guest needs no introduction — though he deserves one nonetheless! Seth Godin is an inventor, thought-leader, contrarian, mentor, mensch, and an ongoing inspiration to so many of us. He is the author of 19 bestselling books, and this week we are celebrating his latest! The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, one that inspired me to get back on the mic after a two-month hiatus, to record this interview in early September. Listen in as we celebrate our (almost) ten-year friendiversary and discuss a range of topics for those in the business of playing with ideas: shipping creative work even when tired, generosity and building with word-of-mouth in mind, choosing which information “rooms” to hang out in online, Tik Tok and social media tourism, and speaking to (and selecting for) the yearning of the people you seek to serve. Although I’m at my awkward finest when interviewing my biggest heroes, Seth chief among them, I hope you enjoy this conversation on all things leadership and creativity :) Links Mentioned: Book: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin Seth’s Podcast: Akimbo and Blog Courses: The Podcasting Workshop and (He)art of Podcasting Jenny’s Author Toolkit: http://pivotmethod.com/authors (including the new book marketing spreadsheet, and the Behind-the-Book Toolkit for writing, editing, marketing, and launching) ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/254 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a quick reflection episode, recorded on-the-go on my iPhone while throwing the frisbee for Ryder in the park. Although it’s a bit noiser than usual, I hope you enjoy the New York City soundscape. So many of us were feeling incredibly hopeful and optimistic heading in to this new decade. In keeping with the theme of radical reimagining, my hope is that this episode helps you reflect not just on the theme you set at the start of this year, but what theme has chosen and shaped you. Key questions: What are you secretly relieved has dissolved or disappeared this year? What are the different permissions granted, that you might not have had the courage to do on your own? Heart-Based Business Owners: Join us in the private Momentum Community ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/253 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode kicks off with a listener “note of encouragement” from Andrei in LA on the spiritual awakening under way, and the off-and-on dopamine cycle we’re experiencing as we continue practicing trust, faith, and surrender. I read passages from one of my favorite authors, Tosha Silver (if you haven’t already read them, get your hands on Outrageous Openness, Change Me Prayers, and It’s Not Your Money ASAP!). I talk about protecting our energy with a whole-body yes, and a clear no—and how this plays out in my current cranky curmudgeon mode of “no new friends” (as odd as it to say that out loud!). Key questions: What is the one next step I can take toward a big decision? (Then surrender) How has 2020 already shaped you? Looking back on the year, where were you resisting this change or grasping to how things should be? How are you being shaped, reimagined, by this time? Heart-Based Business Owners: Join us in the private Momentum Community ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/252 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When was the last time you felt like an imposter in your career? Last year? Yesterday? This morning? It’s so normal (and way more common than you’d realize!) that we cycle through Imposter Syndrome, especially when considering our next moves. Today I’m riffing on why I think we should ditch the word “syndrome” all together when it comes to this phenomenon, and how to give yourself permission to start taking steps in a new direction (instead of waiting on external approval or credentials). I’ll share when additional schooling does come in handy, and how I’ve made these decisions in the past. Key questions: Whether you pursue more training or not, what would that next certification (or degree) give you permission to do? What doors would it open? What results would be available in your life and work? How can you start taking small steps forward now, regardless of your decision? Heart-Based Business Owners: Join us in the private Momentum Community ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/staycation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Solo episode on a sanity-saving strategy for #2020 on the perks (and quirks!) of staycationing in the city you live in . . . especially when hotel rates are at record lows :) Pardon the mic noises — it’s a travel mic and therefore part of my #PerfectlyImperfect audio that gets the episode out at all. Key questions: What makes your soul sing? What is most important to your spirit? Remember, Radical Reimagining means everything is up for grabs. HotelTonight: Use my code JBLAKE9 to get up to $50 back after your first HotelTonight booking. Heart-Based Business Owners: Join us in the private Momentum Community ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/staycation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Your smile is your shield and your sword.” That’s just one of many wisdom gems from today’s guest and longtime Pivot advocate, Sensei Ando Mierzwa. He’s sharing many of the principles from his free self-defense basics course on turning intuition into action, the importance of projecting (and feeling!) confident, ignoring social niceties when it comes to making “bad guys” uncomfortable, and how to maintain a zen state even in tense situations. I hope you love this conversation as much as I did! Ando’s Free Course: Self-Defense Basics ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/249 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pandemic-response expert Dr. MJC is back for our 15th (!) installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series. In this “pandepic” two-hour round, we riff on: what we’ve been up to this summer, the five gnarly viruses we’re experiencing (COVID being only one), the horseshoe theory of political ideologies, discourse and censorship, tyranny and the fall of empires, vaccine trials, vitamin D, second-hand social media, and more. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider Topics Covered: What we've been up to this summer 21:20 - Business ups and downs this year, coming out the other side 25:00 - At least 5 gnarly viruses of 2020: 32:19 - On Tyranny by Tim Snyder, the Fall of Empires, and hubris 42:52 - Horseshoe theory of far-left, centrist, far-right 44:13 - On Joe Rogan and the campaign from Spotify staffers to implement editorial involvement 1:00:35 - Censorship and cancel culture 1:09:54 - Vaccines: is it possible? Would you sign up for a trial? Would you get it in the first wave? Do you trust pharmaceutical companies? 1:34:06 - Vitamin D's role in our immunity 1:44:11 - Questioning how we work as it relates to our health 1:45:44 - Considering the downstream effects of so much accelerated technological advancement 1:47:34 - Surge capacity depletion 1:51:27 - Second-hand social media 1:52:10 - Cut out anything extraneous: do you miss it? 1:54:10 - Topic teasers for next time: travel, going to the movies, schools 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/248 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded July 2020) Thanks to Chris, we’ve got a new term for 2020: “Coronavating” — a portmanteau of coronavirus and innovating. Chris is an expert in employee appreciation, recognition, and workplace culture, and I think you’ll love this episode on how to build trust and teamwork even in virtual (and often chaotic) settings. He is the founder of Beyond Thank You, and author of 75+ Team Building Activities for Remote Teams – Simple Ways to Build Trust, Strengthen Communication, and Laugh Together from Afar. 🚴🏻‍♀️ Peloton Bike—If you're in the US, Canada, or the UK, use referral code 7ED7VQ to receive $100 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/247 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your job today? It might not be what you think . . . and you get to decide anew every day, especially for sanity and health preservation in #2020. In this solo episode, I’m riffing on perfectionism, streaks, and combinatorial questions to create possibility. Peloton—If you're in the US, Canada, or the UK, use referral code 7ED7VQ to receive $100 towards accessories at purchase. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/246 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peeking out from another plateau with my first solo episode since June 19’s 5 Reorienting Inquiries for Revolutionary Times. It’s been a rough ride on the #CoronaCoaster these last few months — even with so much to be thankful for. I’m grateful for our physical health (knock on wood), but mental health has been another story! This episode is a bit of a rambler; more for longtime listeners looking for an update (and perhaps something to relate to). Even if there aren’t clear templates or takeaways, I invite you to ponder on my summer theme: Radical Reimagining—everything is up for grabs. Links Mentioned: Article: Your 'Surge Capacity is Depleted' — It's Why You Feel Awful Books: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin, The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker, Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff Podcast: Centered in the City with Wade Brill TV Show: Call My Agent! on Netflix Heart-Based Business Owners: Join us in Momentum at http://pivot.love/momentum Jenny’s Fave Raves: Peloton—If you're in the US, Canada, or the UK, use referral code 7ED7VQ to receive $100 towards accessories at purchase. Delicious frozen meals—$20 off your first box of Mosaic (use that link or promo code FRIEND-SZHR2R9) and our other favorite, Trifecta For coffees and coconut-based creamers, check out Laird Superfoods $10 off our new "everything" pot for cooking, h/t Sarah Young! From Our Place, a new mission‑driven kitchenware brand. ❤️ Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/245 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: March 2020 I’m delighted to have Penney Peirce back on the podcast to unpack her essay in conversation together, on How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. Since the pandemic started, I have been wondering what Penney’s take would be. Longtime listeners know she needs no introduction, as people often remark to me that the episodes with her are their favorite! We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and in the previous episode (167) I read her essay on the crisis directly, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/168 » and http://pivotmethod.com/169 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney12 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: December 15, 2019 The Penney & Jenny Show is back! The latest installment (PJ Show #11!) answers a listener Q&A about pivoting out of toxic situations at work. Penny and I discuss how we evaluate when to stay vs. go, discerning normal ups and downs from true toxicity, and the highest emotional state that acts as a tuning fork and compass to pull you forward into a new direction and a new lease on life. Enjoying the podcast and want to support the show? Become a Pivot Insider for as little as $8 each month and get access to a live monthly Q&A call—you’ll get six months of archived calls, a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. Our next call is Wednesday, January 8—join now as a powerful way to kick-off this next decade! Have a question related to this episode, or any in our Penney & Jenny series? Ask us here in a quick voice note. We look forward to rolling all of your questions together and creating a listener Q&A show soon :) View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/148. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney11 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: August 11, 2019 Why do we hesitate when it comes to being more of ourselves? In this episode, which happens to be released on Penney’s birthday (woohoo!) we discuss why we fears and limitations that hold us back from our fullest expression. In this conversation, we talk about the cultural pressure to fit in, self-entertainment as spiritual practice, setting big goals and going too big or too small, willingness to be a “misfit,” why transparency attracts more joyful friendships, and what’s behind comparison to others—how noticing a quality in someone else means that you have that quality somewhere within you. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/129. Enjoying the podcast and want to support the show? Become a Pivot Insider and get access to Jenny’s Monthly Q&A call—the next one is coming right up on August 14! Have a question related to this episode, or any in our Penney & Jenny series? Ask away here in a quick voice note. We look forward to rolling all of your questions together and creating a listener Q&A show soon :) Read the full transcript here. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney10 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: July 14, 2019 Penney and I are back in action, with the 9th (!) installment of our Penney & Jenny show. If you missed last week’s episode (#124) on liminal space and embracing the in-between, check it out here. This is installment is all about discriminating truth, just rightness, and making good choices. How do you trust your truth and anxiety signals? How do you know when it's time to Pivot? What's the difference between authenticity, honesty, and humility versus hiding, avoidance, and apathy? As poet David Whyte says, some beautiful questions need to be lived. We explore how the body is the first level of knowing in the physical world, and how we can better trust and tune into our bodies to know if something is true or not. For full show notes, visit http://pivotmethod.com/125. Have a question related to this episode, or any in our Penney & Jenny series? Ask away here in a quick voice note. We look forward to rolling all of your questions together and creating a listener Q&A show soon :) Read the transcript for this episode here. Pivot Podcast is listener supported: Contribute as a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A with Jenny, with access to the recordings in case you can’t make it live. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney2 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: July 7, 2019 Penney and I are back in action, with the 8th (!!) installment of our Penney & Jenny show. This week we dive into why it can be so difficult to embrace liminal space, also known as a transitional state of “in-between.” Penney equates the liminal space to the time when a caterpillar has created and entered the cocoon, but has not transitioned into a butterfly. It is the space in which we are given the chance to rest, reset, and recharge before moving into the next phase. It sounds lovely when put that way, so why do we often want to rush the process? Tune into this episode to learn all about why hindering the liminal state is like fighting a tidal wave, and why taking the time to stop is so important to your life, brain, and success. For full show notes, visit http://pivotmethod.com/124. Have a question related to this episode, or any in our Penney & Jenny series? Ask away here, in a quick voice note. We look forward to rolling all of your questions together and creating a listener Q&A show soon :) Read the transcript here. Pivot Podcast is listener supported: Contribute as a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A with Jenny, with access to the recordings in case you can’t make it live. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney2 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: July 15, 2018 I'm delighted to bring you the seventh (!) episode in a side series of this podcast we affectionately call the Penney & Jenny show :) It's a growing set of conversations with one of my dear friends and mentors (friendtors), Penney Peirce. We had so much fun during our first interview together that we added a second . . . which became a third . . . and so on, until it was a regular feature on the Pivot Podcast! This week we're riffing on the intersection of spirituality and small business—how we apply intuition, transparency, non-physical realms, and personal practices toward business-building, attracting clients, and earning a living in a way that feels easeful and joyful. You can check out all of our interviews here, and for easier listening, tune in on our SoundCloud playlist. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney7 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: February 26, 2018 We're back! Penney Peirce and I continue our ongoing series based on her vast spiritual oeuvre—this time with the microphone tables turned. She's interviewing me as we dive deeper into past lives, alignment practices, saying no to "sexy shoulds," clearing one's personal field to contribute to collective energy healing, marketing and manifesting in an authentic way, and so much more. Be sure to check out Penney's new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, for which I was delighted and deeply honored to write the foreword :) This episode of the Pivot Podcast is the sixth in our series series together—the Penney & Jenny Show! Check out our previous conversations here: Transparency Part 1: What does your soul know?, Transparency Part 2: Soul Groups, Intuition and Frequency, Dreams as a Doorway to 24-Hour Consciousness, and Perception: Navigating Our Non-Linear Universe. For full show notes, visit PivotMethod.com/podcast/penney-interviews-jenny 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney6 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: November 25, 2017 “See yourself from the soul's point of view: flaws are just temporary mistakes of perception." —Penney Peirce, Transparency We're back at it, folks! There was so much juicy material from Penney Peirce's new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, that we decided to dive in even deeper in a follow-up episode of the Pivot Podcast (if you haven't already, check out first part, Transparency Part 1: What does your soul know? In this conversation, we talk about transparency as it relates to relationships: how does it help us connect with soul groups and soul mates? What happens when we're trying too hard or putting on a show just to gain approval? Why, if we're all part of a collective soul group, does it seem like there's so much chaos and violence in the world? What's it like to connect with a business or book community from a transparent/soul perspective rather than marketing shoulds? I absolutely loved hearing Penney's insights on all of the above, and I know you will too :) This episode of the Pivot Podcast is the fifth our series series together—the Penney & Jenny Show! Check out our previous conversations on Transparency Part 1, Intuition and Frequency, Dreams as a Doorway to 24-Hour Consciousness, and Perception: Navigating Our Non-Linear Universe. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney4» *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: October 7, 2017 “To know yourself as a soul . . . you must dissolve everything in the way. The clutter composed of fear, fixed beliefs, and unconsciously ingrained habits." —Penney Peirce, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity What does it mean to make enlightenment normal? How do you remove the filters that dim your soul's wisdom? How can you feel into what wants to happen and find greater flow in life and work? What does it mean to be so authentic and transparent that we live as truth with nothing to hide? Penney and I dive into these questions and many more on this week's show as we discuss her new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, which I was incredibly honored to write the foreword for. This episode of the Pivot Podcast is the fourth our series series together—the Penney & Jenny Show! Check out our previous conversations on Intuition and Frequency, Dreams as a Doorway to 24-Hour Consciousness, and Perception: Navigating Our Non-Linear Universe. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney4 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: June 5, 2016 “The new attention span is about scope. Time stops, everything is instantaneous, coordinated and synchronous. You can already feel the result existing.” —Penney Peirce, Leap of Perception I have had such a blast talking with Penney Peirce about her Transformation Trilogy on intuition, frequency, and now perception. Talk about a dream come true! Today’s Pivot Podcast is our third in the series, and we dive deep into the nature of our holographic universe, the shift toward right-brain perception, why attention is the new intention (forget the law of attraction), how to find flow in projects, and how to navigate the void after major life or work phases are complete. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney2 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) 🗣 Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » Original air date: May 8, 2016 “At night, the soul is rejuvenating the personality. All dreams are data about our own personal process of growth and evolution.” —Penney Peirce Dreams. Although we often laugh them away today (if we remember them at all), many ancient and tribal cultures treated the dream world as absolutely real and worthy of our respect, an extension of the waking world. As Penney Peirce writes in Be the Dreamer, Not the Dream: A Guide to 24-Hour Consciousness (previously published as Dreams for Dummies), “Everything we do in the dream world is real; it’s just happening at other dimensions of our awareness.” So what’s going on in that noggin’ of yours in the (hopefully) 8 hours of the day that you’re not on your feet? In today’s show we talk about the fascinating and ever-elusive subject of dreams: how to better remember and even program dreams, how to interpret them, and much more. 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney2 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy summer, friends! I’m taking a short break to pause and design what’s next for the podcast content-wise. Please enjoy this series with Penney Peirce, released M/W/Fri in keeping with my latest experiment. Penney is consistently named as a listener favorite when I get feedback notes, and after our first interview together we jokingly started naming these follow-up conversations “The Penney & Jenny Show.” Until now, these interviews were spread out over the last four years — now they’ll be bingeable as a consecutive series :) Want to help shape what’s next? Take the listener survey if you haven’t already! http://pivotmethod.com/survey » *** Original air date: April 10, 2016 Intuition is an innate gift, one available to all of us, and a skill—a muscle that you can build with practice and attention. I am thrilled to bring you today’s podcast, an interview with intuition expert Penney Peirce, whose books have had an enormous impact on my life. Reading The Intuitive Way kicked off two years of coincidence tracking, intuition studying, and surrendering to serendipity—and completely transformed the way I go about my day-to-day life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and stay tuned: we’ll be doing a follow-up on dream interpretation in a future episode! View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney1 📝 View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/podcast/penney1 » *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Named by Fast Company as one of the 100 most creative people in the world, Ayse Birsel is giving us a special preview of her Deconstruction + Reconstruction process to Design the Life You Love at this crucial inflection point of halfway through the madness that is 2020. In this Momentum Book Club (a live Pivot podcast taping with my private community for heart-based business owners), Ayse walks us through two key exercises: identifying your superpowers and kryptonite, then mapping what to keep and let go of across four key areas as we enter the second half of the year. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎙 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to ‘casts: https://pod.link/1054817076 🎧 Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call with Jenny: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/244 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Republic website states, “Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.” That’s why they are democratizing angel investing by creating a platform where diverse founders and mission-driven start-ups can get the capital they need—and even those of us without millions in the bank can invest in emerging companies we believe in, for as little as $10. This conversation with Chuck Petid was recorded pre-pandemic (back in 2019), but is relevant more than ever with so many companies looking for assistance during these trying economic times. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/243 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nahko is an artist, a seeker, a storyteller, and a medicine man through soulful music. I love that his music sits at the intersection of deep personal introspection with social justice activism. Although we didn’t discuss it in this conversation, Nakho was born as a result of human trafficking—his birth mother gave him up for adoption when she was fourteen years old; he was nine months old, then raised in Oregon just 20 minutes away. You can learn more about that in this conversation with Rachel Brathen: Believe In The Good Things Coming. Nahko and Medicine for the People has provided the soundtrack to everything important in my life these last five years: solo journeying, writing and then launching Pivot, meeting my husband, getting married, and navigating the 2020 coronacoaster. 🎵 Listen to the end for a special acoustic performance 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/242 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you find yourself on autopilot, even with a perfect-on-paper role or business? It can be hard to admit—even to oneself—not being 100% #grateful, #blessed, and #fulfilled. Longtime friendtor Antonio Neves and I talk about how to find the courage to boldly go your own way—to be your own benefactor—even when your next direction isn’t a proven Pivot yet. You’ll hear about Tony’s aha moment that helped him kick a secret coping habit, and starting taking authentic steps in a new direction into a new phase of life and work where he’s betting on himself. 💌 Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey 🗣 Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask 🎧 Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call: http://pivotmethod.com/insider 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/241 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is one of my favorite conversations in five years of podcasting — AND I made the silly error of not checking my inputs when switching over to Zoom for this one! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Forgive me, and I hope you’ll bear with the audio on my side to hear the many priceless gems from CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke, two instant friends who I know you will love as much as I do! We talk about why conflict is necessary to move past mediocrity, tools for tough conversations, calming ourselves when triggered and tempted to use familiar (unhelpful) coping mechanisms, and why courage = vulnerability + curiosity. Get full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/240 » 🎙Last call to join us! My 3-hour live (He)art of Podcasting Masterclass is tomorrow, June 25 at 10am ET. Register for the live masterclass here » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Self care is the best business plan.” That’s Colleen Pelar’s philosophy that she shares with pet care professionals in her private community and on her Unleashed podcast. By nature of being heart-centered givers and animal-lovers, those who care for our furry friends are often at risk for compassion fatigue. On top of that, the last few months have challenged all of us to develop greater resilience — and find much-needed pockets of rest amidst ongoing unrest. Big thanks to Momentum member Regina for the introduction—I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did about how to take care of ourselves, and secret superpowers animal whisperers can bring into their businesses. View show notes and resources mentioned from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/239 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy #PrideMonth and happy Juneteenth! These are revolutionary times that require re-orienting questions to spark a new way forward, from the inside out. Today I’m sharing the five inquiries that have had a profound impact on me these last few weeks, building on episode 173: Beautiful Questions for Challenging Times with Steve Morris. A little more context on the holidays we’re honoring: #PrideMonth via Charities.org: “In honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan - considered the tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States - each June Americans come together to celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.” Juneteenth via Wikipedia: “Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, is an American holiday celebrated annually on June 19. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.” Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/238 Find ongoing resources for Black Lives Matter at http://pivotmethod.com/blacklivesmatter Submit a question for the Pivot Podcast at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Software geeks, rejoice! In today’s show I’m sharing every tool I use to produce the Pivot Podcast. This episode builds on 233: Stepping up Systems—How I Shifted to Daily Podcasting (across five key areas: mindset, motivation, systems, skills, and software). Both are in preparation (and to give you a head-start) for my upcoming LIVE (He)art of Podcasting masterclass! I have the ambitious goal of taking you from zero to show, because the world needs your voice, and we need it now. I’m facilitating a 3-hour workshop on June 25 where you can ask me anything, get my best templates for visioning, interview prep, and post-production, and request walkthroughs of the most confusing aspects of podcasting and systems. Learn more at http://pivotmethod.com/heart » Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/237 and the full Pivot podcast archive at http://pivotmethod.com/podcastarchive » I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey and submit a question for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can we create the psychological safety and belonging needed for the crucial conversations this moment demands of us? How can we apply the privileges we have for the highest good? How do we shift from blame to belonging to create change? We are diving in to these topics and more with my longtime friendtor, Mike Robbins, based on themes from his latest book We're All in This Together. Mike also hosts a fantastic podcast of the same name, We’re All In This Together. Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/236 » Find ongoing resources for Black Lives Matter at http://pivotmethod.com/blacklivesmatter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m delighted to be hosting a roundtable as the most recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series with Dr. MJC (who you know well from 13 episodes together!) and Dr. Anthony Harris, Chief Innovation Officer for WeCare who is helping implement 1,000,000 tests every day to help businesses re-open. We talk about Dr. Harris’ background at the intersection of faith, medicine, and entrepreneurship; processing the unrest of these last two weeks, his take on co-journeying through the Black Lives Matter movement, inequities in society as it relates to business and healthcare, and what drives and orients him as he prepares to welcome a son into the world. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/235 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have hit a boiling point of rage and heartbreak. What we witnessed through George Floyd's murder was evil incarnate, not to mention the countless others who have come before him, and the massively dysfunctional systems in America that perpetuate injustice, racism, and senseless violence. But pointing fingers at bigger systems also misses and important point: we — I — must start within. I want to start this post and episode by thanking two people who kicked off the latest round of deep inquiry around anti-racism for me: Michael Bungay Stanier in his MBS.works newsletter, who shared a link to Rachel Rodger’s Instagram Live video from May 30 on “the good white liberal response.” (If you catch this in time, she has a Town Hall called Reimagining Small Business on Wednesday 6/10 from 6-8pm ET.) I met Rachel many years ago, and have followed her work for many years—particularly at her new platform and podcast Hello Seven. It shouldn’t have taken until now, but seeing and hearing her pain, passion, and determination woke me up and stopped me in my tracks anew. It inspired me to dig deeper, to dive into social media in a way that I usually don’t. To listen more deeply. Staying “out of it” is no longer an option (it’s a privilege), and I thank Rachel for calling me and others in to revisit many of the topics in today’s episode that, though I dipped in and out of over the years, I haven’t been focusing on nearly enough. Especially now, when our collective voices are needed more than ever. If you are one of the many activists already working in this space, THANK YOU. ❤️ 🎙 To further #amplifymelanatedvoices, I invite you to submit voice recordings to air on the Pivot Podcast via SpeakPipe, or for longer messages, send your recording link to hello@pivotmethod.com.  Let me briefly say, while in deep listening and learning mode: *I* must do better as a podcaster, listener, coach, friend, community member, and leader to continue building anti-racism skills and taking meaningful action.  In the meantime, I am absorbing as much as I can to do my part, and am deeply grateful for all who are helping raise awareness and our collective consciousness. Please bear with me and others as we catch-up to making sense of the biggest, most inclusive picture. I recognize that even this podcast and post is sensitive and imperfect in ways I don't yet see or understand, and I welcome your feedback. Black Lives Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. MJC is back for part one of this week’s recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series (listen to episode 232 first). In this session we riff more on the Rogan-Spotify deal, Amazon/Audible jumping on to the podcast acquisition bandwagon, and the podcasting superpowers of transparency and authenticity. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/233 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Action is the antidote to despair.” —Joan Baez Dr. MJC is back for part one of this week’s recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series. We talk about the healing nature of caring for pets during the pandemic, interim “pop-up” pivots and not being able to plan beyond summer, and how Michael’s military upbringing taught him agility, situational awareness, and backwards planning. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/232 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Vulnerability is a one-way ticket to trust,” says today’s guest Billy Anderson, founder of The Courage Crusade and mutual friend of longtime friendtor Michael Bungay Stanier (two-time guest of the Pivot Podcast). Billy is the author of Your Comfort Zone is Killing You: Finding the Courage to Be You. In this conversation we cover finding the courage to move past others’ expectations toward greater authenticity, transparency, vulnerability, and self-expression. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/231 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When was the last time you experienced a truly ecstatic flow state when working? Where time was flying, and you didn’t even notice it passing? Do you know how to create more of these in the future? It took 10 years for The Office to find success after it aired. What would you create for the intrinsic reward of the project itself? What if you knew it wouldn’t find popular success until 10 years from now, if at all? Would you still create it? The very notion of a “flow” state was popularized and explored in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. We’re unpacking the first half of his book, flow ingredients and impediments, in this “BookRx” episode. Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist » I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/230 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you wish you had that doesn’t exist? Whether it’s a podcast episode, an article, or a physical product — innovation requires pausing the “infinite stream” of passive content we consume in receiver mode, and intentionally pausing to ask the question: how can you create what you need? Your magnet means something . . . pause and pay attention to it. This episode ties into topics covered in 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV” and episode 219: Swimming Upstream—A tale of two platforms. Get my curated weekly(ish) PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist » I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/229 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If social media drains you, yet continues to dangle itself as a “sexy should,” this episode is for you. I share my own process—mindset shifts and business focuses—that allow me to keep moving, even without platform-building or posting on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tik Tok. From a business perspective, social media is a means to two primary ends: social connections and media (consuming and contributing). I share how I work toward both of those in ways that energize me, even without directing my attention toward the platforms above. This episode ties in to topics covered in 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV” and episode 219: Swimming Upstream—A tale of two platforms. Subscribe to my weekly(ish) curated PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist » I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/228 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Michael and I were throwing together our very agile wedding at City Hall in New York City back in November 2018, with just a few weeks notice I asked two friends for a photographer recommendation. Both separately replied with the same person, today’s guest, which was all the serendipity I needed to say yes! That photographer is Phillip Van Nostrand, an instant friend and exactly the kind of guy you’d want on board for big events. When Phil told me how he was networking during the pandemic, and earning more revenue than ever despite so many events cancelled, I knew I needed to have him on the show. A self-described super extrovert, he’s provides a much-needed balance to my introverted curmudgeon :) We’ll also dive into his recent Medium article, How to Live an Epic Freelance Life (in the time of Covid-19), where he describes what he’s been up to for the past five weeks to help my (photo) business and how he put over $15,000 into his bank account during this time. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/227 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henna Inam is on a mission to impact one million people by 2030, partly by helping us “Marie Kondo our mindset.” In this episode, you’ll learn about the five shifts in agility we can all make and the antidote to burnout, starting with our built-in neuro-emotional capability for resilience and collaboration. She is the CEO of Transformational Leadership Inc., a company that helps Fortune 500 organizations grow transformational leaders. A former C-suite executive, Henna drove transformation throughout her corporate career before pivoting toward coaching. She is the author of Wired for Authenticity, and a new forthcoming book, Wired for Disruption: Five Shifts in Agility to Lead in the Future of Work (available June 1). Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/226 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. MJC is back for part two of our most recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series (listen to episode 224 first). In this session we riff on not quite feeling ready to leave our pandemic bubbles, the meta skill of self-education, and conscious luck (Gay Hendricks’ new book). What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/225 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. MJC is back for the first time since episode 203, when we talked about re-opening three weeks ago. Today we riff on a range of timely topics: Joe Rogan’s exclusive Spotify deal and how it mirrors larger pandemic and content-creation trends, “blue” versus “red” ocean when it comes to competition, the important meta skill of self-education, and not quite feeling ready to leave our pandemic bubbles. And for curious minds! Our new word of the episode: ar·ma·men·tar·i·um (är′mə-mĕn-târ′ē-əm) The complete equipment of a physician or medical institution, including books, supplies, and instruments. The complete range of materials available or used for a task. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/224 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m peeling the curtain back on the shifts I’ve made to move from weekly to daily podcast publishing during the pandemic across five key areas: mindset, motivation, systems, skills, and software. Interested in learning more? Join me LIVE for a much-requested update on my (He)art of Podcasting course! I’m facilitating a 3-hour masterclass on June 25 where you can ask me anything, get my best templates for visioning, interview prep, and post-production, and request walkthroughs of the most confusing aspects of podcasting and systems. Learn more at http://pivotmethod.com/heart » Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/223 and the full Pivot podcast archive at http://pivotmethod.com/podcastarchive » I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can the universe possibly be always working “for” you and not just happening to you? How can that be if bad things that happen to good people? In this episode I respond to a listener question with my take on helpful ways to apply the placebo effect and pronoia, the belief that “the world around you conspires to do you good.” I talk about noticing what you’re noticing, and how to discern fears versus wants through your inner magnet (aka intuition). I recorded on a Saturday afternoon at the park, so pardon the background noise! I took it as extra emphasis for various points :) As Eckhart Tolle writes in A New Earth, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” If you are a recent grad looking for a portable coach to help you hold your highest vision even while navigating the nuts-and-bolts of adulting during these challenging times, check out my first book Life After College (first launched 2011, revised edition launched 2018). Compliment it with Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and you’ll be well-equipped to navigate change now and in the future. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/222 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t bench yourself before the game begins. Be willing to be the exception. What problems can you solve during this unique time? What skills can you teach yourself? For any disempowering article or statistic, what if the opposite were true? Systemic inequality, student debt, lack of social support — these are massively broken systems in America. But that doesn’t mean you need to hang your head in defeat from now until forever. This episode is a message to 2020 grads (and anyone else who needs to hear it): do not let headlines like the one below hang over your head like dark, depressing rain clouds for the rest of your career, no matter how tough the job market might be right now. Shake it off, and be willing to be the exception (even if statistically speaking, we can’t all be). Just this week The New York Times published on the front page, Facing Adulthood With an Economic Disaster’s Lasting Scars: “Those entering the job market in a downturn may never catch up in pay, opportunities or confidence.” It continues, “The question is what kind of scars this will leave in the hearts, minds and pockets of younger people.” See this scar as a good thing: how is it uniquely shaping your heart, mind, and pocket? What lessons are you learning that will serve you for the rest of your career? If you are a recent grad looking for a portable coach to help you hold your highest vision even while navigating the nuts-and-bolts of adulting during these challenging times, check out my first book Life After College (first launched 2011, revised edition launched 2018). Compliment it with Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and you’ll be well-equipped to navigate change now and in the future. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/221 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Part 3 of Wandering with Michael (Part 2 here) — we talk about my favorite band, how to protect your flame, the importance of not planning or problem-solving too much around one’s creative process . . . and then! Around minute 22, Michael jumps into facilitating (his first!) spontaneous guided meditation with more passion than most :) More background: Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the third of several such sessions we recorded that day :) Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/220 Leave us a message at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everything is the pandemic’s fault,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of nascent streaming platform Quibi last week. Is it? I share my thoughts in this week’s riff on how streaming companies are responding and piloting during this time. Building on episode 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV”, I share a tale of two platforms — and encourage you to examine where you might still be stuck in unhelpful thinking. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/213 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m releasing exactly the kind of episode I can’t usually stand . . . but maybe that’s a good thing? Michael even said in all seriousness, “I don’t think you should release this one on the main channel.” We cover everything and nothing, and digressions in-between. Welcome to Part 2 of Wandering with Michael. Our alternative titles for this one are, “Infinitely Boring” and “The Household Ramble”— so listen at your own risk! More background: Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the second of several such sessions we recorded that day :) This is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-) Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . . Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/218 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life on lockdown means a perfect opportunity to capture spontaneous thoughts from a very special guest . . . and no, it’s not Ryder :) Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :) Listen at your own risk, as this is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-) Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . . Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/217 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dani Zoldan is a lifelong entrepreneur. In 2008, he purchased Stand Up NY, the famous comedy club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that made its name in the 80’s and 90’s with many of the world’s best comics including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Louis CK and Jon Stewart. Today, (at least pre-pandemic when we could still gather in person!) the club has been home to many current A-listers including Amy Schumer, Michael Che, Pete Davidson and Judah Friedlander. I met Dani through James Altucher, who bought into club ownership in 2016, and was honored to participate in their inaugural Podcast Row. When I saw Dani quoted in the New York Times March 18: Open Your Laptops, the Comedy Show Is About to Begin, as businesses started shutting down, I knew he’d have an interesting Pivot perspective to share! Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/216 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are so many of us allergic to the word innovation, solving the wrong problems, and experiencing idea-fatigue? Because, as Stephen Shapiro brilliantly shares in his new book, Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems, what we’re really aiming for is relevance. How can you apply the 5D’s of disruption to solve difficult problems? We dive into that and so much more during this conversation—one I can’t wait to listen back to at least twice more to absorb all the powerful pivot-related concepts! I’ll tell you one thing: you’ll never brainstorm the same way again . . . Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/215 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Godin recently described Mitch Joel (in celebration of his 700th episode) as “in the pantheon, one of the greats.” I couldn’t agree more. Mitch is a well-respected friend and colleague to so many of us in the business, writing, and speaking communities. He sees trends and platforms coming long before they hit mainstream, and his output, ideas, and incisive interviewing style consistently leaves me with inspiration and new information. He was gracious to have me on his Six Pixels of Separation Podcast when Pivot launched, and the conversation (among dozens and dozens) left such a mark on me that I quoted him in the afterword for the paperback edition of Pivot in 2017 the following year. Here’s an excerpt: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building on the previous episode that covered virtuous circles (or cycles), this is an excerpt from my Pivot to Profit course where I go deeper into Jim Collins’ Hedgehog and Flywheel concepts. This will help you think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating, unstoppable momentum. Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/213 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can virtuous circles (or cycles) help us think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating momentum? That’s the topic of this episode; how we can transform even “time for money” or marketing activities into something more. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum Work with a Pivot Coach at http://pivotmethod.com/coaching Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/212 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If you truly are diversified, that means something is underperforming (in the short-term).”  Today’s Pivot conversation is with wealth manager Kathryn Brown, whose mission is changing families’ traditional relationship with money to foster a healthy relationship between money and life for the families she serves. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/211 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book. Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. She’s been profiled or quoted in two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and even appeared on Oprah.  Jen and I met way back in the day at SXSW 2012 — my first time attending, and have kept in touch from afar ever since. Today we’re talking about her newest and most personal book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/210 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This riff is inspired by the synchronous confluence of two things: re-reading a note to self on “sensitivity as a tool for trend spotting” and a recent NYT interview with Jerry Seinfeld (who I also highlight in the chapter on pilots in Pivot), Jerry Seinfeld Is Making Peace With Nothing: He’s ‘Post-Show Business.’ Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/209 I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://www.bit.ly/Pivotpaperback What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://www.pivotmethod.com/survey and/or submit a question at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part two of my recent Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20). Whether you’re creating a course, a speech, or a book learn how to map the transformation you’re trying to create, and the difference between different stages such as harvesting, thinking, outlining, writing, editing, and launching. As Richard Bach says, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Listen to part one at http://pivotmethod.com/207 I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback To dive deeper into these topics: join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum or take the week-long course, He(art) of Book Publishing. Be sure to also check out the free Author Toolkit (the tools and templates that were most helpful for writing, editing, and marketing Pivot). Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/207 What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this replay of a Momentum Masterclass on Your Book & Big Idea (recorded 3/3/20), I’m walking you through how to hone in on a powerful, resonant message that will connect with and help you build your ideal community, as well as next steps to getting it out into the world.  As one of my earliest book mentors Michael Larsen said to me, "It's not a question of if you'll get published, but when and how." I’d love your help tipping Pivot over the 200 reviews milestone! If you’ve read the book, please share your honest thoughts at http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback To dive deeper into these topics: join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum or take the week-long course, He(art) of Book Publishing. Be sure to also check out the free Author Toolkit (the tools and templates that were most helpful for writing, editing, and marketing Pivot). What’s on your mind? Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/207 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A morning riff at the park, taking a page out of Valerie K. Martin’s podcast book ❤️ Thank you for listening! I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/206 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s right there in her last name: Maggie Reyes is a ray of sunshine who brightens every room she enters. Maggie’s energy in contagious, particularly when it comes to creating delightful, conscious relationships full of affection and appreciation. We’ve both hired each other as a coach, and in just three sessions (and a surprise book she mailed me), Maggie completely transformed my approach to sticky relationship situations. I hope you enjoy this conversation around what it means to create a “5-star” marriage—and even who we’d each cast in the TV sitcom of our lives :) What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/205 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining the Pivot Podcast today are two of my closest friends in NYC, Alex Jamieson and Bob Gower. I spend Friendsgiving with them almost every year, and Bob is actually featured in the Pilot section of Pivot. Alex and Bob are one of those couples we all admire—they are warm, loving, respectful, and creative. Today we’re talking about their new book, called Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business And Your Life. If you want to help them get a big boost of momentum, please consider pre-ordering today! What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/204 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/30/20) No matter when your area “opens back up,” when and how will you go on public transportation, or to restaurants, for example? (If you have the luxury to make that choice independent of your livelihood) These are the questions Dr. MJC and I tackle in this week’s pandemic podcast conversation. We start with a brief overview of how different states and countries are approaching re-opening, and how we are wrapping our minds around it. We don’t have the answers, but we are exploring how to frame thinking and important questions about risk, safety, and personal responsibility. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/203 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought. From the Three Principles Foundation website: “In 1973, Sydney Banks, an ordinary working man, experienced a spontaneous and profound spiritual enlightenment. His experience uncovered three foundational Principles; elemental principles that create and govern the human experience: Universal Mind, Universal Consciousness and Universal Thought.” These are the three principles that guide Inside Out coaching, which I first heard about from today’s guest, Bev Willcocks. Bev is a Cape Town based adventurer, artist, and coach who “finds freedom in coming alive to the joy and raw energy of life” and helping her clients do the same. Bev first reached out in July 2018 to share more about the practice, and after this conversation I’m sure you’ll be interested to learn more too, with powerful tools to find your footing during times of immense uncertainty. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/202 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do your systems spark joy, or are they cluttering your mind and creating bottlenecks in your business? If the flow of your work is a river, where are the eddies? Where is the water flowing, and where are the rapids ahead? Are you telling yourself unhelpful stories like, “I’m not good at technology?” If so, or even if you love systems (like me!) and want to improve your systems-thinking mindset even further, this episode is for you. This is excerpted from a 90-minute lesson within the Pivot to Profit bonus course in Momentum ($997 value). To access the video version with detailed walk-throughs of how I use apps like TextExpander, Asana, Google Drive, Dropbox, Kajabi, etc — join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum. The investment is just $220 per month (you can cancel at any time), and you’ll get access to the entire Pivot to Profit course, along with 5+ years of archives and a private Facebook group with heart-based business owners. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From my heart to yours, in celebration of episode 200 ❤️ Thank you for listening! Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/200 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Morris is on a mission to help organizations and their leaders rise to their potential to live and work wholeheartedly, all while making a positive impact on the world. We last spoke in episode 173 on Beautiful Questions for Challenging Times, which many of you gave us great feedback on—thank you! Today we’re taking a page out of the Co-Active Training Institute’s playbook on Brilliant Conversations, the context for their recent open Zoom call. As CTI defines it, a Brilliant Conversation has the following qualities:  Larger than how we hold a regular conversation Intentional conversation where there is no answer, no destination, no problem to solve Resist the temptation to converge; allow ourselves to expand, to explore, and to play Place and a space where contributions come from ideas, emotions, intuitive hits or spirit or strategy—we use all of us as a resource and our entire field to contribute. Divergent nature, where as so many conversations aim to converge Call upon on our “brilliant mind” or collective consciousness. We create a brilliant mind together, rather than a singular mind. The process is organic and flowing, much like polishing a brilliant diamond. You leave with more questions than you had when you came We tap into a larger mystery and unfolding that is playing out around us You are attuned to what life then starts offering you back as you walk the world with these questions in your heart, spirit, and mind I hope you enjoy this unfolding, wandering, improvised, in-the-moment conversation with Steve! Be sure to also check out his free Care Package for COVID-19. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/199 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve got a big smile today to be sharing sharing this experimental compilation episode with you! Please enjoy some comforting words from the Momentum Community, from our hearts to yours. Big thank you to our Momentum members who contributed to today’s episode! Solopreneurs: Want support in navigating these crazy times, with ease, joy, and crazy-smart systems? Join us in the Momentum Community: http://Pivot.love/Momentum Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/198 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the market too saturated? Have people stopped listening to podcasts given that they no longer have a commute? Is it worth all the effort? How do you know if you have something meaningful to say? Building on yesterday’s Listener Q&A around Agile Public Original Thinking, I’m sharing the interview from Petra Kolber’s recent Re-Imagine summit on the pros and cons of podcasting. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/197 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m answering a listener Q&A from Kerstin on how to serve during this time, without getting too caught up in systems and perfection. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/196 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I love a good serendipity story, and this is one of my favorites! Bill and my brother were both 20 minutes early, waiting for a store to open in San Francisco; they started chatting, talking about business and books — and next thing I know, I got a text saying that Bill and I had to meet. This is our first conversation, and I was riveted! Bishop William Swing is doing incredible work in the world — he is on a mission to build bridges between people and religions; helping people of (what seem to be) competing religious loyalties to discover each other and work together. The 20th anniversary of his organization, the United Religions Initiative, is in June, and he has over 1 million participants in over 1,000 interfaith cooperation circles. As Bill says, "If you’re really committed and you’re on the right track, the right person shows up at just the right time.” This mindset, and saying yes at every open door, led to meetings with the Pope, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and many other religious leaders in his efforts to create the United Nations of religions.  Happy Earth Day! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did :) View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/195 What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pivot Insider and creativity expert Kathryn Haydon is back to discuss her emerging studies of Deep Souls, building upon her background in education and creativity. As she describes in her article, 7 Strengths of Deep Souls: The Thinkers We Need But Rarely Understand: "Is Everyone a Deep Soul? The underlying traits that fuel deep soul strengths are universal characteristics of creative thinking. Research shows that nearly all of us have an intense combination of these strengths in early childhood, but they get dulled over time—especially during our school years. Deep souls, however, have resisted this dulling. They can't help it. The intensity of their ability to think differently cannot and will not be stopped.” Listen in as we discuss the seven strengths, and how to best support and encourage the deep souls around you in life and work. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/194 What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Time Facilitator host Leanne Hughes and I team up today to bring you our best pro tips for presenting on Zoom. She covers a range of great advice from the importance of run-throughs to whiteboards, polls, and group participation—and I chime in with tips on maintaining high energy while speaking into “the void,” and managing the many incredible (yet sometimes overwhelming) features while speaking. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/193 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pivot Insider and coach Olivia D’Silva is here to help people to “realize the value of dissatisfaction and self-doubt in their live” and use these energies as the sources of power and motivation they can represent when harnessed intentionally. I was honored to be the first featured guest for her new community, The Doubters, and am sharing here on the Pivot Podcast with her permission :) Enjoying the show? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call where you can ask me anything, and discuss the latest books, tools and topics I’ve shared in recent episodes. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/192 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you feeling digitally overwhelmed or maxed out during this time? Big thanks to Brooke, who submitted this week’s Listener Q&A on something I mentioned in a previous Pivot podcast: digital introversion. Contrary to the dictionary definition of introverts as “shy or reticent” (lame!) I resonate more with the etymology of the word from the mid-17th century: in latin intro- (to the inside) and vertere (to turn) combine to be defined as: to turn one’s thoughts inwards (in spiritual contemplation). How epic is that?! Susan Cain, author of the mega-bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and accompanying 2012 TED Talk with nearly 26 million views, has been a central leader in redefining the term introversion to correspond more with how one gets energy and recharges. She founded a movement called Quiet Revolution, and I encourage you to take her online assessment. In this episode, I share 7 strategies that I’m still practicing as it relates to navigating this new, even more digital world as I answer Brooke’s question: How can I connect with heartfelt community in this digital world? What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/191 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How lucky are we? One of my favorite friendtors, Michael Bungay Stanier, is back to share his wisdom on creating while pivoting in this special Pivot Podcast + Momentum Book Club. We talk about his favorite powerful coaching questions, navigating uncertainty, and his new book, The Advice Trap, as it relates to the pandemic—particularly with advice flying fast and furious everywhere these days! He was recently on the podcast episode 156 talking about pivoting out of the CEO role of Box of Crayons, the company he founded nearly 20 years ago, and before that he helped kick things off waaay back in episode 26. Today you can find him at MBS.works, and check out his new podcast, We Will Get Through This. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/190. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/8/20) In Part 3 of our Pivot Insider Q&A with Penney Peirce, she responds to Theo’s question about how to find momentum with a job search when it seems like no one is hiring. Michael mentions Albert Camus’ The Plague (related article: Alain de Botton’s Camus on the Coronavirus) and the challenge of leading with transparency, and Penney closes out this three-part series with her perspective on merging the physical and non-physical realms, along with what those who have passed know. Be sure to also listen to Part 1 (episode 185) and Part 2 (episode 187), and subscribe to Pivot with Jenny Blake so you don’t miss a future episode. We have many earlier conversations in the Penney & Jenny show. In episodes 168 and 169, we unpack her essay in conversation together, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. If you’d like to submit a question for us for a future episode visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask »  View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/189 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life on lockdown means a perfect opportunity to capture spontaneous thoughts from a very special guest . . . and no, it’s not Ryder :) First I give an overview of Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework (take the quiz along with nearly 3 million others!) and how you can tackle this time according to your personality. Then you’ll hear from my favorite “Rebel” on tackling contemplation without the guilt of procrastination. Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/188 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/8/20) “We don’t run out of energy, we just stop being present. Energy goes in a circle, like a figure 8. Just stay in the turn; the flow is the energy.” —Penney Peirce I was thrilled to welcome Penney Peirce to April’s Pivot Insider private Q&A last week; listen to Part 1 if you haven’t already (episode 185). In Part 2 of this call, Penney shares how to practice “vibrational hygiene” (hat tip to Patrick for the great question!), going with the flow, finding spaciousness, and loosening our identity attachments. We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and be sure to also check out episodes 168 and 169 — listen in as we unpack her essay in conversation together, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. We talk about the stock market, how money is like a child and responds to our inner energy blueprint, and making the most of creative lulls (when ready). Do the next courageous thing. If you’d like to submit a question for us for a future episode visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask »  Join us at http://PivotMethod.com/insider by supporting the podcast with a small monthly donation, and you’ll also get instant access to 7+ months of archives and a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/187 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/11/20) Dr. MJC and I start this week’s check-in with the New York Times article, “To people of many religions, crisis has signs of apocalypse.” As the intro states, this is the first time in nearly two decades all three of the major April holidays overlap: Easter, Passover, and Ramadan. In Greek “apokalypsis" means an unveiling, a revelation. Michael and I discuss collective catharsis and gratitude, finding meaning and light in the dark, and how improvisation can help with acceptance. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/186 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/8/20) I was thrilled to welcome Penney Peirce to April’s Pivot Insider private Q&A this past week, and knew that her refreshing perspective would be the perfect breath of fresh air for this holiday weekend. In Part One of this call, Penney shares how to drop our attachment to suffering (and bad news) and shift into our preferred state of of being instead. Penney sees 2020 as the Year of Choice: the time to choose your reality after this all clears. Make sure you stay tuned and subscribe to the Pivot podcast so you don’t miss the next installment :) We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and be sure to also check out episodes 168 and 169 — listen in as we unpack her essay in conversation together, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. We talk about the stock market, how money is like a child and responds to our inner energy blueprint, and making the most of creative lulls (when ready). Do the next courageous thing. If you’d like to submit a question for us for a future episode visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask »  Join us at http://PivotMethod.com/insider by supporting the podcast with a small monthly donation, and you’ll also get instant access to 7+ months of archives and a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/185 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/9/20) Join me and business bestie Dorie Clark as we discuss how we’re reinventing and navigating our way through the unknowns of this crisis on a day-by-day basis. In our recent LinkedIn Live session we covered a range of topics including: When is it time to pause, and when is it time to double-down? How can we create offerings during this time in a way that is sensitive and respectful, not salesy? What about those who are furloughed and feeling in a state of limbo? If you haven't already, listen to our previous episodes together on how to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following, How to Monetize Your Ideas, and Creating Multiple Streams of Income. Check out Dorie's Recognized Expert Evaluation Toolkit and her Entrepreneur Self-Assessment, which we mention in this episode. Get full show notes and links from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/184 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded April 8) There is no one I was more delighted to connect with during this wild, winding time than longtime friendtor Alexandra Franzen. I’ve been following her work since 2011, and consistently delighted by the devotion, care, and creativity she gives to her community. Alex is a writer, consultant, entrepreneur, retreat leader, and proud “checklist freak” based in Hawaii. She is the founder of the Tiny Press, a publishing imprint specializing in very short books–100 pages or less. Today we’re talking about her 6th book, The Checklist Book: Set Realistic Goals, Celebrate Tiny Wins, Reduce Stress and Overwhelm, and Feel Calmer Every Day. Other books include You’re Going to Survive and So This Is the End: A Love Story.  In this conversation we touch on many of the topics she writes about: life, love, grief, unplugging from technology, creativity, focus, simplicity, time–and yes, the power of checklists for self-care, not just productivity! Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/183 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded April 8) Mori Taheripour is an award-winning educator and globally-recognized executive with over fifteen years of experience leading initiatives at the intersection of sports, social change, and negotiations in both the public and private sectors.  Today we’re talking about her new book, Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly. We cover what it’s like launching amidst a global crisis, how negotiation has accelerated for all of us these days, why anyone can be a good negotiator, and strategies for problem-solving and relationship-building during crazy times like these. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/182 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 2/12/20) Laura Huang is a professor at Harvard Business School who studies interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. In this conversation, we’re talking about her new book Edge: Turning Adversity Into Advantage. You’ll learn about her framework: Enrich, Delight, Guide, Effort — and how she recovered from almost getting kicked out of Elon Musk’s office within the first two minutes of their meeting. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/181 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here in the U.S., a record 10 million people have filed for unemployment in the last two weeks, and employment estimates are at a mind-boggling 13%—which doesn’t even include gig economy workers. I have friends who are pregnant, slated to get married, and who have family members who are sick that they can’t visit. On a personal level, I am staying buoyant, although in the last few weeks I have lost 90% of my projected income for Q2, including money that I had been planning on putting directly into a six-month business reserves account long before the pandemic hit. I did end up applying for the Small Business Association’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (also called the Payroll Protection Plan), despite initial hesitations that there were people who needed it more than me.  We are all feeling it. I have been trying to journal through this, both in my 5 Star Spiral Notebook (a 15+ year staple) and my new One Line a Day: Five-Year Memory Book. Along those lines, today I’m sharing some reflection questions that have been helpful for me and others. We’re still early in all this, so I recommend revisiting these even on a monthly basis (as well as episode 173 with Steven Morris on beautiful questions that reorient one’s life trajectory). I am purposefully not going through my analysis on the podcast yet, because I want to give you the space to reflect on your own without influence from my responses, but I’m happy to share in a future episode.  ❤️ Finally, remember the Buddhist saying: nothing is permanent, personal, or perfect. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/180 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/1/20) Dr. Michael J. Conseulos and I are back for part two of this week’s “huddle” as we discuss what’s in the news now, along with practical tips and tools for the business side of things. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/179 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded 4/1/20) Dr. Michael J. Conseulos and I are back for part one of this week’s “huddle” as we discuss what’s in the news now on the medical front. I ask about make-at-home supplies like masks, and re-washing gloves, and managing our energy (and workload) through the daily ups and downs. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/178 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded March 25, 2020) How do we help others navigate change, particularly during moments of crisis? In this episode, I’m including a replay from another recent workshop I delivered on March 25: Pivot for Managers, Mentors, and Coaches. This mirrors the keynote I give within organizations around helping managers and coaches improve their career conversation capabilities, but I have shifted (ahem—pivoted) the content to more directly address what we’re all going through now. Listen for strategies and reflection questions on how to apply the Pivot Method as a coaching tool, even just to help others envision one day, one week, or one month from now. To watch the video version of this session, with slides, visit http://pivotmethod.com/watch. Submit follow-up questions or audio notes for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/177 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded March 18, 2020) How do we map what’s next when the ground underneath us shifts on a daily, if not hourly, basis? How do we navigate change when change is accelerating so quickly? In this episode, I’m including a replay from the recent Map What’s Next workshop I ran for individuals. This mirrors the keynote I give within organizations and my annual “Set Your Strategy” podcast episode, but I have shifted (ahem—pivoted) the content to more directly address what we’re all going through now. Listen for strategies and reflection questions on how to adapt the Pivot Method to envisioning even just one day, one week, or one month from now. To watch the video version of this session, with slides, visit http://pivotmethod.com/watch. Submit follow-up questions or audio notes for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/176 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded March 4) How do you know when to trust your intuition? What is it about certain people that prickles your spidey senses? I’m delighted to bring you this conversation with former FBI Agent Robin Dreeke on how to read behavior signals for who we can trust — and who we can’t. Robin and I also discuss one of the lowest points of his career, six months after 9/11. As he writes in his book, Sizing People Up, “The destruction of my dreams left me with nothing to lose, and my mindset shifted, as if on its own, and settled in a place that said it was acceptable to help one person at a time. It felt like neither capitulation nor epiphany.” Although this was recorded just on the cusp of things getting quite serious around the pandemic here in the U.S., that advice is more true now than ever. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/175 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do your eyeballs hurt?! No matter my joy and awe at humanity’s creativity in times of crisis in terms of moving everything online—everything. is. online. Even pre-pandemic, our phones were already spitting out weekly Screen Time reports to help us put down the devices . . . now we’re glued to them as the only outlet for social connection, culture, and productivity. In a New York Times article, When a Home Becomes Headquarters—also titled “Logged on from the Laundry Room” (LOL)—even the CEO of Cisco, the company that runs meeting software WebEx, Chuck Robbins acknowledged the difficulties. He said, “I tell you…this whole teleworking thing — as much as we sell it to our customers, I’m not sure I want to do it 100 percent of the time. Nobody prepares for this,” he said.  At the same time, people want to connect! We are hungry for it, going stir crazy, and missing our cultural outings. I wholeheartedly agree with Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, who said “It’s a miracle you can run a company this way." So today I’m sharing 16 strategies for staying sane amidst the endless screens—particularly for work-related meetings—across three categories: for meeting leaders, participants, and during the meeting best practices. Got a brilliant solution I’m missing? Submit follow-up questions or audio notes for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/174 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There’s nothing more powerful than a united group of souls ignited in a common cause with love at the core.” – Steven Morris Steve Morris is on a mission to help organizations and their leaders rise to their potential to live and work wholeheartedly, while making a positive impact on the world. In this conversation we talk about beautiful questions that reorient one’s life trajectory, moments of truth, and the practice of pivoting, or evolving. We me after he sent me a handwritten thank you note, then two years later we got to meet in person when I took his 2018 workshop on how to cultivate a life of curiosity.  Steve’s emphasis on curiosity, conscious business, and wholeheartedness are an inspiration to me, and I know you’ll love his take on how to cultivate habits and a path of choosing curiosity over fear. Be sure to also check out his free Care Package for COVID-19. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/173 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you ever feel like a sponge for the energy (and moods) of people around you, particularly during times of massive change or crisis; if you feel flooded by emotion, overwhelmed with empathy, more sensitive than usual to sights, sounds, and media; and/or hit with powerful bursts of intuition, this episode is for you. Sarah Santacroce and I recorded a two-way conversation for Pivot and her podcast, Gentle Business Revolution (be sure to also check out the PDF of her manifesto, Gentle Business Revolution Manifesto). View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/172 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael J. Conseulos and I are back for part two of this week’s “huddle” as we discuss what’s in the news now. And more importantly, we’re diving into practical tips and tools for the business side of things: journaling, scenario planning, buying time, “hot wash” analysis, and third door solutions. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/171 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael J. Conseulos and I are back in a “huddle” as we discuss what’s in the news now. And more importantly, we’re diving into practical tips and tools for as many aspects of this pandemic as we can, including: vaccines, what to do if you get sick, contact tracing, what he’s seeing and hearing from the medical community front lines, and his professional opinion on whether “the cure is worse than the cause.” Make sure you’re subscribed to get part two of our conversation, on business scenario planning, business journaling, and “third door” solutions. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/170 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 of yesterday’s conversation with Penney Peirce (episode 168) — listen in as we continue unpacking her essay in conversation together, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. In this second half, we talk about the stock market, how money is like a child and responds to our inner energy blueprint, how to find and reconnect with your home frequency, and making the most of business lulls (when ready). Do the next productive thing. Background: Since the pandemic started, I have been wondering what Penney’s take on all this would be. Longtime listeners know she needs no introduction, as people often remark to me that the episodes with her are their favorite! We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and in the previous episode (167) I read her essay on the crisis directly, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. If you’d like to submit a question for us for a future episode visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask »  Special announcement! Penney will also be our featured guest for April’s Pivot Insider live video Q&A session. It will be on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:30pm ET. Join us at http://PivotMethod.com/insider by supporting the podcast with a small monthly donation, and you’ll also get instant access to 7+ months of archives and a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/169 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m delighted to have Penney Peirce back on the podcast to unpack her essay in conversation together, on How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency (Part 1). Since the pandemic started, I have been wondering what Penney’s take would be. Longtime listeners know she needs no introduction, as people often remark to me that the episodes with her are their favorite! We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and in the previous episode (167) I read her essay on the crisis directly, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. Make sure you subscribe to get Part 2 of the conversation, and if you’d like to submit a question for us for a future episode visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask »  Special announcement! Penney will also be our featured guest for April’s Pivot Insider live video Q&A session. It will be on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:30pm ET. Join us at http://PivotMethod.com/insider by supporting the podcast with a small monthly donation, and you’ll also get instant access to 7+ months of archives and a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/168 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York City is now in a state of emergency, the usually overflowing streets and parks are eerily vacant, and the line for Whole Foods was around a city block today, cordoned off by fences and a security guard. I’m so grateful to all grocery store workers, Amazon and USPS employees, teachers, and health care providers.  Since the pandemic started, I have been wondering what Penney’s take would be. Longtime listeners know she needs no introduction, as people often remark to me that the episodes with her are their favorite! We have 11 conversations in the Penney & Jenny show so far, and another one scheduled this week to discuss her essay on the crisis, How Coronavirus is Speeding Us Toward Transparency. In advance of that, she has given me her blessing the read the essay in full here on the podcast, for those of you who prefer listening over reading. We hope things brings you comfort and a refreshing perspective; it’s certainly has for me. More from us soon!  If you’d like to submit a question for us, visit http://PivotMethod.com/ask  Special announcement! Penney will also be our featured guest for April’s Pivot Insider live video Q&A session. It will be on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:30pm ET. Join us at http://PivotMethod.com/insider by supporting the podcast with a small monthly donation, and you’ll also get instant access to 7+ months of archives and a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/167 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pivot Insider member and creativity expert Kathryn Haydon is here to help parents “turn a difficult time into a time of possibility.” Over the past decade, she has written four books, several hundred articles, taught and trained thousands of kids, educators, and businesspeople, all while working from home and homeschooling her son, while her husband worked long hours at the office and on weekends. Before we get into her many helpful ideas for homeschooling while WFH, a caveat: just hours after we finished recording, I read a New York Times article titled, “I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School.” If you’re already maxed out with kids and home and trying to get your own work done, that article may provide much-needed solace! You have permission not to Pinterest your pandemic, as we said in episode 162. If/when you do want some best practices from someone who home schooled for over a decade while also working from home, this episode is always here for you! Kathryn is also a great podcast success story: she listened to the episode with Rohit Bhargava from December 2017, 75: Become a Trend Curator, reached out to him, and next thing you know his imprint Non-Obvious Guides was publishing her book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative, No Matter Where You Work! For a deeper dive, check out Kathryn’s Course: Work From Home With Kids and THRIVE (Enter discount code PIVOTTHRIVE20 for 5% off) , and this great list of online learning resources for kids from my business attorney, Francine Love. View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/166 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Story time! ❤️📘🤓 Today I’m reading one of my all-time favorite passages for tough times, from Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. I love this timeless letter (#8, written in 1904) so much that I included an excerpt at the very start of Pivot, and a second excerpt to close the book—both are included in the full text that I’m reading on this episode. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Background from our kick-off to this Pivoting Around A Pandemic series, episode 159: With so much happening daily in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward. When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well, which has now turned into a full-blown series: 159: Pivoting Around a Pandemic 160: 11 Ways for Solopreneurs to Maintain Momentum 161: Personal Safety, Contingency Planning, and Crucial Conversations 162: What It's Like—Two Weeks in to Self-Quarantine in the Seattle Area (Hint: Ditch the Pressure for a Pinterest-Worthy Pandemic Response) 163: 25 Favorite Tips for WFH (Working From Home) View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/165 » Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Recorded pre-pandemic) I’m thrilled to bring you another one of my favorite friendtors, Mike Michaelowicz. He’s the author of several books that have dramatically improved my business: Profit First, Clockwork, and now this week we’re talking about his latest upcoming release, Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change that Will Level Up Your Business. Mike was last on the show in episode 37, Surge: How to Spot and Ride Trend Waves. This is also our second round of the live Pivot Podcast + Momentum Book Club, so you’ll hear a few Mo’ members ask questions at the end. Reminder that doors for this round of Momentum enrollment close today! Join us here » Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/161. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While it can seem distracting and disorienting at first, working from home is an incredible opportunity to tune into your circadian rhythms and exactly how you work best. Even though your new commute may be from the bed to the living room to the office, you can still create rituals and boundaries that set you up for success when you start the day, and sanity when you end it. These are 25 of my favorite tips from nine years of working from home. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Background from our kick-off to this series, episode 159: With so much happening daily in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward. When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well, which has now turned into a full-blown series: 159: Pivoting Around a Pandemic 160: 11 Ways for Solopreneurs to Maintain Momentum 161: Personal Safety, Contingency Planning, and Crucial Conversations 162: What It's Like—Two Weeks in to Self-Quarantine in the Seattle Area (Hint: Ditch the Pressure for a Pinterest-Worthy Pandemic Response) Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/163 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While all of us have been adjusting to self-imposed social distancing and quarantine this week under new global guidelines, Lindsay Pedersen had a head start. She and her family live in the greater Seattle area, which was the site of the first major outbreak in the U.S. In this conversation with Lindsey and Dr. Consuelos, we talk about the emotional rollercoaster of the entire family staying home all day, and creative ways to infuse silliness, sanity, and connection. Quick background on both: Lindsay Pedersen is a brand strategist and author of Forging an Ironclad Brand. Dr. Michael J. Consuelos is the Principal at MJC Solutions, a veteran-owned, small business that provides professional consulting and advisory services to organizations serving the healthcare sector. He has held several leadership roles in emergency preparedness and pandemic response since 1997. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Background from our kick-off to this series, episode 159: With so much happening daily in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward. When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well, which has now turned into a full-blown series: 159: Pivoting Around a Pandemic 160: 11 Ways for Solopreneurs to Maintain Momentum 161: Personal Safety, Contingency Planning, and Crucial Conversations Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/161 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just yesterday (after we recorded), the U.S. recommendation has gone from avoiding gathering in groups larger than 50 to groups larger than 10. Dr. Michael J. Conseulos and I are back in a “huddle” as we discuss what’s in the news now, and more importantly, practical tips and tools for as many aspects of this pandemic as we can cover. In this episode, we discuss how all of us can stay safe, think through contingency plans, and have crucial conversations with our family members and others as we all practice unprecedented social distancing. What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future COVID-19 conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask Background from our kick-off to this series, episode 159: With so much happening daily in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward. When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/161 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Don’t buy in to the fear / media hype” is something I’ve heard more than once this week. No matter how calm you are staying (or not) there is no doubt our lives are already significantly impacted by the spread and precautions around coronavirus, far beyond fear itself. I feel an urgency to keep this conversation going, with real-time content that addresses what’s going on around us, particularly at the intersection of mind, body, and business (my website mission in 2013-2014 before I started this podcast). Acting like nothing is happening and it’s all just “business as usual” strikes me as out of touch, and certainly not Truth While It’s Fresh (a JBE team value). It’s not business as usual for any of us, and I don’t have to tell you that. There are very real impacts we are all navigating daily. For that reason, I have scrapped or postponed several already-scheduled episodes, and am going to release podcasts more frequently for this series, Pivoting Around a Pandemic. This is something unique in most of our lives — the shuttering of broadway, sports, schools, businesses, — not to mention travel bans, self-quarantine, and the very real possibility our family members or we could get sick before year’s end. This episode is for solopreneurs, but I’ll be doing a range that speak to entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and parents throughout the series. For full show notes from this episode, visit http://pivotmethod.com/160 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With so much happening in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward. When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well. In this episode, we discuss how entrepreneurs, leaders and organizations can transition from fear and anxiety toward calm, measured action and experiments. How can we know what actions to take? We can’t. These times require responsiveness, vulnerability, transparency, releasing perfectionism, and a willingness to be far more innovative and creative than we have in the past. Michael and I talk about how to shift from victim to hero, how to quiet internal concerns, and small daily actions to focus on—as well as what organizations and entrepreneurs can we learn from each other during “Black Swan” events like these. This is a wide-ranging, imperfect, in-the-moment response so we could at least start the conversation around how to maintain business continuity while Pivoting around a pandemic, primarily for people in information-based roles and industries — and both of us are open to an ongoing series on this topic if/as you find it helpful! Feel free to submit follow-up questions for a future episode at http://pivotmethod.com/ask. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/159. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Pivot Podcast is a field report from seeing one of my heroes live! I attended Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour: Your Life in Focus in Brooklyn in early February, and I was so curious going into this event that I thought you might like to hear about the experience and key takeaways. Oprah is inviting a different headliner from each stop on the tour (ours was Michelle Obama), so if you want a peek into other cities and guests, listen to her Super Soul Conversations podcast — she’s had equally wonderful conversations with Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and more. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/158. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What kind of company are you building (or working for)? Are you optimizing for chaos or for calm? One of my favorite books from recent years as it relates to company culture — even if you're a culture of one (or one+) — is It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy At Work, by Basecamp co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. Jason and David aim for a calm company, so every chapter (and business area) is about asking the question: How do we create calm? How do we choose calm? This episode is preview lesson from my—totally free!—mini-course, Free-up Founder Time. I cover strategies for time blocking and content batching, and walk you through exactly how I set-up my schedule each week (knowing that life and work never go perfectly to plan). After you listen, register for the course here — in 15 short actionable lessons, I cover topics like content batching, time blocking, getting ready for your big break, courage cookies, luck trucks, and a whole lot more. Each lesson as a combination of helpful tools, templates, podcast episodes, and book recommendations also available in audio format (most are 5-10 minutes long) for learning on the go. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/157. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m so excited to share this week’s Pivot conversation with one of my longtime friends and most important mentors, Michael Bungay Stanier. We talk about tipping points, preparing for TED Talks, and transitioning out of the CEO role from the company he founded nearly 20 years ago, Box of Crayons. We are also celebrating the launch of his latest brilliant book, The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious, and Change the Way You Lead Forever. To enroll in free upcoming workshops on the Pivot Method as a coaching for managers, mentors, and leaders, visit PivotMethod.com/live. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/156. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode was recorded while on the road, preparing to speak at the International Monetary Fund to help them kick-off new career programs for 2020 (an honor!). Thankful for a quiet hotel room all to myself in the midst of puppy-training (semi)chaos, I stacked a call with my attorney for a licensing contract, then recorded this interview and two solo shows — true to this week’s topic of navigating life as a professional speaker! Grant and I discuss guidance from his new book, The Successful Speaker: Simple Steps to Make a Living Off Your Message, on everything from pricing, to outreach, to navigating life on the road. Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/155. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s solo episode, we have the two-month report from the puppy training trenches! Michael and I brought Ryder home December 8, our little angel-in-a-fur-coat — aka the pup-pup. Take one look at his 8-week old cuteness in the photo gallery below and you'll understand why! For inquiring minds, he's a German Shepherd—albeit a tiny one in the early photos, he has doubled in size in just two months. As our neighbors tell us daily (we make so many friends now!), "Look at those paws! He's gonna be BIIIIIG!" 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/154 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2007, while working within Sheryl Sandberg’s Online Sales and Operations organization at Google, I received a coaching session that changed my life. This was before the word coaching (and careers revolving around it) was ubiquitous outside of the sports arena. In this episode I share more about how that one session helped spark an entire movement that’s still alive within Google today: an internal “drop-in” coaching program—to make coaching accessible, easy to sign up for, and free—for all employees at all levels of the company. I’ll dive into the big themes and mechanics of how to set this up if you’re hoping to run a pilot within your organization. That first coach, Erik, in just two sessions also inspired me to attend coach training myself in 2008, restart my (at the time) sleeping website Life After College, and gave me hope that I could be an author someday . . . and the rest is history :) Shoutout to Denny Clark for submitting the Listener Q&A that inspired this episode! Learn more about Pivot Programs at PivotMethod.com/companies » 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/153 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is another one of my favorite formats, just two new (soul) friends shooting the breeze in what we’ve dubbed a “podcast tango” :) Given that we both have podcasts, we decided to just hit record and do this joint conversation, neither of us officially interviewing the other. I hope you enjoy this conversation jam with insta-BFF Kristoffer “KC” Carter (shout-out to our mutual mensch mentor Jonathan Fields who introduced us!), whose new podcast This Epic Life is one I know you’ll also love. We deepen our budding BFF-ship and discuss the BIG topics of life—including death, dips, permission to shine, business pivots, his yogic and meditation practices, and much more. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/152 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly McGonigal joins us this week to kick-off 2020 with a candid conversation on why movement is integral to our happiness and our humanity. Learn how to harness the power of authentic, joyful movement to create meaning and connection that goes far beyond the way we look or what the scale reads. And for those of you in the NYC area, join us this week, Thursday January 9, for Jumpstart Joy 2020: a LIVE Pivot Podcast and celebration of Kelly’s book launch, with dancing and Nia movement! Learn more and get tickets (which includes a signed copy of the book) at http://pivotmethod.com/joy. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/151 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is a special behind-the-scenes preview from my live monthly Pivot Insider community Q&A call. In our December call (last one of the decade!) I shared my favorite things Oprah-style, why I launch everything in an “imperfect,” incomplete state, my go-to workouts from home, and questions submitted from the group on side hustles and staying motivated. Enjoy more intimate conversations like this one? Pivot Podcast is listener supported—consider donating to become a Pivot Insider at just $8/mo and you’ll get access to a private monthly Q&A call on Zoom in real-time, and the chance to submit questions in advance even when you can’t make it live. You’ll also get instant access to over six months of archives and special bonuses, including the two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/150 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Simms and I have been traveling parallel Pivot paths for a while now — nearly a decade of tracking each other’s work, but finally for the first time speaking live, 1:1! Of course we hit it off as fast friends, as we discuss ageism, passion vs. purpose, and working through insecurities when navigating career pivots. Laura is an expert in meaningful work who challenges conventional wisdom by asking people to ditch their passions and start with purpose. She’s the creator of Your Career Homecoming, a celebrated career change program that helps people discover the meaningful work that’s right for them. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/149 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Penney & Jenny Show is back! The latest installment (PJ Show #11!) answers a listener Q&A about pivoting out of toxic situations at work. Penny and I discuss how we evaluate when to stay vs. go, discerning normal ups and downs from true toxicity, and the highest emotional state that acts as a tuning fork and compass to pull you forward into a new direction and a new lease on life. Enjoying the podcast and want to support the show? Become a Pivot Insider for as little as $8 each month and get access to a live monthly Q&A call—you’ll get six months of archived calls, a slew of bonus resources, including a two-hour Upgrade Your Energy workshop. Our next call is Wednesday, January 8—join now as a powerful way to kick-off this next decade! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/148 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To help you kick-off the new year in style and soul-aligned next steps, I’m back with my annual Set Your Pivot Strategy episode! New and improved with the best resources and reflection questions to help you explore a powerful vision for 2020 :) I encourage you to get out a pen and paper for this one—yes, analog-style—and pause frequently to journal for as long as you’d like on each prompt. Go big! Go for quantity, not quality, and don’t censor yourself or worry yet about whether or not what you are envisioning is possible—the time for that will come later.  When you think you’re done writing, keep going! That just means you’ve gotten your most obvious ideas down. Pushing through the pauses is where you create breakthroughs, and every time you sit with a question you’ve never heard before, you are creating new neural pathways in the brain.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/147 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating online courses does not require huge investment in time or money. Although they certainly can cost tens of thousands of dollars to produce, with professional video editing and branding, they don't have to. In fact, my favorite way to create and launch a course is with my future students! This follows agile design principles (check out the agile manifesto here). The goal is developing rapidly, with frequent input from key stakeholders, not building so much behind-the-scenes that what you’re working on becomes out-of-date or out of touch with what your audience and potential future students actually need. I this episode, I break down all the details on how I love launching and creating courses. You can also read a summary of the steps on this page of the Pivot website. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/146 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re attempting any creative or business endeavor, you know that it’s one of the great personal development journeys a person can undertake. Dips, mood drops, discouragement, disillusionment — these are all natural byproducts of forging new territory and taking on the vulnerability and uncertainty that come with creating anything new in the world. John Jantsch is one of my longtime business mentors-from-afar, someone I’m now lucky to call a friend. In his latest book, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: 366 Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business, he combines timeless transcendentalist wisdom with his three decades of entrepreneurial time-in-the-trenches. I hope you enjoy this conversation on luck, pivoting, and the spiritual side of business-building. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/257 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with the latest listener Q&A! This round is on a podcast listener success story (and mentors-from-afar), as well as a great question from Mark on how to deal with so much sitting throughout the work day. As always, if you’d like to submit for a future round, leave me a brief voice note at PivotMethod.com/ask. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/144 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We don’t even need to talk about the new book,” Neil said as we started our Skype call, while I thumbed through the dog-eared, underlined, and marked-up pages of the You Are Awesome galley. Ooh, fun! Knowing I have a tendency to focus too much on the paper artifact in front of me while interviewing authors, rather than what’s True and present in the moment, I decided to chuck all my potential questions and just shoot the breeze with a longtime blog-friend (February marks our ten year friendiversary!). Neil was on the Pivot Podcast in the early days (check out 44: Want Nothing, Have Everything: The Happiness Equation with Neil Pasricha), and that episode has been a long-time listener favorite. I think you’re going to love this unfiltered, unplanned conversation every bit as much! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/143 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Given the “mutation of television’s DNA” that reporter Jonah Weiner describes in his fantastic New York Times Magazine article, The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV, there is much we can learn about where the creative economy is heading, how to stand out, and how to Pivot your own creative projects. This article is so juicy—so jam-packed with insights into where TV is heading that parallels publishing, podcasting and product creation—that I couldn’t resist jumping on the mic to do a point-by-point analysis of how they might apply to our own creative projects in this experimental episode. The article—and what we’re going to dive into together—spans a fascinating swath of topics that I’ll help unpack. Everything from prestige content versus quick bites, hyper-abundance and the atmosphere of plentitude, infinite possibilities, unpredictability, celebrating fringe, “great-ish” and the golden age of good enough, quiet time meetings, licensing versus original content, hoarding, the great reclamation of content, perceived barriers to entry, and preserving storytelling. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/142 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been a big fan of Marianne’s writing, Be a Free Range Human, since my earliest days as a solopreneur; and in fact, she crossed my radar when my blog was just a budding baby side-hustle, but we hadn’t connected in real-time until this conversation. A longtime advocate for going your own way in life and work, Marianne shares where many solopreneurs go wrong: leaving a suffocating, one-size-fits-all corporate environment just to feel equally penned in by a box of their own making with shoulds from the self-employment space. In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify your Free Range Style, and why it is a big blind spot for many entrepreneurs. In fact, it’s one of the biggest detriments to the health and success of your business to go against your Free Range Style, even though many best practices would have you inadvertently doing just that! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/141 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does horse whispering have in common with entrepreneurship? More than you might think; unless you are already running your own show and know exactly how fickle taming a wild new business can be! I loved this conversation with Eileen Kenney on her trials as a single mom building a business, her resilience in the face of dips and defeat, her obsession with horses, and how she navigates every next phase with joy, grace, and perseverance. If you enjoy this conversation, check out another one of my all time favorite Pivot podcasts, The Soul of an Octopus—Exploring Animal Consciousness with Sy Montgomery. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/140 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick reminder! Doors close for Momentum Enrollment on Tuesday, October 15 — learn more and enroll at PivotMethod.com/Momentum if you’re looking for super smart systems and strategies to design your ideal six-figure business in 2020 and beyond :) This week’s episode is another fun Podcast Row conversation, and this time I got to geek out on two topics I haven’t talked much about publicly: one of the first personal development books I read in my early twenties that changed the trajectory of my life, business, and finances—and real estate! With a brother in commercial real estate, I’m often having walk-and-talks on these topics with him whenever we’re in the same city, so I think you’ll enjoy this conversation with Erik Cabral. Listen closely, as he also shares a fantastic podcast pro tip for those of you who have your own shows! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/139 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are a heart-based business owner, and you want to learn how to earn twice as in half the time, with ease and joy while serving the highest good, then I invite you to join us as an official Momentum Member! Visit http://PivotMethod.com/Momentum to learn more about my private community for side-hustlers and solopreneurs, and how we can support you with systems and strategies to build your ideal six- (or seven!) figure business in 2020 and beyond. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/138 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever experience “design block” or personal branding BLEGH when you think about how to present yourself and your business online? If so, you are not alone! That makes at least two of us :) You are going to love this episode with brand strategist Kaye Putnam on authentic expression, the 12 brand archetypes, and why sometimes understanding our own brand is like reading a label from the inside of a jar—and what to do about it. Kaye believes that when you have a clear brand, your clients love, respect, and are willing to pay premium prices for your work—which gives you the clarity and confidence to scale your impact and income. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/137 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes the Audio Gods just do not shine upon you, and that’s what happened during this super fun experimental interview with my brilliant friend Charlie Gilkey! My mic is “hot” (aka way too loud), but I hope you’ll forgive me and listen anyway, as Charlie shares SO. MUCH. GOLD!! We even go into “extreme coaching” mode together at the end, as we discuss topics from his new book, Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done. A bit more backstory: we piloted a book club within Momentum for the first time this month, where MoMo’ers were on the podcast interview live with us on mute, then after my interview we opened it up for Q&A and coaching with Charlie. We cover all kinds of topics ranging from his Five Projects Rule, The Project Pyramid, comparisitis, creative constipation (LOL!), his awesome Momentum planning strategy, and pricing our services as a small business owner. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/136 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a verrrry special guest this week in honor of his big birthday month, and that’s my dad—Jim Blake! He happened to be in town visiting on a day that I was participating in Podcast Row, an all-day podcasting extravaganza at Stand-up New York. My first guest had a last-minute emergency and had to bow out, so with no notice I pulled my dad onto the main stage and interviewed him about his books, his music, his creative process, and what he calls “mouth management.” We had so much fun! If you've enjoyed either of my two books it's in large part thanks to his expert editing, content discussions, and ongoing inspiration—so I can’t wait for you to get to know him better through this week’s episode :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/135 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When you witness a dark thought – you witness it, and love it. You love your dark thoughts. The witness is part of the soul, and the soul loves everything.” —Ram Dass from “Dark Thoughts” with East Forest In this episode, East Forest joins us to discuss his latest album, Ram Dass, and his time in Maui to record these exclusive new teachings from an enlightened master. After capturing Dass’ words of wisdom, East Forest returned to his studio to compose this incredible soundtrack to beautifully support each songs’ subject. Together we explore themes like balancing guru worship with finding wisdom within, music as soul medicine, infinite existence, and creative expression. You know, the good stuff :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/134 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can I earn twice as much in half the time, with joy and ease, while serving the highest good for all involved? This is one of the central questions in my solo+preneur-based business, one that builds a habit (okay, okay, obsession) of looking for simple systems and strategies to help free our time, mind, and money. This episode is preview lesson from my new—totally free!—mini-course, Free-up Founder Time. I cover strategies for time blocking and content batching, and walk you through exactly how I set-up my schedule each week (knowing that life and work never go perfectly to plan). I define Founder Time as time that you dedicate to working on your business, as the owner of the whole operation. Ideally, you schedule it for your most creative windows—when you feel energized to do your best work.   📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/133 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book, The Making of a Manager: What To Do When Everyone Looks To You, author Julie Zhuo takes us back to the childhood lemonade stand in a way that flipped a major “aha” lightbulb switch for me. As the founder of a budding business, you might be the best at making lemonade, or at least think you are, even as you hire helpers to (wo)man the stand. But if you only ever make lemonade you’ll only be serving an additive role in your business. Instead, if you hire a small team and teach them how to make the lemonade, even if they’re not quite as skilled as you at first, you’ll be serving a multiplicative role. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/132 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the difference between distraction and traction? Why don’t we do the things that we know we should do? And how can we learn from techniques that tech companies use to hook us into their products in order to redirect our attention toward what we really want to be, do, and create in the world? Nir Eyal and I discuss these topics and more in this week’s podcast conversation based on his new book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. He also outlines the four steps of the Indistractable model: master internal triggers, make time for traction, hack back external triggers, and prevent distraction with pacts. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/131 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week kicks off a new Listener Q&A feature of the podcast, but before we dive in: I would love to hear from you! Yes, you. As a listener, you might think as a listener I’m getting lots of submissions already, but that’s not the case—things like this always take some momentum to get going. So drop me a voice note at http://pivotmethod.com/ask and share a challenge you’re facing or something you’re curious about, and I'll share my thoughts along with a BookRx: a book prescription of two or three books that have been helpful for me in that area. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/130 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we hesitate when it comes to being more of ourselves? In this episode, which happens to be released on Penney’s birthday (woohoo!) we discuss why we fears and limitations that hold us back from our fullest expression. In this conversation, we talk about the cultural pressure to fit in, self-entertainment as spiritual practice, setting big goals and going too big or too small, willingness to be a “misfit,” why transparency attracts more joyful friendships, and what’s behind comparison to others—how noticing a quality in someone else means that you have that quality somewhere within you. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/129 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine landing in a country and not allowing yourself to speak your native language even once (for many Pivot Podcast listeners that’s English), even with your roommates or fellow travelers. You’d be diving into the deep end, but you’d integrate FAR more quickly and effectively than if you took the “pop out of the bubble” approach, of only speaking the second language when you’re comfortable, thus never truly gaining traction. As Scott Young, author of Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career, describes it — the bubble method is the equivalent of getting cold water splashed into your face every day and never having a chance to adapt. That’s the difference between most approaches to learning and ultralearning, which he defines as stretching outside of the limits where you feel comfortable through strategic, intense, self-directed programs. In this episode, Scott walks us through several of his 9 principles that underlie ultralearning: metalearning (Draw a map), focus (sharpen your knife), directness (go straight ahead), drill (attack your weakest point), retrieval (test to learn), feedback (don’t dodge the punches), retention (don’t fill a leaky bucket), intuition (dig deep before building up), experimentation (explore outside your comfort zone). 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/128 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as Michael woke up and gave me the “what have I done?!” look after launching his latest project @LifeOfALebaneseArtist on Instagram just 24 hours prior, I knew we had a juicy creative gem on our hands. I also knew that he was experiencing what so many of us do when we release a put-yourself-out-there post or project—a major vulnerability hangover! All the more reason to talk about it, of course, especially in keeping with my new intention of truth while it’s fresh :) I love seeing someone so enraptured by an idea that they stay up all night to work on it, and that’s exactly what Michael had done. He zipped through conception to launch of his hilarious (and deep!) meme project in a mere few hours, all with joy and ease—clear signals that he was onto a new soul goal endeavor. He’s now one month in, and continues to wake up excited every day bursting with ideas and ways to develop it further. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/127 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode comes fresh off the heels of a two-day strategy sprint that my team and I ran to tackle our biggest business frogs.  One commitment we made at the end was to “share truth while it's fresh” — with delightful specificity and crazy-smart systems — so that’s what I’m doing! This is a behind-the-scenes peek at what we're building (and how) during my “JB 3.0 Business Renaissance,” in as real-time as we can. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/126 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Penney and I are back in action, with the 9th (!) installment of our Penney & Jenny show. If you missed last week’s episode (#124) on liminal space and embracing the in-between, check it out here. This is installment is all about discriminating truth, just rightness, and making good choices. How do you trust your truth and anxiety signals? How do you know when it's time to Pivot? What's the difference between authenticity, honesty, and humility versus hiding, avoidance, and apathy?  As poet David Whyte says, some beautiful questions need to be lived. We explore how the body is the first level of knowing in the physical world, and how we can better trust and tune into our bodies to know if something is true or not. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/125 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Penney and I are back in action, with the 8th (!!) installment of our Penney & Jenny show. This week we dive into why it can be so difficult to embrace liminal space, also known as a transitional state of “in-between.” Penney equates the liminal space to the time when a caterpillar has created and entered the cocoon, but has not transitioned into a butterfly. It is the space in which we are given the chance to rest, reset, and recharge before moving into the next phase. It sounds lovely when put that way, so why do we often want to rush the process? Tune into this episode to learn all about why hindering the liminal state is like fighting a tidal wave, and why taking the time to stop is so important to your life, brain, and success. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/124 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m baaaaaack! Did you miss me? I sincerely apologize for (unintentionally) ghosting out on you. I hit a (Pivot) point of total overload and overwhelm with some BIG personal updates on school and my love life (you’ll have to listen in to get the full deets!). All while mid-way through second semester at seminary, moving to a new home in Manhattan, and traveling every week for speaking busy season this spring. Spotting burnout potential (I know it a mile away), and after hitting a clear decision fork-in-the-road, I gave myself permission to pause on non-essentials. Unfortunately that included the podcast and #PivotList newsletter! But what looked like a plateau from the outside (seeing as I haven’t released a new show in six months) sparked a mega-business renaissance on the inside. On Friday, July 5 I celebrate my eighth (!!) year of solopreneurship, and I’m getting ready to take things up to a whole new level of joy, revenue, meaning, momentum, and systems-ninjary. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/123 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the hidden costs of digital clutter? How can we counter screen addiction and phantom phone vibrations? We explore these topics in this episode with Cal Newport as we discuss his new book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Cal Newport is a familiar voice on the Pivot Podcast and back by popular demand! On our first episode we discussed deep work—the increasingly important deliberate practice of focused work, especially in a world of cognitive junk. Now we turn to digital minimalism: applying a just enough mindset to our personal technology, freeing ourselves from the overwhelm, distraction, and “fear of missing out” side effects of the always-connected world. Or as Cal quotes Bill Maher from May 2017: “Likes is the new smoking . . . Philip Morris just wanted your lungs, The App Store wants your soul.”  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/122 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody knows the daily grind of competition and mental game better than athletes and coaches. Today I’m thrilled to share a conversation with basketball and performance coach Alan Stein Jr. on how we can apply these hard-fought principles to building better businesses. Alan first blew me away with his networking skills — he joined a private group we’re both part of and quickly became an integral member, after I’d been mostly wall-flowering as the hidden introvert that I am. We talk about his strategies for building relationships and ditching unhelpful compare-and-despair for mindsets that are far more helpful and empowering. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/121 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the difference between affirmations that feel fake and those that actually work? How can you move your body in a way that also transforms your mind? What falls under the category of spiritual bypassing versus actual transformation? Join me for a conversation with one of my favorite New York friends, Erin Stutland, as we discuss her new book: Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want through Mindful Movement. Happy happy new year everyone! I’m thrilled to be jumpstarting the podcast again with this episode :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/120 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I get up to speed in my first semester at Union Theological Seminary, I’m re-launching a few of my favorite podcast episodes from four years of archives: I hope you enjoy some of these oldies but goodies, particularly if you missed them the first time around! Here’s a conversation I loved with Cal Newport from April 2016. When was the last time you were in the zone?There’s nothing I love more than working with time flying. The sun rises and sets and I barely notice because I’m so engrossed in my work. Cal Newport calls this deep work, and says that contrary to what many assume, it is a skill, not a habit. That means it takes deliberate practice, and is a cognitive muscle that can atrophy with disuse—something we are all prone to as we get sucked into network tools like social media and email. I loved this conversation and I know you will too! Enjoy  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Vanderkam is a productivity tour de force: she has written four books in the last several years, launched a podcast, and given talks all over the country—all while running a household with her husband and four children. I’d tell you that I truly don’t know how she does it, except that she already wrote a book to answer that question called, what else, I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time. One of my other favorites was her runaway bestseller among the Fast Company crowd, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings--and Life. The focus of this week’s podcast conversation is her newest book, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. Laura reveals the counterintuitive principles the most time-free people have adopted, and teaches mindset shifts to help you feel calm on the busiest days. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/119 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Welcome to Holy Hogwarts,” my fellow first-year Ariel said to me with a smile, as I walked through the Union campus entrance into the school’s small courtyard for my first day of orientation. I was grateful for his warmth and levity, a brief reprieve from my nerves about what to expect from my classes and fellow students. After those three days of orientation I felt like I was on a rickety, upward-climbing rollercoaster, ticking up toward a crescendo before the rush of adrenaline and momentum to follow from the big drop. Am I making a huge mistake? I wondered. Will I fit in here? What if I can’t juggle school, work, speaking travel, and the new commute? Did I really think this through enough? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/118 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I had the great fortune of sitting behind Marcus Glover on a bus ride to Wallkill Prison for a Defy Ventures business mentoring day, and time flew as we talked about everything from him teaching yoga and meditation at Rikers, to criminal justice work, to his mission of funding minority-owned businesses through disruptive venture capital.  I can’t wait for you to listen in on this conversation and get your own powerful dose of Marcus magic! You’ll hear about his passion for well-told stories, practicing empathy (rather than the misguided savior complex), cultural competency around dismantling privilege, and much more. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/117 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you getting sucked into endless scrolling in Infinity Pools like email, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook? It's okay, we all do. We all know these apps are designed to be addictive. After all, tech is the only industry other than drugs that calls its customers "users."  It's so easy to look back on the day and wonder, "Where on earth did the time go?!" We've drained ourselves of all energy and yet often come up empty, feeling we have nothing to show for it. At least I'll speak for myself and say that's how I feel when inadvertently taking a ride on what John Zeratsky calls the "Busy Bandwagon." 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/116 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Rufino is a social worker and audio engineer who works with adults with developmental disabilities and their families. However, even the term "developmental disability" or "intellectual disability" is becoming a misnomer. Mark is part of a growing movement of people who believe it's time we upgrade our old way of thinking "that we need to fix you to fit into our society." The term neurodiversity is growing in popularity, and implies that there is no “normal” way of thinking and “autistic” way of thinking, for example; we are all wired to do different things. I think you'll love this conversation around exploring what's behind behavior, Mark's emphasis on deeper listening (in surprising and novel ways), and his reference to a book that states "the opposite of anxiety is not calm, it’s trust.” 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/115 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is one of my favorite interviews, and a conversation that is crucial for understanding and revealing the hidden influences that shape many of our views on society, wealth and power. I have heard terms like white privilege (which applies to me), but I hadn't thought to look into the notion of invisible privilege until earlier this year. You may think it doesn't apply to you (as I used to), especially if you're not in the "Top 1%." 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/114 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many of us are on a seekers journey—looking for greater knowledge, wisdom, healing, insight and transformation. And may even the ever-elusive holy grail of enlightenment, whatever that means. If you ask me, I believe we have three primary purposes on this planet: to learn, to love and to serve. And of course, to enjoy life along the way :)  Daniel Aaron is a fascinating fellow seeker who describes his own journey as guided by a divine power, as he explores all variety of mystical and practical practices and shares them with thousands of others through yoga, sangha (community), and coaching. His mission is "to bring in a new era, where the new-normal is love and truth – kindness, authenticity and radiance – for all beings, of every species." I hope you enjoy the this week's conversation!  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/113 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am beyond lucky to have the brilliant Petra Kolber as one of my best friends in New York City, and just delighted to celebrate her book launch this week!! It's been a long journey, and one that forced her to confront the very message of her book: overcoming the inner critic and imposter syndrome because "the world needs your voice, not your perfect silence." As I wrote in the show notes for our first Pivot Podcast interview in January 2017, Petra just radiates joy and truly walks her talk. When she enters a room, it lights all the way up with her positivity, passion for life and joie de vivre. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/112 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the best parts of having this podcast is who I am fortunate to cross paths with, and the ongoing surprise of who reaches out to me. Some of you may remember when I was falling out of my chair (or rather, the closet that doubles as podcasting studio) to interview one of my favorite musicians, Trevor Hall. Well, one of the best side outcomes was getting to know his team better, Tim and Isabelle at N3W LEVEL Management. We met in-person for the first time earlier this summer, and the hours flew by! Instant kindred spirits and friends for life :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/111 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I love serendipitous podcast guest recruiting. This one starts over coffee with my longtime blog-turned-IRL friend Rachael King, who recently founded a company called PodPeople to connect new shows with creative teams. When I told her about themes I had been exploring on the Pivot Podcast she said, "You HAVE to talk to Jonathan Parks-Ramage." She had just helped produce a new podcast for Medium where he read his article aloud, Jesus, Mary and Joe Jonas: A Journey Into LA's Hippest Evangelical Church. I was captivated by his story, and by his intention to research and write about topics at the intersection of faith, LGBTQ advocacy and the entertainment industry. A man after my own unique pivot intersection heart!  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/110 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm sharing some big personal pivot news in this week's solo episode . . . I am starting a two year Masters program at Union Theological Seminary this fall! It's a partner school to Columbia here in New York City, and if it seems to come out of the blue for you, don't worry—it did for me too! I got the idea, applied and accepted in a matter of weeks earlier this Spring. It seems fitting to share now, given that my 7-year solopreneurship anniversary was just yesterday — I'm looking forward to seeing where these next two years take me :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/109 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm delighted to bring you the seventh (!) episode in a side series of this podcast we affectionately call the Penney & Jenny show :) It's a growing set of conversations with one of my dear friends and mentors (friendtors), Penney Peirce. We had so much fun during our first interview together that we added a second . . . which became a third . . . and so on, until it was a regular feature on the Pivot Podcast!  This week we're riffing on the intersection of spirituality and small business—how we apply intuition, transparency, non-physical realms, and personal practices toward business-building, attracting clients, and earning a living in a way that feels easeful and joyful. You can check out all of our interviews here, and for easier listening, tune in on our SoundCloud playlist.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/108 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm so grateful to Brooke Siem for opening up and sharing her story with us this week. Not only is she a woman of many talents (ballerina! chef! Chopped champion! bakery owner! crossfitter! writer!), Brooke has spent the last two years sober. Sober from medications that doctors, the assumed authority figures of her life, had been prescribing for the last fifteen years and an estimated 30,000 pills. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/107 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was love at first listen when I first heard Mandy Harvey perform at a fundraiser for Erik Weinenmayer's No Barriers summit coming up here in New York City in October. Erik, a previous guest on the Pivot Podcast (Turning Pain Into Purpose: Blind Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer on Kayaking the Grand Canyon, Climbing Everest and Building No Barriers), said Mandy was a must-meet, and he was right. Her performance was exquisite, and I was mesmerized by her signing while singing and sharing her inspiring story with the audience.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/106 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contrary to popular belief that trolling for a new job or client is the drag of all drags, a process that should be hurried through as quickly as possible, Dev Ajula believes our careers can be avenues for inquiry. His book, 50 Ways to Get a Job has a hidden curriculum that stretches so far beyond the job-search, and is relevant to everyone, including entrepreneurs. “Our careers and the questions they answer are lifelong pursuits,” Dev says. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/105 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bennington and I have been on parallel pivot paths since we first connected online in 2011. So imagine my surprise when I was searching on Google images for a visual depiction of the word "Grace." I downloaded my favorite and lo and behold, it was pointing to Emily's site! She had set-upa landing page informing readers about her new direction: teaching others to live and lead with grace, based upon her interpretations of the Course in Miracles as it applies to work and careers 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/104 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Clover has a powerful story to share about pivoting her mindset from one of self-flagellation and control toward acceptance and flexibility in body, mind and spirit. After battling for years with eating disorders, depression and a failed suicide attempt in a fitness industry that grew increasingly oppressive, she now teaches people how to build strength from the inside out. In her own words: I know what it’s like to look in the mirror and hate who’s looking back, to feel like you have no control whatsoever over your mind or your life, to feel like you’re so broken that you’re beyond healing. I’ve struggled with clinical depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and eating disorders throughout my entire life. In fact, they almost killed me. I hit rock bottom in 2005 when I was hospitalized on suicide watch.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/103 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is pivoting just a way of rebranding failure as NYT writer Jacob Silverman would have us believe? I say no way José. In fact, pivots are often a product of our success. As I shared in the #PivotList newsletter I wrote in response to Silverman's somewhat snarky article, Silicon Valley start-ups do tend to talk about pivoting in response to their initial strategy failing. Or in the case of Ross from Friends, when a couch just won't fit around a tight corner :)  But the fact is that nothing in business is as stable as it was even ten years ago, and companies (and leaders) of all shapes and sizes are required to navigate micro-changes much more frequently than in the past. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/102 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When exploring a branch of highly evolved animal consciousness that evolved in parallel (and completely separate) from our own, Sy Montgomery is sure of one thing: “If I have a soul, an octopus does too.” If you want even the tiniest dose of confirmation, try to keep your eyes dry while watching this octopus thank its rescuer in a two-minute video that has garnered 11 million views and counting: releasing a stranded octopus. (If you have more time, Amazing Octopus: Most Intelligent Animal on Earth is a must-watch too!)  I am over-the-moon to bring you this week's interview with Sy, who became an instant soul-friend the moment we started talking. I'm in awe of her career as a naturalist writing about and befriending pigs, tigers, dolphins, hyenas, and now octopuses (not octopi as many assume for plural form!) around the world. I love her passion for animals, and the heart with which she shares their beautiful stories and spirits.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/101 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks a big milestone for the Pivot Podcast, as we celebrate the 100th episode! This has been more than three years in the making, from the show's early scrappy beginnings in late 2014 when I got the book deal for Pivot, to when I started publishing weekly in earnest in 2015. Podcasting is a labor of love, but the biggest surprises for me have come from the priceless benefits: connecting more deeply with my author heroes, with all of you who are here listening, and learning every day along the way.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/100 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although many of us aspire to rewarding morning routines (and enjoy geeking out on the best of what others come up with), on some days just getting out of bed is a victory. To this end, one of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Spall and Michael Xander's new book, My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired, comes from Ana Marie Cox, a political columnist and culture critic. Cox says, "When you come up with a morning routine, understand that you’re undertaking it in order to do something good for yourself, not to meet some stranger’s standard of productivity." 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Wang knows a thing or two about being an underdog. Growing up as an only child of two immigrant parents living through poverty and abuse, he knows all too well the challenges of overcoming obstacles to transform generational legacies of poverty, crime, and violence. I had the great pleasure of meeting him earlier this year at a mentoring night for Defy Ventures, an organization that teaches entrepreneurship to men and women with criminal histories to help "transform their hustle." (Find a volunteer opportunity near you here!) Jason's radiance, joy and contagious positive energy blew me away. And then I heard his powerful comeback story and knew I had to share it with all of you. But first, a little context about what brought me to that mentoring night . . .  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/98 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although it wouldn't be like him to take much (if any) credit, Fred Kofman changed the trajectory of my life. This week I got the privilege of thanking him, live on the Pivot Podcast.  A little backstory: In 2006, while working at Google on the training team under Sheryl Sandberg’s Online Sales & Operations organization, I was fortunate to participate in a three-day immersion called Conscious Business, based on a book by visionary leader, teacher, and thinker Fred Kofman. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/97 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have always been curious about solopreneurs who choose to stay small, like me. Seven years into running my own business, I still deliberately choose not to scale in a way that requires hiring any full-time employees or buy too much added infrastructure, to support two of my biggest business values of freedom and agility. But that doesn't mean that I exclude higher earnings as a necessary byproduct. My business mantras: optimize for revenue and joy, look for ways to earn twice as much in half the time (with ease and with even greater impact), and let it be easy, let it be fun. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/96 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Swoboda believes that "courage can absolutely be cultivated,” just as we improve other skills with habit-building principles in mind. The problem is that sometimes we apply the cue-routine-reward to our fears instead. We get triggered, fall into familiar patterns, then gloss over it with a reward that's a pale replacement for what our heart really wants. What's the alternative? Listen to this week's Pivot Podcast conversation to learn Kate's four-step process for avoiding common fear routine traps—perfectionist, saboteur, martyr, or pessimist—and building your courage muscles instead.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/95 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a sunny, spring day in 2016 doctors told Keith McArthur his kidneys were about to fail.  Over the next 12 months they continued to break down, no longer able to filter toxins. Poisons built up in his body and brain. He began to feel sick and tired and confused. After a life-saving transplant from one of his sisters, and despite being a lifelong skeptic, Keith began "ingesting every self-help resource [he] could get [his] hands on." No longer convinced they were all "written by charlatans and mansplainers," he began a journey to discover how to truly live. As he writes in his new book, 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier, Happier You, “It’s not like I was unhappy before…but something was missing. Like most of us, I never really learned how to be human. No really. So, I made a decision to learn the skills I needed to finally own my life.” In this conversation, we cover Keith's powerful story and insights about life before and after almost dying from kidney failure, lessons from raising a child with severe mental and physical disabilities, how he listens to his body's signals more after the operation, and what it means to "permit the pivot." Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/podcast/keith-mcarthur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You all know how I love serendipity—well, this week's guest, Stanford professor and philanthropist Kathleen Kelly Janus, and I met in one of my favorite ways! Sitting next to each other on an airplane. Kathleen was traveling to New York City to meet with publishers to try to get a book deal, Pivot was about to come out, and I had known her agent Lisa DiMona for many years (she represented Seth Godin at the time I met him).  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/93 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is fear keeping you from doing? Is it worth it? Are you afflicted with an additional form of OCD, Obsessive Comparison Disorder? What are the pivotal plot points of your story, the triumphs and the tragedies? What sacrifices are you willing to make to honor your soul values? These are the powerful questions that my longtime friend Paul Angone asks and collects in his new book, 101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties. The book covers four categories that we also dive into on the podcast: adulting to win, careerish, relationshipping and finding your signature sauce. I love Paul's humility and humor, and I can't wait for you to see which of the questions we cover might just change your day, your week, or your life :)  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/92 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When my friend Elizabeth pivoted from time management author and coach to divine time management, her faith-based practice of "trusting God's loving plans for you," and with the release of her new book in November, I wanted to have her on the show. But I was nervous at the same time. Is it okay to put faith forward in business? On the podcast? I'm not Christian—would that adversely affect the interview? Would it be divisive in any way for listeners? Our culture prides a separation of church and state, but what about spirituality and business? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/91 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Pivot I ask what your sliding doors career/s might be: in a parallel universe, if time, money and judgement from others were not a factor, what other career paths could you see yourself taking? I play this game with friends even while going about life in New York, calling out alternate reality careers when I see them. For example, in one scenario I’m a book-color-coding consultant for wealthy people's personal libraries, traveling up and down Manhattan and beautifying their bookshelves.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/90 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"My father had been like a broom, constantly sweeping me out into the world, and my mother was like the dustpan gathering up the shattered pieces and rebuilding me, only to have my father sweep me out again."—Eric Weihenmayer, No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon This week's guest, Erik Weihenmayer, needs no introduction beyond his incredible life story and mission, and I cannot wait for you to meet him. Erik is an adventurer, author, activist and motivational speaker, who has also become a celebrated and accomplished athlete despite losing his vision at the age of 13.  " 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/89 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Ultimate freedom would mean having just enough money not to have to think about money, and not to have to work all the time.”—Artist Seth Price, F*ck Seth Price *Language warning for this week's episode if you have kiddos around! Per the book title above :)* I am so excited about this week's guest that I was at peak awkwardness during the interview, so please forgive a few choppy edits here and there! I normally don't edit "in line" for the Pivot pod to keep things as natural (and perfectly imperfect!) as possible, but in this case I cleaned up the recording for clarity and concision so that you could get the very best of Seth Price's brilliant mind and philosophy as a renowned multi-disciplinary visual artist.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/88 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! Penney Peirce and I continue our ongoing series based on her vast spiritual oeuvre—this time with the microphone tables turned. She's interviewing me as we dive deeper into past lives, alignment practices, saying no to "sexy shoulds," clearing one's personal field to contribute to collective energy healing, marketing and manifesting in an authentic way, and so much more. Be sure to check out Penney's new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, for which I was delighted and deeply honored to write the foreword :)  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/87 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're based in NYC or know someone who is, come to my workshop for reluctant writers on Saturday, February 24! Register at http://caveat.nyc/events and use promo code WRITENOW for $5 off.  Introducing BookRx! Submit Your Question for the Pivot Podcast I read anywhere from 5-10 books a month, and probably to a fault, I'm the friend that is always throwing out book recs or "cures" for issues that friends are experiencing. In this week's Grab Bag episode I pilot a brand new feature that I've had in mind for a while, called BookRx. It's a listener-submission format where I suggest non-fiction book "prescriptions" for what ails you or what you're most curious about—and riff on the benefits of awkwardness. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/86 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Mama well she told me time / is such a wonderful gift / You're not running out / You're really running in."—Lyrics to You Can't Rush Your Healing, by Trevor HallI am absolutely elated to bring you this week's guest—one of my favorite artists, singer/songwriter Trevor Hall. Trevor's divinely-guided music is infused with soul and spirit, and lifts me (and so many others) up who crave connection to meaningful lyrics and exquisite melodies. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/85 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Though trepidation has haunted me every step of this journey, I have a trusted force that I cannot see." —Michele Rigby Assad, Breaking Cover: My secret life in the CIA and what it taught me about what's worth fighting for When faced with life-or-death situations on a daily basis, Michele Rigby Assad knew she had to turn to something greater than herself for support. Drawn toward international affairs as a child obsessed with reading National Geographic, she later spent 10 years working undercover in the CIA, interrogating terrorists while stationed in the most dangerous war zones across the Middle East. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/84 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as I saw this New York Times feature story, As Overdose Deaths Pile Up, a Medical Examiner Quits the Morgue, I knew I had to have Dr. Thomas Andrew on the show. A shift from our typical author guest, Dr. Andrew is working on an incredible career pivot-in-progress. Upset by how many opioid deaths he observed after 20 years as a forensic pathologist (he performed over 5,800 autopsies in the morgue), Tom recently retired and is heading to divinity school so that he can counsel people in his community while they’re still alive. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/83 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Anxiety over being more innovative leads entrepreneurs to create solutions instead of problems. But what if you could use your intuition to identify an existing problem that’s begging for a solution?”—Bernadette Jiwa, Hunch: Turn Your Everyday Insights Into The Next Big ThingWhen Bernadette Jiwa’s little book that packs a big punch, Hunch, arrived in the mail, I immediately thought, “I wish I wrote that book!” But I’m thrilled that she did, because Bernadette’s beautiful heart shines through every page as she describes tools and stories to help you transform everyday insights into big ideas that make an impact. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/82 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Prosperity is not something we achieve, it's something we receive."—Jeffrey Shaw, author of LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business IrresistibleI had such a blast talking with Jeffrey Shaw for this week’s episode. He has been running his own photography and coaching business for over 33 years, including a podcast called Creative Warriors to help heart-centered entrepreneurs create, serve and be prosperous. We talk about how Jeffrey went from overlooked to overbooked, how to find, connect and speak to your ideal customers, and the energetics of business—how to tune-in to your intuition to guide strategy and next steps.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/81 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens after you pivot? In today’s episode I’m sharing the afterword I wrote for the paperback edition of Pivot, that I recently recorded for the audiobook version. That’s right, Pivot is on Audible, read by yours truly in case you want me to read to you as you cook, commute, clean, etc!  In this short audiobook snippet episode, I share a little bit about the audiobook recording process, then dive in to two post-pivot stages that you might have missed if you read (or listened) to the first edition of the book: the pilot derby and surfing the void. I also share an approach that helps me better navigate both: Don’t-Know Mind, from the Korean Zen tradition.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/80 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To help you kick-off the new year in style and soul-aligned next steps, I’m back with my annual Set Your Pivot Strategy episode—new and improved with the best resources and reflection questions I’ve got.  I encourage you to get out a pen and paper for this one—yes, analog-style—and pause frequently to journal for as long as you’d like on each prompt. Go big! Go for quantity, not quality, and don’t censor yourself or worry yet about whether or not what you’re envisioning is possible—the time for that will come later. When you think you’re done writing, keep going! That just means you’ve gotten your most obvious ideas down. Pushing through the pauses is where you create breakthroughs, and every time you sit with a question you’ve never heard before, you are creating new neural pathways in the brain.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/79 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I stopped following, bypassing my inner critic, knowing full well the future of my total physical and mental health was not dependent on Ms. Bendy Six Pack Von Instagram."—Andrea Owen, How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t Although it seems like the holidays should be nothing but rosy and bright, filled with gratitude and good cheer, sometimes being back in our home of origin (with family, longtime friends, and/or in-laws) can send us into a personal growth regression machine. In past years I’ve caught myself reverting to my worst habits—whether it’s using the tone of voice of a high-schooler, layering on guilt for not being my best self, or not taking care of myself in the ways I know that I need in order to recharge and stay sane amidst the extraversion and people-immersion this time of year. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/78 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As you board planes, trains and automobiles to head home (or adventuring) over the holidays, I'm sharing 21+ of my best travel tips, apps and tools—everything from preparing to booking to packing, to travel day and routines on the road.  Keynote speaking is one of my favorite ways to earn a living, and this year I took about 30 trips, or one every other week. In today’s episode I share the strategies, routines, apps, and products that keep me relatively healthy, happy and sane while traveling, and that help me recharge when my batteries are running low but I’m away from home. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/77 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Please remember that every person you love and admire—every author, every artist, every business owner, every luminary who seems to 'have it all together'—just remember that their story is filled with hundreds of awkward firsts, too." —Alexandra Franzen It was love at first read when I encountered Alexandra Franzen online, and it has been ever since. She's a delightful, talented, prolific writer and thinker who seems to always write just what I need to hear. I love how Alex has pivoted her business over the years, and she's someone I love looking toward for inspiration and insight. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/76 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The secret to predicting the future is to get better at understanding the present."—Rohit Bhargava, Non-Obvious 2018 Edition: How to Predict Trends and Win the Future I've always been fascinated by futurists and trend spotters (turns out the latter is a myth). How do they see trends coming before the rest of us? What are they doing to sift through the noise to extrapolate a clear signal of where things are heading? Turns out, true to the Pivot Method, that the key to predicting the future lies right under our feet: we just need to get better at understanding how to spot ideas, capture them effectively, and sift through them.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/75 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“See yourself from the soul's point of view: flaws are just temporary mistakes of perception."—Penney Peirce, Transparency We're back at it, folks! There was so much juicy material from Penney Peirce's new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, that we decided to dive in even deeper in a follow-up episode of the Pivot Podcast (if you haven't already, check out first part, Transparency Part 1: What does your soul know? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/74 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is more important to you than perfection? This week's show is coming to you unpolished and unedited . . . to prove a point to myself and my inner perfectionist. I realized it had been a while since I did a solo show (one where there’s no guest), just me riffing on a topic that’s on my mind. And why not? Because my perfectionism monster started running the show! I worried that if conditions weren’t perfect, if I didn’t have my fancy mic while on the road for speaking gigs, or a perfect content outline, that I’d be better off not doing one. Pfft! So for this 30-minute show I just awkwardly shared from the heart ways I push past perfection when it starts blocking my life and creative work.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/73 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I was broken. Everything hurt. How could I know so much but constantly be in pain? I could go fast with the best, but I was a complete amateur at going slow." —Anders Varner, founder of The Lower Back Fix When Anders Varner reached out to me to share his story, I only got halfway through his about page when I knew it was an immediate YES! for a podcast conversation. Many of you know that one of my passions is exploring the intersection of mind, body and business—particularly how we make time to rest, recharge, and take care of ourselves during intense career-building times so that we don't burn out, and can instead build sustainable careers (and bodies) we love. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/72 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Was it hard to be a CIA officer with all of the challenges and change that entailed? Yes. Scary? Of course. But if I was going to fulfill my life mission, I had to conquer my instinctual tendency to freeze in place. Fear would get me nowhere. Faith, however, would take me to places I could never have imagined." 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/71 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There a few classic books—and business concepts—that I declare must-reads for every solopreneur and side-hustler I work with, and The Referral Engine is one of them. Especially if you're someone who bristles at so much of the online marketing tactics out there like I do, referrals are one of the best ways to get new clients. There is already a foundation of trust established with the incoming client, and it means that you exceeded expectations enough for the referring client to authentically spread the word about your services. In this week's show, business master-thinker John Jantsch and I dive into exactly how to create delightful experiences and systems that will make referrals a key part of your business, not just a happy accident.   📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/70 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contrary to what she'd probably tell you herself, Torre DeRoche is one of the bravest people I know. When we first encountered each other online, she had just finished sailing the world for two years with her boyfriend at the time. Just the two of them . . . on the open seas . . . despite her deathly fear of sharks. I've been captivated by her story and her writing, under the moniker Fearful Adventurer, ever since, and I had the pleasure of meeting her in person for a meal in Chiang Mai when we crossed paths there in 2013.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/69 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Andy Molinksy writes in Reach, chances are if you've ever been interested in the topic of personal growth as it relates to risk, you've heard tropes like "life begins at the end of your comfort zone" and have encountered this meme-of-all-memes:  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/68 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to make enlightenment normal? How do you remove the filters that dim your soul's wisdom? How can you feel into what wants to happen and find greater flow in life and work? What does it mean to be so authentic and transparent that we live as truth with nothing to hide? Penney and I dive into these questions and many more on this week's show as we discuss her new book, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity, which I was incredibly honored to write the foreword for.  📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/67 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So you become known for your ideas: now what? Many entrepreneurs find out the hard way that being a recognized expert is still not enough to guarantee a healthy living. One of my best friendtors in New York City, Dorie Clark, returns to the show for the third time to complete our Pivot Podcast trilogy—a conversation about her brand new book, Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Streams of Income and Thrive. 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/66 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today, Michael Port, has written six books, including one that changed my life: Book Yourself Solid, which I read in 2010 just before leaving Google to strategize how to launch my coaching practice. I have since recommended it to every coach I've ever mentored! Fun fact, Michael also guest starred in one of my favorite Sex and the City episode in his early acting days :) 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/65 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is a pivot pro who navigates life and work with heart and soul. Howard Behar is a renowned business leader, author, speaker, and mentor. Part of the leadership triumvirate that built the Starbucks brand, Behar is the ultimate “servant leader” who is known for his work ethic, values based leadership, mentorship, and such memorable lessons as “The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom” and “Only the Truth Sounds Like the Truth.” 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/64 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi friends, long time no talk! I am super excited to be gearing up the Pivot Podcast again with a special episode on Artist as CEO, featuring my guy, Michel Karsouny. Michel and I met over a year ago walking in opposite directions down a New York City sidewalk — how's that for the magic of serendipity?! 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/63 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to do creative work and make a living? What does it take to thrive, not just survive?  This week I'm thrilled to chat with bestselling author, keynote speaker, and popular blogger Jeff Goins. Listen on as we bust myths behind the starving and solo artist, discuss the return to creative patronage (and how you can become your own best patron), why "exposure gigs" are out and charging for your work is in, and striking the balance between exploring a variety of interests while focusing enough so see meaningful projects through.   📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/62 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to growing and scaling a business, the very superhero skills that facilitate your success may also one day become your biggest weakness. How can it be that you—the entrepreneur—might be the very person holding yourself back in the quest to move from employee-at-everyone-else's-whims to strategic business owner building a scalable operation? 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/61 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's good news about bad moods—contrary to what it may seem in the moment, they can actually facilitate more creative, out-of-the-box thinking than when we're sailing along on autopilot during happier times, according to researcher Susan David. This is just one of the tidbits that leaped off the page for me from her acclaimed #1 Wall Street Journal best selling book, Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life (a close cousin to Pivot in content and launch date—they share the same book birthday!). 📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/60 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices